Watercraft and accessories cover everything you need to get on the water and stay there comfortably. This year’s picks include paddling and floating gear, tech that helps you fish smarter, and a few smart solutions that caught our attention. These are the products that earned their spot through real performance on Alaska’s waters.
Fishing Watercraft & Accessories
BOTE Rackham Aero 12’4” Fischer Cutthroat APEX Inflatable Paddle Board
This is an awesome Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP), but it’s much, much more. The stock system includes an inflatable chair, and an additional paddle blade to turn the standup paddle into a kayak paddle. This board is very stable, thanks to its dimensions (12’4” x 38”) and the 3 fins on the bottom of the board. Two of the small fins are permanent, while the 10-inch center fin is removable. Add the optional Apex pedal drive and rudder system and you’ve got yourself a multifunctional unit: SUP, paddle-driven kayak, and pedal-driven kayak. The cutthroat trout pattern on the boat is stylish. Additional items included in this system: pair of slide tracks, pair of paddle holders, removable pedal port, pair of slide-in Rac receivers, paddle sheath, sand-spear sheath, repair kit, hand pump, and rolling travel bag. We have used BOTE products for the last 4 years and are impressed with their products to date. In addition to catching fish off the board, we use it in other recreational ways and usually bring a SUP on family vacations.
BOTE Inflatable Hangout Sling Chair Classic
This is one comfortable pool chair, and we think it would work as a float tube in a pinch. It weighs less than 6 pounds, packs down small, and is comprised of a U-shaped pontoon with a mesh sling seat. It features BOTE’s MAGNEPOD system, which pairs with their magnetic accessories including drink holders and waterproof speakers. We coupled the chair with one of BOTE’s 36-ounce MAGNEBottles to enjoy a refreshing beverage while we float.
Garmin echoMAP Ultra 2 126sv, US, +Canada GN+, w/ GT56
The echoMAP Ultra 2 is a high-end fishfinder/chartplotter that comes in 3 sizes: 10”, 12”, or 16” touchscreen models. Editor George Krumm tested the 12” version and mounted it near the transom of his 22’ tiller-driven Rogue Jet Boatworks Chinook. This unit came pre-loaded with built-in Navionics+ charts. The GT56 transducer provides ultra-high-definition ClearVü and SideVü scanning sonars as well as CHIRP traditional sonar. The head unit has an IPX7 waterproof rating. The built-in, multi-band GPS provides improved position accuracy, and the unit can be wirelessly paired with the Garmin Force and Force Kraken electric trolling motors through the free ActiveCaptain app. It also supports LiveScope, so if you want an expandable chartplotter with a TON of capability, the echoMAP is for you.
There are lots of specifications and features you can look up. What is difficult to see on a website, though, is how clear the display is, and how easy it is to use. As with most quality sonars today, it’s NMEA 2000 compatible. By pairing the echoMAP to a Garmin Force or Force Kraken trolling motor, you can go to waypoints, draw and follow routes, and more. When a LiveScope system is plugged into the echoMAP, you can view live sonar showing fish in lifelike real time. This unit also has a screen-recording feature, so you can capture fishing videos on the screen. The echoMAP Ultra 2 126sv is a massively capable fishfinder/chartplotter that can help keep you safe and help you put more fish in the boat.
BeatDown Outdoors Breakaway All-Terrain Transducer Pole 2.0
If you want to use Garmin LiveScope or one of the other directional live-sonar systems, you have to have a means to mount and aim your transducer. Though we haven’t seen them all, the BeatDown Outdoors Breakaway All-Terrain Transducer Pole 2.0 is the best we’ve seen so far. Since most LiveScope systems are used by bass guys (trust us, that will change), most transducer poles are made to be used at the bow of the boat, on the side. Since us West Coast salmon guys do a lot of trolling and backtrolling, we like to mount our LiveScope transducers on the transom so we can aim the transducer back at our trolling spread. Having a breakaway pole is helpful and can save you a lot of heartache and money. We know one very good guide and angler who actually lost his LiveScope transducer—twice—because he didn’t have a breakaway pole and he forgot to stow the pole before firing up the big motor and racing off to the next spot. We had to modify the direction of the “breakaway” feature for this transom mounting location, but it was easy to do and we don’t have to worry about losing our transducer. We understand BeatDown is working on a solution so us anglers who like to mount the pole on the transom will be able to do so without any modifications. We give 2 thumbs up for the BeatDown transducer pole!
Garmin LiveScope Plus System w/ LVS34 and GLS10
Live sonar. The bass guys call it “forward-facing sonar.” But calling it “forward-facing” is situational and it’s actually much more capable than just looking forward. In West Coast applications, we actually point the transducer back towards our trolling spreads much of the time. Directional live sonar is probably a better description of what LiveScope actually is. No matter what you call it, it is a revolutionary sonar technology that is so effective at finding fish, the bass tours are putting rules on how it can be used. Since it is directional, with the appropriate transducer mount (sometimes called transducer poles or transducer sticks), you can point it in any direction around the boat, or straight down.
Editor George Krumm plugged the LiveScope Plus system into a Garmin echoMAP Ultra 2 126sv fishfinder/chartplotter and used a Beatdown Outdoors BreakAway Transducer Pole 2.0 to mount the LiveScope transducer at the transom of his 22’ open sled. For our West Coast salmon and bottomfishing, we either point the transducer back towards our trolling spread or straight down to watch fish approach our jigs or baits. You can also scan around the boat to see schools of fish like black rockfish that might be around the boat, but not under it. George calls his echoMAP fishfinder/chartplotter “the drool box” when he’s watching LiveScope Plus images on it. It’s fascinating to watch fish approach your lure, and watch their reaction as they either follow it for a while and leave, or decide to attack! If you can afford it, and if you have sufficient room on your boat, LiveScope Plus is a truly potent capability to have.
LeeLock MK-01 Trolling Motor Mount Port Side
Editor George Krumm used the MK-01 to mount a Garmin Force Kraken bow-mounted electric trolling motor. He’s used this mount in the past to mount Minn Kota trolling motors as well. The MK-01 fits into the LeeLock Quick Change Base, or the Bow-Roller Base, or either of the can-system bases. Port side refers to the direction the trolling motor shaft points when the motor is stowed. George actually bought an extra Quick Change Base which he installed on the garage wall to hold the electric trolling motor for times when he doesn’t want the motor on the boat. The MK-01 has proven itself through years of use. If you’re looking for a way to mount an electric trolling motor, but also have the capability of using a Columbia River anchor, or a can-style anchor, LeeLock has the parts to make it possible.
Garmin Force Kraken White Trolling Motor, 63” with Remote Control
The list of superlatives and features describing this bow-mounted electric trolling motor is long: 24V or 36V capable; wireless integration with Garmin chartplotters; multi-band GPS with Anchor Lock; multiple shaft lengths available; seamless cable integration with LiveScope sonar; pivot-style mount for easy installation and economy of space; floating remote; and integrated sonar transducer on some models. This trolling motor provides 100 pounds of thrust if run with 36V power, or 80 pounds of thrust if run on 24V power. Key utilities include Anchor Lock, Heading Hold, and Cruise Control. The motor is brushless, so it’s very quiet and much more efficient than electric motors that aren’t brushless. Editor George Krumm recently switched from using a Minn Kota Riptide Terrova QUEST to a Garmin Force Kraken White with a 63” shaft and says while both motors are great, the Garmin has some distinct advantages.
First, it only weighs 55 lbs (compared to about 85 lbs for the Riptide Terrova QUEST), making it much easier to install or remove on the bow. Second, the remote floats. This may sound like a small thing, but if you drop a remote and it sinks to the bottom, you’d be looking at a couple hundred bucks to get a replacement, plus, you might be out of action for a while. Third, the overall footprint of the Force Kraken is much smaller than that of the Riptide Terrova QUEST. This makes it much easier to fit on the bow of your boat, and allows more efficient use of the limited space at the bow. Anchor Lock works like a champ. George recalls one specific day where he utilized Anchor Lock in sustained winds of 25 mph, with frequent gusts to 45 mph. Anchor Lock held the location for hours without getting pushed off the spot. Watch for an upcoming article, “Unleash the Kraken,” in the May 2026 issue.