Let's get straight to the point... If you are needing a short yet super stable fishing kayak then you need to read on and find out more about the Feelfree Moken 10 V2!
A Short Fishing Kayak For Larger Paddlers
We sell a lot of different types of fishing kayaks to a lot of different people. We are all different and whilst one model may suit one person, it may not be so great for someone else. The Feelfree Moken 10 is particularly good for those who are on the larger side of average in terms of size and body weight, and also require a smaller kayak for handling, transport or storage reasons. At just 10ft 4in / 3.15m long with a weight of 68lbs / 31kg, the Moken 10 is not to bad to manage off the water.
The Moken 10 has a particularly high capacity rating for a 10ft kayak. It is quite a chunky beast with plenty of volume, and this volume is what allows the Moken 10 to comfortably carry a larger paddler with all their fishing gear. Boasting a whopping 200kg maximum capacity, you will struggle to find any other 10ft fishing kayak that can offer this level of weight carrying ability! BUT... we always recommend the paddler being 3/4 or less of the maximum capacity of the craft to ensure a comfortable ride without pushing the limits of what the kayak can handle. This would give a max paddler weight of around 150kg / 23 stone for the Moken 10! This is quite remarkable for a kayak that is just 10ft long.
Combine this carrying capacity with the 89.5cm / 35in wide cathedral style hull (well known for their unrivalled stability) and you have a fishing kayak that feels very, very stable on the water, even with a fair sized paddler on-board. In fact you will be amazed how stable this kayak is for it's size! If you are a novice looking for their first fishing kayak, and worry about stability... worry no-more with a Moken 10.
So what have we learnt...
Moken 10 = High Capacity + Very Stable + Very Comfortable
High Capacity + Very Stable + Very Comfortable = Great for Larger Paddlers
We can summarise here. The Moken 10 is great for larger paddlers!
In contrast this kayak is not so great for some paddlers. Small lightweight paddlers will find this kayak cumbersome and harder to paddle than alternative models with less volume, for example the Feelfree Moken 10 Lite. The Moken 10 Lite is a better option if you weigh less than 90kg / 14 stone.
From Moken 10 V1 to Moken 10 V2
For many years we have sold the Moken 10 and this has been favoured by the larger customer wanting to get out and fish sheltered bays, estuaries and lakes. Here is our MD Duffer fishing from his Moken 10 many years ago in Ireland. Duffer is not carrying much weight and would not be classed as a larger paddler, but prefers the Moken 10 for the solid stability it provides. Comfort is key. He even caught a fish! One day he may make the Cornwall Canoes Kayak Fishing Team!
In 2020 the Moken 10 was given a fresh set of features and the Moken 10 V2 was born. It's the same super stable hull design but with a comfort upgrade in the form of a framed mesh seat with dual height settings. A vast improvement over standard clip-in seats for those who want maximum comfort. No more seat slip as you paddle, this seat is not moving anywhere! The wide frame offers excellent back support to the larger paddler too. Smaller paddlers may feel a little lost in the seat though.
Other features include adjustable footrests, an open storage well at the bow (great for your catch!), a flip-up console for tackle storage and Uni-Track accessory rails for easy addition of accessories such as rod holders, camera mounts and more. The Moken 10 V2 is also rudder-ready, making it easy to install the Feelfree Beavertail Rudder Kit for enhanced handling and performance. Solid carry handles remain a firm feature on the V2, allowing for easy handling of the kayak off the water and when loading onto your vehicle. The Wheel-in-the-Keel offers ease of moving the kayak around on firm surfaces, but get a proper trolley if you are going to be launching over sand. Two flush mount rod holders and paddle holders finish off the set up making this a compact yet well kitted out kayak for fishing.
Now... if only we know of a larger paddle who could give the Moken 10 a test for us...
Testing out the Feelfree Moken 10 V2 Fishing Kayak
Andrew from Cornwall Canoes has been keen to try out the Moken 10 V2 ever since Feelfree first announced it's release. Being of a larger build himself, Andrew has long been an avid lover of the original Moken 10. Some would even tell you that it's his favourite fishing kayak, although his Viking Profish Reload takes the top spot for coastal trips. Like an excited puppy dog (and a big puppy at that!), the time had finally come to hit the water on the V2 to put it through it's paces. I would be supervising him on the water to make sure he didn't catch all of the fish on his new craft.
It was a fine but cold January day in Cornwall. The open coast has been a bit wild with swell and relentless winds. We were presented with a small weather window, but the sea was not calm enough for us to get out onto open waters. The Carrick Roads (River Fal) offers a great place to get out when it's a bit too rough along the coast. Deep water runs through the middle of the Fal estuary and you don't have to paddle too far to get into 90ft of water. Shorter distance trips and calm waters are the perfect environment for the Moken 10. Let me elaborate...
Speed vs Stability
Long, thin kayaks cut through the water easily and are fast, but at the expense of stability and often deck space. Short, wide kayaks are harder to push through the water and are slower, yet offer lots of stability and deck space. The Moken 10 V2 is short and wide so don't expect it to win any races or be any good at battling raging winds and tides. This is a fishing kayak for calm sheltered waters where you may only be paddling a mile or so here and there. Perhaps a spot of fishing at the local lake. An evenings trolling for Bass along a calm stretch of coast. Or a Mackerel bash in depths of winter in the Carrick Roads!
Fishing from the Feelfree Moken 10 V2
Mackerel are the base of the food chain for many predatory fish. A fish often associated with summer evenings fishing from a harbour wall, or a boat trip at the seaside in the summer holidays. In more recent years we seem to catch more in the middle of winter than the summer! So a session was planned to test out some kayaks, including the Moken 10 V2 and catch some Mackerel for the bait freezer too.
We headed out of the creek and into the Carrick Roads with rods stowed in the flush mount rod holders behind the seat. A small amount of fishing tackle stored away nicely in the flip-up console in front of the seat. The Carrick Roads is a deceptive place to paddle and whilst it looks like a fairly enclosed and sheltered piece of water, the river is actually over a mile wide in the main of the estuary.
From the creek where we launched we headed around 3/4 of a mile into the river into the deepwater channel. Sure it was not a quick paddle, but a steady cruise out with the kayak showing no signs of being bogged down or tippy with over 130kg / 20st on board. It was quite amazing how buoyant the kayak looked on the water.
It didn't take long to find the fish. The shoals were thick and we were soon stringing up Mackerel on Sabiki rigs and metal lures. Some great fun was had on light gear and the kayaks were soon covered in a fine layer of Mackerel scales!
A slight breeze picked up and put a slight chop on the water surface, but it did not bother the Moken 10, which remained stable. We paddled around for a bit and caught some more fish. A few hours passed by and we had drifted up river with the tide and now more than a mile from the launch spot. We were still catching plenty and Andrew was having a whale-of-a-time on the Moken 10 V2!
Andrew tested out the seat in both of it's height settings. It was quickly decided that low is best and high does make the kayak feel a little tippier but still fairly stable. Perhaps ok on flat water on a lake but for coastal waters low is the way to go! There were no grumbles of discomfort or a numb bum. The mesh seat is just like sitting in a comfortable deck chair with the added bonus of raising you slightly off the deck of the kayak so you don't sit in any water.
We had caught enough and it was time to head back in. Again a gentle cruise rather than a sprint. But that is what the Moken 10 V2 is all about. Steady and comfortable cruising on calm waters. We arrived back and sorted our catch. It had been a good day on the water.
The paddle is a 240cm Feelfree Camo Angler Paddle with a 2-piece fibreglass shaft. This worked perfectly on the wide hull. Any shorter and you would lose some efficiency.
Summary
We both agreed that for the larger paddler wanting a compact and stable platform for fishing, then the Moken 10 V2 is a really great option. Good comfort and great stability as expected. Sure, it's not the fastest of craft, and very much a steady cruiser. For calm weather fishing on sheltered waters this is more than enough for pottering around and catching some fish.
If you are wanting a high capacity fishing kayak for regular fishing on open waters, where you may find more wind and tide to contend with, take a look at the Feelfree Moken 12.5 V2. This longer and slightly faster brother of the Moken 10 is a better option for the open coast.
The latest feature set is a nice upgrade too. Accessory tracks for easy mounting of extra rod holders, fish finder mounts and camera mounts are a must-have for modern fishing kayaks and the boxes are ticked here with the Moken 10 V2.
It would have been nice to see the removable sonar pod found on the Moken 12.5 V2 and Lure series integrated here, but we can't have everything! We hadn't gone to the extent of adding any accessories, but with the addition of a fish fish finder and perhaps an anchoring system you would have a very capable fishing set up for sheltered waters and inland waterways.
Reviewed By:
Liam and Andrew at Cornwall Canoes
For The Canoe Shops Group Ltd.
January 2023