Tarpon 140 or 160

Hello All,

I am brand new to the world of kayaks.  Having spent the last 10 years living in Seattle and fishing 50+ days each year I am excited about pursuing fish from a kayak.  Now I need to decide which one?  Here is the rough data about me and my fishing experience/interest:  5'7", 150lbs, 50% of my time has been spent fly fishing, my favorite trips each year are out to Neah Bay mid summer and Anacortes in May (on these trips I fish out of a little green 13 foot inflatable with a 15hp motor), recently moved from Seattle to one of the outer San Juan islands and most likely I will be moving back to the Seattle area in 18 months.  Researching kayaks has become slightly obsessive and I would really like to read what you all (the experts) would suggest.   My current front runners are the Tarpon 140 and Tarpon 160. 

Which Kayak would you suggest I get?

I have a fondness for the T14.  Its a super-versatile boat and has some decent speed to it.

I have a T160.  I love it.  Great glide, stable, sturdy.

Only one problem - It's heavy, really heavy.  I'm 5'8", 210 pounds, and not a tubby guy, I spend tons of time in the gym, and carrying my yak more than 30-40 feet is rough.

Wilderness Systems lists the thing at 90lbs, but I think it's closer to 100, which isn't really that heavy, but with something 16 foot long, it becomes very hard to control if it starts tilting one way or another, and lifting it over my head to carry it, is rough.

With two people, it's pretty easy to handle.  

I'll be the first and most likely not the last to say get out there and demo a bunch and figure out what works for you. Most good shops will let you demo kayaks at no charge and being that they are a good chunk of change it's a good idea to get what Works for you. We can give you some basic guidelines but nobody knows what works best for you thatn you. And carrying them from the shop to the water might not be a bad idea. Things like weight can play a critical role in which kayak they purchase.

Z

Thanks for the advice and thoughts.  Any shops within an hour or two of Seattle?  I am only in town until Easter (then back to the islands with no escape for several weeks) so I would like to make a purchase before I leave (and pick it up when I am back in town).  Any suggestions about what I should think about during a demo?  Thanks again for the advice. 

I like my Tarpon 140, but it is also a heavy boat for its length. Not as heavy as Lee's 16 footer,of course. I have added: 2 Harmony flushmount tubes behind the seat, a compass, a Scotty deck-mount pole holder base up front, and a small pvc transducer mounting bracket on the rear (using the already installed rudder mounting screws).  All this now weighs in at 75 lbs.
I use a home-made load roller to help load and unload from my roof racks, and a Wheeleez cart for beach transport. Without those two aides, I'd probably hate the thing for its heaviness on land. Once in the water, I love the way it paddles. Reasonable swift, and halfway maneuverable. I looked at the T-160, and it looked longer than I needed for my usual fishing.

With a moniker like "soreshoulder," you should check out the Hobie Mirage Drive yaks. You might really like the Revolution. Without the drive installed, it "specs out" much  lighter to load, and unload than my Tarpon. I think it was less than 60 lbs with the drive out. You'll likely be adding a couple of lbs with various attachments, like pole holder bases.
I got a good look at Holt's when we fished, and was impressed with its quality, as well as its speed. Looks like a great all-round SOT, and you can hang onto your pole while you troll, and not miss as many strikes.

However, even though I now have two fishing yaks, and am happy with both of them for their different applications, I'm STILL thinking the more ocean-worthy fully rigged 16' Adventure Island (outriggers and a sail) might be in my future.

There's no end to this madness!
By the time I think I can afford an Adventure Island, though, there will probably be a bunch more new designs from which to choose.

Not exactly close to Seattle, but I have tarpon 100, 120, 140, & 160's available to demo any time. Also have OK Trident 13 & 15's.

I'd say the Tarpon 140 will suit you fine. If you are thinking of covering lots of miles and potentialy doing some multi-day trips, I'd go with the 160.

160 is allot of boat to haul around, but if you're paddling 10-20 miles at a time, the extra glide from the added length will benefit you. If you're not paddling great distances, the 140 is more than adequate. That being said, the tarpon 160 is a ton more responsive and efficient than an OK Trident 15.

Jason
Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe
Portland, OR
503-285-0464

i have a tarpon 16 and a trident 15...the tarpon is lighter than the trident 15...i have been considering a tarpon 14 for even lighter weight...i have a rudder on the tarpon 16 but hardly use it any longer

HBH seems like you have two great kayaks.  Which do you prefer to take out in the San Juans and why? 

i prefer  the tarpon 16 cause its longer and glides better, the trident sits higher out of the water and is wider and heavier but also a good boat...i got the trident on a steal of a deal as a backup/spare/wife

i am looking around for a tarpon 14 to swap for my trident

not sure about the tarpon but a lot of folks are fishing from the native yaks back east. I have two and you can even stand in em, kind of a cross breed between a yak and canoe, 14.5 solo is fast yet still light with a great removable seat and tunnel hull, they sell skirts for these yaks but I don't have one and haven't tried it in any seas yet...but can stay in it all day bad back and all, something to look into though....


www.nativewatercraft.com

I have a Native Ultimate 12 and I absolutely love it for estuaries, sloughs, lower rivers, smaller lakes, tidal creeks, coves, and any protected waters.
These  Ultimates aren't "yaks," and really should be called "low-profile fishing canoes." Even though it has a pontoon hull, yak-like bow and stern, and is powered by a double bladed paddle, this thing is still basically a canoe, although its a very stable and unique one. Maybe it can be called a "rag-top SIK"  since you can pop on up to 3 or 4 spray skirts.
 I stand in it and fly cast. I can stand in it when going downstream on the outgoing tide in a shallow tidal creek and see the narrow channel (which is often only a few inches deeper than the surrounding shallows) winding through the mudflat ahead of me. Keeps me moving without getting stuck.  
I can stand and see submerged structure. I can even turn it when standing going downstream in a slow river or creek by weighting one foot more than the other, and slalom thru the deadheads thusly, helping with a good sweep of the paddle now and then. (The surfer in me just won't die).
I have found the pop-down/pop-up skeg to be indispensable when fishing while paddling upstream. Keeps me pointed into the current when I stop paddling to fire off a cast.
I wish the skeg was an option on the Ultimate 14.5. It would make that boat even more awesome for inland touring. My U-12 is more of a day boat, but could probably handle a short expedition by packing lite.

However, I would not ever choose to take this boat out in the open ocean. Not here in the PNW with our cold water. I think that would be incredibly risky. (Maybe with the full spray skirts, including one for the paddler, and extra flotation bags, but then you'd be a little too restricted due to being all "skirted in." I don't see how anyone would want to try to fish like that, without ready access to most of one's gear).  It isn't a SOT, and if swamped by a wave in rough water, it would fill to the top of the rails and be very hard to bail if there were rough chop or heavy wave action. In a flat lake, with little wind, there wouldn't be much of a problem with this. I have had it out in deep water out in the Strait up near Sequim, on a light wind day with no waves, and felt perfectly OK with that, though. Conditions can change quickly in the Strait, but winds were forecast to be light and out of the SW all day that day.

I got my Tarpon 140 for the ocean and big water.

if you go the Native route, double check the dealer listings. i think the nearest one for us is on Bainbridge Island. they not only have the Ultimate series that CHM talks about but several other models that have been quietly building a strong following. the Manta Rays have won a lot of respect in the surf recently with the NE Seaboard Yakfishermen.