Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
My first kayak was a Trophy 126 fishing/recreation kayak. I didn’t knw anything about kayaks at the time, but this was advertised as an “easy learner,” and had the added advantage of included fishing rod holders. So, we (Winnie and I) bought it and started our love affair with kayaking.
I hadn’t done a review on this boat as the original manufacturer went out of business a few years after I bought it. But, I recently discovered that a new company is manufacturing this same boat, still with the “Trophy 126” model name. So, here is my long-overdue review.
Summary Up Front
 Good |  Bad |
|---|---|
| Good Stability | Heavy for Its size |
| Good Tracking | No Buoyancy Material |
| Roomy Cockpit | |
| Lots of Features for the Price point | |
| Lots of Storage | |
| Comfortable Seating | |
| Durable Construction |
Description
The Trophy 126 is classed as a single-seat hardshell . This boat is designed for recreational flatwater paddling, with options for fishing.
This boat was initially manufactured by “Future Beach,” starting around 2008. I purchased mine in 2010. Future Beach went bankrupt around 2015 and this boat was discontinued. Within the past several years, the design has been picked up and marketed under a new brand name “Evoke.” There have been a few minor alterations with this new iteration, but the overall design has remained unchanged.
Specifications
The Trophy 126 is ten feet six inches long (126 inches) , 29.5 inches wide, and 14.25 inches high. Depending upon the model year, weight ranges from 47 to 52 pounds (older boats being lighter). It has a weight capacity of 300 pounds. Standard features include:
- Dihedral hull
- Integrated tackle box tray
- Molded-in cup holder
- Two flush-mount fishing rod holders
- Adjustable backrest and seat cushion
- Adjustable step lock footrest system
- Bow and stern carrying handles
- Integrated fore and aft drain plugs
- Small bow cargo compartment with watertight hatch
- Large rear cargo compartment with watertight hatch
- Bungee cord rigging on bow and rear hatches
This boat is offered in several color schemes, which appears to be dependent upon the distributor. I’ve seen the “original” olive green, grey camouflage, and a patterned blue and white.
Unique Hull Form
This kayak has a unique “Dihedral” hull form which is key to its excellent performance. This hull form creates a double keel ridge (chines) which improves tracking and stability compared to a typical kayak hull. Because of this form, the hull ends up being a few inches taller than a typical kayak of the same length, to allow adequate space inside.
Construction
This is a one-piece hull. The current version uses UV-stabilized Fortiflex high-density polyethylene. It is a soft plastic, and so scratches easier than thermoplastic or composite hulls. But, the hull is made thick, especially along the chines. This thicker hull using high-density plastic accounts for the heavier weight than most kayaks of this size. It also makes for a durable, long-lasting boat.
Fishing
The integrated tackle box storage is the most significant change to this design over the years it’s been offered. The early models had no tackle box tray. Later, a dashboard area in front of the cockpit opening was added that accepted a four compartment tackle box. The current design expands on this feature by including bungee cord rigging over the tackle box tray. Together with the integrated flush-mounted fishing rod holders, this boat offers features adequate for fishing.
Cargo Space
Between the bow and rear storage compartments, rigging, and weight capacity, this boat offers a lot of cargo space for its size. There’s plenty of room to carry a day’s worth of picnic supplies, or even gear for kayak camping.
Storage
As a ten-and-a-half-foot hardshell, this boat has the same storage issues as any hardshell kayak. It is a few pounds heavier that typical boats of this size, but standard kayak storage systems would support it. The dihedral bottom does allow it to sit flat on a floor or storage shelf.
Transportation
This boat transports much the same as any hardshell kayak of this size. One specific advantage with this hull form is that the boat can sit flat across standard roof racks. No are needed, although they also work.
On The Water
The biggest advantage of a hardshell over an inflatable is setup time at the water. I do believe the longest interval of time known to modern science is the nominal 20 minutes needed to set-up an inflatable kayak. A hardshell doesn’t have this issue, but I still have to get into and out of the boat once it’s on the water.
Entry and Exit
The boat has enough stability for me to get into and out from a pier. Being able to enter and exit off a pier is especially great for winter paddling when the water is cold and dry feet are nice.
Handling
Tracking is an important feature of a kayak. This boat tracks quite well and is still very maneuverable. Although heavy for a boat this size, I do not notice the extra weight once I’m moving. While not inherently fast, this boat is a real pleasure for flatwater paddling due to the excellent tracking.
Fishing
Fish do not fear me, but I’ve used my boat for fishing numerous times. The dual rod holders allow me to carry one rod and a folding fishing net. As my boat did not include the dashboard tackle box tray, I use a that has two pockets each large enough for four-compartment tackle boxes. This works out well. The minimal storage space forces me to think through what I’ll be fishing for, and then bring just the tackle I need.
One feature this boat does not include, beneficial for fishing, is an anchor trolly. There are inexpensive aftermarket anchor trolly kits available, and I did add one a couple of years after I bought my Trophy 126.
Comfort
The seat is reasonably comfortable, for kayak seats. There’s plenty of adjustment for the back rest, and the padded bottom does provide decent cushioning. The footrests are adjustable, and there is enough adjustment range to accomodate my 5’10” legs, as well as Winnie’s 4’11” legs.
Lacking Buoyancy
This boat has a lot of cargo space. However, the trade-off is there is no included buoyancy material to keep this kayak afloat should it fill with water. As a comparison, the Pelican series kayaks have styrofoam buoyancy material behind the seat (which eliminates use of that space for cargo).
The Trophy 126 rear cargo space has a nominally watertight bulkhead (immediately behind the seat) sealing it off from the cockpit area. On my boat, water splashing into the cockpit would leak into the rear cargo area (I finally fixed this with some caulking). It also has a nominally watertight rubber hatch, held down with bungee cord rigging. But, my concern is that if this rear cargo area did fill with water, the weight would probably be enough to sink the kayak.
If you were to take this boat outside a flatwater environment, you should consider using inflatable kayak buoyancy bags (float bags) in the bow and rear cargo space, just to give you that extra flotation security.
Company Support
There does not appear to be any dealer networks supporting this boat. They are marketed primarily through various retail sporting goods stores including Dicks Sporting Goods and Overton’s.
Warranty
I have not been able to identify any warranty offered directly by Evoke. Any warranty would appear to be controlled by the distributor.
Purchase Price
The current list price for a new Trophy 126 is $358, offered through several distributors. A paddle is usually included with the kayak. This is an entry-level price point, and the standard features on this boat make it very competitive with other kayaks in it’s price point.
Conclusion
I consider this kayak to be an excellent entry-level boat that a person can continue to use as they gain more experience. It’s durable, fun to paddle, has lots of storage space, and offers the option for fishing. What more does a kayaker need?
Thanks for reading my review, and happy paddling!
Related Posts
- Review: Pelican Clipper 100X Kayak
- Review: Sea Eagle 370 Inflatable Kayak
- Boating Hacks: A Kayak Work Stand
- Review: HO Sports Beacon Inflatable Kayak
Be First to Comment