Northwest River Supply is a name synonomous with extreme river passages here in the North West.  NRS began building inflatable rafts and pontoons in the 1970s and built a brand on unparalleled performance and strength.  At ICAST this year, NRS made its first appearance and uncovered two new excellent fishing platforms.

Owning a kayak fishing website has its perks, one of them is being the multitude of different styles of kayaks we get to fish from. Our most recent addition, a Diablo Paddlesports Chupacabra standup kayak or Sup Yak. Find out why the Chubracabra has quickly become my go to fishing kayak when hitting may of the creeks and rivers of Kentucky.

I came across this Stand Up Paddle board (SUP) while surfing the web the other day, and I must say that I’m pretty interested in checking out this SUP.   The Hooked SUP by Alex Aguera Design looks like its set up to handle a multitude of different activities while on the water, especially fishing!!!

In the very fast growing sport of kayak fishing we are seeing lots of very cool fishing platforms coming out of a variety of paddle sports manufactures.  We here at YakAngler do our best to keep all of you kayak anglers informed and up-to-date on what options are out there.  I wanted to highlight SUP (stand up paddle board) that is designed with the kayak angler in mind. 

I know that we have discussed this product before but a recent forum conversation reminded me that this may be one of the best inland fishing platforms on the market.   Most of us bass fisherman love to stand and pitch or rip a long casting crankbait and the SUP-YAK, with its huge flat standing surface, may be a great choice for us.

Anglers around the world recognize the advantages of a higher line-of-sight and a dependable watercraft that can access places no other craft can go. Combining design ingenuity and feedback from those anglers, Legacy Paddlesports built a stand-up paddleboard model which possesses all of these advantages. This stand up or sit down paddleboard features an extremely stable hull that offers surprising performance and handling in surf, the open ocean, rivers or lakes. The deck is broad and wide to provide plenty of room for coolers or other fishing gear without restricting standing space. Its unique, retractable spring loaded skeg system provides exceptional tracking while in flatwater or while riding a wave but can be easily retracted when in the shallows. Unlike fiberglass, this rotomolded polyethylene SUP is durable and affordable. Like many of their models, the Versaboard board combines tried-and-true design elements with modern innovation.

After the great response to our first article about the  SUP-YAK, we decided to check in on the Texas duo of Thomas Flemons and Jay Korbell to see how things were progressing and ask them a few questions.

YakAngler (YA) When did you first start work on the Sup-Yak? 

Thomas Flemons of Diablo Paddle sports (DP) Standing up to paddle a kayak has been something that we have always done to scout rapids and stretch our legs, problem always was, how long can we stay up.  When I saw the emergence of the Stand up paddleboard, and people starting to fish off them, I realized that there was a sweet spot in there for a multi purpose platform that you could comfortably sit or stand in to paddle or even pole.  Like a mini-skiff for all waters, Huck Finn style.

The first true hybrid SUP/kayak of its kind! Our first full adventure board. Produced using the best marine technology available, the YOLO Yak is made of rotomolded polyethelene, (just like your favorite sit-atop kayak). It is the most durable multi-use stand up paddleboard on the market. Features include a front bungee tie down system, molded-in keel system, foam traction pad and both side and rear handles. At 11'10" long and 33" wide, this board is designed with recessed deck to provide additional stability for a variety of water pursuits such as fishing, crabbing, or just cruising your local flatwater spot. Tough enough for outdoor storage, the Yolo Yak is a perfect fit for resorts and rental businesses, as well as all watermen who are tough on their gear.