Water Master Kodiak review

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

I've had the kodiak for a couple of years and I really wanted to wait until I took it on a 5 day camping trip before I did a review. While I wasn't actually rowing the kodiak, I did take some friends on a 5 day trip, so I got to see how it handled. Even with someone who wasn't exactly great on the oars, having it packed down with 5 days worth of gear, it did amazingly well. So I finished up a review, if anyone actually gets through the whole thing, would love to hear your thoughts, if I missed anything pro/con on them.

 

[krusty]

I'm a kayak flatwater flyfisherman, but found your review very informative, and exceptionally well-crafted. Thanks!

 

[Flyrig]

I've had the kodiak for a couple of years and I really wanted to wait until I took it on a 5 day camping trip before I did a review. While I wasn't actually rowing the kodiak, I did take some friends on a 5 day trip, so I got to see how it handled. Even with someone who wasn't exactly great on the oars, having it packed down with 5 days worth of gear, it did amazingly well. So I finished up a review, if anyone actually gets through the whole thing, would love to hear your thoughts, if I missed anything pro/con on them.

Your review was very good and in my opinion would give someone enough information to make an informed decision. I’ve had mine for several years and it has been a great boat for my needs. Have considered and motor? I’m in a new area that moving around in the water is critical and really don’t want to get a kayak.

 

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

Your review was very good and in my opinion would give someone enough information to make an informed decision. I’ve had mine for several years and it has been a great boat for my needs. Have considered and motor? I’m in a new area that moving around in the water is critical and really don’t want to get a kayak.

Sorta, I even have an old electric trolling motor, but every time I think about getting a battery for it, I think about all the hassle of carrying everything. I already feel like I carry too much stuff as it is

 

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

I'm a kayak flatwater flyfisherman, but found your review very informative, and exceptionally well-crafted. Thanks!

Thanks Krusty! Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Salmo_g]

Good review. I've had my Kodiak for 15 years, used it for up to 8 day wilderness float trips. I wish it were lighter, but it packs up small enough to take in a helicopter along with camping and fishing provisions. Whatever the disadvantages are, I think they are outweighed by the numerous advantages.

 

[sbonvallEt]

I've had the kodiak for a couple of years and I really wanted to wait until I took it on a 5 day camping trip before I did a review. While I wasn't actually rowing the kodiak, I did take some friends on a 5 day trip, so I got to see how it handled. Even with someone who wasn't exactly great on the oars, having it packed down with 5 days worth of gear, it did amazingly well. So I finished up a review, if anyone actually gets through the whole thing, would love to hear your thoughts, if I missed anything pro/con on them.

Hi Mark: Spot on review. I’ve had a Kodiak for about three years. Great boat overall. It looks like you have an after market seat on your Kodiak, wondering what kind and how you have it attached. Not an huge fan of the seat that came with the boat. Also, I continue to experiment with various rod holders. Which do you like the best? Thanks for the report.
Scott

 

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

Hi Mark: Spot on review. I’ve had a Kodiak for about three years. Great boat overall. It looks like you have an after market seat on your Kodiak, wondering what kind and how you have it attached. Not an huge fan of the seat that came with the boat. Also, I continue to experiment with various rod holders. Which do you like the best? Thanks for the report.
Scott

That seat you see is actually an old seat Water Master sold for the grizzly. So if you see that seat it's the grizzly (I tried to label when I was using the grizzly as an example). It's super comfy, but it does reduce the space between your legs and the oars, so it can get a little cramped sometimes.

But basically it's a piece of aluminum that hooks onto the wood section, and has some brackets at the far end that attach to some additional pieces you screw into that wood. The the seat is bolted to that piece of aluminum.

 

[Buzzy]

Last spring I was fishing with two long time friends up in the Kamloops area. We all fish(ed) from prams; Herb tows a utility trailer and has a Thule rack system on his truck's canopy. Keith's BRAND new Spring Creek pram (8') on the canopy, my wood pram on the top of the utility trailer rack and Herb's behemoth 10' Marlon in the bed of the trailer. Twice while moving my pram from the trailer to the shoreline I tripped and fell. Bruises, nothing broken except my ego. So the three of us decided to use more caution, pay more attention and talk about the move, scope out the surroundings, etc. I didn't fall down anymore: pay attention, Buzz. Fast forward. Herb and Keith commute to BC from their Pierce and King County homes. Back at Keith's - unloading his pram, they apparently talked about watching their steps. Keith tripped over a carpet mat (golf ball thing?) and broke his femur (82 years old). He's still recovering but that damned Spring Creek pram is history - he donated it to his fly club and now is in need of a boat. He's thinking "pontoon" - pontoons have frames. I've forwarded your Youtube film (which tempts me to buy a Watermaster) to him. Well done, Mark!

 

[Flyrig]

They are very convenient not needing to lift your boat on top of your vehicle. Check out the video on inflating and folding up the raft that takes a few minutes to complete but after you do it a couple of times it’s a piece of pie!

 

[Buzzy]

They are very convenient not needing to lift your boat on top of your vehicle. Check out the video on inflating and folding up the raft that takes a few minutes to complete but after you do it a couple of times it’s a piece of pie!

Flyrig and @TheFlyFishingFilmmaker - thoughts on anchoring this boat in stillwaters? My friend whose in need of a new boat wants to be able to anchor the bow and stern. At 82 he's perhaps not the most flexible person around so I'm sure he's not going to want to spin around on the bench to lift the stern anchor. Thoughts?

 

[Roper]

I’ve had a Watermaster for several years now. Granted, it’s a slug to row with no rocker, but that helps in the wind. For the stillwaters I fish it works. For an anchor I use a section of tubing in two D rings off the stern. I run the line through them and it works. I built a motor mount that uses the D rings on the stern and it works with a battery powered motor. It’s not perfect, but you know what, it works. I like it…

 

[albula]

I have used a Watermaster for 12 or 15 years floating BC steelhead streams and one aspect that hasn't been mentioned is the ability to step through the floor and stand whenever you are in shallow water. On a couple of the rivers we fish there are a good many drift boats and others fishing. With the Watermaster on those crowded days I could stop and make a few casts in soft little bankside pockets that were too small or short to warrant someone stopping and climbing out of a drift boat or pulling in with a sled for those maybe half a dozen casts. I would just stand within the boat grab my rod and make those casts with no major expenditure of time. I think of many little spots I fished that very few bothered with. In an average month of fishing those little places normally produced at least a dozen fish that most others floated by so they could stop in a long run.

 

[Flyrig]

Flyrig and @TheFlyFishingFilmmaker - thoughts on anchoring this boat in stillwaters? My friend whose in need of a new boat wants to be able to anchor the bow and stern. At 82 he's perhaps not the most flexible person around so I'm sure he's not going to want to spin around on the bench to lift the stern anchor. Thoughts?

I would think that anchoring bow and stern is doable. If he’s not opposed to experimenting with it. Me personally don’t anchor mine in stillwater, however gluing Scotty anchor attachments in my mind would be something worth looking into. Hopefully someone with experience using the Scotty will chime in if that’s even a practical suggestion. The bow setup might be tricky in regards to it being in the way as it sits up a few inches. I’m thinking line tangles?

 

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

I have used a Watermaster for 12 or 15 years floating BC steelhead streams and one aspect that hasn't been mentioned is the ability to step through the floor and stand whenever you are in shallow water. On a couple of the rivers we fish there are a good many drift boats and others fishing. With the Watermaster on those crowded days I could stop and make a few casts in soft little bankside pockets that were too small or short to warrant someone stopping and climbing out of a drift boat or pulling in with a sled for those maybe half a dozen casts. I would just stand within the boat grab my rod and make those casts with no major expenditure of time. I think of many little spots I fished that very few bothered with. In an average month of fishing those little places normally produced at least a dozen fish that most others floated by so they could stop in a long run.

I think I mentioned that a bunch in the video ... that's one of my favorite things about the water master boats is that ability to stand up wherever its shallow enough. Sometimes I wade really deep with the kodiak where I would never do it just wading normally.

 

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

Flyrig and @TheFlyFishingFilmmaker - thoughts on anchoring this boat in stillwaters? My friend whose in need of a new boat wants to be able to anchor the bow and stern. At 82 he's perhaps not the most flexible person around so I'm sure he's not going to want to spin around on the bench to lift the stern anchor. Thoughts?

The anchor system that WM provides does all you to use pullies to make it a bit easier to pull the anchor in and out. I don't have to put it into the boat, but just pull it up out of the water. Now if I'm doing a ton of rowing, I might make the effort to get it up into the back of the boat as to prevent it from banging or potentially dragging in the water.

 

[Flyrig]

I’ve had a Watermaster for several years now. Granted, it’s a slug to row with no rocker, but that helps in the wind. For the stillwaters I fish it works. For an anchor I use a section of tubing in two D rings off the stern. I run the line through them and it works. I built a motor mount that uses the D rings on the stern and it works with a battery powered motor. It’s not perfect, but you know what, it works. I like it…

Would you share your motor mount design with me? Also your battery what motor you use.

 

[Roper]

Would you share your motor mount design with me? Also your battery what motor you use.

I’ll work on getting some photos tomorrow…

 

[Roper]

Would you share your motor mount design with me? Also your battery what motor you use.

I hope the photos help, it’s hard to wrap your head around it. There’s two bars and the screws in them clamp the D rings on the stern. I’ll probably mount it in a few days and share another picture of it.

 

[TheFlyFishingFilmmaker]

Wonder where the motor mount in the back is from ...