Great review! Got a Groovy idea for you...I put the Groovy on my Jackson Kilroy and it's an easy reach-behind for an Anchor Wizard. The anchor drops right off the other side and it's tied in to my anchor trolley (short cord with a ring).
Thanks so much for this video. I am considering either this or the Seastream angler 120 and you addressed all my exact questions on this kayak. Liked and subbed.
Good Stuff !! My son and I have been checking out peddle kayaks for a while. We currently use top seat fishing style. This video is super informative and has made this brand "The One" for us, however maybe the 108. Thank you for taking the time with this.
I roof rack mount my Big Fish 120 easy as pie. A made a roller bracket to fit my bike rack off the Tow bar and simply push it up onto the roof racks. And I made it fit my small boat trailer. Best of both Worlds.
Thank you for this video. I found it very helpful! I'm looking to get this kayak this spring. I'm wondering two things. The landing gear you bought, did you get the track kit one or the standard kit? Not sure which one is the right fit. Also, do you still have that side loader you mentioned in the video?
Looks a fantastic design! But that molded eye part for the rudder is a weak point, if you hit something hard ( like a have pushing you backwards against a rock) might have a big Crack on the hull. That screw that locks the pedal drive is not good too, I would replace for a sacrificial plastic part, or some sort of wedge that pops out when you hit a rock with the pedal drive. I would love to see how it handle some surf and some windy conditions, I loved that hull design. Thanks for that review.
Dead on! The weak point was the rudder setup small piece of plastic sticking of the back. Just in some mud it managed to Crack the plastic below the rudder. I still love that trimaran style hull but they need some upgrades for the 103. You touched on the most important one. Now I have switched to kaku zulu with a wireless transom trolling motor
Nice review. Just got one. After 1 outing. It's seems the drive isn't securing well with the tension nut. And the left part of the cross bar seems lose as well. N I got a water leak somewhere.
Make sure the side nut is tight. Across from the blue lever to stop it from wiggling. Not to tight or you won't be able to close blue lever. Mine had a leak too put some water in to the hull to find out where it's leaking. If it is new dealer should fix for free
Awesome video I want one…. You can use that transducer inside your hull and it will shoot through the hull. That’s how I’ve got my Jackson coosa set up. It’s like one of the first coosas that came out😅 (old) Again thanks for the review
My wife got that same kayak and from the get go had nothing but problems with it, the tank well held water would not drain and the kayak it self took on water also couldn’t find any holes on the bottom but were the drive went through the plastic is very thin we called the distributor told them our complaints showed them some pictures and they asked if we would want a different kayak we did we went with the old town very happy and they didn’t want to kayak back I still have the kayak don’t know what to do with it
Hate to hear that. Seems to be a common issue as well. I did have a pin hole that was easily fixed but Unfortunately that's what can happen with new hull designs and not enough testing to get through the kinks. Since you still have it I would fill hull with some water and try to find where water was coming in from. Plastic weld it and just have a kayak for when the buddies tag along
You could..... but when I attempted it I barley touched the sidewall and the prop poked through. This is how I eneded up finding my kayak had thin spots and porous parts on the plastic. This was the og model and I believe they've made it better since. But don't hold me to that
Best upgrade you can make! Would be hard to make a good video because I'm too scared to undo them haha. But I can give a decent explanation. You just remove the rod holders only a couple of screws. Then the landing gear comes with 2 metal plates that have 2 threaded holes and a plastic board. Cut 2 pieces from board mines 3.5in x 6in. Slide the metal metal plate under your rod holder and mark where the holes are. Run a drill bit through the the kayak. Then place your plastic boards on top and mark where the holes are as well. You run your bolt through the mount for the wheels then through top of the plastic board through holes in the yak and into the threaded metal plates. It sandwiches your kayak between the 2 pieces. Hope this might try to make a video but it'll just be an explanation with visuals I thread locked them and don't want to undo it
There are 2 grease ports on the drive one up top and one on the bottom. They are the only 2 smaller Allen head cap screws. Most people put white grease in theirs. I actually used transmission gear box oil in mine
Quick question about the eight ball steering. does the handle ever get in your way? In the video, it looked like it was super close to your leg. I have read one review that complained about this. Thanks
What I did to avoid that was put the 8 ball as far to the left as possible. I did this By adjusting the socket screw on the front of the 8ball handle. I turned the rudder all the way left. then loosened 8ball handle and moved as far as it would comfortably go to the left. So now the handle faces almost straight up to turn right
Thanks for the awesome review. I'm thinking on buying the 103. What was the name of that protective covering you placed on the hull in the front of the kayak? How long is your truck bed? I have a Ram 1500 with a 5' 7" bed, so it will be hanging out a bit. Thanks!!
Sorry to get back so late my notifications been screwy. But I used kydex plastic used a heat gun to shape it and high strength double sided tape to stick it to kayak. It will hang out the bed a little bit. I use a bed extender for more support. I drive a ford maverick now super small bed so bed extender is a must have. I use the cheap one from harbor freight
Looking at pulling the trigger on this. Does the seat adjust close to the pedals? I’m a shorter guy at 5’ 6 and want to be comfortable, not stretched out or not being able to reach the pedals. Unfortunate my local stores don’t sell the 103, so I can’t try it out. Thanks, love the review.
I just got this kayak and my peddle drive feels clunky, is there anything I need to do to make sure it’s functioning properly, it feels like I’m using one leg more to peddle if that makes sense
Try using the chain tensioner to get rid of any slack. Chain could be trying to slip off why it feels harder on one part of a full rotation. Let me know if this helps
@@XtraordinaryFishing I’m going to make a video on it and show you kinda what I’m dealing with I’m going to do a few things differently and see if that helps thanks for replying
@@XtraordinaryFishing hey buddy I adjusted my pedal position and greased everything, works like a dream now also adjusted the tensioner I appreciate the help!
First and foremost, amazing content and effort! Knowing what you know now, would you recommend this kayak to ppl? This kayak is definitely my ideal kayak prior to learning about all the cons. I've read a lot of issues here and there on Reddit etc. I love the stability, the aesthetic is amazing, love the open surface vs a lot of compartments/storages like other yaks have, I like how sheltered you are from water compared to some other yaks, hitting water head on and not experiencing an overflow of water, it looks really cozy! And how deep the kayak is just makes me feel more secured. Before learning about this yak, my ideal yak was the titan slayer 10.5 because of the shape, back lot storage, but after seeing the big fish 108/103 I fell in love with everything. Now I'm wondering if the cons outweigh what I originally saw in this kayak. If you got time, what are your thoughts?
Thank you! Well it's tough to say because I've been pretty lucky and not had many issues so I would recommend for anyone but I've heard a lot of horror stories with hull cracks and other issues. If you do get one I highly recommend you get it new that way it'll covered by warranty and they have great customer issues so if you run into any problems they'll make it right. But its only for the original owners so better to get new. I absolutely love mine. Use it 1-3x a week no problems and I put through some stress. The stability is unmatched for the length. 10.5ft is perfect length where it's not sticking out the of the truck to far. It push poles very well and the drive can run pretty shallow. My number one recommendation is the landing gear because of how low the rudder is on the kayak.
@@XtraordinaryFishing not going to lie brother. I found one near my place and almost bought it. Waiting on this perfect review u wrote but it came too late lol. The good thing is I feared not having warranty and that deterred me away and what do you know, my gut feeling was right. As you recommended to not buy used on this yak as well. So you are right on and spot on. I appreciate you getting back to me.
I had one for a year and it was my very first pedal driven kayak it was definitely a great kayak but I had quite a few problems I did not like about it myself I'm I'm 5.6 height and I had to scoot my seat pretty close forward and very little standing room when your seat is that close to the pedals I was definitely not a fan of the 8-ball handle with the seat scooted up so close you couldn't turn it completely to the right all the way without hitting the frame of the seat and it just was in the way if you needed to paddle the old-fashioned way and I had problems with the pedal drive leaking oil and it ended up getting a crack down the middle of the plastic and the tank will was pretty small for all the stuff that I take could pretty much only take the feel free bag and that was it but other than that it was a pretty good kayak but I upgraded to the Old Town autopilot 120 and I could never go back to the 103 now
This is why I do research before I buy a product like this. Thank you! I almost bought one a 108 during a holiday sale. I'll keep looking at the Jackson, feel free, and native.
Thanks for the very informative review. Shopping for by first peddle boat and am looking strongly at this one.
Great review! Got a Groovy idea for you...I put the Groovy on my Jackson Kilroy and it's an easy reach-behind for an Anchor Wizard. The anchor drops right off the other side and it's tied in to my anchor trolley (short cord with a ring).
Thanks so much for this video. I am considering either this or the Seastream angler 120 and you addressed all my exact questions on this kayak. Liked and subbed.
Thanks! Hope it helps others as well
Thanks for the video I just bought a used 108 and look forward to fishing out of it
Thanks! Hope you enjoy the 108 been loving the 103
This is an absolutely fantastic video and I love this type of boat, but I just have one question where did the dog go?
How did you mount your boondock landing gear? Could you have used the rear accessory tracks instead? Nice thorough review thanks!
Good Stuff !! My son and I have been checking out peddle kayaks for a while. We currently use top seat fishing style. This video is super informative and has made this brand "The One" for us, however maybe the 108. Thank you for taking the time with this.
Thank you! I use it 1-3x a week fresh and salt water for over a year and still going strong. You'll love the 108
Will all boonedox standard fit?
Nice job Brah!
I roof rack mount my Big Fish 120 easy as pie. A made a roller bracket to fit my bike rack off the Tow bar and simply push it up onto the roof racks. And I made it fit my small boat trailer. Best of both Worlds.
Thank you for this video. I found it very helpful! I'm looking to get this kayak this spring. I'm wondering two things. The landing gear you bought, did you get the track kit one or the standard kit? Not sure which one is the right fit. Also, do you still have that side loader you mentioned in the video?
Looks a fantastic design! But that molded eye part for the rudder is a weak point, if you hit something hard ( like a have pushing you backwards against a rock) might have a big Crack on the hull. That screw that locks the pedal drive is not good too, I would replace for a sacrificial plastic part, or some sort of wedge that pops out when you hit a rock with the pedal drive. I would love to see how it handle some surf and some windy conditions, I loved that hull design. Thanks for that review.
Dead on! The weak point was the rudder setup small piece of plastic sticking of the back. Just in some mud it managed to Crack the plastic below the rudder. I still love that trimaran style hull but they need some upgrades for the 103. You touched on the most important one.
Now I have switched to kaku zulu with a wireless transom trolling motor
do you have a video on how you installed the landing gear.
👏👏 very good review 👍👍 up. Thank you. Now I'm buying 1.🙏🙏
Nice review. Just got one. After 1 outing. It's seems the drive isn't securing well with the tension nut. And the left part of the cross bar seems lose as well. N I got a water leak somewhere.
Make sure the side nut is tight. Across from the blue lever to stop it from wiggling. Not to tight or you won't be able to close blue lever. Mine had a leak too put some water in to the hull to find out where it's leaking. If it is new dealer should fix for free
Great video. Just got one also. I would also like more info on how you mounted the landing gear.
So would I! Wondering why you didn’t use the rear rails but instead used the rod holders?
@@velcrots The rear rails will not hold the weight. I ended up making aluminum plates wit backing plates utilizing the rear rod holders.
Great video. I'd like to see more in depth info on that rudder mod.
Awesome video I want one…. You can use that transducer inside your hull and it will shoot through the hull. That’s how I’ve got my Jackson coosa set up.
It’s like one of the first coosas that came out😅 (old)
Again thanks for the review
Thank you! I would have setup this way but there is access to the hull. I have a paddle kayak shooting through the hull
Any way to expand on the mounting of the Boonedox Landing Gear? It''s here. LOL.
My wife got that same kayak and from the get go had nothing but problems with it, the tank well held water would not drain and the kayak it self took on water also couldn’t find any holes on the bottom but were the drive went through the plastic is very thin we called the distributor told them our complaints showed them some pictures and they asked if we would want a different kayak we did we went with the old town very happy and they didn’t want to kayak back I still have the kayak don’t know what to do with it
Hate to hear that. Seems to be a common issue as well. I did have a pin hole that was easily fixed but Unfortunately that's what can happen with new hull designs and not enough testing to get through the kinks. Since you still have it I would fill hull with some water and try to find where water was coming in from. Plastic weld it and just have a kayak for when the buddies tag along
How do I get INTOUCH with the manufacture. Same water problem.
Could you fit a trolling motor through the cut out for the drive
You could..... but when I attempted it I barley touched the sidewall and the prop poked through. This is how I eneded up finding my kayak had thin spots and porous parts on the plastic. This was the og model and I believe they've made it better since. But don't hold me to that
Where in Houston did you buy your big fish105 at. I live in Houston Tx
Can you take out the seat and pedal drive for transporting and making it lighter to lift it up?
Yes you can. the seat is super light, But the drive is quite hefty.
Awesome video!! Would love a video on how you mounted the landing gear been thinking of installing one on my 103
Best upgrade you can make! Would be hard to make a good video because I'm too scared to undo them haha. But I can give a decent explanation. You just remove the rod holders only a couple of screws. Then the landing gear comes with 2 metal plates that have 2 threaded holes and a plastic board. Cut 2 pieces from board mines 3.5in x 6in. Slide the metal metal plate under your rod holder and mark where the holes are. Run a drill bit through the the kayak. Then place your plastic boards on top and mark where the holes are as well. You run your bolt through the mount for the wheels then through top of the plastic board through holes in the yak and into the threaded metal plates. It sandwiches your kayak between the 2 pieces. Hope this might try to make a video but it'll just be an explanation with visuals I thread locked them and don't want to undo it
@@XtraordinaryFishingThanks for the details!! I’ll be ordering one soon
What kind of lube did you use on pedal drive. I think it’s time to lube mine looking for suggestions
There are 2 grease ports on the drive one up top and one on the bottom. They are the only 2 smaller Allen head cap screws. Most people put white grease in theirs. I actually used transmission gear box oil in mine
@@XtraordinaryFishingby
How have you attached your paddle? I can’t figure out what kind of rail this thing uses
Buy the feelfree track adaper for track. And I'm using railblaza paddle holder
Quick question about the eight ball steering. does the handle ever get in your way? In the video, it looked like it was super close to your leg. I have read one review that complained about this. Thanks
What I did to avoid that was put the 8 ball as far to the left as possible. I did this By adjusting the socket screw on the front of the 8ball handle. I turned the rudder all the way left. then loosened 8ball handle and moved as far as it would comfortably go to the left. So now the handle faces almost straight up to turn right
That offer for that rhino rack side loader still good? I ordered this kayak and plan to transport it on the roof of my 4Runner.
Sorry man I ended up giving it to my buddy who ironically drives a 4runner too
Thanks for the awesome review. I'm thinking on buying the 103. What was the name of that protective covering you placed on the hull in the front of the kayak? How long is your truck bed? I have a Ram 1500 with a 5' 7" bed, so it will be hanging out a bit. Thanks!!
Sorry to get back so late my notifications been screwy. But I used kydex plastic used a heat gun to shape it and high strength double sided tape to stick it to kayak. It will hang out the bed a little bit. I use a bed extender for more support. I drive a ford maverick now super small bed so bed extender is a must have. I use the cheap one from harbor freight
Looking at pulling the trigger on this. Does the seat adjust close to the pedals? I’m a shorter guy at 5’ 6 and want to be comfortable, not stretched out or not being able to reach the pedals. Unfortunate my local stores don’t sell the 103, so I can’t try it out. Thanks, love the review.
Yes it can slide forward and has a strap to keep the seat in place. You could definitely reach the pedals nicely
@@XtraordinaryFishing thanks
I just got this kayak and my peddle drive feels clunky, is there anything I need to do to make sure it’s functioning properly, it feels like I’m using one leg more to peddle if that makes sense
Try using the chain tensioner to get rid of any slack. Chain could be trying to slip off why it feels harder on one part of a full rotation. Let me know if this helps
@@XtraordinaryFishing I’m going to make a video on it and show you kinda what I’m dealing with I’m going to do a few things differently and see if that helps thanks for replying
@@XtraordinaryFishing hey buddy I adjusted my pedal position and greased everything, works like a dream now also adjusted the tensioner I appreciate the help!
@@chriscutlip4794 no problem! Glad you got everything working smoothly!
Can you add a motor to this 105.
no thrugh hull hatch?
No access to the hull. Another con in my opinion. You can add a hatch but I would prefer it come with one
First and foremost, amazing content and effort!
Knowing what you know now, would you recommend this kayak to ppl?
This kayak is definitely my ideal kayak prior to learning about all the cons. I've read a lot of issues here and there on Reddit etc.
I love the stability, the aesthetic is amazing, love the open surface vs a lot of compartments/storages like other yaks have, I like how sheltered you are from water compared to some other yaks, hitting water head on and not experiencing an overflow of water, it looks really cozy! And how deep the kayak is just makes me feel more secured.
Before learning about this yak, my ideal yak was the titan slayer 10.5 because of the shape, back lot storage, but after seeing the big fish 108/103 I fell in love with everything. Now I'm wondering if the cons outweigh what I originally saw in this kayak. If you got time, what are your thoughts?
Thank you! Well it's tough to say because I've been pretty lucky and not had many issues so I would recommend for anyone but I've heard a lot of horror stories with hull cracks and other issues. If you do get one I highly recommend you get it new that way it'll covered by warranty and they have great customer issues so if you run into any problems they'll make it right. But its only for the original owners so better to get new. I absolutely love mine. Use it 1-3x a week no problems and I put through some stress. The stability is unmatched for the length. 10.5ft is perfect length where it's not sticking out the of the truck to far. It push poles very well and the drive can run pretty shallow. My number one recommendation is the landing gear because of how low the rudder is on the kayak.
@@XtraordinaryFishing not going to lie brother. I found one near my place and almost bought it. Waiting on this perfect review u wrote but it came too late lol. The good thing is I feared not having warranty and that deterred me away and what do you know, my gut feeling was right. As you recommended to not buy used on this yak as well. So you are right on and spot on. I appreciate you getting back to me.
Link for the landing gear?
www.boonedoxusa.com
Track kit or standard kit?
My dad bought two of the 108s and one had a hole in the hull.
I had one for a year and it was my very first pedal driven kayak it was definitely a great kayak but I had quite a few problems I did not like about it myself I'm I'm 5.6 height and I had to scoot my seat pretty close forward and very little standing room when your seat is that close to the pedals I was definitely not a fan of the 8-ball handle with the seat scooted up so close you couldn't turn it completely to the right all the way without hitting the frame of the seat and it just was in the way if you needed to paddle the old-fashioned way and I had problems with the pedal drive leaking oil and it ended up getting a crack down the middle of the plastic and the tank will was pretty small for all the stuff that I take could pretty much only take the feel free bag and that was it but other than that it was a pretty good kayak but I upgraded to the Old Town autopilot 120 and I could never go back to the 103 now
This is why I do research before I buy a product like this. Thank you! I almost bought one a 108 during a holiday sale. I'll keep looking at the Jackson, feel free, and native.
@@kevinpitts35483 waters is a sub brand of feel free and I wager a lot of issues would translate to feel free branded kayaks
i want one now
This man is trying to kill Britney Spears and Donald trump
Thanks for the review, I'll pass!