View from the Cockpit, September 1, 2008

NEWS FROM THE OUTRAGEOUS OUTDOOR RETAILER SHOW - Kayak manufacturers roll out their best new boats each August at the enormous Outdoor Retailer trade show. The headlines:

East Coast maker Emotion Kayak intro'd the Stealth, a full-sized fish'yak built into a small, 44-lb package. An answer to Malibu's Mini?

Hobie was quietly showing the tentatively titled Mirage Pro Angler, a new sort of people-powered fishing craft. This thing is huge, with scads of horizontal rod lockers, enough tackle compartments to empty a store, and an elevated seat that’s more couch than cockpit. What’s more, there’s a non-skid deck for standing, all the better to huck that cast a mile, and removable accessory shelves for mounting goodies such as rod holders and electronics along the gunnels. Look for Hobie to reveal more info in spring '09.

Native Watercraft kicked into the hands-free market with the long-awaited release of the Ultimate Propel series. These hybrid canoe-kayak designs get their giddy-up from a propeller-style pedal drive. Reverse anyone? The Propel looked superb, especially on the outfitting side. Accessory racks on all of Native's boats accept a huge variety of ready to rock add-ons.

Ocean Kayak expanded on the strong Prowler Trident line, adding new 11 and 13-foot models, each with the terrific Rod Pod cockpit hatch. Nice!

Rec boat giant Pelican Sport rolled out the Elite Series Strikes, a set of full-featured fish hunters. Built of Poly-XR, 30 percent stiffer than regular poly plastic, these boats boast all the staples and an interesting removable and replaceable mounting plate. As with the rest of the Elite Series, with the Strikes, Pelican is aiming for superior performance at a wallet-friendly price.

The Tarpons get a full rework from Wilderness Systems, making these high-performance boats fishier than ever. Look for new SlideTrax accessory rails, a hinged Orbix hatch cover, and the sweet Phase 3 SOT Seat. The picture shows the hot new 160 model (yep, they dropped the 'i').

ALASKA, FISH ON ICE - I'm just back from an amazing trip to Alaska with Chris Mautino of Liquid Adventures. We based our expedition out of Seward, a seascape indented with ice-carved fjords. The Aleutians once patrolled these waters in kayaks hand-crafted of skin, gut, and driftwood.

We followed in the paddle strokes of these ancient hunters, seeking salmon and shallow water lingcod, and later, taking time to thread our way through a maze of ice at Pedersen Glacier. Incredible!

An account of the trip will print very soon in Canoe and Kayak magazine, along with a variety of spectacular and never before seen kayak fishing photos. Don't miss it!

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On the Horizon:

September 6: Fish with the best of the West's big-game names at SoCal's kayak fishing yellowtail central, La Jolla Shores. It's game-on time for the Sixth Annual Moyer Memorial Kayak Fishing Tournament, hosted as alwasy by La Jolla Kayak Fishing. This as good as it gets event will raise big dough for the American Cancer Society. Kayak4Fish.com
October 3-5 : Get your competitive striper fix at Bendo at Mendo, Great White Kayak Company's fun fall NorCal shindig. When its on at Lake Mendocino, it's ON! with acres-wides boils. Lotsa camping, eating, and kayak fishing in typical NorCal style. www.GWKC.com

Stop by again soon. Kayak Fishing Zone is updated roughly every two to four weeks. For Looking Astern, the View Archive, Click Here