I didn't think i had a place for the Cuda 12. I have a Coosa for my river fishing. I have a Cuda 14 for my ocean fishing. If I was fishing lakes, then I'd pick either the Coosa or the C14 depending on the size of the lake.

Then I borrowed a Cuda 12.

This is a slick little boat. It packs all the features of the C14 into a smaller package. It's nimble enough for working through small bodies of water, but I'm now thinking it'll handle the bigger waters just as well as the bigger Cuda.

If sight fishing is your game, I found the Cuda 12 to be just a bit more stable than than the Cuda 14. I definitely spend more time in the high seating position on this kayak than the others.

My Typical Use- I typically use my kayak on streams and lakes in and around Kentucky. Bass fishing is my predominant fishing, but I will also fish for pan-fish on occasion. The streams I usually fish are flat-water with little flow. The lakes I fish vary in size.

Overall synopsis- This is a great kayak. I don’t really have the money or storage to justify two kayaks. I prefer one kayak that can “do it all.” This kayak does well in all situations I have had it in. It is very stable and is easy to fish from. If you have decent balance, it is easy to stand and fish. The fishing features are well thought out and make fishing a lot easier.

Fish-ability- This is an extremely easy kayak to fish out of. It has rod stagers and features left and right. The high low seat is so comfortable.
Features- I have the rudder version of this kayak. I had never used a rudder before this kayak. I would recommend it to anyone who buys this kayak. The rudder helps you spend more time fishing and less time correcting your direction. The rod stagers are great. The main ones I use are the outer ones. They work better when in the low seat. The center ones just are hard to use when the low seat is used. Once in the high seat position, they all work relatively well. The nice thing about the outer rod stagers is the ability to bungee rods down. Securing equipment is always a good idea. The center hatch is large and helps when camping out of this kayak. Even though the fore and aft hatches are small, the center hatch allows the insertion of larger items like my mess kit, and tent. The center hatch is also nice for things like maps and things that you want in reach easily. The ram rod holders are great and easy to use. The ability to lay rods back in low overhead branches is really nice on the river. The rear tank-well has enough room for my crate and a small cooler. The rod tip cover is handy, but I have found it’s prone to want to “pry off.” When using the outer rod stagers the bend in the rod tip tends to pry up the rod tip protector. I plan on attaching the rod tip protector using epoxy. The go-pro mount and ram ball mount pre-attachment points are great for attaching the provided rod holder, fish finder, or go-pro camera.

Speed- It is a pretty fast kayak. It cuts through chop and wind well. It is right between a Cuda 14 and a Coosa.

Stability- The stability on this kayak is a lot different than my last kayak. It has a hull design that is different. My last kayak was a “pontoon hull” design. That design had less initial stability, but had a ton of secondary stability. The bottom of this kayak is more “flat” which is nice for gliding over shallow areas and things but provides less secondary stability. It is still really stable, but the problem lies when you pass the initial stability points the kayak can turn over quickly. The stability really changes with gear loads and how you pack the kayak. You really have to get a feel for the kayak. This is one compromise you get from having a little narrower hull than the Jackson Coosa.
Durability-I have had the kayak a short time, but the plastic seems strong and foam inserts help support hull design. The drag plate on the rear is also a nice addition for durability.
Value- The kayak has a hefty (for a kayak) price tag, but in my opinion is well worth it. The fishing setup of this kayak facilitates a nice easy day of fishing on the water. For the price it is a well outfitted fishing kayak. It has many accessories that you would have to add onto other kayaks.

When The Outside World in Columbus, GA let me know they had a new “hottie” in the store, I was intrigued. They know me well enough to know that smooth lines, awesome colors, and fishability form a direct line to my heart, as they do for anyone who enjoys kayak fishing.

The “hottie” they had was their new demo Jackson Kayaks “Cuda 12” in their new desert camo color. It was a pinch for time, but after looking at my work for the day I begged them to let me come take it for a spin. I told my son Ethan we would be fishing in the morning, but he did not know that he was going to get the chance to put the first slime on this beauty. Ethan and I are very familiar with Jackson Kayak’s “Coosa” and “Cuda 14”, so this was going to be an interesting day looking at the similarities and differences among the three kayaks.

The first thing we noticed was that The Cuda 12 is a bit lighter than our 14s, and for longer portages that weight loss will be a blessing. I expected Ethan to want to paddle it a bit before standing, but being the Drew Gregory of tomorrow you just can’t make him sit down for long. In fact, I had to tell him to sit down a time or two, just so I could photo him sitting!

We both worked the boat over pretty well on our trip, looking for likes and dislikes. Instead of the large oval hatch in the bow it has a small round one, but with care you can still get some gear below decks for a longer trip. The center hatch is the same as on the 14, but has the addition of a gasket that will be nice for those who head out through the surf.

The RAM® tube “rocket launcher” rod holders may take a little bit to get used to. I do like the fact that you can change them around, and for those of us who troll from time to time they may work well. Flush mounts would allow salt water to splash all over your reels, so the extra height will be nice. Every once in a while on a hard paddle, I will hit my spinning reels in my flush mount rod holders. These holders will help remedy that, as well. The RAM® rod holder in the front was right on the money for Ethan. He really liked being able to access a rod quickly while standing. We have big plans for the GoPro® mounts, but have to get the cameras first!

The kayak being two feet shorter helps to reach gear, and we found that there was no problem getting things out of the tankwell with the seat in either the high or low position. Paddling from both the high and low positions was fine for me with my 240 cm Bending Branches “Angler Classic”, and Ethan was okay with his 230 cm as well. As expected, the speed was considerably faster that a Coosa, and just a smidge slower than the Cuda 14. I was truthfully expecting to “plow” the water in this kayak, as I have in other 12 foot boats with sharp entry lines. To my surprise, it paddled very well for me at 250 lbs. plus gear. It turned considerably faster than its big brother, and that will be very nice in our slow-moving, rock filled rivers. I especially like that in a “paddle up, float back” scenario. It turns nowhere near as fast as the Coosa, but that, too, was expected.

I can see the Cuda 12 being a real nice fit for those kayak anglers who sometimes need a Coosa and sometimes need a Cuda 14, but don’t have the cash or the space for two boats. After this trip, I sadly had to give the new boat back to the shop - but not before Ethan covered it with bass slime. I told them it was the smell of success! We had another opportunity a few weeks ago to float a mildly flowing river with a crew of folks who were just being introduced to the Cuda 12. The river has several swift parts with sweeper limbs in them that required a quick paddle, and the Cuda 12 really performed well. At the end of the day, the smiles told me that everyone was impressed with Jackson Kayak’s new “hottie”!