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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).