Prowler 15T Angler

I have owned this kayak for over 12 years now. I got the fishing model that included 2 recessed rod holders & a foot controlled rudder. The shop I purchased it from in CT was awesome & had a great “try before you buy” policy where they would deduct rentals fees from your purchase price. So, I rented/tried 8 different kayaks (both Sit-in & SOT models) over about 4-5 weekends to try them in the Long Island Sound, where I fish primarily. If I could give 1 or 2 pieces of advice to any 1st time kayak buyers, it would be this: make sure to try several different boats/styles... Try renting or go to a paddle day at a small boat shop as these are great ways to do this. Also: do your research... make sure to get the kind of kayak that best suits your needs. My fishing kayak is very different than my friends 35 pound fiberglass boat. His is much lighter & paddles ways faster (which is why he got it- for exercise). I would fall over when I tried to land my first fish in his yak.. Different kayaks for different needs.

Back to my boat...

Pros: * This model is long (over 15’) & pretty wide (~ 30”), so it is very stable, which is great for fighting a big striped bass or bluefish. *Once I land a fish, it is very easy to hop out on a sand bar to release the fish & then hop right back on & re-launch. * If the fish is hurt (or I “mistakenly” catch a dinner platter sized porgy or doormat fluke instead of a striper), there’s plenty of storage space inside the yak (large hatches fore and aft) to store even a 40 pounder (I wish... soon!). * Speaking of storage, the large area behind the seat holds all of my tackle, cooler, extra gear with room to spare. * I secure everything down with the bungees that came with the yak & clip small things onto the deck loops (plenty) with carabiners. I have never flipped this kayak unintentionally (even in 3-4 foot chop in RI), but I expect if I ever do, most of my will stay intact & survive. *The rudder system is great when I’m paddling in choppy water (The Sound can get pretty snotty sometimes, especially in the Fall when the Stripers are running), and the rudder helps me track straight & true. The rudder is also nice to help me tire out and land a bigger fish in open water (I just turn the rudder all the way to 1 side & let her pull me around in circles for a couple minutes - there’s nothing like a nice “Nantucket Sleigh Ride” to get your adrenaline flowing!). * After 12 years, the only things I have replaced are the rear bungees (that finally dry rotted after about 10+ years of hard saltwater use) & 3-4 deck loops that & broke/lost. * The only maintenance I really do is wash it (soap/water) after each saltwater use and go around the whole boat to tighten up screws (usually once a year, pre-season). - Especially the screws on the rudder.

Cons: * The seat my yak came with is pretty thin & isn’t super comfortable. I upgraded to an extra tall/extra padded seat after the first couple years. * The kayak is rotomolded polyethylene (plastic), so it is pretty heavy (about 62 lbs with the seat upgrade. (Although I’ve use this boat pretty hard & the plastic does hold up to hard use very well. It shows some signs of wear, but mostly just scratches on the bottom from me dragging it up unto rocky beaches repeatedly. I doubt a lighter fiberglass boat would have survived all of the punishment that I put my boat through). * I added another aftermarket fishing pole mount in front of me. The newer models might come with one now (?)

For the price, the Prowler Angler by Ocean Kayak gave me the most bang for my buck. If I were to do it all over again, I would definitely go with the same boat. (The only other model I might consider now is a Hobie, to add the flexibility of peddle power to my paddle power. But I was unwilling to pay over 3 X the price back when I got my yak).

The Prowler 15 was always at the top of my list of kayaks I wanted to own. Luckily I found one at REI for a great price.

What do I like about it:
• 29" width combined with over 15' length makes this one fast kayak compared to some of the wider ones that paddle like barges
• great tracking
• Lots of legroom - I'm 6'2" and even with footbraces designed to accommodate rudder, I still had more than enough leg room
• Tons of storage - large front hatch, center rod storage allows access to entire kayak, small cover for fish finer which doubles as great storage for keys, small dry boxes, etc and large tank well
• 550 pounds capacity - at 240 pounds, I do not feel I am riding on the water - lots of freeboard

Cons - with rudder its tail heavy so handles not longer are centered to the load.

I rated a 10 as it fit my needs exactly. Your needs may vary...

I just finished reading some of the negative, and positive reviews. Holy cow! Do I own the same boat? I'm an avid kayak fisherman; in both fresh, and saltwater. This Kayak has exceeded my every expectation.

There is nothing that I've thrown at this boat that it hasn't handled very competently. With the scupper plugs installed the foot wells stay dry. This boat is used in Nantucket sound fishing for fluke, stripers, and blues. I've never felt endanger of going for a swim with a large fish on. I love the rod well. But, I don't use mine for rods. Use a dry bag full of ice for my fish. It works great. I've also installed a fish locator. It works great with the shoot through the hull transducer placement.

I bought my Prowler 15T with factory installed rudder from L.L. Bean in 2010. It has never exhibited any of the negative issues described in some of the reviews. I'm 100% happy with this kayak, and would recommend it to anyone. It won't disappoint you.

I tested several kayaks at our local kayak dealers Saturday class. the stability of the prowler 15 made it easy for me to instantly feel at home in the seat of this long kayak. It is very forgiving in the choppy waters of the afternoon wind and is loads of fun to surf a long slow wave into the shore.

This kayak does take a lot of effort to get moving from a standstill but tracks well and takes little effort to keep it up to speed. I have owned mine for about four years now and it has held up well.

handles rough water well and easily customized. love it. only negative is the wet ride without scupper plugs.

Trident 15 Horror Story: I own several brands of kayaks but my first love was the Scupper Pro. I own two of them, two OK Sprinters and even a retired Manta, so being an avid fisherperson and competing in several kayak tournaments a year, the Trident 15 looked like the perfect yak....wrong. There are so many design features and quality issues. The plastic on the first one was so thin that the front of the hull literally collapsed. After almost a year from being promised a replacement the dealer told me my kayak was finally in but OK no longer did factory rudder installs on that model, so the shop installed the rudder. I used the kayak for the first time at the Jax kayak fishing tournament. I discovered the rudder would not move, (cables too short, rudder bars installed too far forward, retraction cables installed incorrectly, etc. Again, the thickness of the kayak is inconsistent. My RAM mounts and flush mounts are not stable. The foot wells rub the sides of your feet when you have your feet on the rudder pedals. The indentation for the transducer is backward and is not deep enough to protect your transducer. The kayak is very sluggish; the Scupper Pro is far superior. This yak does not cut through the water and does not take the least bit of wake. My Sprinters are much better even though they are more narrow. The design of this yak is a failure. The sonar shield is a waste; better use storage. The quality is not what Ocean Kayak has traditionally produced. I spoke to the Ocean Kayak rep yesterday at the tournament and he seemed supportive. I will be contacting Ocean Kayak tomorrow and will post the outcome. I spent two full weekends prepping this yak for the tournament. Installed a Humminbird 597, Ram Mounts; close to $900 in accessories not to mention the labor. Very disappointed. Paddle before buying and check the thickness of the kayak throughout. I still think very highly of my other Ocean Kayak yaks.

Pros: Great storage. Great center line of gravity. I am 175 lbs on a good day FYI... Fast and very versatile for the shear size and I do not use a rudder. Used an anchor during 4 - 6 ft waves and was very stable. I can load this by myself on my truck trac rac.

Cons: Slow start. Can't stand up in it. So I'll find sponsons... big deal. Acceptable surf landing. Standard seat -flat.

Tips: Golf balls make great scupper hole plugs. Scupper holes make great rod holders. Buddy wheels fit through bow storage cover along with all rods and reels. Great for gulf fishing! I have been in all conditions and it handles great. The taller and lankier/ light-weighted/smaller tailored person should think twice before purchasing unless using stabilizers.. then ok.

So much has been said about the OK Prowler Trident 15 that I hesitated plenty before writing this review.
For someone that have had so many different boats, both sit inside & sit on top manufactured by various top brand companies coming across the P 15 went beyond any expectations. Features such as the Rodpod, the Sonar Shield or even the battery bag inside the hull show a company commitment with the fastest growing sport of kayak fishing that have no match on the market. General layout on the cockpit tends to the user's comfort & safety like any other Ocean Kayak product.

Whether going for a lazy paddle on a secluded pond or braking thru confused seas the P 15 delivers a comfortable & safe ride while speed and maneuverability are there at all times. If you are not into fishing you might still like to consider the P 15 as a true touring sit on top kayak. Feel when paddling is that such a big long craft doesn't move very fast until you lay your eyes on the shoreline: then & only then you notice that she's as fast as many sit in kayaks; you are truly leaving all behind.

Reasonable weight for an almost 16 footer with a 28 inches width, quite dry for the average paddler (mind me: I am 235# & like to think I am average), easy to reach all around, humongous carrying capacity & lastly, one of the best rudder systems on the market. I am not very fond of rudders yet have to admit that once the rudder is down you can feel its massive, solid performance aiding to an already thru tracking vessel that requires a lot of nasty wind before the rudder becomes necessary.

I have posted several reviews on OK products, mostly good ones, well deserved by a company that focuses on safety & performance. Only thing left to add is that the tendency of OK of failing in QC seems to have improved significantly.

If you are looking for a true touring, safe sit on top kayak whether you like fishing, sightseeing or just shooting the breeze go large: get a Prowler Trident 15, there is nothing like it nowadays.

I have owned a scupper pro than 2 prowler 15's
I tried out this yak for a few times and did not like it much. It feels very cumbersome compared to the p15 it suppose to better. the center pod is very wide and disturbs me much after a few miles and it's handling is weird. you sit higher hence drier but the center of gravity is higher too so you don't gain much over the standard p15 stability wise.

All its 'bells and whistles' are only extras which simply don't interest me much since the important kayak characteristics are flawed. look at OK's scupper pro - a great design after more than 30 years in production. this one i bet won't last nearly that long with out some major design changes. I guess it's also the reason it had only two reviews up to now. most people don't want to make any bad comments on such a hyped yak (or their own) OK please make some necessary changes so we can love this one too.

Ocean Kayak's Prowler 15 Trident is one of the best designed fishing-specific kayaks I have had the pleasure of paddling. The hull is about three inches longer than the standard Prowler 15, and the Trident has some outstanding features.

The features you initially recognize are the Rod Pod, Sonar Shield, and sonar-specific scupper hole. I mounted a Humminbird PMax 215 under the Sonar Shield, and am very pleased with with knowing the unit is protected and shielded from glare. It will also lower the chance of having condensation in the screen, which I have encountered on other SOT's. I did still go with my typical through-hull transducer application, as the transducer scupper adapter was not easily obtainable. I show this mounting process on my Youtube site.

The front hatch has a handy single-clip strap system. This is quite convenient, and shows OK put the effort into the design of the hatch. The Rod Pod is also a great feature, and is easily accessible "on the fly". The hatch for the Rod Pod is a slight bit wider for its placement than I would desire, causing my legs to feel a little bit too snug between the hatch and the sides of the cockpit. This is a minor issue, and is the only reason I have not given a "10" rating.

As for the handling of the kayak, my Trident came with the optional rudder package. The yak paddled VERY well in small chop, and with both oncoming and crosswinds. The Comfort Plus seat also made for a comfortable seating area.

I would highly recommend the Trident for anyone who wants a great fishing platform, or simply enjoys paddling a sit-on-top kayak. Ocean Kayak definitely put the effort into the design of this one!