Glad to be here!!!

[Mudbug66]

Hey,
Just wanted to say how glad I am to be a member of such an active and avid group of Yakers. I've been lurking on this site for about a month and after spectating and enjoying the antics of this group I just couldnt resists anyfurther. I thouroughly enjoy the "brotherhood" you guys have and hope to be able to participate actively in the future. Going to try my best to be at the meeting tomorrow. Yak On!

[Yak-a-Lou]

Welcome!!!

You're right... GREAT bunch of folks here.

I see you're driving an Ascend. Several folks here have been waiting for reviews on the Ascend. Have you been in it long enough to give a review?

[theoldcaster]

Three lines of advise if you want to hang with this group
1. Buy a lot of rain gear
2. learn to paddle against the wind
3. Buy plenty of cold weather gear

You see we never have an event unless we can have it in the rain, during a hurricane or when it is below 30 degrees out

Glad to have you aboard, hang on , have fun!

[ijuswannafish]

Welcome to the addiction.

[buddhaman]

Welcome. You'll find plenty of eager guys to head out on the water with you and more places to head to than you have time. If you truly want to experience the baptism of kayak fishing, I suggest you hook up with Cobia 1. He's been baptised in the water at about every launch site in South Louisiana (snorkel is optional)! Have fun and hope to pass a good time with you soon.

[papawd]

Welcome Welcome

[tefishmaster]

Welcome :buttrock::buttrock:

[Where Y'ak?]

Welcome!! Try to make the meeting in Slidell tonight. You'll get to put a face with the crazy screen names and meet a bunch of good folks!:welcome:

[Mudbug66]

Thanks for all the Welcomes guys and can’t wait to meet you all. Unfortunately that won’t be at tonight’s meeting as I have to be back on the clock for work way early tomorrow morning.

Yak a Lou you asked me for a review of my Ascend FS12T and I will share with you what I can. If anyone should have a question that I don’t address please feel free to ask. By the way I think that a Forum dedicated to Kayak reviews would be a great idea. Seems to be a question asked allot by us newbies ;). Each member could review their own crafts past and present. It would be a great resource.

Specifications:
Length: 12’1”
Width (at widest point) 31”
Weight: 56 lbs.

I purchased this Yak in early July of this year and my primary reason for purchase was in a nutshell $$$$ Cost. I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $512.00 for this Yak and liked the low cost setup: two flush mount rod holders, padded seat, and forward rod holder. I wanted to have a lil money left for accessories/rigging. I was however somewhat reluctant to buy this craft based on my research of the net and concerns which in general included the following:

1) Position of forward rod holder: The chief complaint here was that it was positioned way out of easy reach and I couldn’t agree more. I remedied this by placing my Eagle Cuda in this spot and relocating the rod holder closer in one of the molded trays.
2) In hull storage: From the factory this craft comes with a large forward hatch and that is it. Even the forward hatch space is misleading as foam has been sprayed inside that occupies the space starting at the forward rod holder and extends back to under the seat. I applied a lil DIY technology here and placed an 81/4” hatch opening in the rear deck area. This really opened available storage space. I also have ideas of placing a 6” hatch directly behind the seat in the future.
3) Untapped Seat area scuppers: Many reviews on the net noted this as a major complaint and that water would not drain in this area. This is true. That these appeared to be factory imperfections also appeared that way to me when I bought this Yak. The moldings on the topside and bottom side seemed to support this belief until I found a link on the net in which the person had actually contacted engineers at Ascend and according to this post these are structural supports and not intended as scuppers. I was still scratching my head on this one until I installed the rear deck hatch. One peek inside supported what this link had posted. These were definitely engineered to be supportive structures. However, if you know plastic welding you could easily join these supports and moldings/indentions to create scuppers.
4) Pliability/Softness of plastic: I guess when I purchased this craft this was my major concern. I had read on the net that many of these had actually melted resulting in total disconformities while inside delivery trucks. Not a good thing considering the climate here in South Louisiana. When I went to buy this boat in BR at BassPro I noticed that the model on display seemed to be indented on the bottom in the area of the seat. I asked if they had another model in stock for my purchase and indeed they did. However, when I was loading this one I also noticed the same indentation. After owning this boat for two months with many drags for launching I have come to believe that this “soft” area relates to engineering. I believe the softness works in relation to the weight of the occupant. The more weight the more “give” if you will. This is strictly my opinion. I have had no problems with this aspect and considering my use do not consider this to be of real concern.


My personal experience with this boat has been gratifying. No you will not set any water speed records but who needs too. I have tried standing in this Yak and that is not advisable either. It is a bit wobbly when standing. The deck space is accommodating unless you insist on carrying the kitchen sink. The relatively low profile on the water keeps you from being ruled by the wind. Overall with a lil innovation this is a very affordable and very fishable craft. No complaints yet but will let you know when they happen.

Derek Cabaniss AKA MudBug66

[theoldcaster]

Thanks for the review Mudbug. Now that Bass Pro is producing their on line of Kayaks I thing we will see them introduce a broader lineup and be much more competitive! When it comes down to it only one person has to be happy with a boat and that is the guy with the paddle.

[yak-aholic]

Very inclusive report, especially from someone new to the sport. My budget has been kinda tight lately, so I was thinking about one of those as my next boat. Either that or look for a good deal in a used boat. Still gonna be a while before I'm ready to make that plunge though.