I’ve had a recon 120 for little over a year, I was interested in someone else’s opinion. I have enjoyed mine as well, it is a great boat! Great video keep them coming.
Love mine...got it totally rigged...even slipped in two Subnados...nice stealthy install...handles much better in the wind than my Hobie...Cheers and tight lines!!!
what aggravates me about 90% of youtube accessories for kayaks is that they show how they install them and how they work but they show how they work in the yard and kneeling beside the kayak. I bet using these accessories when your out on the water is a whole other story. An example would be 3 rod holders mounted on the back of the crate. Demonstrate how a person gains access to those rods when your out on a lake. Another example would be anchor retrieval setups, I bet some of those setups are harder to use out on the water. Sorry for the rant but it would be nice if people demonstrated what they install, out on the water
I could absolutely do this for you! What I have installed on this particular kayak, I wouldn’t do without. I understand what you are saying though! My accessories suit my needs while fishing exactly how I want! This is just my setup! It’s much easier to walk around and show everything on land then while on the water! I wouldn’t exactly be able to swim around my kayak and show you everything!
@@yaknlife6894 fair enough, I get what your saying. I am just getting into Kayak fly fishing and I have watched many youtub videos about kayak fishing setups and I see kayaks loaded to the hilt with mods and accessories and I would truly like to see someone with a kayak access half of what they have installed, especially all that stuff behind the seat. Now to be fair, some of the kayaks on youtube that have a lot of stuff forward of the seat are peddle kayaks. A lot of that stuff would not work with a paddle kayak. I have the Lifetime Teton, that's all I could afford. I put a phone mount on one side and rod holder on the other, 1st time out, I had to remove both. Phone was useless because of the sun and the rod got in the way of paddling. So now I'm rethinking every accessory that will go on my kayak. I'm thinking minimalist. Sorry to ramble on. There are a lot of great ideas for kayaks on youtube, I just have to really thing things through before I install any thing. I apologize to you, you just happened to be the one video I watched and decided to comment on. There are bad ones out therebut yours is good.
@@williamlevan788 no need to apologize at all about anything! I understand completely what you mean! I’ve had multiple kayaks and have spent some time on both to truly decide what I wanted on my kayak! Not everyone likes or wants the same stuff! Believe me when I tell you I’ve seen some that are way over the top and just way more then I want or need! Enjoy every minute you spend on your kayak! I absolutely love fishing in one! Good luck in all your fishing adventures!
William, you can sit in your yak and perform tasks you think you will need prior to purchase. The yak you have or will be purchasing will designate the activities you will be able to do on the water. Wider standup yaks will allow versatility a narrow yak can’t handle. There is no perfect yak. It is a give a take when choosing your yak. When I say this, I’m saying what will you typically be using your yak for? Talk with an experienced yak owner before you stsrt
William, sorry I wasn’t able to complete my reply earlier. As you no there are a multitude of videos on CZcams addressing many yaks and specific activities different yaks are designed for. I’m purchasing my 2nd yak now, and it is designed for fishing. My 1st yak is same length and mgr. but narrower. I found I need to stand up and fish 🎣. My present yak, being narrower would have me swimming more than fishing and will be a great yak for a friend to join me and fish sitting down. Enjoy and take a moment to think your needs through.
I noticed no skag. How do you like the peddle drive? Battery…. Is it a deep cycle. I have ordered the 2022 HD version which comes with the peddle drive & skag. Can you mount Rod holders that have the ability to lay back in lieu of having your rods stand straight up? This would allow you move in places you can’t go with rods mounted straight up. I agree with you the sliding rails could be placed in multiple places for specific convenience. Who do you go through to get various items you DIY. I live in a smaller community/closest city is 80 miles away. Thank you for the video. I also notice the PVC stand you made. Great idea. My plans are the find/buy a trailer that can handle 2 yaks. From my experiences with boat trailers, always get a larger wheeled trailer and one with a longer tongue. Larger wheels will handle better, last longer, and will not create problems when you are on the road. The longer tongue will assist in backing up and positioning when parking and a multitude of additional ways, too many to mention here. You will experience trailering comfort if you heed my suggestions. And if we ever meet you can buy me a beer for passing on my experiences with trailering anything. Larry Moss 👍🦨
A lot of great questions. Let’s see if I can answer them for you. My Recon is the non pedal drive version. I did this because I plan on adding a motor in the future. You can mount the rod holders on the kayak anyway you’d like! When it comes to getting products, I typically go to local stores if I can, but I order off of different websites including Amazon.
If you are buying this kayak thinking you might add pedal drive later, do not do it. The pedal drive cost's more than the kayak. Wilderness systems does not even sell the rudder or steering handle for this kayak. There is no plumbing to install the rudder lines. The side compartments and cup holders will not drain as the channels are not all the way to the bottom. Very heavy and no way to install the sidekick wheels. The rod storage sounds good in theory but does not work very well with more than one rod. The only thing going for this kayak is the large front storage and it's stability. I mounted a swivel to my seat and I can spin 360 without worrying about flipping. Really helps on reaching items in the back.
I bought a swivel from nucanoe. I bolted it in between two pieces of aluminum plate. I removed the slider assembly from the seat and bolted the plate to each side of the seat frame using the existing bolts and matching the existing holes, so I could put it back to original without drilling any new holes. I started to add a motor to mine. Several good videos on you tube about installing foot control steering and a PWM for speed control. I hate that you cannot install the sidekick wheels instead of having to use a cart dolly to move it around. when I went to install my steering the plastic tubes for the cables were pinched closed. I had to remove them and add new ones.
Hey man! Just picked up one of these kayaks for $352 out the door. Pretty much stole it! But I was wondering could you do the video on the kayak cart? I have two carts at home that don’t work well with this kayak but don’t want to have to buy another, I’d rather make it! Thanks
Sure! Yeah, the diy kayak carts are easy to make! The only issue now is PVC is much more expensive then it used to be! The cost of supplies is double what it was! But that is a hell of a steal! It’s an awesome kayak!
I’ve had a recon 120 for little over a year, I was interested in someone else’s opinion. I have enjoyed mine as well, it is a great boat! Great video keep them coming.
No complaints about mine! Great kayak! Thank you! Appreciate the feedback!
Love mine...got it totally rigged...even slipped in two Subnados...nice stealthy install...handles much better in the wind than my Hobie...Cheers and tight lines!!!
Would like a video on your dolly system. Your yak is sweet and I am now buying one.
I can definitely make a video of it! Thank you!
what aggravates me about 90% of youtube accessories for kayaks is that they show how they install them and how they work but they show how they work in the yard and kneeling beside the kayak. I bet using these accessories when your out on the water is a whole other story. An example would be 3 rod holders mounted on the back of the crate. Demonstrate how a person gains access to those rods when your out on a lake. Another example would be anchor retrieval setups, I bet some of those setups are harder to use out on the water. Sorry for the rant but it would be nice if people demonstrated what they install, out on the water
I could absolutely do this for you! What I have installed on this particular kayak, I wouldn’t do without. I understand what you are saying though! My accessories suit my needs while fishing exactly how I want! This is just my setup! It’s much easier to walk around and show everything on land then while on the water! I wouldn’t exactly be able to swim around my kayak and show you everything!
@@yaknlife6894 fair enough, I get what your saying. I am just getting into Kayak fly fishing and I have watched many youtub videos about kayak fishing setups and I see kayaks loaded to the hilt with mods and accessories and I would truly like to see someone with a kayak access half of what they have installed, especially all that stuff behind the seat. Now to be fair, some of the kayaks on youtube that have a lot of stuff forward of the seat are peddle kayaks. A lot of that stuff would not work with a paddle kayak. I have the Lifetime Teton, that's all I could afford. I put a phone mount on one side and rod holder on the other, 1st time out, I had to remove both. Phone was useless because of the sun and the rod got in the way of paddling. So now I'm rethinking every accessory that will go on my kayak. I'm thinking minimalist. Sorry to ramble on. There are a lot of great ideas for kayaks on youtube, I just have to really thing things through before I install any thing. I apologize to you, you just happened to be the one video I watched and decided to comment on. There are bad ones out therebut yours is good.
@@williamlevan788 no need to apologize at all about anything! I understand completely what you mean! I’ve had multiple kayaks and have spent some time on both to truly decide what I wanted on my kayak! Not everyone likes or wants the same stuff! Believe me when I tell you I’ve seen some that are way over the top and just way more then I want or need! Enjoy every minute you spend on your kayak! I absolutely love fishing in one! Good luck in all your fishing adventures!
William, you can sit in your yak and perform tasks you think you will need prior to purchase. The yak you have or will be purchasing will designate the activities you will be able to do on the water. Wider standup yaks will allow versatility a narrow yak can’t handle. There is no perfect yak. It is a give a take when choosing your yak. When I say this, I’m saying what will you typically be using your yak for? Talk with an experienced yak owner before you stsrt
William, sorry I wasn’t able to complete my reply earlier. As you no there are a multitude of videos on CZcams addressing many yaks and specific activities different yaks are designed for. I’m purchasing my 2nd yak now, and it is designed for fishing. My 1st yak is same length and mgr. but narrower. I found I need to stand up and fish 🎣. My present yak, being narrower would have me swimming more than fishing and will be a great yak for a friend to join me and fish sitting down. Enjoy and take a moment to think your needs through.
I noticed no skag. How do you like the peddle drive? Battery…. Is it a deep cycle. I have ordered the 2022 HD version which comes with the peddle drive & skag. Can you mount Rod holders that have the ability to lay back in lieu of having your rods stand straight up? This would allow you move in places you can’t go with rods mounted straight up. I agree with you the sliding rails could be placed in multiple places for specific convenience. Who do you go through to get various items you DIY. I live in a smaller community/closest city is 80 miles away. Thank you for the video. I also notice the PVC stand you made. Great idea. My plans are the find/buy a trailer that can handle 2 yaks. From my experiences with boat trailers, always get a larger wheeled trailer and one with a longer tongue. Larger wheels will handle better, last longer, and will not create problems when you are on the road. The longer tongue will assist in backing up and positioning when parking and a multitude of additional ways, too many to mention here. You will experience trailering comfort if you heed my suggestions. And if we ever meet you can buy me a beer for passing on my experiences with trailering anything.
Larry Moss 👍🦨
A lot of great questions. Let’s see if I can answer them for you. My Recon is the non pedal drive version. I did this because I plan on adding a motor in the future. You can mount the rod holders on the kayak anyway you’d like! When it comes to getting products, I typically go to local stores if I can, but I order off of different websites including Amazon.
If you are buying this kayak thinking you might add pedal drive later, do not do it.
The pedal drive cost's more than the kayak. Wilderness systems does not even sell the rudder or steering handle for this kayak. There is no plumbing to install the rudder lines. The side compartments and cup holders will not drain as the channels are not all the way to the bottom. Very heavy and no way to install the sidekick wheels. The rod storage sounds good in theory but does not work very well with more than one rod. The only thing going for this kayak is the large front storage and it's stability. I mounted a swivel to my seat and I can spin 360 without worrying about flipping. Really helps on reaching items in the back.
It is definitely heavy! I plan on motorizing it though! I was thinking about adding a swivel to the seat! How did you go about doing that?
I bought a swivel from nucanoe. I bolted it in between two pieces of aluminum plate. I removed the slider assembly from the seat and bolted the plate to each side of the seat frame using the existing bolts and matching the existing holes, so I could put it back to original without drilling any new holes. I started to add a motor to mine. Several good videos on you tube about installing foot control steering and a PWM for speed control. I hate that you cannot install the sidekick wheels instead of having to use a cart dolly to move it around.
when I went to install my steering the plastic tubes for the cables were pinched closed. I had to remove them and add new ones.
Hey man! Just picked up one of these kayaks for $352 out the door. Pretty much stole it! But I was wondering could you do the video on the kayak cart? I have two carts at home that don’t work well with this kayak but don’t want to have to buy another, I’d rather make it! Thanks
Sure! Yeah, the diy kayak carts are easy to make! The only issue now is PVC is much more expensive then it used to be! The cost of supplies is double what it was! But that is a hell of a steal! It’s an awesome kayak!
Awesome !
Thank you!
Would you happen to know the measurements of the pedal drive opening?
I can measure it for you and let you know!
Why no rudder? How do u steer your pedal drive?
It’s not the pedal drive model! I chose to not get a pedal drive yet, because I plan on going with a motor