Tarpon vs. Thresher?

I'm looking for wisdom from folks who have/had these rigs.  Basically, here's what I'm after:

1) Good in mild-moderate saltwater conditions.  Will be launching from a gravel beach and mostly using inshore, bays, inlets, and around Puget Sound.  Stable enough that I'm not white-knuckled the whole time, and can handle a bigger guy (I'm 6' about 230-240lbs).

2) Can cover some ground.  I'll be using both to fish and also just to get out and run around and explore.  I don't want to feel like I'm paddling a barge or need a motor to get around.  I'd guess that I'd use it about 60% cruising around, 40% fishing/crabbing. 

3) I'm not especially concerned with loading/unloading weight (I'm fine towing it on a small trailer setup if it's too cumbersome to load on the roof rack).

I keep seeing the Tarpon 140/160 come up as a possible option but also have been reading about Threshers.  Also interested in other thoughts if folks have had good experiences with other models.  Thanks in advance for any wisdom.

I did a lot of fishing in my Tarpon 120 and some in my Thresher 140. Some guys love the Tarpon 140 and 160 but they seemed less stable for me. I did ok fishing and crabbing on the ocean with my Tarpon but my Thresher was way more stable. The linear hatch took some getting used to. If conditions were a little rough in my Tarpon I would let one leg dangle over the side. The Thresher can handle anything I was willing to risk.

This is super helpful. Have you noticed a significant difference in speed? I’m sure having the narrower hull gives a boost to the tarpon but is it at least in the ballpark?

i had tarpon 120, and thresher 155.  the thresher is fast and stable, but only drawback is the weight and loading. if that's not an issue, the thresher is going to be a much more practical kayak.  one thing to note,  a rudder is almost a requirement.  not sure how a tarpon 140/160 performs without,  but the thresher 155 was painful before i added a rudder.

This is super helpful. Have you noticed a significant difference in speed? I’m sure having the narrower hull gives a boost to the tarpon but is it at least in the ballpark?

It’s hard to compare a Tarpon 120 to a Thresher 140 because the different lengths and hull designs make a difference. I believe a Tarpon 140 would be faster than a Thresher 140. It’s been a while, but my two kayaks were probably close with the edge on speed maybe going to the Thresher.

i had tarpon 120, and thresher 155.  the thresher is fast and stable, but only drawback is the weight and loading. if that's not an issue, the thresher is going to be a much more practical kayak.  one thing to note,  a rudder is almost a requirement.  not sure how a tarpon 140/160 performs without,  but the thresher 155 was painful before i added a rudder.

I agree with the need for a rudder, but then again I want a rudder no matter what.

I thought this was going to be a thread about the difference between fighting a big tarpon vs a big thresher.  Both amazing fish!   

the thresher was made for what you are describing. Many of us had a direct line of communication with Wilderness during the development of the thresher. I got a VERY early model and was able to point out some flaws that were corrected in the production models. I have owned 30 different fishing/cruising kayaks and kept the thresher and radar as my primary fishing kayaks. I am currently developing a ama, motor mount system for my thresher.