Review of the NuCanoe written by Adam Hayes for yakangler.com

After featuring an article about their fishing kayak, I was contacted by NuCanoe's Director of Business Development Blake Young.  He asked us if we wanted to put their kayak through it's paces, and of course I said yes. It was shipped to a shipping hub here in Louisville, KY and actually the first time I looked at this kayak-it was HUGE!

I’ve had this kayak on the water over a dozen times and I have to be very honest when I say that this kayak has become my favorite kayak to fish from.   It allows me to stand almost non-stop and to move around the boat.  Even when seated, the seat is elevated and is on a swivel so it’s extremely comfortable and easy to spin around and grab tackle or rods from the back of the boat.


Pros:
Most of the Pro’s to this boat have to do with its size and hull design.  With a 42” beam and hard chines, this boat is ridiculously stable.  It’s not uncommon to find me standing in the hull, on the deck, or in a Captain Morgan style stance with one foot on the hull and the other on the deck.  

The seating position in this boat is very similar to that of a canoe.  So you are raised off of the hull, sitting in a very regular seated position.  This position makes it very easy to stand from.  And with the angler package, it makes this one of the most comfortable seats on the market.

This boat really surprised me with its ability to maneuver in skinny water.  I really thought that with its width it would feel and act cumbersome.  I have not found that to be the case at all.  It does not have a keel, so that obviously makes it better for this type of fishing.

It has a TON of space to store gear.

One of the coolest aspects of this boat is that you can do a deep-water re-entry.   That’s due to the low profile and wide beam of this boat.


Cons:
Obviously with a boat this size weight is going to be an issue.  This boat weighs in at 77lbs for the 12’ model.   It is still light enough that I can pick it up and load it on top of my jeep.  And they do make a cart that assist you in loading it on your vehicle.

The 42" beam is a bit too large to load on top of some vehicles that have a tapered roof.

There are no built in cup holders or storage compartments.

It does not have scupper plugs so it is not self bailing.


Interesting points:
They recommend using a 270cm Paddle



My ratings:
Performance:  8
Stability:  10
Fish-ability:  10

Maneuverability:  8