# Tarpon 140 or Manta Ray14



## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Well now....I find myself in quite the quandary. My 09 Redfish has cracked at the scupper. Just like my 08 did. Fortunately I was not 2 miles off shore this time. Native is discontinuing the Redfish 14 (Wonder why ) and I have the option to upgrade via dealer credit to the Tarpon or Manta Ray. Hit me with some opinions please. Dont give me the take it for a test drive and decide for yourself bit. I plan to. I can get on a manta ray pretty easy but don't know anyone around with a tarpon. I'm looking for a pro's and cons debate here. I encourage opinions and "mines better for" such and such reason type answers. Try not to argue though. I'll pick and choose the opinions I trust for my decision process. I'll be rigging this for fishing myself, so base boat for base boat is the battle. So Shoot away!


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## ShoreFisher72 (Jul 13, 2005)

I can't speak for the manta ray but I have a tarpon 140 and love it . I'm 5-7 and 230lbs and have no issues with stability , speed or tracking.


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## Mobcrack (Jan 15, 2010)

i have a manta 14 and a Ride 135

I love the manta but it also developed hairlines In two scuppers. I fixed them and still love the boat but It does have some very thin plastic in places. the foot wells, especially.

I also love my Ride but it is kinda slow, If I want to paddle a long distance I take the manta


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

ShoreFisher72 said:


> I can't speak for the manta ray but I have a tarpon 140 and love it . I'm 5-7 and 230lbs and have no issues with stability , speed or tracking.


Is your tarpon newer then 09? I have heard varying concerns about hull leakage. Not owning one, I cant speak first hand. The other concern I have heard is the new hull post 09 is not as preferred as the pre-09 ones. Again just plagiarizing opinions not first hand. I have been leaning Manta all the way but was looking to see if there was an overwhelming reason to go Tarpon.


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## ShoreFisher72 (Jul 13, 2005)

yup 2010 model tarpon, I bought it used earlier this summer . haven't really noticed any kind of leaking just the typical water u get from paddling. previous owner did alot of "pilling bumping" with it and she still going strong.before I bought this yak I was looking for a "big boy " yak but looking back I'm glad I didn't. my buddy bought the ride 135 and I can easily out paddle him on my tarpon.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

gilly21 said:


> Well now....I find myself in quite the quandary. My 09 Redfish has cracked at the scupper. Just like my 08 did. Fortunately I was not 2 miles off shore this time. Native is discontinuing the Redfish 14 (Wonder why ) and I have the option to upgrade via dealer credit to the Tarpon or Manta Ray. Hit me with some opinions please. Dont give me the take it for a test drive and decide for yourself bit. I plan to. I can get on a manta ray pretty easy but don't know anyone around with a tarpon. I'm looking for a pro's and cons debate here. I encourage opinions and "mines better for" such and such reason type answers. Try not to argue though. I'll pick and choose the opinions I trust for my decision process. I'll be rigging this for fishing myself, so base boat for base boat is the battle. So Shoot away!


I called ya back right after I received the msg.. No answer.. So ... My question would be why 140???? 
It is LESS stable then the 120, its a few inches narrower, and has the same weight cap. .. No experience with the Manta, but 11 years experience with Wilderness Systems, and IMHO the 120 is the Stuff.. Matter of Fact got a New one in 2010 and I stuck with the 120.. Only Leaks I got were around the hatch, I fixed that with Door Molding weatherstripping..... Hope this helps.. 

JAM


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

JAM said:


> I called ya back right after I received the msg.. No answer.. So ... My question would be why 140????
> It is LESS stable then the 120, its a few inches narrower, and has the same weight cap. .. No experience with the Manta, but 11 years experience with Wilderness Systems, and IMHO the 120 is the Stuff.. Matter of Fact got a New one in 2010 and I stuck with the 120.. Only Leaks I got were around the hatch, I fixed that with Door Molding weatherstripping..... Hope this helps..
> 
> JAM


Appreciate the response. I was dealing with my 5 yr old PIA when you called back and being that I am not in a great hurry I was waiting for a bit of uninterrupted time to try again. I am not against the 12' idea. Thats for sure. In the MR I have heard that 14' is definitely quicker and more stable. I just dont know anyone but you who has the time on the water with a tarpon. Hence the call.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

My stepdads getting an old town predator 13.5, you might wanna check it out. Plus 12' makes a better bait running yak IMO


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

*Tandem unit*



JAM said:


> I called ya back right after I received the msg.. No answer.. So ... My question would be why 140????
> It is LESS stable then the 120, its a few inches narrower, and has the same weight cap. .. No experience with the Manta, but 11 years experience with Wilderness Systems, and IMHO the 120 is the Stuff.. Matter of Fact got a New one in 2010 and I stuck with the 120.. Only Leaks I got were around the hatch, I fixed that with Door Molding weatherstripping..... Hope this helps..
> 
> JAM


Jam,
No disrespect to fellows in this thread but I consider you the yak guru. I am looking for a tandem to paddle around the creeks of Bath. I am a fat old man and am looking for stability and comfort. I have tried a few rentals on Hatteras but never one that I would care to own. The creeks sport everything from trout to tarpon so I am not targeting specific species at this point, just utility. I will deploy from our dock and likely stay within a few miles of port. I want a sit on that will handle my bride and me. It would be great if I could stand when fly fishing. 
Thanks,
Al

I'll see you at Hatteras as my season is starting -- now to New Years!


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## wes (Jan 3, 2004)

I love the redfish 12...BUT the hull cracking is well documented..I believe the manta hulls share this problem , a real shame because it is a great hull...I've had my redfish replaced twice..no charge..once by heritage,once by native,via hudson trail outfitters. Given your situation...I'd have to lean wilderness systems...like JAM said ... 12 not 14...ymmv.


Mobcrack said:


> i have a manta 14 and a Ride 135
> 
> I love the manta but it also developed hairlines In two scuppers. I fixed them and still love the boat but It does have some very thin plastic in places. the foot wells, especially.
> 
> I also love my Ride but it is kinda slow, If I want to paddle a long distance I take the manta


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## tackle42 (Mar 23, 2010)

Gilly,
Had the Manta Ray 14 and sold it to get a Cuda 14. Loved the seat on the Manta Ray and could sit in it all day, thought it was great platform to fish from easy to rig. I could not get mine to track straight and was a pain in the a** on windy days. I bought my wife a Tarpon 120 when i bought the Manta 14 and after 2 years of never paddling the tarpon I took it out. I realized i had been paddling an inferior product IMHO. That afternoon I put he Manta 14 on Craigslist. I compared the 135 Ride and the Cuda 14 liked them both, the Ride is definitely more stable to stand in but just doesn't have the bells and whistles that the Cuda does. If you want to paddle the Tarpon 120 let me know I'll meet you over at Blythe landing or Latta Plantation let you paddle it and maybe rip some lips.
Hap


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

tackle42 said:


> Gilly,
> Had the Manta Ray 14 and sold it to get a Cuda 14. Loved the seat on the Manta Ray and could sit in it all day, thought it was great platform to fish from easy to rig. I could not get mine to track straight and was a pain in the a** on windy days. I bought my wife a Tarpon 120 when i bought the Manta 14 and after 2 years of never paddling the tarpon I took it out. I realized i had been paddling an inferior product IMHO. That afternoon I put he Manta 14 on Craigslist. I compared the 135 Ride and the Cuda 14 liked them both, the Ride is definitely more stable to stand in but just doesn't have the bells and whistles that the Cuda does. If you want to paddle the Tarpon 120 let me know I'll meet you over at Blythe landing or Latta Plantation let you paddle it and maybe rip some lips.
> Hap


Didnt know you were on this board. I might take you up on that offer.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

biggestsquid said:


> Jam,
> No disrespect to fellows in this thread but I consider you the yak guru. I am looking for a tandem to paddle around the creeks of Bath. I am a fat old man and am looking for stability and comfort. I have tried a few rentals on Hatteras but never one that I would care to own. The creeks sport everything from trout to tarpon so I am not targeting specific species at this point, just utility. I will deploy from our dock and likely stay within a few miles of port. I want a sit on that will handle my bride and me. It would be great if I could stand when fly fishing.
> Thanks,
> Al
> ...


Thats gonna be a tough one Al. The Only Tandem I have experience with is an Old Malibu 2 and a Tarpon 130.. I might suggest 2 Kayaks, One for you and one for the wife.. Tandems do well with 2 people but are bow hi with one.. Depends how much she is gonna go out with ya.. 
JAM


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## Yakkin (Jul 5, 2013)

biggestsquid said:


> Jam,
> No disrespect to fellows in this thread but I consider you the yak guru. I am looking for a tandem to paddle around the creeks of Bath. I am a fat old man and am looking for stability and comfort. I have tried a few rentals on Hatteras but never one that I would care to own. The creeks sport everything from trout to tarpon so I am not targeting specific species at this point, just utility. I will deploy from our dock and likely stay within a few miles of port. I want a sit on that will handle my bride and me. It would be great if I could stand when fly fishing.


He is for certain, especially when it comes to the WS products.

If you are looking for a fishing tandem I'd suggest the Jackson Kayak Big Tuna. Can be a tandem or single, very comfortable seats, the front seat can be turned around to face you if you two want to talk to each other. Big center hatch that can be used for many things, including a live well for bait or your catch.

Jackson has video on their website if you are interested.


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## fish militia (Nov 1, 2004)

*Tarpon 140*

Gilly,

I've got a fair amount of experience in the 115,135 120 and even a little in the 140.

While the 140 is 2 inches narrower than the 120 it is just as stable as the 120 due to the extra 2ft in length--yet the 140 is considerably faster then the 120 or any Ride.

The 140 is an excellent long distance boat or boat for ease of paddle. There are two gentlemen I see frequently, who are easily in their 60's, who make light work of paddling that boat and hit some serious long distances chasing flounder.

The 140 is going to be a bit of a bear for any regular or semi hardcore surf launches. The long, narrow design is going to want to kick punching out or coming in through swell, along with the nose wanting to dig in...no different then the 120, but a lot worse then the 120.

The Ride actually excels now in that category due to the fact you can slide the seat back and raise the bow out of the water to adjust for this.

WS pro, Jay Brooks recently took a 140 from one side of the Chesapeake Bay to the other and loved the boat. He didn't use a rudder, but cited why, but also thought it wouldn't be a bad idea for certain types of uses.

WS pro, Jason Stock uses all 140's and 160's for his guide business in south Fl and he swears by the rudder--and that boy runs an insane amount of guides.


The last time I was in a 140 was a few years ago and I weighed around 220lbs. After a lot of time in the gym and a whole lot of protein I am now teetering between 240 and 250lbs based on how much I am paddling.

At 240lbs I noticed the other day in my Tarpon 120 I was holding water under my seat and in the front scuppers. I remember the 140 was relatively the same a few years ago, but lbs make huge differences .

Take your size into consideration, along with how you plan to use it/where you plan to use it.

The Tarpon 140 can be an excellent boat--to the point where I am adding a lime green one back to my arsenal for some long distance stuff I like to do.

My 2 cents.


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## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

Unless he has done it twice Jay Brooks used a Tarpon 160 to cross the bay.


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## fish militia (Nov 1, 2004)

Rooster, 

My goof on that one for sure. Been a while since I read his report on that trip. 

Gilly,

I was out in Diamond Shoals ( Cape Point) yesterday and the guy with me had a Tarpon 140 and we were in the thick of the shoals where the waves were mixing from a couple different directions and his 140 did just fine in the stability category. ANd few places can test stability like these shoals


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## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

Fish Militia I have a question about your last post. Is a stable boat on flat water still a stable boat in the rough water? I've heard some opinions that the worst rough water kayak there is the Hobie Pro angler. But on flat water its probably the most stable kayak money can buy. That and the nucanoe frontier. They are massively wide kayaks but in the surf and open water wide is not always better is it? I have a Trident 13 which is an Awsome open water yak at 29.5 inches wide. Lots of sea kayaks are quite narrow right? And I believe you the Tarpon 140 did great on the shoals but seriously when it comes to standing and just general primary stability on flat water the Tarpon isn't that great. Thats not a always a bad thing. Because generally the more stable a yak is on flat water the slower it is.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

fish militia said:


> Rooster,
> 
> My goof on that one for sure. Been a while since I read his report on that trip.
> 
> ...


Good to know. If the beaches ever open back up to a reasonable level, I plan to hit the shoals again. It's been 3 years since I stood on the point. I just cant justify the expense anymore and when I have the time I can go elseware and not be as restricted or have the additional tax. Definitely miss fishing with the group of guys I got to know out there.


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

Yakkin said:


> He is for certain, especially when it comes to the WS products.
> 
> If you are looking for a fishing tandem I'd suggest the Jackson Kayak Big Tuna. Can be a tandem or single, very comfortable seats, the front seat can be turned around to face you if you two want to talk to each other. Big center hatch that can be used for many things, including a live well for bait or your catch.
> 
> Jackson has video on their website if you are interested.


Yakkin,

Thanks for the advice. We actually looked at the Big Tuna yesterday and were very impressed by the quality and features. Now the next quandary. While we were at the outfitters the paddle/pedal discussion came into play. Although I have read many opinions on the Hobies with pedals vs others with paddles I had never really considered everything the salesman had to say. I understand the advantage of being free to use your arms while fishing but I was not aware of a considerable speed advantage. Not that speed is a big concern of ours --- but it never hurts to get where you want to go a bit quicker. 
Although I was at one time a biker it has been some time. I have ridden a few centuries on my conventional road bike but never found recumbents to be comfortable. It looks like peddling a yak would be similar to peddling a recumbent? We went directly from the store to the local yak rental --- but naturally they had no pedal units. The store was great and said that despite the fact they have no trial pond/stream/etc that their policy is to take a new unit back if the customer is not satisfied. 

I understand that the pedal unit options are limited and really liked the looks of that Big Tuna --- now to find the test drives!


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

Al if you plan on using it in the Pamlico Sound Forget about the pedal yaks, to shallow back there for the Drive unit, plus add the eel grass into the mix.. Not a good choice for the OBX.. If I lived on the Gulf of Mexico or the Ches. Bay that would be all I would have but its not a shallow water yak and handles the Surf Like CRAP.. JAM


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

I use a camo tarpon 140 to get to some of my duck hunting spots. Plenty of room for decoys gun bag ect. It is big and stable and paddles very well...I have had it in the ocean several times and it does great....It is also very easy to get back into if you fall out or decide to go for a swim....Something you need to be able to do... believe me it is not that easy to get back in a lot of kayaks in water that is over your head...A swimming pool is a very good place to pratice...I am a big guy and it is much easier for me to climb back in from the back end. just like a surf board..push the yak under and slide on...the big tarpon is actually very easy to do that with...A big guy will just roll a kayak over trying to get in from the side in deep rough water....Something to consider...I would not have a kayak that I didn't feel comfortable getting back in to if I fell out...Another thing to consider before you hang gagets all over it.....mine has nothing behind me and I can get back in it in seconds if I had to. My kids also have Tarpons and we have used them from Va to the florida keys. Big safe boats..No opinion on anything else but I would buy another Tarpon in a second.


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

Gotcha --- thanks JAM!


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## Youngbuck757. (Jan 10, 2013)

I would go with the tarpon 140 . From what i hear its alot Faster than the manta. But what do I know I have a mariner 12.5


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## fish militia (Nov 1, 2004)

Rooster,

I just caught your question after this got bumped back up.

For me--the Ride is just as stable in the ocean as in the sound. It takes a good while to master standing in it in open water..but standard paddling there is no difference.

While my entire fleet is the newer and even more stable Ride designs-- My older Ride had seen sound, ocean and offshore in some pretty crappy conditions and it was always stable.

The surf launch use to be a lil more sporty on a rougher day in the old Ride, but now that the seat slides back and helps to raise the bow-- the boat responds a lot better in the take off and landing.

As far as a peddle drive in the sound.

I had at least a dozen people out this year with a variety of peddle drives and they had no issue. Every once and a while they might have to break out their paddle, but overall they spent most of the time blowing me off the water.

Depth will depend on the model and length of the blades on your drive.

The NC rep for Hobie, Mike, I see fishing a few times a year and he fishes everything from a Revo to a Pro Angler in some mighty shallow water with no issue.

I like my traditional paddling, but I recognize that there is no way on this planet I can paddle as fast as an efficient peddler and especially in high winds. 

And they too are stable.. If you look at Dave Lusk's video of him and his brother, Matt catching drum you will see Matt standing and battling out a citation drum from his Hobie in the ocean.

I use to think the mirage drives wouldn't make it in our sound water, but I was very wrong and see more and more everyday in the backwaters.


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