New kayak

[txnative]

Newest addition to my plastic fleet of fishing vessels is a FeelFree Moken 14. Amazing features on this thing. Check it out online at www.feelfreekayak.com, or better yet, check one out at Hook1.

A quick rundown:

Awesome seat with great lumbar support
Adjustable foot rests (also has rudder option)
Stern well with straps to secure tackle crate
Tracks with accessory mounts
Watertight center console
Stand-up platform with foam pad
Stand-up assist strap
Paddle keepers on both sides
Watertight hinged hatch lid
Rear hatch access with watertight lid
"Wheel in the Keel" to make launching/moving infinitely easier
Flush mount rod holders with room to add 4 more
Molded handles on front, rear, and sides
Recessed attachments for seat

Specs:
14'8" length
30" width
79 lbs
432 lb capacity

I got mine in the desert camo color. Looks great and I can't wait to hit the water.


Chris

[MNfisher]

Awesome! Can't wait to see it in action!

[Alphahawk]

Good deal. Didn't know HOOK1 was carrying FeelFree. They are adding so much over there cant keep up with it. Life is good.



Regards

[txnative]

They just started this week. Unfortunately, the last of them will be picked up Tuesday, but more are due in around the middle of August.



Chris

[Travis C.]

I am definitely not the kayak expert as some are on here but for a person with limited experience that "wheel in the keel" feature is really cool. It would make solo fishing to me seem a lot easier than having to unload off the car, drag it to the water then put all your gear back in the boat.

Can't wait to see it in the water.

[txnative]

I am taking it out on its maiden voyage tomorrow (tues 7/23). Already cleared it with the wife and as long as the weather isn't too bad (tornado or equivalent), I'm gonna hit old hick.


Chris

[agelesssone]

Awesome looking yak. Been eyeing that one myself.

[browntrout]

SWEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTT looking ride. I know you will have a lot of fun in that setup!!!!

Roy

[Transplanted Sportsman]

that is a cool looking yak there Chris!! I agree on the wheel it will make it a lot easier to load and unload without the scuffs and scratches that come from moving to and from truck!

[txnative]

I got the moken 14 out last on old hick to put it thru it's paces and hopefully catch a fish or two. My fishing report will be in the fishing forum. Here's the skinny on the new yak:

Awesome. The end.


For those of you who want details, here ya go:

Speed: this thing is quick. I have 2 lighter, shorter kayaks and the moken 14 smoked them. Once I get up to a comfortable speed (easy to do), I can stop paddling and coast for about 50 yds. Of course, wind will affect this, but I got a calm evening last night thankfully.

Tracking: think arrow. When I stopped paddling, I would head straight until I stopped, no veering off as I slowed. I wasn't used to this and had to paddle backwards to slow down as I approached surfacing fish so I wouldn't go over them.

Maneuverability: good, not great. The yak is 14'8" long, so it won't turn on a dime, but I can use a backstroke to get it turned around impressively quick for a long boat.

Stability: absolutely incredible. I was flyfishing in a standing position for schooling white bass. This wasn't "cast close to the bank and strip gently" fishing, either. I was paddling up to the schools, then standing to cast while the kayak was still in motion. Most of my casts were close to the full length of my flyline. I was throwing a sz 4 clouser on a 7 wt rod. I was having to double haul, water load, and change direction mid-cast to get on the fish. I leaned the kayak over until I felt like I would tip and actually got far enough over that I felt uncomfortable standing at that angle regardless of the threat of falling out. In short, if you need something more stable, go with a pontoon boat.

Storage: plenty, and easily accessible. The center console in particular is great. I put a piece of paper in it to test waterproofing...water splashing in the yak from launching, paddling, casting, and landing fish didn't make a difference, not a drop in the console. The top of the console has a molded cup holder that worked great as lure/fly short-term storage, and the bottle keeper doubled as an excellent fly-rod storage. The dry hatches fire and aft of the cockpit were also bone dry and very easy to access while on the water.

Rod and tackle storage: no surprise, excellent. I would like more rod holders, but I haven't had time to install them, so that's on me. There is enough room to add 4 more flush mount holders. As for rod holders for trolling, down lining, etc, the tracks fore and aft of the cockpit allow numerous Uni Trac mounts to accommodate anyone. The crate well in the stern storage well is awesome, and it has straps to secure the crate that come standard. Once the crate is in, there is still around 30" of storage space behind it. Tons of room for gear, cooler, bait, etc.

Comfort: great...as expected. The Kingfisher seat that comes with the moken series is a work of genius. The bottom is padded to raise the from of your legs slightly, the back has adjustable lumbar support and can be moved forward or back easily. There is a strap on the kayak that prevents the seat from sliding (this is one of my fave features). Also, the skeletal frame in the seat maintains it's shape very well. There are adjustable footrests that require 2 fingers to adjust, and the standing platform has a textured foam pad to provide a comfortable, non slip footing. There are 10 scuppers in the kayak that provide incredible structural support, so there is no bounce or movement in the boat...you can tell you are on something solid.

Launching: a breeze. The molded handles are super easy on the hands. I was able to load all my gear in the kayak while in the parking lot, then roll it down to the ramp and into the water using the "Wheel in the Keel" feature. Take out was just as easy.

Overall, I am in love with this kayak. Check them out at kayakfishinggear.com, or go to Hook1.



Chris

[GO-OKFISHIN]

Very nice!

[Transplanted Sportsman]

Dang Chris you make it sound like you are in their pro staff!!:D Lol!! you may be though you are a dang good fisherman!!, cool man!, It sound like you found a jewel of a yak, how do you compare this one against the Ride 115?, maybe next year I will get one, how much does one of these cost if you don't mind me asking??

[txnative]

Haven't had a chance to give the Ride 115 a test drive. The Moken series are available at Hook1, so I would check them out to get a better idea of price. The website is kayakfishinggear.com or see them in person at the Hendersonville location.

I had the Moken 14 out again thus morning. Not as productive as earlier in the week, but I did find a nice bowfishing spot that I will be exploiting tomorrow. I tried out throwing a cast net, pitching/flipping, using crankbaits, and paddling as fast as I could from a standing position...accomplished all of them easily. Took a lot more gear to see how storage works, I was not disappointed. I HIGHLY recommend testing these boats out.


Chris

[djalleham]

Haven't had a chance to give the Ride 115 a test drive. The Moken series are available at Hook1, so I would check them out to get a better idea of price. The website is kayakfishinggear.com or see them in person at the Hendersonville location.

I had the Moken 14 out again thus morning. Not as productive as earlier in the week, but I did find a nice bowfishing spot that I will be exploiting tomorrow. I tried out throwing a cast net, pitching/flipping, using crankbaits, and paddling as fast as I could from a standing position...accomplished all of them easily. Took a lot more gear to see how storage works, I was not disappointed. I HIGHLY recommend testing these boats out.


Chris
ha ha i know you secret spot chris.

[txnative]

ha ha i know you secret spot chris.

Tell no one or I will ban you from using my spare kayak ! :)


Chris

[djalleham]

Tell no one or I will ban you from using my spare kayak ! :)


Chris

lol, i had no plans on it.

[Reel Tune]

Great review Chris, I saw the boat before going on vacation and it looked very promising, and Sarah couldn't get over that seat and hoping to get that seat to try to retro fit to her Revolution. As for the turning it souds like it could use a rudder which is not uncommon for any kayak over 13-13.5'.

Jeremy

[txnative]

I'll definitely be adding the rudder when they come in. FeelFree uses a proprietary rudder control that let's you use your toes to move the rudder instead of the whole footrest. Nice design that let's the footrests do their job instead of sacrificing support for control.


Chris

[txnative]

Here's a couple of pics from Sunday. Not my usual fishing technique, but I figured an 8 yr hiatus from this style was long enough.


Chris

[txnative]

After the shot...


Chris

[txnative]

I eventually switched back to my fly rod :)


Chris

[Reel Tune]

I'll definitely be adding the rudder when they come in. FeelFree uses a proprietary rudder control that let's you use your toes to move the rudder instead of the whole footrest. Nice design that let's the footrests do their job instead of sacrificing support for control.


Chris

That sounds like a great idea.

And great pictures. I have a Ride 135 sitting in the driveway that I think would be a great platform to bowfish from.

[jad2t]

Cool pictures. Any of you tried flyfishing out of the Ride 115? I may give it a shot if I get out on the water this weekend. I think it's stable enough.

[txnative]

Hook 1 has more Mokens in. They have the 10, 12.5, and the 14. The 12.5 is priced VERY well, check it out in store for details.

[txnative]

Here is the Moken 10 in pink camo. Wives, girlfriends, daughters, etc can get their own boat...good leverage to get one if your own, lol

[Reel Tune]

Cool pictures. Any of you tried flyfishing out of the Ride 115? I may give it a shot if I get out on the water this weekend. I think it's stable enough.

It's plenty stable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAjOS-SX4Kc


Here is the Moken 10 in pink camo. Wives, girlfriends, daughters, etc can get their own boat...good leverage to get one if your own, lol

Those are some wild color patterns on those Mokens.

Jeremy