Jackson Kayak “Big Rig” Hot

I paddled this thing twice. All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't have to go far. This thing feels like paddling a bath tub. It's big, wide, stable and has plenty of accessories. If that's what you are looking for, it might be a good fit. But you don't want to have to cover any distance in this thing. I guess it was made for fat guys who like to drift with the tide. Also, keep in mind that you are going to need a very long paddle and probably a buddy to help lift it into the bed of a truck. It isn't cheap either. At this price point, I can't understand why someone wouldn't just buy a Hobie.

Yes it is a bit heavy so get a yak cart. Yes it is a bit slower than the more narrow yaks but I knew the trade off for the stability of this hull. I fish the salt flats in 12 to 15 inches of water so being able to stand and sight cast is awesome. I am normally in a 15 mph wind so a rudder is a must. I tested a lot of yaks on the water before I pulled the trigger on this beast and this is the yak for me.

I bought this kayak the beginning of last year. I was about to pull the trigger on a old towne predator until I saw the Big rig. What sold me was the rod troughs and the ability to accommodate up to a 9' rod. I fly fish a lot so this was the home run for me.
I have taken this yak in all waters, even a surf launch in pretty large waves and made it out front with no problems.
The boat is very stable, makes casting a fly rod standing up very easy and doable.
The speed is not great but it isn't poor either. You sacrifice some speed for stability- I was and am ok with that.
The boat comes pretty well rigged from the factory but adding a crate from yak attack gives you the ability to carry more crap :)
The gear tracs help out with mounting accessories like fish finders and additional rod mounts.
The stand assist bar was a nice compliment to round things out. I used it a few times but found I really did not need it, the boat is stable enough. I removed it to install my sail.

Rudder- I bought mine with a rudder. Don't let anyone tell you that you don't need one- if you fish from your yak or paddle in water with current and wind- you need a rudder!

All in all I am very happy with my kayak. It meets most of my wants. I would prefer a Hobie PA 14 but at $1100-$1200 more...well Jackson Big Rig is the next best thing.

This is a Big Boy's Cadillac. Excellent stability in the high seat or low seat position. Easy to switch between the two seat positions while on the water. Extremely easy to stand for site fishing, stretching or retrieving lures from those above the water line brush piles.

The first moment meeting the Big Rig was overwhelming. Loading it on my truck looked to be a two person job. Low and behold learning how to get it on my truck wasn't a hard task. The addition of the Torqeedo Ultralight 403 makes this boat amazing for bay fishing. The range is over 10 miles. The comfort of fishing from such a wide platform is awesome! The Big Rig is a trolling machine. A great drifting boat also. It doesn't spin in the wind. Just finds it groove and stays in that drift pattern.

The only cons to this boat is its size. An easy drop in location is required. It would be extremely hard to get this boat over jetty's, break walls, and bulkheads. I find not having a center hatch the boat lacks storage that my Cuda 14 has.