The Big Tuna is truly an awesome Kayak! The Tuna is a two person tandem sit on top kayak that allows for many different seating configurations. What impresses me most about this kayak is that it is very easy to paddle solo for being such a large capacity fishing Kayak. The seats are high quality with pump up lumbar support which makes for very comfortable fishing trips. One of my favorite features is the tank well located in the middle of the kayak that can hold live fish without any electronic pumps or plumbing. You can also Purchase a cooler made to fit in the middle console which is a great place ot keep drinks, sandwiches and beer : ) I found the boat to be very stable and easy to stand up and fish, allowing myself to spot fish for tailing reds. I really love this kayak and wish I had time to take it out everyday to explore the Lowcountry creeks and tidal salt flats.

I've owned 2 Jackson Big Tunas and they are some of my favorite kayaks. With plenty of room for 2 adults but still paddles great as a solo you can easily customize it to fit you individual needs. I have used it in all conditions from small ponds to off shore. The kayak is not a speedster but it can be paddled at a steady rate easily as a solo kayak and I have covered over 12 miles in a day with no issues. My wife was even able to paddle a Tuna 4+ miles to our camping spot one summer with my 7 year old sitting in the bow.

Tipping the scale around 270# I had no issues standing in this kayak to be able to site fish for bass. Because of it's versatility some of the days days fishing with my kids are owed to this great kayak. If you have a family and can only get one kayak and want to be able to use it by yourself just as well as with your family this is the kayak for you.

I have owned my Jackson Kayak Big Tuna for about a year and a half now. I have used this boat in a variety of waters and it has served me well. Below are my observations and impressions.

As a tandem, it has exceeded my expectations. My son likes to swim when we go out. He is able to jump out and climb back aboard with ease. Also, on a camping trip, I was able to take both my son and one of his friends at the same time so they could go for a swim. The Big Tuna was very stable with two 5 year old boys who were anything but still. 

The Big Tuna has officially become my big water solo boat. It is a big guy's dream. I can stand with great ease. As I said before, it paddles surprisingly well for a big boat. My Tuna included a rudder and I appreciate it more and more with each trip. Having the rudder allows me to keep the paddle in my lap and my hands on my rod and reel more. With strategic boat positioning, I can use the wind to move along controlling the drift with the rudder. 

Make no mistake, this is a big boat and is not for the faint of heart. I have a trailer so transporting is not a problem for me. I'm sure someone is doing it but I would suspect that car topping a Big Tuna would be a tough proposition. A full length truck bed should be able to handle it with no problem though. I have had to use a cart on it when a boat ramp wasn't available and it wasn't bad to pull at all. 

Now that the Jackson Big Rig is available, many anglers looking for a big kayak capable of accommodating bigger guys in a solo only configuration may not consider the Tuna. However, anglers needing the versatility of both solo and tandem configurations should give the Big Tuna serious consideration.

I have had the tuna for a while now and love. it I originally got it to take kids fishing and use my ocean yak for solo but I find I am using the tuna almost exclusively. I can stand on it and sight cast the flats which is rare in a kayak, and the live well works so much better than dragging a flow troll. I don't have any trouble paddling this monster and think it fishes great as a solo rig. as a tandem rig I really cant say the heaviest person I have had on it was my daughter @ 40 lbs and she does not paddle she normally stands in the front and cast as I paddle on flats and on the bay I set her up to face me in her chair. the platform is stable enough that she almost always jumps off and swims and is able to clime back on with no issues. one of the best things about the tuna is the seats many of the Jackson kayaks have them and they are great by far the most comfortable kayaks chairs I have ever used you can fish all day and never get tired. As far as the cons its big and rough surf will beat you to death not designed for it like paddling a john boat out in to the surf once past the break water its a great platform but again paddling back in is rough do to the size its almost imposable to ride waves like in a smaller set up you have to fight hard to keep strait. on flats and in the bays it is great but does catch the wind fairly bad I am thinking about a rudder but haven't got one yet. but the biggest con is it is heavy I can not pick it up and carry it out of garage to truck by myself I have to use a cart or have my wife help and unloading and loading is not an issue alone you simply cant carry it any distance its either cart or back up to water. all in all if you are looking for a do it all kayak that is not particularly the best at everything but does a good job at all, or are looking for a huge boat for all day trips or stand up fishing this is the boat for you. If you are a surf guy that lives alone and has a small hatchback and lives on the third floor apartment you should look elsewhere.

I have had my Jackson Big Tuna on the water 20+ times in the months since I have owned it. I have paddled plenty solo, tandem, and with a third seat taking my kids. It has been fantastic in every situation I have used it for. And the more I use it, the more I like it.

For the size it is plenty fast. In fact, I paddle this Kayak faster than I paddle my F & S Eagle Talon. I can keep up with a friend in a Cuda 12 without issue. Tracking is good solo, however in tandem it is a bear to steer and track whether you have help paddling from the front or not. If you plan on paddling or fishing tandem very much at all, I highly recommend the rudder. In fact, since I have installed the rudder, the tracking on this thing is fantastic. I was out solo in 20mph winds this last weekend and no issue at all keeping her on course. Paddling with 2 people is easy because you can keep a cadence with no pauses for steering correction. Get the rudder!

Stability is great. I have had it up over a 45 degree angle, and the boat stayed upright. Standing and fishing, no problem.

I have no use for the tankwell other than as a cooler, of which it works very well for that. As a previous reviewer stated, I would definitely purchase a flat, no profile no holes no indent cover if jackson made one. It does get in the way at times. My depthfinder is mounted to mine so I can flip the lid and have the DF in front of me in both solo and tandem.

My last comment is to think through all accessory installations. It has taken me some time to find the perfect mounting points for everything, as you always have to plan on sitting in two different positions(solo and tandem). So as with any boat, it is especially important to try before you drill in this one in both positions.

If you had asked me after about a month of owning this kayak if I liked it. I would have told that I loved it, but am still planning on getting a smaller solo boat. Now that the rudder is installed and I am fine tuning my mounting positions, I am not so sure. I like this kayak more and more every time I use it.

Would highly recommend this Kayak, and I would purchase again, with a factory mounted rudder of course...