Fishing Kayak Review: Ascend 12T

Kayak fishing is supposed to be easy. Considering the latest generation of pedal and motorized kayaks, it’s easy to forget many anglers are looking for a low-cost and low-maintenance alternative to a powerboat. The upgraded Ascend 12T reminds me of kayak fishing’s roots. To go fishing, all I need is a boat, paddle and life vest.

Best Cabela’s Kayaks For 2024

Ascend 12T—A Budget Boat That’s Worth Every Penny

Fishy Features

Most of my fishing trips are quick outings after work. A simple kayak with a few accessories is easy to launch and fish.

The Ascend 12T has all the important elements for fishing. First, the deck layout is open and flat with plenty of room for fishing rods and accessories.

To increase storage, the Ascend 12T has large open space in the bow and stern. Both storage areas use bungee cords to secure a crate or gear bag.

The cockpit is carpeted with slip-resistant foam padding. For the best deck feel, I am barefoot when I standup fish. The padded cockpit keeps me comfortably connected to the deck.

My favorite feature is in the center of the cockpit. Two hatches, an four-inch round day hatch and eight- by 12-inch rectangular hatch, provide dry storage and offer access below deck. The small hatch is perfect for things I regularly access like my scent paste and pliers.

The large rectangular hatch is a great place to store my lunch, a drybag with essentials and my emergency ditch bag. The hatches keep gear out of the way and in easy reach. Most importantly, center hatches allow me to store heavy gear at the lowest point of the kayak, which improves stability and tracking. Best of all, the hatches are flush to the deck, so they don’t interfere with fishing.

I’m also a fan of the flush mount rod holders behind the seat. Flush mount rod holders are stronger than elevated rod holders and they don’t get in the way. The Ascend 12T rod holders are reinforced and sealed with a gasket to be completely watertight.

To keep the cockpit clean, the Ascend has a low-profile paddle holder that folds down to stay out of the way.

Ascend 12T Rigging

The Ascend 12T is ready to fish right out of the box. There is plenty of space in the tankwell for a full-size crate with vertical rod holders.

Gear tracks ahead of the seat make it easy to add an elevated rod holder or a camera mount.

Adding electronics to the 12T presents a challenge. There are plenty of options for installing the display and the center hatch provides access inside the hull for the battery. But there isn’t a dedicated route for the transducer.

There are a couple solutions for this issue. The easiest option is adding a fish finder mount with transducer arm to one of the gunwale gear tracks. This system includes a box for the battery, so it is easy to install and remove the fish finder, transducer and battery between fishing trips. Track-mount transducer arms are also popular for the new forward scanning sonar.

Of course, a paddle kayak deserves a premium paddle. Adding a lightweight and stiff paddle makes paddling easier and more efficient. The Ascend’s elevated seat requires a paddle with a large profile. An adjustable length shaft helps dial in the paddle for a perfect fit.

Adjustable Seat

Anglers want a raised frame seat for comfort and fishing performance. Paddlers want a low-profile seat closer to the water for more efficient paddling.

The Ascend 12T provides a good balance. The frame seat is wide with a high back for all-day comfort. And, it sits low in the kayak to improve paddling position. The upholstery is padded and quick drying with an angled seat back for support. For a kayak in this price range, the Ascend 12T has a premium seat.

Working in conjunction with the seat, adjustable foot pegs allow me to dial in the cockpit for a tight fit. The seat has three positions and the foot pegs can be adjusted up to 12 inches. Achieving the ideal leg position is an important part of efficient paddling. The adjustable seat and foot pegs allow me to plant my legs and butt in the kayak for a solid paddling position.

Performance

To balance stability with speed, the Ascend 12T uses a tunnel hull. The outer pontoons increase stability while the tunnels reduce drag and improve straight-line tracking. The flared bow parts the waves and cuts through the water.

At 12 feet long, the boat has plenty of keel to stay on course. However, a narrow stern and bow allow the kayak to turn easily.

[ Kayak Angler Buyer’s Guide: View all Ascend kayaks ]

Shallow water access is the best thing about a paddle kayak. In the Ascend 12T, I can fish super shallow through oyster beds, grass beds and mud flats without worrying about damage to pedals or propellers. Moreover, the Ascend 12T is light and easy to drag across dry land. A lightweight, shallow-draft kayak allows me to access areas motor and pedal kayakers avoid.

Who is the Ascend 12T Owner?

Some people look at the Ascend 12T price tag and call the kayak a beginner boat, but that cuts short the 12T’s potential.

Sure, the sub-$1,000 price tag makes the 12T perfect for a hesitant angler just entering the sport. Also, a paddle kayak is easier to maintain, transport and store. The simple layout is ready to fish and adding rod holders and storage is easy.

These qualities appeal to any angler looking to add an easy-go kayak to their lineup. No matter how often you fish, owning a paddle kayak will increase your time on the water. It only takes a few minutes to load the 12T on top of my car’s roof rack. And less time to unload and clean.

I can use a small cart to wheel the boat to the water and a paddle kayak is easy to drag a short distance across a soft surface.

The flat deck and stable hull make the 12T a perfect platform for standup fishing. Since the best sight fishing is in shallow water, I grab the 12T to hunt flats and grass beds.

Unlike a beginner kayak, the 12T won’t end up on the used kayak market in a couple of years. This boat is built to last and designed to satisfy anyone looking to get back to kayak fishing’s roots.

How the 12T Compares

The Ascend 12t finds itself in a crowded class of fishing kayaks. Here are a few regularly compared with the 12t.

• Ascend FS12t vs 12t

  For all intents and purposes, the Ascend FS12t is the same kayak as the 12t. As the kayak has gone through different iterations the name has changed back and forth in recent years. If you find a kayak listed as the Ascend FS12t, you are looking at the same boat as this review of the 12t.

  Ascend also made a now-discontinued sit-inside fishing kayak called the FS12. If you’re looking for a similar sit-inside fishing kayak, its smaller sibling, the Ascend FS10 sit-in, is still available.

• Ascend 12t vs 10t

  The most comparable kayak you will find to the 12t in the Ascend line is the 10t. The Ascend 10t is a shorter version of the 12t discussed in this review.

  The major difference between these two kayaks comes down to dimensions, and how those dimensions affect the layout of the kayak.

  The 10t is so-named because it is 10 feet long. This is two feet shorter than the 12t which, you guessed it, is 12 feet. The 30-inch 10t is also an inch narrower compared to the 31-inch 12t.

  The 10t offers similarly spacious bow and stern tankwells to the 12t, with the caveat that the longer kayak’s tankwells are even roomier. However, both kayaks have enough on-deck storage to carry all of your gear and tackle for the day.

  Another storage difference is the 12t has an additional dry hatch compartment within the cockpit. It is accessible through a large, hinged hatch cover.

  The difference in size is also going to equate to a difference in weight. The 10t being smaller weighs less at 67 pounds compared to the 12t at 77 pounds. It also has a somewhat lighter capacity at 325 pounds compared to the 12t’s 350 pounds.

  The two kayaks are close to par with one another. The increased dimensions of the 12t may give it an edge in storage, stability and perhaps a bit of speed. If weight and ease of transportation are more of a factor, the 10t offers similar performance in a more compact package.

• Ascend 12t vs 128t

  The Ascend 128t is another platform-style, sit-on-top fishing kayak design, though this specific model has been replaced by the updated Ascend 128X. The 128t is a definite upgrade from the 12t in regards to design and features.

  Most obvious is the 128t’s inclusion of Ascend’s Yak-Power system. The Yak-Power system includes wiring harness and plugs, meaning with a 12-volt battery your fishing gadgetry is ready to plug and play on the 128t.

  The 128t also has substantial differences in design to the 12t. The 128t is eight inches longer at 12 feet 8 inches, and wider at 33 inches. The 128t also extends the tunnel hull further through the bow and stern. These factors provide a larger, more stable standing platform than the 12t. The downside to all this is the 128t is substantially heavier at 96 pounds, compared to 77 pounds for the 12t.

  Power-hungry anglers and those who want a kayak with the rock-solid stability of a barge should take a look at the 128t (or the new 128X). If you want a fishing kayak that still retains some of the agility and handling of a traditional kayak, stick with the 12t.

• Ascend 12t vs H12

  The Ascend H12 is what Ascend has dubbed a hybrid kayak. It is not quite a sit-inside or sit-on-top kayak but somewhere in between. It has a recessed cockpit surrounded by a deck, similar to what you would find for a sit-inside, but the cockpit is open and squared off.

  The H12 features supersized storage hatches in both the bow and stern, covered with a hard plastic deck plate in the bow, and plastic fabric cover in the stern. Again, following this hybrid mentality, these storage areas fall somewhere in between an open tankwell and an enclosed hatch. The intention is to provide storage for long outings and even overnighters. There are, however, no bulkheads built in to isolate sections of the kayak. Any water entering the H12 will not drain through a scupper and should the boat capsize, it will take on water. This makes the H12 only suitable to paddle on calm or sheltered waterways.

  The Ascend 12t will drain water. And should the 12t capsize all you have to do is climb back in. There is no open cavity where water will collect. While it is open air, the Ascend 12t kayak has plenty of storage space in the open tankwells, where gear can be stowed within dry bags. For this reason, the 12t feels like a much more versatile craft.

• Ascend 12t vs Pelican Catch 120

  The Pelican Catch 120 is a sit-on-top fishing kayak with a similar design to the Ascend 12t.

  The Pelican Catch 120 is also a 12-foot sit-on-top kayak with a tunnel-shape hull. It also features an elevated seat, sliding foot braces and a flat standing platform within the cockpit.

  One noticeable difference is the seat for the Pelican 120 sits on a ledge molded onto the deck of the kayak. This makes it easier to mount and remove, but some users may feel less secure than sitting in the slightly recessed Ascend 12t seat.

  The major difference between the two, when it comes to performance, may be the width. The Pelican 120 is a full three inches wider than Ascend 12t. Generally speaking, with similar hulls this is going to translate to lower speeds but more stability for the standing platform.

• Ascend 12t vs Perception Pescador

  Perception is one of the oldest names in kayaks, with a reputation for building quality boats. The Pescador is a sit-on-top fishing kayak within the same price range as the Ascend 12t. While these are both sit-on-top fishing kayaks, they are geared toward a slightly different type of use.

  The Pescador has a traditional, molded seat so users are sitting lower to the floor of the kayak than the 12t’s elevated stadium-style frame seat. The hull is also more streamlined than the Ascend 12t’s, providing less stability for standup fishing but a considerable weight savings of 13 pounds. In fact, the Pescador 12 is one of the lightest fishing kayaks in its class, making it a good option for those who want a kayak that is easy to transport and carry.

  The Pescador also has a different storage layout than the Ascend 12t. The Pescador has an open stern tankwell and a dry storage hatch on the bow. The Ascend storage is distributed between two large, open tankwells in the bow and stern.

  If you want the higher vantage of an elevated seat, and plan to do a lot of standup fishing, choose the stable platform of the Ascend 12t. If you’d rather an agile fishing kayak that is just as fun to paddle recreationally, then take a close look at the Pescador 12.

• Ascend 12t vs Perception Outlaw 11.5

  Another sit-on-top offering from Perception comparable to the Ascend 12t is the Outlaw 11.5. Like the 12t, the Outlaw has an elevated frame seat and an open, platform-style cockpit set atop a super stable tunnel hull for standup fishing. The Outlaw also offers large open tankwells in the bow and stern.

  To cut to the chase, the Outlaw is a full four inches wider than the Ascend 12t. While measurements are only part of what gives a kayak design its stability, it is fair to say this additional width gives the Outlaw superior stability while standing. Add to this Perception’s throne-like seat allows for one of the highest fishing and paddling positions ever in a kayak, and the choice for those who like to fish on their feet is clear.

• Ascend 12t vs Lifetime Teton

  The Lifetime Teton Angler 100 sit-on-top fishing kayak is in the same price range as the Ascend 12t. Right off the bat, it is important to note availability of these kayaks may be a deciding factor. The Teton 100 is sold exclusively at Dick’s Sporting Goods, while the Ascend 12t is sold through Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.

  While the Teton has an elevated seat, it does not have a flat standing area, and is intended for seated fishing. Without a tunnel hull, and at just 30.5 inches wide, the elevated seated position of the Teton can make it feel less stable than the Ascend 12t. This is likely a major factor when deciding between the two kayaks. If you want both an elevated seat and a standing platform, the Ascend 12t is the obvious choice.

Where to Buy the Ascend 12T

Where can you find the Ascend 12t available for purchase? Bass Pro and Cabela’s carry the Ascend 12t. Ascend Kayaks are a part of the White River Marine Group, which is owned by Bass Pro Shops. This is why these are the retailers carrying Ascend kayaks. You will also find the Ascend kayaks available at a limited number of smaller local boating stores that carry White River brands.

Ascend 12t Pros and Cons

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A paddle, PFD and kayak—back to basics. | Feature photo: Patrick Hayes