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LIP GRIPPER [S P LAS H] THRESHER ATTACK


WILDERNESS SYSTEMS’ NEW FISHING KAYAK WILL BE A HIT WITH COASTAL ANGLERS BY RIC BURNLEY


Wilderness Systems Thresher 140/155 FISH FRIENDLY FEATURES:


D


iamond Shoals on the eastern tip of Hatteras Island, North Carolina, is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because the confluence of the


Gulf Stream and Labrador Current has claimed many ships and many lives. In this roiling cauldron of saltwater, I met kayak fishing guide and Wilderness Systems pro staffer Rob Alderman to test the new Thresher. As soon as we unloaded the 140 and 155, product designer Dave Maughan


took me on a tour of the design features and fishing accessories. He told me how they had refined the hull to include enough rocker to perform in the surf yet maintain steady tracking. The boat carries a lot of volume in the bow to crash over waves while flared sidewalls provide stability. On the topside, Maughan pointed to the Phase 3 Air Pro seat and a rect-


• Two-piece rigid


injection molded carry handles


• Enclosed bow storage area with integrated paddle park


• FlexPod OS for electronics mounting and removable storage


• Large rectangular center hatch with bungee, measuring tape and SlideTrax


• SlideTrax along tankwell and cockpit


• Flat surfaces in bow and stern for flush- mount rod holders


angular center hatch that can accommodate fishing rods over seven feet long. The Thresher accepts Wilderness’s new FlexPod OS that allows a fishfinder to be removed and reinstalled in seconds. “The FlexPod will be designed into other Wilderness boats,” Maughan added, “so you’ll be able to move your fish- finder, battery and transducer from one kayak to another.” The most noticeable feature is the large hatch that covers a forward well in


the bow. Maughan explained that they chose to include a well instead of a tra- ditional hatch because it is easier to access from the kayak and more practical for people who will be loading the boat with gear or saving fish on ice. After the short tour, I was anxious to get the boat on the water. But one


look at the shoals turned my excitement to anxiety. Head-high A-frames were breaking across the bar and I could see bombs exploding on the shoals.


46…KAYAK ANGLER


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