Reviews written by Admin

This is my 1st kayak purchase. I am loving this kayak! The only drawback that I see so far is the speed. However, I bought it for the stability for fishing. I couldn't ask for more!
Reviewer: Neena Woodyard from Wilmington,NC

I had a chance to compare this boat to 20 others boats during an event by a local kayak dealer and this little rig really stood out! The stability is great and the layout really works well. I liked the 10 footer because I fish smaller waters and it transports rather well. I've had it out a dozen times this summer and not had any issues with it. You may want a larger size if your on big water a lot but I can fish a 500 acer lake in about an hour or so. The seat is great as well I have fallen asleep in it while the fishing was slow. Overall very happy with my Kayak Im taking it to the Ozarks next week for an overnight trip cant wait!
Reviewer: Jayson Numerick from Memphis Tn USA

Ive had my tarpon over a year now and have enjoyed it greatly.Its fast and handles small creeks to open lakes great. I have not been on salt water as of yet so cant say for surf. I have been on class 2-3 rapids with it and it did great. Its very stable for its speed but from what Ive saw not as stable as some other SOT kayaks but you get that speed . Ive only fell out of it once by accident and that was going off a 3 foot drop off a wall into a river.

To me it has only 2 faults that are not a physics issue . One its a wet ride with any chop on the water for me at 220 pounds which looks to be improved on the 09 model with new seat setup and drain holes. Two a lot of rounded edges and odd unnecessary angles in the foot wells which make it harder to mount fishing gear . It looks like they have improved that on the 09 models but I have not seen it first hand so Im not sure how much improvement .

I highly recommend this kayak if you are looking to go fishing one day and touring the next. Its plenty big for a 3 or more day touring trip while stable enough to fish off of with out worry of taking a swim.
Reviewer: Jason from Southern Va

?Would you purchase the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 again? Yes
?What do you like about the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140? Just about everything, especially the seat and hatches, dry as a bone.
?What do you dislike and why? One minor detail. The cockpit drains well but water collects in the side storage pockets. It would be perfect if some small passages were designed into them so they would drain into the cockpit which in turn would drain out the scuppers. This would prevent my pliers and such from sitting in salt water.
?Do you recommend the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 to others? Yes, every chance I get.
My Tarpon 140 is the bomb! It's stable and handles well.
It stays incredibly dry below due to the Orbix hatches. Also the rudder cable housings drain into the cockpit and not below deck.
I get a lot of complements from Sea Kayakers as well as Kayak Fishermen when they say hey!
Reviewer: DDK from San Antonio - Texas Kayak Fishermen (TKF)

I bought the Tarpon 120 Angler addition (without the rudder) and figured I'd review it for anyone interested. The 140 in general has way more space than I'd need unless I was going on a week long trip or something, so the 120 is perfect.

When I was looking for a yak my important criteria was that I could get it on top of my Scion XB by myself and that it had space for at least a few days of camping gear. After reading up on many yaks I went for the Tarpon 120.

I'll review it based on my weekend on the Chesepeake (Susquehanna flats) camping on a battery island and fishing in the bay.

SPACE: The 120 has plenty of room underneath and on the stern. I have no problem getting my Crate and a good sized cooler in there with plenty of room to sneak something else in if I needed. I just use the extra space as my beer can catcher in the back. In the hatch I had 5 1.5 liter bottles, my personal item dry bag, extra beer..and plenty of room left for more fluids. I put that in the middle to balance weight. I used a large netlike bag to keep things from rolling too far back. Up front I had my solo camping gear (solo tent/food/sleeping bag/and lots of camping supplies in a dry bag all tucked in with no problems. In summary...I'm confident I could easily fit 3 days of supplies (more if creative) using the minimalist solo approach. Lot's of space. Looking at some of the Ocean Kayaks in the store...it was obvious that the space behind the seat on my tarpon was much wider than the yaks I saw.

COMFORT: I have nothing to compare it to...but after 2 days of sitting on it I had no problems. I'm 5'10 and 165lbs. Plenty of leg room, and can sit cross legged, or sidways with my legs hanging off...or stretch out. I think the seat is comfortable enough, but I have read some complaints that for heavier taller people, the backrest can get a bit uncomfortable. I've also read the opposite...so I guess it's personal preference.

PERFORMANCE: No GPS, so I don't know for sure...but I felt really good about the speed I was getting and the ease of paddling. I'm not a kayaker and I know I paddled a good 12-15 miles with little effort that weekend. Lot's of fishing breaks of course. Feels very stable sitting down...a bit wobbly (for me anyway) trying to stand. I've read some people have done ok...but not me. I can stand sort of on the seat...but I get wobbley if I change my balance at all. I need to see how far I can push it before I get wet someday. Waves will splash over the bow if you hit them wrong and an anchor attached at the side is a guaranteed wet butt (but I guess all SOT's are like that). It tracks great most of the time, but if I'm pushing it hard I can feel a bit of side to side. Also if weight is not balanced or 1 line out trolling I do end up making a lot of corrections. I guess the rudder'd edition would fix that (extra $200 bucks though )

TO FISH FROM: That's why we buy these right...Well I can't compare it to anything but I love it. I don't trust the flush rod holders behind the seat for trolling (I'll need to get leashes) and the Scotty Rod holder they install up front is too far to reach without physically moving forward. I find myself leaving the rods in the cockpit area. I need to work something else out, but the Slide Trax they installed might have potential without drilling more holes. Casting, fishing, and (the best thing about a sit on top) landing the fish using the leg scoop was all very easy. Brought some really nice Channel Cats on it with no problem and the side pockets are great places to toss extra lures and tools so I'm not reaching into my crate all the time. Beer holder takes a bit of a lean forward to get too...so I keep it closer to my out of the holder if I'm not moving (until I get a bite).

OVERALL: I love it and I'm glad I bought it as my first kayak (though if I could have afforded a Hobie I probably would have). I take it out all the time now and I'm getting a bit obsessive about going kayak fishing. I can't wait to get my anchor trolley and some better placed rod holders. I have no regrets and my search is over (until I can afford that Hobie with the flippers and spot for the sail someday)

I'll let you know if I change my mind when I get it out on the shore...Love to hear other peoples thoughts on this one.
Reviewer: Bonefish from Phily

I've used it four times now and have not been skunked yet. My ONLY complaint is that the front rod holder is too far away and you have to scoot up on the seat to actually reach it. I have not gotten a wet bottom yet but I have not been in rough water - only ponds and lakes. I only gave it a 3.5 in rough water because I really don't know how it would do, but I suspect OK. You may want to get the Tarpon 140 for better tracking in rougher water. I am 6'3" and weigh 200 lb and I have plenty of room.
Reviewer: Ibikealot from Delaware, USA

I bought my 07 tarpon 120 (basic model) used. The 07 still had scuppers behind the seat (horrible idea)but i plugged them with WS scupper plugs and problem solved.
I am 5'8 160 lbs and you will get wet (not soaked) in the surf in this boat. Other than that all but your toes will be bone dry.It tracks well enough and gets you where you need to go without much effort. This boat is excellent if you do ultiple types of fishing and need something versatile. I have installed drilling) two rocket launcher style rod holders behind the seat and an anchor system. I prefer these because they minimize the salt exposure to your reels. I do not have a single complaint about this boat and have adapted it for many types of fishing.It launches fine in the surf and is relatively easy to put on top of my 4-runner (~60 lbs)unless your doing something really specialized (ie billfish on the fly etc) you will not have any complaints about this kayak regardless of your skill level
Reviewer: Jesse from North Carolina

I am new to yak fishing and have had this boat about 3 months. So far I like it very much. It is stable, easy to rig, light and quick. I would recommend it to others. I've fished with it in farm ponds, lakes and the Bouge Sound and had no problems. I've been bass fishing over 20 years but always from a jon boat. I like this kayak very much.
Reviewer: Jim Bennett from Greenville, NC

My Drifter weighs 56 lb empty; lighter than any other Kayaks I'd like to buy. I am 6'3" and weigh 215lb. I can sit with my legs hanging over one side and lean foreward without capsizing. When I add the easily removed outriggers (see below)I can even stand with no problem, I have 2 rod holders recessed in the deck on the left and right sides behind my seat. A ram ball mounted on the center (console) in front of the paddler is used for holding a fly rod or regular rod or my GPS - depending on my plans for the day. The Hobie outrigger kit is installed behind the paddler - giving amazing stability in the presence of wakes or in a rip.
The only shortfall is that there is no sizeable "flat/level floor" to stand on comfortably. I am not replacing it.
Reviewer: Dick V from Long Beach Island, NJ

I've had my Ocean Kayak Caper for several years and love it. It's outfitted with 2 rodholders (Scotty, surface mount). There's plenty of room for carrying stuff in the well behind the seat -and it's not too hard to get to that stuff. I use fishing floats for scupper stoppers and the seat area stays dry -even when it's pretty choppy and I'm being a sloppy paddler. I attach everything and there are plenty of built-in hooks in handy places. I haven't wanted/needed to add any. The Caper isn't too heavy for me to carry by myself. The handles in the seat area are well-placed for carrying and for holding pliers, etc. When it's windy and choppy I've found it this yak isn't all that hard to keep going even into a stiff headwind. It's super stable and comfortable, tracks well.Wish it had: a built-in hatch in the seat area; built-in paddle clips.
Reviewer: Lori Beer Nance from Rockport, TX