BadKarma Posted May 6, 2012 Posted May 6, 2012 Well, I started looking for a canoe, but I have changed my mind and am on the hunt for a kayak to float and fish from. After browsing 3 places in Springfield and spending many hours reading online reviews and refining my Google-fu, the leader at the moment is the Ascend D-12 from, of all places, Bass Pro.. Anyone paddling one of these? Opinion? Folks on several other forums are pretty impressed with this 'yak. Don't worry about life, your not going to survive it anyway. Go fishing instead.
UnCivE Posted May 7, 2012 Posted May 7, 2012 I'm paddling a FS12, or the "angler" version of the D12. I've been real impressed with this yak, and here's why... First of all, the seat rocks. It's super comfy and for exceeds any other kayak seat I've sat in, bar none. Stability on the kayak is good enough to stand with a little practice, but I don't stand and fish. I'm just not looking to take a swim while fishing. Storage is pretty darn good, and I love having the premolded crate/5gallon bucket space behind the seat. I use a crate with rod holders screwed on to store my gear. I really dig the seat, the pre-molded paddle notches and the adjustable footrests are back savers. Somebody at Bass Pro really put some thought into this thing. There are a few things to keep in mind.... If I had it to do over again, I'd buy the D12 instead of the FS12. I ended up buying scotty rod holders and throwing away the factory rod holders, because they weren't very good. Also, the anchor trolley got replaced because it was cheap plastic stuff. I kept some of the bungees, but for the most part, the only thing I kept from the "angler package" was the paint job. Save yourself the 100 bucks and rig it how you want it. Some minuses.... kayak is HEAVY. I'm a big guy, but a 12 ft long kayak that weighs 80+ lbs fully loaded is hard for me to carry. I'd buy or build a kayak cart if you plan to unload/load this thing on your own. I don't use one, but I sure wish I did sometimes. Also, like I said.. the ascend fishing pole holders and anchor trolley are pretty much garbage. Get quality stuff. I think I spent 30bucks on rod holders and 10 bucks on parts for my trolley. Also, this kayak doesn't have a compatible rudder system. If you want one, you'll have to kludge something together. Fine for me, that's what I do anyway. I really like the D12.
BadKarma Posted May 7, 2012 Author Posted May 7, 2012 I totally agree UnCivE. I got to see them side-by-side and could not see where that extra $100 went. And I'm a tinkerer by nature too. And out of all the 'yaks I looked at, the Ascend was the only one with a dedicated place for a crate! Have you had it awhile? What's your opinion now of performance on the water? Don't worry about life, your not going to survive it anyway. Go fishing instead.
UnCivE Posted May 7, 2012 Posted May 7, 2012 I've had it since last march (a year and a few months), and I fish a couple times a week out of it, mostly on the Gasconade. It tracks real well, but I have decided I want a rudder for fishing in current. It paddles easy, it's just not the fastest kayak out there... I have no trouble paddling upstream in heavy current. I'd say if you aren't expecting it to fly like a 14' touring kayak, there isn't much that you won't like about the way it paddles. Compared to the other ascend kayaks, (which I have paddled all of them), it's by far the best tracking. The 10 ft round bottom A10 is like paddling a innertube almost, thing wants to spin around all the time. The D10 (tri-hull bottom) is a lot better, but still nowhere near as rock solid as the D12. Shoot, half the time I sit side saddle to fish out of it. Dunno, I bought it primarily because it was cheap, and looked easy to fish out of, and I haven't been disappointed.
BadKarma Posted May 7, 2012 Author Posted May 7, 2012 Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear. Don't worry about life, your not going to survive it anyway. Go fishing instead.
TroutRinger Posted May 7, 2012 Posted May 7, 2012 It's definitely a personal preference, but from someone that has had a sit-in and sit-on-top kayak, I really prefer the SOT. Much easier to get in and out of, you can hang your legs in the water if it gets warm, etc. "Of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy." "There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot."
BadKarma Posted May 7, 2012 Author Posted May 7, 2012 I tried a SOT and I just didn't like it. I felt tottery and exposed, if tottery is really a word. I'm not saying they are, just that I didn't feel comfortable. A sit in brought me back to my comfort zone and I was really having fun with it. Don't worry about life, your not going to survive it anyway. Go fishing instead.
Al Agnew Posted May 8, 2012 Posted May 8, 2012 Probably shouldn't butt in...but are you SURE you want a kayak instead of a canoe? Kayaks are nice, but they are generally "loved" by people who never tried a good solo canoe. I've said this many times before, but anything you can do in a kayak you can do in a solo canoe, and a lot of things you can do better in the canoe.
BadKarma Posted May 8, 2012 Author Posted May 8, 2012 All of my experiences with paddle sports had been in a canoe. I had sworn I'd never get in a kayak. For the last couple of years I'd wanted a canoe that I could handle alone and with everyones recommendations on "get this one, dont get that one." They had me spending money I didn't have. I can't drop $800-$1200 on a "paddle boat". Then a friend corrupted me by letting me try out his kayak. When he told me how much it cost to setup and hit the water, I was hooked. And the comfort level didn't hurt none either. Don't worry about life, your not going to survive it anyway. Go fishing instead.
TroutRinger Posted May 8, 2012 Posted May 8, 2012 On 5/7/2012 at 11:29 PM, BadKarma said: I felt tottery and exposed, if tottery is really a word. haha. I'm pretty sure it isn't but I know what you meant "Of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy." "There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot."
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now