Love the option to store 3700 boxes under the seat or just cut and drop baits while I’m fishing to save time organizing later. Highly recommend.
This is exactly what I’ve been heading toward and hoping for. Heavy? Yes, for sure. I use a wet launch trailer so that doesn’t concern me. I thought my last kayak was stable. Compared to this, that yak was like balancing on a log. This is by far the most stable kayak I have ever been on. I can stand and fish, bend down to pick up something, kneel and reach in the front or back for gear and snacks with no problems. Some things that need improvement: the tracks are flimsy. Come on Old Town…do better. The back tank well has no grips and needs some. The front hatch needs to be a bit bigger for my needs.
It’s so refreshing to get such great value from people who really care/ it shows!
The delivery was great, no problems with packing. The setup was also pretty straightforward, easy to do, and takes maybe an hour. The kayak itself is outstanding in both appearance and design. It’s easy to add accessories and a the only other thing I bought was the Wilderness Systems cart which was a must. With the Propedal installed and extra equipment the kayak becomes too heavy to manhandle. But, for me the choice between space and stability, or lightweight and unstable was an easy one. This kayak is an awesome ride!
I WOULD deal with them again, should the need arise. 5 Stars
Glad to have something that fits in the kayak just right but can’t stand the way it attaches. Not very secure way to mount it. Needs new design… but overall decent
First of all, the kayak arrived in a completely destroyed box and a hole in the bottom of of the hull of the kayak. I called and sent pictures then they immediately sent a new kayak which arrived intact. I am very happy with the way these guys handled a difficult situation. Ecofishing will always be my first stop for anything I need for fishing or kayaking!
Fast delivery. The instructions were very easy to understand. It did take me a few hours to assemble by myself. No missing parts.
Only road tested it once so far and everything seems to be good.
This a very well built and strong kart. Very happy with it
I think the man I bought the Torqeedo from is a terrific asset for Eco Fishing. The product arrived on time and works just fine too.
need to add small aluminum L bracket for front tiedown i used small excess piece off front bunk to make tiedown just behind toung with extra bolt in kit front of canoe needed to be secured
Thanks to Eco Fishing and Malone for a great trailer kit. Because of poor weather it took me about two weekends to put the kit together. The registration packet made it very easy to move through NY DMV. Only had to purchase a couple pieces of hardware missing from the kit to complete the trailer. The trailer should last many years.
Waa able ti find the best deals on the best name brands
At first I was skeptical about purchasing a kayak online, but after reading all the positive reviews I tried EcoFishingShop myself. I was extremely satisfied with the experience. As for the Jackson Bite- I’m also extremely satisfied. The kayak and its components seem very heavy duty and well made. Would definitely buy more Jackson products and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to buy from EcoFishingShop again!
I'm gonna rate this as 5 stars as I think many of the issues I've had are particular to the fisheries I fish and aren't fair to downvote as I think this is a fantastic platform. So I'm gonna do basic pros and cons.
Pros:
Ample storage deck side and in the front hatch.
Rod tip protectors on bow are useful.
Built in wheel makes moving around ramps superbly easy and the molded handles on front and sides are AWESOME for rolling and unloading.
Tracks by footwell and near bow for mounted accessories.
Traction pads in front of seat.
Speedy pedal drive with easy to reach single arm rider steering.
Tiedowns near bow.
Tracks well.
Desert camo is sweet and helps to be a bit more stealth IMO.
Molded cupholders!!
Flush mounts with rod leashes.
Seat is super comfortable and easily adjustable on the fly.
Arrived in perfect shape and I personally had zero issues with delivery.
Cons:
This thing is HEAVY. I would think rooftop transportation might be difficult with this kayak. This also requires a bit extra effort to get going with the paddle. You can definitely feel the weight.
Pedal drive is very difficult to lock in the first few times you use it. I assume this is so it doesn't get too loose over time.
The rudder engagement rope seems unnecessarily long.
What the heck is this track system? Expect to buy adaptors to use basic track mount accessories. I personally used 3/4 inch washers and they work fine. You also have to unbolt the end plate of the track to slide anything on there. Not a fan.
Pedal drive creates a considerable draft that can be not ideal in rivers with various rocks and ledges. The bottom part of the drive seems durable but for certain fisheries I have chosen to ditch the drive altogether for my paddle. It would be AWESOME if feelfree made some kind of plate or box that could fill the hole in the deck to prevent splashing and additional drag.
-this is not an issue that is independent to feelfree pedal drive yaks. But it would be great if they made a solution so that this craft can be used as effectively as possible in a wider range of fisheries.
Some have suggested that this kayak is stable enough to stand on. I don't know if I agree with that and personally wouldn't trust this thing to stand or walk around.
Despite this being an almost 13 foot yak, the deck can feel a bit cramped because the pedal drive takes up so much space.
Latches of the hull storage don't seem to be super durable as one broke of when I flipped in some current.
In conclusion, I think this thing is awesome. For an entry level PDL it's unbeatable for the price. And I think feelfree makes some killer crafts that don't cost old town or Hobie money. However, I think in the future if I buy another PDL it will be a Jackson as it seems their pedal drives are set up as a jet drive and are not the lowest points of the boats draft. Just something to take into consideration if you fish rocky fisheries where you might bottom out easily (as I said, not independently to this brand.) OR In the future I will buy a cheaper non PDL to use on fisheries where I would use the Feelfree without the drive.
This is the third kayak I have purchased from ECO Fishing. The first 2 were FeelFree Dorado kayaks. My most recent purchase was for the Hobie PA 14 360. Caleb and Perry answered the many questions I had prior to making this significant $$ purchase. The kayak arrived about 10 days after purchase. It was wrapped with a crazy amount of protective plastic and foam. You do need to assemble a few items, but after watching a few videos, I was able to complete all items successfully. I have used the kayak 3 times thus far and am in love with it. The 360 drive is like nothing else. This kayak was crazy expensive but in the end worth it to me as a fisherman that works my way in and out of the grassy banks along coastal areas.
I’m 6’8” 270 lbs first kayak a perception outlaw 11.5 great kayak btw my sizes, weight, trolling motor 2 lithium batteries and all my fishing gear this kayak is great very stable and comfortable, you probably can buy more expensive kayak but for the mid range price of the outlaw 11.5 you can not get a better kayak. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For some reason Hobie used both thread lock fluid and nylock nuts. The problem is they use way too much fluid and it seeped down onto the bolt effectively gluing some of the Rollers in place. A couple I was able to work lose, one I was able to remove and clean, but I still have 3 that will not budge. Hobie would not work directly with me to resolve, but Eco Fishing has been amazing in helping me resolve the issue. Resolution is still in process, but will try to update once it is completed.
Eco fishing provided great communication and assistance and was good to deal with. Vibe kayaks, not so much ! Kayak arrived with broken parts. 10 weeks later, still trying to get the parts from Vibe customer service. A Nice product diminished by poor customer service.
Bought online. Great experience. Excellent communication. Well packaged on arrival. Beautiful BIG kayak. Great fishing platform. Stable. Working on adding things to it slowly. Very happy with both the purchasing experience and the kayak itself.
This rig looks amazing handles perfect and is the perfect yak for a bigger guy. Customer service at Ecofishing is top notch!!!
Seat was good until the part between the two swivel plates kept working itself out.. don’t know if it’s just defective or what. But not fun have to put it back together each time
I recently bought a kayak and the guys at ECO gave me a great deal on the Backwater assasin two piece paddle. The paddle design is great and ridgid enough to push off or use to get in and out of your yak. I recommend you check out this product.