Jackson Kayak Bite FD Sit On Top Fishing Kayak

I purchased this Kayak mainly due to the Jackson Flex Drive 3D system. I have other sit on top paddle kayaks which worked pretty good. Due to shoulder issues It had been increasingly difficult to paddle out ,fish and then paddle back to my truck with out serious discomfort. After researching different pedal drive options I decided on the Jackson. I also decided that the Bite would be the way to go due to it's pricing point. So here it goes, the good and the kinda bad.

THE GOOD:

The seat is very comfortable, you do sit fairly high up as opposed to my other sit on top kayaks. Initially I was concerned that this would make the kayak tipsy, but it does not. Actually if you lean one way or the other you can get the kayak to turn slightly in that direction while pedaling. Sorta like a motorcycle. My second concern was the adjustable seat. Being only 5'1" I was concerned that I would be too short to reach the pedals. But I actually had to move the seat back from it's closest position. Even having the seat in this position the two rod holders in the rear are still accessible. I can easily turn around and grab stuff from my milk crate in the rear tank well. The flex drive works excellent. make no mistake if you want to get up and go you can. But be aware after a few minutes you are definitely getting a work out in! The Kayak tracks straight as long as you make sure your rudder is locked in the center position. The turning radius is ok. No way you will be able to turn as quick as a paddle kayak but it wasn't really an issue for me. The rudder is also easily removable. I found this necessary before putting in and coming out. If you need to drag the kayak over anything there is a spot on the keel that is reinforced for this. If you leave the rudder on you will have a great chance of damaging it.The gear tracks are conveniently placed and I have a cup on one side and a rod holder on the other. This will change as soon as I get my YakAttack cellbloc in. And yes if you decide to get a fish finder and run a Yak Attack Celbloc the tracks are long enough to fit this ( I measured). There are four handles on the kayak. Two molded and two straps. I found these handy in loading this kayak into my truck.

The Kinda Bad:

It is heavy, Ok to put into the back of a pick up but unless you are the size of an NFL lineman, or an NBA guy I'm not sure car topping this is an option. The weight does help in the water but not so much loading. (Everything has a trade off) Being short I have to have the seat nearly all the way up. One thing that I found is that I can not open the hatch to access the propeller unless I move the seat back. Again not a deal breaker but a little inconvenient. But that's it for the negatives not many, the positives far out weigh the negatives in this case.

Coming from a paddle fishing kayak, it has taken some getting used to but as I've gotten more accustomed to it with each trip there is no going back. I love the clean design of this kayak which is why i chose it. Simple lines, lots of open space and no handles to wear out or pull off. I thought it would be like pedaling my mtn bike but it's not. More of a lay down pedaling which again takes getting used to. I'm 5' 7" and i have to have the seat that forward most position and it's just barely enough. if you're shorter than that i'd test drive first. Kayak is heavy compared with paddling which is good and bad. It was very hard to get it onto the roof rack to get it home so that ruled out using this as a travel kayak. Getting into a truck or trailer is likely fine but not on our van. I leave it on the lake we live on so that's not a concern for me. The extra weight means it does not drift in the wind as bad as my paddle kayak. Super stable so i can easily fish sitting or standing without any concern. One of the selling points for me was the flex drive and that turns out to be a good choice. The lake i live on is mostly deep but there are shallow areas and having that interim shallow setting has really come into play and not having to worry about a stump taking out the prop has been great. And when i go to pull it up on our dock just tuck the prop all the way up in the boat. It's a really nice design. I used a hobie mirage drive one time and did not like that system at all in terms of taking it in and out or how to deal with shallow water. The turning radius with the rudder/pedal is very wide compared to what you're used to with paddling. i've learned to use hte paddle in conjunction with pedal when navigating close places like around docks. Just takes a different approach. One magic scenario i've had is if you can get the wind going just right and use your rudder you can easily stand and fish down a bank while the boat moves you along. That's a nice benefit of the rudder vs paddling. I find the boat to be quite fast compared with paddling. Have been able to cover way more water, roughly cutting the commute to my fishing spots in half. I've also not had to use my anchors because you can pedal backwards or drift with the rudder effectively. Another thing different about my paddle kayak is that on the lake i live on which has huge boat traffic and in particular wake boats, a lot of water comes over the bow if you go straight into the wakes. My paddle kayak has a higher bow and isn't open like the Bite so i rarely got water in. On this one the water comes right over the bow and down the open plan so the area around your feet and under the seat get wet. stays dry on calm or non wave days but just something to be aware of. Net is, i'm pleased with the boat. First time i went out i was not, it was very different and seemed very clunky and not agile. Second time i dialed it in and third time out i spent all my time fishing and it was magic