After returning from this year’s International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) show in July, one item kept returning to my thoughts: fishing kayaks. This year’s show was full of them, and it had three new fishing kayaks that stood out from the crowd. First and foremost, these kayaks were built to accommodate an electric motor or they came with one. There were more than just three kayak vendors at the show, but these three were serious boats of interest and I wanted to share them with you.
VoyaX Mossa 128
The top new kayak in my opinion is the new Mossa 128, built by VoyaX. Plenty of people agreed with me, because this kayak won the ICAST New Product Showcase award in the category of Best Boat or Water Craft. The boat is built around and for fishing, period.
The Mossa 128 is 12’8” in length and 37” wide, and its hull weight is 89 pounds with a capacity of 580 pounds. It retails for $4499. This is a launch and go kayak, simply drop in the XPDL electric motor/pedal system and you’re off. This unit easily switches between manual pedal, Sync Assist (like an e-bike), and full electric power. It has GPS virtual anchoring “Spothold” position lock with 360-degree steering. The kayak has no cables for steering, it’s all wireless. You can use several navigation modes such as track cruise, spot cruise, and course lock (more or less like various autopilot functions), all right on the unit’s screen. Power, GPS Spothold, and course lock are within easy reach, or you can use the remote that comes with the boat. The motor will run eight to 10 hours and comes with one battery, although it’s set up to accommodate two if you choose to install a second. The battery storage is located under the seat to keep the weight centered. The boat also comes with plenty of storage space for all your gear, four integrated rod holders, and plenty of tracking to hold any aftermarket attachments.
Bonafide XTR 140P
The second kayak that stood out is the Bonafide XTR 140P. This big, beefy kayak is 14’ in length, 40” wide, fitted hull weight is 170 pounds, and it has a hefty capacity of 725 pounds. It retails for $3599, or $4699 with the pedal drive. This is a true fishing boat. If you are looking for a kayak with bass boat features, this is it. It’s set up to receive any electric motor that you may want. Use your electric power motor to get to where you want, and once there the optional Bonafide X-Range Pedal Drive can be deployed. The X-Range Pedal drive can be stored folded under the forward standing platform or in the long-term X-Range storage area on the stern. This is a true stand up and fish kayak. The hull design is new to the boat, and it was designed to be more efficient while using a motor or the pedal drive. There are plenty of storage options, tracks to install your aftermarket accessories, and this boat has been set up to accommodate any of your customizations. This boat was designed to be transported by trailer.
Vibe Sea Ghost 105 WRD
Third I’m featuring the Vibe Sea Ghost 105 WRD; the WRD stands for “wired.” The Sea Ghost was introduced back in 2014 as an affordable fishing kayak, starting around $999.99. This version is so new that there wasn’t any literature available at their booth and I am assume that it will cost more than their standard Sea Ghost. It’s 10.5’ in length, 34” wide, and will hold 370 pounds or a little over. It is pre-wired with six-gauge wire to accommodate a 36- or 24-volt motor with a separator for 12-volt accessory circuits. This machine is plug-in-ready and is even wired with navigation lights and deck lights. It’s stable enough to stand and cast and will accommodate either a bow- or stern-mounted motor. Vibe’s parent company recently acquired Railblaza so there are plenty of mounting options for their accessories. I’ll be keeping an eye out once this boat is on the market. It should be a very affordable boat that’s prewired for an electric motor and any accessories that you may like.
I’ll see you out on the water—hopefully in a new fishing kayak!