You may want to be careful if you land that big one, but for the size of fish most of us catch, the Wilderness Systems Commander 120 is perfect. Targeting the athlete inside anglers, the kayak manufacturer, which won the 2009 manufacturer of the year award by Canoe & Kayak Magazine, produced a boat designed specifically for fishing. With a SlideTrax rigging system you can easily mount accessories that hold GPS units, fish finders and rods, and the openness of the kayak makes it easy to move around while trying to catch the one that keeps getting away.
With bungee compression cords on the front and rear of the boat there is plenty of storage for gear and fish. It’s also designed with stability in mind, has a trolling motor mount – though part of the fun should be paddling to your favorite fishing hole not trolling – and a specialized seat that has a “perch” for sight casting and an adjustable, removable chair. Both can be used simultaneously if you want to bring your kid along. At 60 pounds, 12 feet long, 2.5 feet wide and with a max load capacity of 400 pounds, the Commander will be able to take anglers places they previously only looked at from afar. It’ll be available September 2009 for $995.
The company is also making a $5,000 concept version of the Commander that’s constructed from a racecar-like composite material. Only 25 will be sold worldwide starting in spring 2010. So if you have the cash, throw it down and grab the limited edition lightweight fishing kayak. www.wildernesssystems.com
—Ryan Dionne
