Reviewer:

Gus Kayak

Rating:

5

Date:

2/17/2013

Review:

I’ve paddled and fished streams and lakes a rudder- equipped Tarpon 140 for a little over 4 years. Wanting to also paddle and fish large lakes, I decided to purchase a rudder- equipped 160. The 160 was delivered in early January, 2013, and I’ve been on a large lake 6 times, at approximately 4 hours at each outing. Conditions ranged from calm to 20 mile per hour winds, with air temps ranging from 29 to 60 Fahrenheit. Verdict: • The Tarpon 160 is fast, tracks like it’s on rails, and equals the stability of the Tarpon 140. Some reviewers have claimed that the 160 is difficult to turn. My experience with this rudder equipped boat doesn’t bear this out. For my paddling conditions, using a rudder is a must. The rudder prevents wasted paddling motion and zigzagging to ones destination. • Stowing volume is terrific. I now have more than adequate room for two dry bags (one for a change of clothes, the other for a dry suit), not to mention all the other convenience items and provisions. • Although the seat design of my old Tarpon 140 was quite adequate, the 160’s has been redesigned--especially the back rest. Some may find this, as well as the new padding, to be an improvement. Personally, I prefer more freedom of movement and always remove all padding and lock the back rest in the lowest possible position. • Both my Tarpons are fitted with ACK’s anchor trolley--which I recommend when fishing in windy and wind-direction-changing conditions.

Reviewer:

elaina m.nygård

Rating:

5

Date:

9/25/2012

Review:

Bought this kayak for my fisherman husband who was desirous of upgrading from his Sevylor inflatable to an angling kayak. He loves it! It has great features and is very fast. His only comment kind of like the other customer who is over 6ft said is that the scupper holes allow water entry in ratio to weight Hes 6 ft & 200 lbs. plus he carries all his fishing gear aboard. Im 145 lbs and took it out this last weekend with my 4 year old son who weighs 35 lbs. We had no water entry with our combined weight of 180 lbs. We did not have any gear aboard other than an extra paddle. Its not a big deal the water entry but worth mentioning. Im so grateful for customer Anthony Zimmermans previous review about the kayaks stability we had read this but never tested the kayak prior to purchase. My husband is planning to fish in all seasons here on the Puget Sound in WA and will continue to take our son out in calm waters who got curious about the marine life below and was leaning over which made me nervous-but we stayed upright easily. I agree with the the other reviewer that stated this kayak is satisfactory for the experienced angler as well as the novice like me who wants the kayak experience of paddling fast for sport. We are so pleased with this kayak that we have ordered the Tarpon 120 for me and it should arrive today. Can not say enough positive things about ACK customer service-- wonderful to deal with. We will continue to be return customers.

Reviewer:

clyde

Rating:

5

Date:

9/23/2012

Review:

This kayak is the bomb. I fish lakes small and large. it holds all my gear and is stable enough to handle just about any boat traffic. it is fast and tracks like a dream without a rudder. very happy with my tarpon 160.

Reviewer:

Anthony Zimmerman

Rating:

5

Date:

7/20/2012

Review:

I am absolutely elated with my Tarpon 160 Angler. The stability and ease of moving it through the water is phenomenal. I have medical conditions which limit my adominal movement, but it is not a problem when it comes to paddling, as the Tarpon gluides through the water. As a novice kayaker I was concerned about how dry the ride would be and if I could handle rougher waters. The Tarpon is such a steady boat that unless in big waves the ride has been stable and dry. The weight of the boat does mean it is necessary to have a HD kayak cart to move it across land, but that is to be expected. As a fishing platform I couldnt ask for a better kayak. There are kayaks out there which have more initial stability but that causes the paddler to exert way more energy. The secondary stability of the Tarpon is second to none. I have had the boat leaning so far over I was sure I was going to flip, but remained upright. This means I can confidently move about on the kayak to position my fishing gear, check on lines, re-bait, or eat lunch without worrying about flipping over. When the big one bites it also means I have the ability to fight the fish with confidence. The large front hatch makes stowing gear effortless. I highly recommend this boat for expert and novice paddlers alike.

Reviewer:

J.R.Escamilla

Rating:

4

Date:

6/17/2010

Review:

The Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160 Angler Kayak is an excellent yak. Speed,and does good on the chop. Not as wide,but with practice you can get back on after wade fishing.

Reviewer:

Craig (TKF Big Country)

Rating:

5

Date:

3/14/2010

Review:

I am 6' 2" and 285#. Being a big guy, I started my kayak fishing adventures in a Malibu X-Factor. I have nothing bad to say about the X Factor. I kept my X Factor for about 2 years before selling it to get into another T160. The trade off in going with the T160 is stability for speed. The T160 is a fast kayak compared to the X Factor. That's not to say the X Factor is slow, it just means the T160 is much sleeker and designed for more speed. Being my size and weight, and having my T160 fully rigged, the ride is dry. The water in the foot well is flush over the top of the front scuppers (in other words--no big deal). I believe from my experience that if you want the full effect of the T160 experience, you gotta get a rudder system. It makes all the difference in the world for tracking, yaw, and long distance paddling. The T160 is an awesome boat. I posted a customer review for the X Factor, and I still maintain the T160 and X-Factor are the better boats in comparison to the Ocean Kayak's Big Game Prowler. That's my two cents worth. I give the T160 a 5 out of 5 rating.

Reviewer:

PJ Clarke

Rating:

5

Date:

7/17/2009

Review:

Tarpon Angler 160i, 2009 model. 50 year old, 5'10", 215 lbs, long-time paddler of canoes and to a lesser extent, kayaks. In younger days paddled mainly whitewater, but have lived on the coast of North Carolina for many years now, so mostly paddle saltwatwer sounds and creeks. Was told that most folks here purchased the Tarpon angler 120s so they could manuever in the narrow areas for trout fishing, but I wanted more speed and capacity to travel further, do some weekend camping on the islands, etc., and fishing, and plan to get another similar boat (if not the same) so two of us will be able to go together, I love the boat, but have little to compare it to as the only thing remotely close I've owned is an old open Folboat sp? about the same length. Have been out several times in mildly rough water and about 25 mph winds, 1-1.5 foot waves, and am looking forward to checking it out in something more interesting. I'm confident I would be comfortable in it in much bigger water. It's not a very dry boat in waves because you're sitting on top, but I figure I'll wear a rainsuit in the colder weather -- it's easy to stay dry enough; it has good primary stability. Haven't really played around with it to feel out the secondary stabilty, but it feels good. I got the rudder, which is good to have in strong currents and wind for turning as the thing tracks like it is on rails, and I am glad to have the rudder. I have tried it without the rudder and probably could do without it - just a little more work in the turns. It does have a wide turn radius, but this is not water where you want to spend effort keeping the boat straight. I got this boat to be able to cover a lot of miles on a big open sound or other coastal waters with often heavy winds and currents that change frequently and waves sometimes up to about 2 feet, rarely 3-4 feet. I think it is going to be a big success. I like it becaus it's quite fast and very comfortable -- I can paddle comfortably in at least 3 distinct positions, working and resting different muscles -- sitting up or leaning way back with legs fully extended or knees raised to some degree or other. Have yet to go out for more than about 4 hours but no fatigue from paddling and adjustable seat very comfortable. I think I will get some shin/thigh pads for the cockpit. I intend to get a sea kayak one of these days, but I know that I will take this one out when I want to relax and work out a bit at the same time. The freedom of sitting on top is worth checking out if you haven't tried it. The workmanship is good - no leaks, everything where it's supposed to be. (My one little gripe: They should send some spare plastic screws as the little cargoe nets in the cockpit are installed with them, and if you pull one loose, as I did, it's easy to cross-thread the screw when re-installing) I give it a perfect rating because it is exactly what I was looking for -- fast, comfortable, stable and well made. My 5 year old grandson fits just right in the well and loves to go out to the sandbars with me. Happy paddling.

Reviewer:

Crazy Yak

Rating:

4

Date:

6/6/2009

Review:

The newly designed T160 is a definite improvement over it's predecessors. Performance: Once you get the T160 it cuts through calm or rough water with ease. It's the fastest fishing kayak I've ever paddled as it is capable of maintaining ~5 mph for extended periods. If you care to venture offshore it confidently handles the breakers and large swells. Front and Center Hatch: Easy, convenience access and ease of use with minimal leaks (after you silicone the gaskets). Seat: Adjustable lumbar with comfortable padded seat bottom included with the kayak. What more could you ask for? Tankwell: Plenty of storage for a crate, cooler, and other misc gear if needed. Front Hatch Storage: While sitting in the kayak the bow stretches out like the hood on a 69 Lincoln so there's plenty of storage underneath if needed. Rudder: The new design is more efficient and easier to operate. Rigging: You get a bang for buck for sure.