The new Jackson Kayak Kraken Review with Caney Fork Outdoors Fishing Team Jonathan Meyers. I recently had an opportunity to get a little time out on the water with one of Jackson kayak’s newest fishing kayaks, the 2015 Jackson Kayak Kraken. I will talk about the new features of the Jackson Kayak Kraken followed by my overall impressions of the Kraken. First, the Kraken comes has an overall length of 15’ 7” and has a weight capacity of 400 lbs. With these type of dimensions the Kraken is meant to haul lots of gear for a long day out on the water. Starting at the bow the Kraken features a very large hatch, perfect for stowing gear or possibly the catch of the day. Under the bungeed storage hatch, there is a neoprene cover that fits nice and tight that prevents large amounts of water from entering the kayak. Moving inside the hatch to the interior of the kayak, the kraken features a plastic shelf that can facilitate a battery for anyone who would like to mount a fish finder, or could potentially just be more storage space. Moving back onto the top of the Kraken you will notice multiple Yak Attack gear tracks and go pro mounts, perfect for mounting fishing rods and your camera equipment. One of the newest features on the Kraken is the hinged center console. On top of the console the Kraken comes with a very bright light, perfect for early mornings or late evenings on the water, also two more large Yak Attack gear tracks. The console opens away from you for easy access to the cavernous inside. This space is perfect for keeping things nice and dry during a day out on the water. The interior of the console is removable, giving you access to the battery tray and the middle section of the kayak. One of the newest features of the Kraken is a dedicated scupper for a transducer, a perfect fit for the Raymarine Dragon fly fish finder. One of the most exciting features of all the newest Jackson Kayaks, is the new elite seat 3.0. The new elite seat features a new Thermarest lumbar support pad, a curved back for extra back support, side stowaway pouches for two Plano boxes and a front and back pouches for extra storage. One of my favorite upgrades to the new elite seat is the new locking mechanism that attaches the seat to the kayak, once its locked it your going nowhere. Another feature of the Kraken’s elite seat, is the ability to trim the seat forwards and backwards. This will allow the user to compensate for different conditions on the water, as well as evenly distribute the weight throughout the kayak. Behind the seat the Kraken is even more feature rich. Including a dedicated scupper that will hold a bilge pump for anyone that wants to add or convert a kkrate into a bait well. When it comes to storage the Kraken is no slouch, it comes with a plano tackle box and the new larger kkrate. The new larger Jackson kkrate is perfect for stowing away tackle, and anything you want to haul with you on the Kraken. The kkrate also includes 3 rod holders mounted on the back for extra rod storage. Speaking of rod holders the Kraken will allow you to carry several rods with you for a long day out on the water. The Kraken comes with one movable Ram rod holder, 2 Ram rocket tubes, 2 flush mounted holders behind the tube holders plus the 3 tubes that come on the back of the kkrate. Finally moving to the stern of the Kraken there is a generous amount of space behind the kkrate, that will allow you to bungee even more gear for your trip. The Kraken also features a day hatch at the stern for more storage and access to the interior. Now that I have talked about the new features of the Kraken I would like to give you my initial impressions of the kayak. The Kraken was designed initially to be a large water kayak, meant for the ocean or large lakes. Knowing this, I decided I would like to see how the Kraken would perform on smaller bodies of water like a river. I will admit at first I was a little nervous once I had the boat out on the river. My main concern was how would the Kraken track and most importably how easily will a 16 foot kayak turn in a narrow river? My questions and concerns were quickly answered, the Kraken is quiet nibble for such a large kayak. First of all it tracks like a dream and is incredibly fast, within just a few hard paddle strokes I had it up to max speed. Stopping was just as easy a couple of back paddles and I had the Kraken at rest and I was ready to fish. When it comes to rapids the Kraken cuts through them like a torpedo, I was able to negotiate some rather tight rapids with ease. Once I was out of the rapids I was able to turn the kayak pretty much on a dime and cruise to a shoal without any problems at all. I was really impressed with all of the new features of the Kraken. It has so much storage space and so many rod holders its almost unbelievable, I was able to carry all my fishing gear and I had room for the kitchen sink if I really wanted it. The elite seat 3.0 made an 8 hour float pleasant and comfortable. The one thing on the Kraken I did not try was standing up. I feel that this boat was very stable on the water, however I did not personally feel comfortable trying to stand up. My overall impressions for the Kraken that its a nimble and fast kayak that tracks very well, has tons of features and storage options. If you are looking for a boat that will excel on large bodies of water i.e. oceans, lakes, large ponds even the river this is the kayak for you.