Jackson Kayak Big Rig First Paddle by Nik Brown | Feb 1, 2014 | Big Rig, Fishing, Freshwater, JK Team Posts, Whitewater | 14 comments The Big Rig has been the most anticipated kayak of 2014 for myself as well as many others, but as with all new to the market kayaks there are allot of questions that can’t be answered until it is on the water. One of these questions was the overall size of the kayak. The first feature that brought up questions was its width. Coming in with a width of 37 inches it would be one of the widest kayaks I had ever paddled. I also had questions about some of the new features of the kayak and how they would work in real world fishing situations. On Sunday I finally got a chance to answer some of those questions for myself. When I arrived at Chickamauga Lake in TN I was greeted by wind gust of 15mph and white caped waves. The wind was blowing straight into the ramp and I knew I would get the chance to really put the Big Rig through her paces in some tough conditions. As I paddled out with the stern pointed into the wind I got a little pre occupied with looking around at the features of the kayaks deck. When I looked up I realized that I was cruising at a fairly decent speed straight into the wind. It almost felt like I was paddling a Cuda 14 the way it was smoothly cutting through the chop. This answered a few questions for me. I had two rods stored in the rod troughs and with my new 260cm paddle I was able to easily paddle without banging my hands or the paddle on the sides of the kayak or my rods. I am really impressed with not only the way the kayak handles, but also the new rod troughs. When I kayak fish I tend to leave multiple rods stacked in front of me that eventually end up being in the way. The rod troughs enabled me to keep the rods protected and out of the way while still being within easy reach. I will even go as far as saying they are my new favorite feature of the Big Rig. At this point it was time to start fishing so I turned her around and paddled to an island. Turning the Big Rig is almost as easy as turning a Coosa. A couple paddle strokes and you can make an easy 180. Since the Big Rig was so easy to turn I decided to see how she drifted while fishing. I set the Big Rig up to drift with the wind blowing on the port side. The Big Rig remained true in her drift and did not spin on me the entire trip down a one hundred yard bank. Once I got to the end of the island I saw a good opportunity to test some of the Big Rigs other features. The island was acting as a wind block and there was fairly calm water on its backside. The first thing I wanted to try was the new stand assist bar. To my dismay I realized I had left the bar secured with the bungee near the front handle. So in a first test of the Big Rigs stability I grabbed the stand assist strap and crawled to the front of the kayak. I was able to unhook the bungee and insert the pins into the legs of the stand assist bar without ever feeling like I was in danger of tipping or falling out. After easing back into the seat I figured it was all or nothing so I grabbed the strap and stood up with no problems at all. After I stood up I walked my way forward to the rail and was able to stand, cast, and make adjustments with my paddle while never feeling the least bit unstable. The Next day I decided to let my Father-In-Law Don give the Big Rig a try while I took out my new Jackson Kilroy. My Father-In-Law is sixty-nine years old and has never felt comfortable enough in a kayak to stand and has often had trouble getting in and out of them. As we started to paddle out Don’s first comment was how easy it was to get into the Big Rig and how stable he felt. After a long day fishing Don decided to try and stand for his first time. He was able top pop up out of the seat and fish with no problems what so ever. He also was able to land a nice 6-pound bass just a couple minutes after standing for his first time. After returning to the ramp Don’s could not stop talking about the Big Rig’s stability, ease of getting in and out, and the new Lower Back Jack Lumbar support. At this point I am afraid he will want to fish out of the Big Rig every time we go out. It may be time to order another! http://youtu.be/te6XC0fCK-w 14 Comments Bruce Leonard on February 5, 2014 at 6:12 pm Very good write up Nik, very true to the stability and the way the big rig cuts through the water. I would say that it actually cuts through the water as well as my native slayer 12. The Jackson big rig is definitely the most stable and versatile kayak I have been in with its width and many extra features Reply Michael Dodgin on February 7, 2014 at 4:31 pm Very good review of the Big Rig. Headed out tomorrow to purchase my first true fishing kayak and I can say your write up has answered several questions about the stabality and ease of use for the Big Rig. Currently fishing from my Hurricane Expedition 140 but really do not feel as I have much room to enjoy the water with gear hanging off every bungee I have on the Yak. So you are either enjoying the lake just paddleing or doing both in the Big Rig. Thanks Again…. Reply Nik Brown on February 8, 2014 at 10:17 pm Enjoy your Big Rig Michael! Cant wait to hear what you think. Reply Chris Ridenour on February 8, 2014 at 9:04 pm Liked the review .can you send me some info & price list? Reply Josh Tidwell on February 11, 2014 at 12:26 am Chris, you can find specs and pricing here https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/kayak-fishing/big-rig/ or you can always call on your local dealer. Reply Ken Rooney on February 8, 2014 at 10:35 pm How was seat??? Pole holders..? Reply Josh Tidwell on February 11, 2014 at 12:29 am Ken, Nik will likely be along shortly, but I’ll give you my take on those items. The seat is great. The Elite seat was already good, but the addition of the LBJ makes it even better. As for the rod holders, they are improved on this boat. The new RAM mounts behind the seat are sturdy and pretty adjustable. Love the plug and play aspect. My favorite pole holders on the Big Rig are the rod troughs on each side. Such a simple solution, but an awesome one. Hope this helped. Reply Nik Brown on February 11, 2014 at 8:43 pm Josh hit the nail on the head. The Lower Back Jack adds some serious luxury to an already luxurious seat and the Ram Tubes on the back have a beefier base that allows you to adjust them to just about any angle without any flex. Another nice thing about the rod holders is that the base can be used with a variety of different rod holders and products from RAM. If the rod tubes are not your thing you can add other accessories or a different style. Reply Greg Hall on February 13, 2014 at 8:56 pm what’s the advantage of adding the rudder? I’m looking at the Coosa now but am enticed by the Big Rig and I see it’s $200 more for the rudder. Would I necessarilly need it? Reply Clay Wright on February 14, 2014 at 12:40 am Hey Greg – If you are in the ocean or a big lake with winds and making some crossings then a rudder is a big help at holding the boat straight and holding your position. If you will be in smaller waters the Coosa is a big harder to keep straight given the rocker and shorter length while the Big Rig should hold a line pretty well without the rudder if you have done some kayaking before. If you are brand-new, it will still hold a line well once you get used to kayaking. The rudder is really good at keeping the boat going straight when you paddle, but as for turning all our boats will turn just fine simply by leaning or stroking harder on one side than the other. Hope this helps! Clay Reply Will White on February 16, 2014 at 2:39 am I’m new to kayak fishing, so I bought a Hobie PA14. Bad move, not good for shallow marsh area down here in south Louisiana. Majority of my time fishing, the mirage got caught up in mud or oyster reefs so frustrating. Standing was ok, I’m 6’1 260lbs. I had enough and sold it. Today at a demo I chose to test 3 yaks. Native Slayer14, OT Predator, and the Big Rig. I was skeptical of the Big Rig because of its size. I felt it was just a paddle type version of a Hobie PA. The Slayer was too tight and I felt tippy in it. The Predator I felt was sluggish. Then. I sat in the Big Rig. First off, some may say it’s heavy but those same persons have probably never loaded, unloaded, or paddled a Hobie PA. The Jackson Seat is Awesome!!! Actually the Jackson Seat is much more comfortable than the Hobie. As soon as I sat and pushed off into the water I was amazed at the noticeable stability. I love the open cockpit, as I’ve never been a fan of center consoles. Using. 260 paddle, the Rig moved nicely. Granted I’m not going to be winning any races, but it wasn’t difficult to get it moving and it tracked well. I felt more in touch with the water than I did in my Hobie. Now for standing…. I’m not the most graceful of persons. As soon as I grabbed the pull up strap I was awaiting to flip over. But I didn’t. I literally stood up and immediately felt comfortable. I sat back down and utilized the stand up bar. Excellent feature is being able to lay your paddle across the xbar. I found myself standing and paddling at the same time. I was able to move around the open cock pit casting and cast in diff directions. I was amazed. This is the perfect platform for my type of fishing at half the cost of a Hobir PA. I was so impressed I sent Eric Jacksom an email and placed an order for one. If you are a big not so graceful fisherman, this rig is a must for consideration Don’t believe all the assumptions that this is a barge, and all the other neg reviews ref problems dealing with wind, blah blah blah. Get out there, and try it out. I seriously believe that you will agree that the Big Rig is a Big Deal Reply Josh Tidwell on February 16, 2014 at 6:14 pm Great feedback, Will! I just so happen to agree with you on all points, and can’t wait to get back down to the LA marshes with my Big Rig. Reply Nik Brown on February 19, 2014 at 7:26 pm Welcome to the Big Rig Club Will! Thank You for the review, you made some excellent points. Hope to see you on the water some day. Reply Miguel Rosario on January 7, 2021 at 8:14 pm Hi Godbless, looking for information on how to change my rudder cable on my 2014 jackson kayak big rig, thank you Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Bruce Leonard on February 5, 2014 at 6:12 pm Very good write up Nik, very true to the stability and the way the big rig cuts through the water. I would say that it actually cuts through the water as well as my native slayer 12. The Jackson big rig is definitely the most stable and versatile kayak I have been in with its width and many extra features Reply
Michael Dodgin on February 7, 2014 at 4:31 pm Very good review of the Big Rig. Headed out tomorrow to purchase my first true fishing kayak and I can say your write up has answered several questions about the stabality and ease of use for the Big Rig. Currently fishing from my Hurricane Expedition 140 but really do not feel as I have much room to enjoy the water with gear hanging off every bungee I have on the Yak. So you are either enjoying the lake just paddleing or doing both in the Big Rig. Thanks Again…. Reply
Nik Brown on February 8, 2014 at 10:17 pm Enjoy your Big Rig Michael! Cant wait to hear what you think. Reply
Chris Ridenour on February 8, 2014 at 9:04 pm Liked the review .can you send me some info & price list? Reply
Josh Tidwell on February 11, 2014 at 12:26 am Chris, you can find specs and pricing here https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/kayak-fishing/big-rig/ or you can always call on your local dealer. Reply
Josh Tidwell on February 11, 2014 at 12:29 am Ken, Nik will likely be along shortly, but I’ll give you my take on those items. The seat is great. The Elite seat was already good, but the addition of the LBJ makes it even better. As for the rod holders, they are improved on this boat. The new RAM mounts behind the seat are sturdy and pretty adjustable. Love the plug and play aspect. My favorite pole holders on the Big Rig are the rod troughs on each side. Such a simple solution, but an awesome one. Hope this helped. Reply
Nik Brown on February 11, 2014 at 8:43 pm Josh hit the nail on the head. The Lower Back Jack adds some serious luxury to an already luxurious seat and the Ram Tubes on the back have a beefier base that allows you to adjust them to just about any angle without any flex. Another nice thing about the rod holders is that the base can be used with a variety of different rod holders and products from RAM. If the rod tubes are not your thing you can add other accessories or a different style. Reply
Greg Hall on February 13, 2014 at 8:56 pm what’s the advantage of adding the rudder? I’m looking at the Coosa now but am enticed by the Big Rig and I see it’s $200 more for the rudder. Would I necessarilly need it? Reply
Clay Wright on February 14, 2014 at 12:40 am Hey Greg – If you are in the ocean or a big lake with winds and making some crossings then a rudder is a big help at holding the boat straight and holding your position. If you will be in smaller waters the Coosa is a big harder to keep straight given the rocker and shorter length while the Big Rig should hold a line pretty well without the rudder if you have done some kayaking before. If you are brand-new, it will still hold a line well once you get used to kayaking. The rudder is really good at keeping the boat going straight when you paddle, but as for turning all our boats will turn just fine simply by leaning or stroking harder on one side than the other. Hope this helps! Clay Reply
Will White on February 16, 2014 at 2:39 am I’m new to kayak fishing, so I bought a Hobie PA14. Bad move, not good for shallow marsh area down here in south Louisiana. Majority of my time fishing, the mirage got caught up in mud or oyster reefs so frustrating. Standing was ok, I’m 6’1 260lbs. I had enough and sold it. Today at a demo I chose to test 3 yaks. Native Slayer14, OT Predator, and the Big Rig. I was skeptical of the Big Rig because of its size. I felt it was just a paddle type version of a Hobie PA. The Slayer was too tight and I felt tippy in it. The Predator I felt was sluggish. Then. I sat in the Big Rig. First off, some may say it’s heavy but those same persons have probably never loaded, unloaded, or paddled a Hobie PA. The Jackson Seat is Awesome!!! Actually the Jackson Seat is much more comfortable than the Hobie. As soon as I sat and pushed off into the water I was amazed at the noticeable stability. I love the open cockpit, as I’ve never been a fan of center consoles. Using. 260 paddle, the Rig moved nicely. Granted I’m not going to be winning any races, but it wasn’t difficult to get it moving and it tracked well. I felt more in touch with the water than I did in my Hobie. Now for standing…. I’m not the most graceful of persons. As soon as I grabbed the pull up strap I was awaiting to flip over. But I didn’t. I literally stood up and immediately felt comfortable. I sat back down and utilized the stand up bar. Excellent feature is being able to lay your paddle across the xbar. I found myself standing and paddling at the same time. I was able to move around the open cock pit casting and cast in diff directions. I was amazed. This is the perfect platform for my type of fishing at half the cost of a Hobir PA. I was so impressed I sent Eric Jacksom an email and placed an order for one. If you are a big not so graceful fisherman, this rig is a must for consideration Don’t believe all the assumptions that this is a barge, and all the other neg reviews ref problems dealing with wind, blah blah blah. Get out there, and try it out. I seriously believe that you will agree that the Big Rig is a Big Deal Reply
Josh Tidwell on February 16, 2014 at 6:14 pm Great feedback, Will! I just so happen to agree with you on all points, and can’t wait to get back down to the LA marshes with my Big Rig. Reply
Nik Brown on February 19, 2014 at 7:26 pm Welcome to the Big Rig Club Will! Thank You for the review, you made some excellent points. Hope to see you on the water some day. Reply
Miguel Rosario on January 7, 2021 at 8:14 pm Hi Godbless, looking for information on how to change my rudder cable on my 2014 jackson kayak big rig, thank you Reply
