Jackson Kraken VS Wilderness Systems Thresher

[ewhitney60]

I'm in the process of searching for my first kayak. I have tested a kraken and a wilderness system and I am torn between the two.

What is everyone's thought of the two?

I am about 240 lbs. and I have a bad back which draws me towards the kraken 15.5 because of the extremely comfortable seat. However, I like the setup of the Thresher 155 as far as the fish finder storage/transducer mount. Neither seem to be a very bad choice however maybe there are other types of kayaks that i should be pursuing?

To give you an idea, I will be doing inland ocean fishing mostly and some bigger lake fishing. Feel free to openly speak of your opinions and experiences!

Thanks Guys,
Evan

[Stuck20]

I'm a bigger guy too, I fish out of a Thresher. I'd go with the more comfortable kayak if you have back problems.

[alanw]

I have not paddled a Thresher so I can't compare the two, but I have a Kraken and after a few years of paddling a kayak with a regular padded foam seat I can say that I love the seat on the Kraken and I will probably never go back to a kayak with a regular foam seat again. Maybe I'm just old, but a comfortable seat is high priority for me. The pod on the Thresher looks sweet but there is no problem mounting a fishfinder to the provided GearTrac on the Kraken.

Drawbacks for the Kraken for me are that is feels tippy. I don't think I can relax and take a nap on it like on my old stable Malibu kayaks and I find myself hanging my legs over the sides for stability often while drifting. Reaching around back for bait is always exciting. And while tracking is a good trait in a kayak, the Kraken seems to track so well that it is hard for me to straighten it out against wind cocking. Install a rudder on it and it goes where you point it with much less effort.

Honestly I think the biggest problem with the Kraken is ME. It was designed for an experienced kayaker which I will admit I am not. Kayak fishing is two parts, kayaking and fishing. Fishermen that happen to go out on kayaks aren't necessarily kayakers even though they think of themselves as one. What started out as just fishing on a little stable plastic tub turned into learning about bracing, leaning, paddle techniques, broaching, etc... which the Kraken sort of forced me to consider more.

[Hye]

I have a bad back. The seat makes the difference from 3 hours on the water to 6 or more. The people I fish with that use foam seats want to end the day short all the time.


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[ewhitney60]

I do like the comfort of the Kraken a lot. however, i did feel that tipping tendency when I tested it out. Hmmmm..... this is difficult because I have never kayak fished before. I have pulled some wampers out on a big deck but never in a plastic tub!

any other thoughts on a stable, comfortable, maneuverable kayak?

Thanks for the input everyone.

Evan

[ewhitney60]

would you recommend the malibu x-factor as a nice starter?

[Mahigeer]

I am selling my 14' plus Malibu XFactor.

With 33" width, it is considered very stable.

Check out the details here:
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/showthread.php?t=27825&highlight=Kayak+sale%2C+water.

[Hye]

I have only paddled in a Malibu kayak that I rented a few times. Because of my upper back problem I found that trying to rest my back was impossible. This issue could be limited to the kayaks I rented but I doubt it. Now I own a 2015 hobie outback and I hope I'll never have to paddle again🙏. With that said paddling could have had a part in my back discomfort. My back needs a good back rest to last a day on the water. You mentioned something about a bad back.
I considered looking into an entry level kayak to start with but I thought of two main problems with this idea. If the experience of a cheaper entry level kayak sucked it would shorten my kayak fishing interests. This would include the chance of my back not holding up well in a kayak without a seat. The next main thought was if I liked fishing on a kayak I would have to purchase a better kayak and that would mean losing money on first kayak. I'm mentioning this because I noticed you asking about an entry level kayak. My outback does very well. Pro angler looks amazing too. Pro angler was over my budget if I wanted all the accessories too. My opinion is biased to hobie because that's what I have used. But hobie or not, I truly believe the seat matters a lot. I don't have an issue with rolling over. Hope this helps. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160316/048ad5372037c63ea600f29f3ac96735.jpg


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[Harry Hill]

I am going through the start cheaper and work you way up phase. I wish I had just bitten the bullet in the beginning and bought a better yak but being retired stops some plans. So I started with a bass pro ascend fs12t because I didn't know any better, very stable but it works you. Then I had another consideration when moving up, my wife who loves to fish and had a sit in ascend has some nerve damage in her hands so she can't tie on hooks or lures anymore so we needed a tandem so I don't have to keep paddling back to where she is every time she breaks off. So money still being a factor I bought a Malibu Pro2tandem that is hard to set up for fishing but I am making it work. If I had been smart though I would have bought the Jackson Tandem or the Native tandem. both are already set up for fishing but much more expensive. I guess what I am saying is though if you can wait, get the better kayak. At the rate I'm goiing I'm going to have three kayaks sitting in my yard while I fish out of a fourth.

[King Saba]

I am going through the start cheaper and work you way up phase. I wish I had just bitten the bullet in the beginning and bought a better yak but being retired stops some plans. So I started with a bass pro ascend fs12t because I didn't know any better, very stable but it works you. Then I had another consideration when moving up, my wife who loves to fish and had a sit in ascend has some nerve damage in her hands so she can't tie on hooks or lures anymore so we needed a tandem so I don't have to keep paddling back to where she is every time she breaks off. So money still being a factor I bought a Malibu Pro2tandem that is hard to set up for fishing but I am making it work. If I had been smart though I would have bought the Jackson Tandem or the Native tandem. both are already set up for fishing but much more expensive. I guess what I am saying is though if you can wait, get the better kayak. At the rate I'm goiing I'm going to have three kayaks sitting in my yard while I fish out of a fourth.

Why not sell the old kayaks? You can scrape some money back that way.

[Harry Hill]

Why not sell the old kayaks? You can scrape some money back that way.

I will eventually but I want to make sure I have something to fish from until I get what I want.

[King Saba]

I do like the comfort of the Kraken a lot. however, i did feel that tipping tendency when I tested it out. Hmmmm..... this is difficult because I have never kayak fished before. I have pulled some wampers out on a big deck but never in a plastic tub!

any other thoughts on a stable, comfortable, maneuverable kayak?

Thanks for the input everyone.

Evan

I started out with a Malibu Sierra as my first kayak thinking that I would only care for bay fishing, boy was I wrong. After jamming in that for half a year I set my sights on a wider more stable kayak, Malibu Stealth 12, since the Sierra is a bit tippy. After using the stealth for a good 10 months I began I dread how slow it was and now I'm on my third kayak, a Hobie Revo 13. It's tippier, but faster, lighter, easier to handle, and has a rudder! I do miss the stability of my stealth, but as someone said somewhere here on the board, you can't make a slow kayak faster, but you can always learn how to become more stable

[alanw]

The X-Factor is an excellent choice for a first kayak or for a keeper kayak if the seating works for your back. Get a high-back seat for it and use a Thermarest seat pad for added comfort if needed. Super stable and tons of storage, but a slower paddler and can be a wet ride. Get a newer model with the built in livewell if you plan on fishing with live bait. I loved mine as a fishing platform but ultimately sold it because of the seating and the speed.

Don't let the tippiness keep you from the Kraken. It's tippy compared to get X-Factor but it's not that bad once you get used to it. The pro's definitely outweigh the con's.

There's nothing wrong with buying a starter kayak with plans on upgrading. That's a good way of figuring out what works for you. Just find a good deal on a newer model used kayak and resell within a year or so and you won't lose much money on the trading. With a bad back I'd opt for the better seat. Hobbie, Native, and Jackson all have models with nice elevated seating.

[Stuck20]

Have you considered the Wilderness Systems ATAK? It has the flex pod like the Thresher but with a better seat and should be more stable.

[BigAppa]

Have you considered the Wilderness Systems ATAK? It has the flex pod like the Thresher but with a better seat and should be more stable.

There's also the new Tarpon 130 x with the airpro max seat. Op should really consider this option over the thresher: better seat, more stability for us bigger guys, paddles well, for about the same price as the thresher 140.

I talked to the ws rep at Fred hall, and he said that production was delayed bc they had found a flaw in the mold, so they're looking at late April or early May production start.

This was the kayak I was waiting for, especially since I had read that the new pedal drive would fit it, but the ws rep also said that the pedal drive will not be fitting any existing kayaks they have including the tarpon 130x. But a new kayak is in development which will fit the pedal drive, and both should debut at this summer's icast and go into production possibly this fall.

The tarpon 130x looks like a great kayak. I had been waiting nine months to get get it, but I want a pedal drive, but unfortunately, none of the hobies fit my needs, and I'm not a big fan of native propels. So I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for this new pedal kayak from ws, but man, another six months will be torture.

[easyday]

If you're going to be fishing lakes and sheltered waters you might want to take a look at the ATAK. It has a crazy comfy seat and is super stable. If you have any ?s about it feel free to shoot me a PM.

[easyday]

There's also the new Tarpon 130 x with the airpro max seat. Op should really consider this option over the thresher: better seat, more stability for us bigger guys, paddles well, for about the same price as the thresher 140.

I talked to the ws rep at Fred hall, and he said that production was delayed bc they had found a flaw in the mold, so they're looking at late April or early May production start.

This was the kayak I was waiting for, especially since I had read that the new pedal drive would fit it, but the ws rep also said that the pedal drive will not be fitting any existing kayaks they have including the tarpon 130x. But a new kayak is in development which will fit the pedal drive, and both should debut at this summer's icast and go into production possibly this fall.

The tarpon 130x looks like a great kayak. I had been waiting nine months to get get it, but I want a pedal drive, but unfortunately, none of the hobies fit my needs, and I'm not a big fan of native propels. So I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for this new pedal kayak from ws, but man, another six months will be torture.

There is a motor drive for the 130x that is coming out for it as well its a really cool add on and optional feature. It will fit anything with the flex pod OS. Also I totally understand the excitement about a pedal drive in a WS.

[StinkyMatt]

Comfort trumps everything else. (Especially with a bad back)



It does not matter where the FF is located or if there is a rod pod if your kayak is in the garage because it hurts to use it.



The new "lawn chair" style seats like the Hobie blow the old style seats away.....different ball game.

[sandico]

A lot of good information in this thread. I can speak to this very comparison. I have a bad back and have paddled both of these kayaks. Comfort is the most important factor. The seat in the Thresher really gets me in less than an hour. The Kraken seat is much more comfortable and I can last a lot longer before I have any pain. I am also able to stand up in the Kraken for short periods to help me relieve/rest my back. I am a little smaller, 190, but still can stand. I currently have a Tarpon 140 and have had Tarpon 160's for 11 years and will be getting into a kayak with a lawn chair style seat. I also like the XFactor and Stealths but the seat just doesn't work for my back. I also am waiting to test out the Tarpon 130X. We will have it in the shop after the Fred Hall Show at Del Mar where it is currently in our booth. Early comments from Iceman is that he really likes the 130X as a paddler with a comfortable seat. Just remember what others have said, sore back equals a kayak in the garage!

Come check us out at Fred Hall starting tomorrow, deals to be had on many of the kayaks at the show

Kerry
OEX Mission Bay

[GregAndrew]

Comfort trumps everything else. (Especially with a bad back)



It does not matter where the FF is located or if there is a rod pod if your kayak is in the garage because it hurts to use it.



The new "lawn chair" style seats like the Hobie blow the old style seats away.....different ball game.

Yep, nobody would be crazy enough to go out every week in a kayak that did not have a lawn chair for a seat! (Except for me and a few dozen others?)

Seriously though, tippy usually describes only the primary stability of kayaks. Once you learn (by experience) about the secondary stability, you will forget about tippy. Slow, on the other hand, never goes away. Figure out how and where you want to use it, then choose a kayak that fits.

[StinkyMatt]

Greg, you don't even fish. You make movies!





:D