Ascend Fishing Kayaks

[silasvirus82]

I stopped at a Bass Pro in VA coming back from Christmas vacation this weekend and stumbled across a line of fishing kayaks I didn't even know existed. They branded them Ascend and have several models ranging from $550 to $750. I got to say I was very impressed even before I saw the price tag! Anybody had any time on one of these yet, I'm seriously considering giving one a try.

[BassMoore]

They are very good starter yaks

some will argue you can get a better used one for the same price, and that may be true
but it depends on what fits your style

My dad has 1, I started in one.
They get the job done. They used to have issues leaking but since Ascend moved back to the USA the issues have been corrected.

I think they are capable boats, and go on sale cheaper from time to time

[silasvirus82]

I'm having a really hard time finding where the value is on a similar yak for twice the price. As heavy as they are they can't be thin plastic. The seat has some poor reviews, but that can be replaced if necessary. I agree they are def a great starter yak, but I think they might be a great yak period. I think I can move my smarttrack over and upgrade the seat, and have a pretty damn nice boat.

[BassMoore]

my 61 year old father paddles it just fine

they are pretty stable, some of the parts are a tad cheaper then other kayaks.

but in that price range its perfect

my gf takes it out, she paddles it just fine.

[mweber02]

I've owned two Ascends recently. Overall you get what you pay for, which is adequate if you are on a budget but will ultimately cost you extra money if/when you decide to upgrade. I would like to think the issues with the Ascends are just bugs that any other manufacturer has already worked out over time. Until "the boss" lets me invest in what I want, the Ascend will still get me on the water.

I bought the D10T in May of 2013 and used it through this past summer. I'm sure it was partly due to the shorter length, but it tracked miserably and would turn constantly in wind, current, or even just from the drag of reeling in a spinnerbait. The D10T also has no practical access to the inside of the hull. I couldn't even get my whole forearm in. Otherwise, for a 10' yak it has a lot of space for on-deck storage.

In November I found 3 gallons of water in the hull after it had been sitting on its side under my deck for a few weeks. I assume it was either the factory installed screws or the scuppers that leaked (Everything I installed was sealed well). Bass Pro was actually very helpful and let me return it for an exchange. Since they didnt have an exact exchange they let me pay the difference to upgrade to the FS12T.

I've only had the FS12T out once but it tracks infinitely better than the D10T. I've heard others say it paddles like a barge but it seemed to move pretty easily for me. There are still some things I wish they had done differently though...
- The seat is not sufficiently secured. Just adjusting yourself in the seat is enough to make the front bar jump out of place. I'll probably need to install a bungee system to secure it. There are also reports of the track guides breaking because the back bar is not adequately supported from underneith.
- The top of the hull around the seat seems to flex pretty easily. Not sure if it is an issue with the plastic thickness or lack of support underneith. There is a foam block in there but it does not fill the gap between the top and bottom of the hull. I've heard of people using the inflatable workout balls to provide the extra support with minimal weight.
- The overall depth of the hull is pretty shallow, which puts the water level in the scuppers a bit closer to top deck than I would like.
- The rod holder that it comes with is worthless. It is poor quality and horribly placed for paddling. Fortunately they integrated threaded inserts into the hull so you can remove them without having to reseal them. I ended up removing the mount and installed gear tracks to use for my Scotty holders.
- It could use factory installed side handles, but they are only $10 for 2 on Ack.com. I suppose it is better to install them myself so they are out of my paddle stroke.
- The kayak appears to be manufactured in two pieces (top and bottom), and the scuppers do not line up perfectly. My scuppers seem to be only slightly misaligned but others have reported that they have leaked the 1st time out.

I have not tried the FS128T and do not really want to considering the 100+ lb weight.

[silasvirus82]

Great info, thanks Mike. I'm in the same boat, no pun intended, and getting a $3K boat approved is not in my near future. Of course I'd love a new Hobie, but that means I'm selling something to fund the purchase. These Ascend boats are doable and with all the mods on my current boat I should be able to outfit these boats pretty well. Maybe I'll just wait for my Hobie...

[BassMoore]

I know a guy possible selling an older outback here dirt cheap pretty soon

[silasvirus82]

I want what you've got

[BassMoore]

ive kicked the tires on selling mine.. its so to damn heavy after fishing for 10 hours.

but i do alot of tournaments.. and it really makes up for it on the water.

im decking it out now with a new humminbird helix DSI and camera mounts all over and a larger rudder

[silasvirus82]

that's the only thing I'm a little concerned with is the weight. My boat is under 60 lbs stripped down, and I can load it easily by myself. Either the Hobie or the Ascend are 100 lbs beasts, and that isn't going up on the roof rack without a major struggle. There is no "perfect" boat out there, but to me the Hobie is the closest thing other than the loading/unloading issue, and of course $$$.

[BassMoore]

stripped down the pro angler is pretty light

and its pretty easy to get up on a roof with the way its built.. it just slides right up once its leaned up on the rack.. just lift that back on up.. the back is ALOT lighter then the front stripped down

[silasvirus82]

the website says it's 100 lbs for the hull, and another 20 lbs for the drive I assume. I'm only 5'8, 155 lbs myself, lol, big difference for me. None the less, let me know when you're selling that beast!

[BassMoore]

i should add moving it on wheels makes it a ton lighter

[silasvirus82]

maybe we can go fishing some day and I can try your's our

[BassMoore]

sounds good to me