Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140

[Rik]

Please give a review

http://www.wildernesssystems.com/produc ... oductid=24#

[tbray]

I have had my Tarpon 140 for some months now and feel as though i am in a good position to finally rate the craft.

Tankwell-
great size- for me all i wanted was to hold a crate, a small cooler and maybe a plastic bin for my line when i am fly fishing. This tankwell is the perfect size for all of the above items and more. Has two scupper holes which i immediately stopped up with crutch tips from Ace Hardware (thanks to the tip in the rigging section).

Seat-
Comes pre-rigged with a seat (and cushion for the back pad). LOVE IT! It is one less thing that i need to forget, and to me it provides great support on my lower back throughout the day. Folds down easy for when you are ready to pack up too which is nice.

Cockpit Area-
It is flat. And the main reason i went to this boat. Having owned a few Ocean Kayaks with the molded footwells, I wanted a change. Truth be told, I really wanted to stand up in the yak and thought this was going to be much easier with the flat floor. Wrong! It is just as hard for me to stand in this thing as any other yak i have owned- so dont think it will a snap just because of the flat cockpit. I still like the flat over the molded wells, however. Now I am about 220 and unless i plug the four floor scuppers I am always riding wet. Clarification- my legs are riding wet due to the seat being raised slightly higher than the pit floor. I am thankful for this cause the only place for the soggy bottom boys is in "o, brother where art thou". But the legs do stay wet (unplugged). I think the overall layout of the pit and the hardware around the pit are well thought out. Cup holder, bungies for tools, and paddle and stakeout pole holders are all really well placed (and i really dig the extra fabric on the bungies that allow the user to more quietly place and retrieve the paddle from the bungie with minimum noise).

Front Hatch-
Plenty of space for what i do- but i am not a camper- I only fish for a max duration of 8 hours so this isnt critical to me.

Weight-
She aint light, but i have held heavier. At the end of the day you know you are lifting something heavy when placing it on your car. But not so heavy as to scare me off of the purchase-

Length-
Check out the board for posts on this subject. Personally I feel the 14 is the best of a big boat and a small boat (having previously owned both). But you will have others say you are getting shorted on both ends. I think preference is key here. I dont ever feel like i am not keeping up with my friends and i am never leaving them behind either. But then again- I am not fishing for speed- and i do like taking my time out there. I like the length.

Overall-
Just remember this- Yaks like this one are a big freakin plastic boat. Is it well thought out??? Yes- Is it made well??? Yes. Would i recommend one?? Yes......Is there another kayak out there i would rather have? No.

I think that is a pretty good representation of how i feel.

Peace

Todd

[SandmanP]

I have the same boat also! I bought it for storage and the way it is layed out also. Mine seems to always go to the right at times when just cruising. Still like the boat I like the new Wilderness Ride also.

[chewbaka1973]

I love this kayak. I chose the 140 over the 120 because of my height and weight. and well, i got a reaaaaaaaaallllllllly good deal on it.
I agree with all that was said above. only draw back i see with this kayak is that the footwell is always under water, unless you plug the scuppers. Handels great (even for a novice like myself) very stable, and pretty fast. flat bottom allows you to get to real skinny water and also helps loading it upright on my jeep. I do not use a crate but it will fit perfectly.
if i think of any other good or bad points, i will update my post.

[Mako]

I started kayak fishing about 3 years ago when I bought a Heritage that was 9.5 feet long. That thing floated, and that's all I have to say about that kayak. Since then, I've grown my fleet to a T-120 and now a T-140. I use the 140 100% of the time these days. It tracks better than the 120, I can stand up easier because of the flat cockpit, and I don't see much difference than the 120 when it comes to turning. Needless to say, the 140 is roomier than the 120, another plus when you're 6' tall.

I heard a lot about the seat in kayaks. I personally don't think there are any kayaks in the market that have a really good seat. That's why I spent some additional money getting a high back seat, gel seat cushion, and a lower back inflatable pad. And I didn't remove the plastic back pad that comes with the kayak. I think it helps me keep my back straight. It's worth spending the money to be confortable. And I've fished from sunup to sundown in spring and fall.

If you want to use this kayak for fishing, one piece of equipment that you can't be without is the rudder. Your hands need to be handling the fishing rod, not the paddle when you're fishing. With a bit of breeze and the rudder, you can go anywhere you want.

Here's a pic of my 140 ready to fish.

[Wuluf]

TBray hooked me up with a cheap scupper plug for this boat. Go to Ace Hardware and by the 1" crutch tips. They come in a pack of 4 for around $3.50. They fit perfect!

[stingray]

I have had 4 kayaks and this one is my favorite. Newer models have a padded seat, Back and Bottom !