Is Bonafide's PWR129 the best fishing kayak?

[@GeneJensen]

Great review. Thanks for the shoutout. The only thing to add is the reason we left the flush mounted rod holders out. We did a survey and also asked around during tournaments and the general consensus was that people would rather have them as an option. The main reason is because they tend to hold water so your rod handles are always wet, and they become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The last I heard is that they would come with the kayak but not mounted. This may have changed.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Appreciate the feedback! Not a huge deal to me personally but we put a lot of them on SS127s and suspect we will these as well.

[@TexasPapa13]

I’m sold. Was looking at the titan x. But for the price you can’t beat the PWR

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Really can't. I love the setup and layout

[@flaminggorilla909]

Yeah. The pdl drive is nice and all but I think the extra leg room is gonna be nice and if I am gonna end up putting motors on it anyways this seems like the play.

[@ColsenTaylorFishing]

Looks like a great boat, solves a lot of the DIY problems with the SS series. Shocked it’s only a bit more then a ss127

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Me too honestly

[@metalhead0731]

Been looking to upgrade next year and definitely eyeing the TitanX since im looking for a kayak that can "do it all" (paddle, pedal, motor). Your videos ha e been very helpful. Thank you!

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Thanks for watching. I'll do a video on the Titan X 10.5 pretty soon as well

[@CrazyCranker]

When their giving you most of the important features of the Titan X but for only $1899.? Makes me forget all about a Titan X! Take my money-lol!

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Yeah, lol. That value is maxed on this kayak

[@VinceB391]

Excellent walk-through! I like the overall design and features of the kayak minus three things: 100% foot steering, 100% motor driven (but there’s always a paddle), and the power plate under the seat (as you and Flukemaster mentioned). Though I know a motor what it was specifically designed for, hence the name. I like to stand and fish so I would see the pedal steering being an issue for me. With all that said, one could purchase the PWR129 and an Xi3 for what the Titan X cost me by itself.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Great feedback. The foot steering can be great for moving water. It would allow you to control your drift.

[@g-wolfoutdoors8150]

Great walk-thru and well discussed details. I just wish these companies had better quality control, so we didn't have to adjust things at these prices.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

What adjustments are you talking about? Just curious

[@user-vp3eg2hf3j]

Awesome looks like my next kayak access panels foot well deck diy ready more then an I've seen!

[@thebeardedpaddler]

You won't regret it!

[@RobertKuepper-o1y]

Great review! (Netflix and Chill 🤣)

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Thank you!

[@horvathszovatiandras5959]

I think the flush mount rod holder is not needed on it but its nice that you have the option to put it on. Also as it is not pre installed you can adjust the angle of the rod holder when you put it on yourself. I had them on my previous kayak and it always annoyed me that they were in an outside angle and never used them. Beautiful kayak absolutely would buy one but i am stuck with my ss 127 for the next 5-10 years.😅🤣

[@thebeardedpaddler]

It's not a deal breaker by any means

[@wciii3591]

I fish creeks and small rivers with a lot of overhanging trees. I don't use flush mounted holders anyway. I can't tell you how many times I've had to turn around and pull my rods down out of the way while trying to steer and catch a fish all at the same time. The rod tip holders are the way to go for me.

[@bobbyhogan9207]

A most excellent video Andy 👊 Thank you Sir 😎 That yak has a lot going for it. I like the horizontal rod storage feature but am concerned about those rods under the seat being it the way 🤷🏼‍♂️ I have a blackpack now and get tired of hitting the rod tips in the trees 😩 Only question I have is there room for a forward facing rod holder around the seat?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Thanks man

[@JPHET37]

If you’re a serious kayak angler get the one with pedal systems . Never underestimate the electric ⚡️ motor or battery they can go bad on you but that’s up to you. 😊

[@thebeardedpaddler]

That's why to keep a paddle with you as backup. Same with a pedal drive. Thanks for watching!

[@mikemadethemfly7662]

I lost my pedal drive too. That can happen.

[@budfarkus]

Im really impressed, BUT how does it paddle? I thinking buy a couple of these and paddling them this season then put XI3 on them next year?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I did an on the water review where I paddled it around quite a bit

[@travisjae1775]

For a larger guy who will fish both fresh and saltwater, which kayak would you recommend. As of this moment, I'm targeting Nucanoe Unlimited. That PWR129 seems to have better battery storage capabilities. the main thing I'm looking for is deck space and swivel seat which can be modified for any kayak. I look forward to receiving your response.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

For what you are needing, I would suggest the Nucanoe. I say that because the need for open space and swivel seat. Modifying the seat can seriously change the dynamic of the stability and handling of any kayak.

[@MostlyHumanPowered]

My biggest concern is that Aliex said the hull filled with water when he flipped the kayak because there's no gasket around the huge front hatch. Also, I have a minor gripe that the boat is designed to be powered, but you still have to rig up navigation lights yourself, which are required by around sunrise and sunset.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

?? All kayaks with a front hatch will get water into the hull (gasket or no gasket) little bit of clickbait there. No hatches are waterproof I promise. That being said, it's not going to just sink to the bottom

[@chrisharrelson6150]

The direction the industry is heading, this could have been a complete knock out if it was bigger. (Not that it isn’t) A few inches in width and an extra foot to foot and a half in length would have given quite a bit more capacity. This is obviously not aimed at the minimalist fisherman. I wish one of the companies would do some public sourcing and just ask us what we want when designing a yak. Nobody asked for the 360 drive and look at what happened….nobody asked for the epdl and I haven’t heard anything since ICast about it……We got a new TitanX but it still has the biggest and most uncomfortable drive holes on the market. Sorry about that little rant. I’m probably still going to get this over any other on the market but only because I am forced too😂

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Bonafide actually has listened to customer feedback on this kayak. Obviously you can't have every suggestion on it. Definitely not a minimalist platform but a lot of features for the price compared to competitors. Thanks for watching

[@mikelafontaine8464]

What do you mean about the most uncomfortable drive hole on the titan x?

[@chrisharrelson6150]

@@mikelafontaine8464 in short, you cant turn your feet sideways because the drive hole comes all the way back to the front of the seat. Makes standing and fishing very uncomfortable.

[@mikelafontaine8464]

@@chrisharrelson6150 Thanks for replying, seriously looking at getting a titan X but I mainly stand to fish. Even with the seat all the way back you find the standing room cramped?

[@chrisharrelson6150]

@@thebeardedpaddler Don’t get me wrong, I love the yak. I just feel that with a few adjustments to length and width, it could have checked a few more boxes for a lot more people. There is a reason the PA14 has been at the top and it isn’t just because of the name. The size and capacity is what kept it there. There seems to be a lot of people selling their pa’s and there aren’t many options for a yak with similar dimensions to replace it. The “customer” feed back was from pro staff and insiders, not the consumer. I never heard of Bonafide or a pro staff member ask anyone publicly about what they would like to see in a new yak. I know they can’t make everyone happy, but unless those of us with more boxes to tick speak up, they will never know. I do it every chance I get. Every post that has a TitanX without the drive, I point it out. Every video about this pwr, I’m gonna say it should have been bigger. Thanks for the videos and all that you do for the sport! Tight lines!

[@saph9957]

Is bonfide shipping these out now? My local dealer doesn’t seem to have them yet. Also is the mounting plate for the trolling motor the same one as the ss127? I only see the one for the ss127 on bonfide’s website.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Yes we received our first truck of them yesterday. We are actually the largest Bonafide dealer so we were able to get the first ones.

[@robwelch001]

I'm considering getting either the Titan X 12.5 or the PWR 129. I will trailer boat, so weight, while I realize is substantially different is not my main issue. I'd like the capability of both peddle and motor depending on the size of the lake I'm fishing. Stability is a major issue which is why I'm leaning Titan X due to the width difference. I've heard about the great stability of the PWR 129, but 5 inches width difference between this boat and the Titan seems to lend itself to the Titan being much more stable. You've been in the Titan X and I'll be curious how you compare this boat. I also realize there's also a major price difference, but the PWR 129 doesn't include the peddle drive. Does the PWR 129 have peddle capability? Thanks for your great videos and I'd appreciate any insight you have as someone with access to both boats.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Titan X is by far the most stable kayak I have ever had on the water. I also loved the turning radius. If you want the pedal drive, I think that is the one for you.

[@davesippel914]

All of the videos that I’ve seen said that this was a new seat. It is supposed to be wider and it uses a new mechanism to lock it in place.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

It uses the same mechanism that is on the Liquidlogic Kiawah it's like a little wheel that twists over the bar.

[@davesippel914]

@@thebeardedpaddler Is it wider than the SS127?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

There are some small differences but fundamentally the same. The rear legs no longer fold under and is more of a straight bar that rests on the hull. The front is the same design. It's slightly wider so it may be more like the P127 seat than the SS127 Thanks for your feedback!

[@thebeardedpaddler]

@@davesippel914 the hull is, yes. The SS127 is 33.75" and the PWR is 35" the gunnels are thinner on the PWR which makes for more deck space. Looking forward to see how it paddles with rudder up and down

[@davesippel914]

@@thebeardedpaddlerThank you for the info.

[@user-mf5lv4fu6s]

Great video, Whats the best site to purchase one?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Your local (nearest) dealer

[@BamaBassCatcher99]

Do you see many warranty hulls with the Bonafide kayaks? How thick is the plastic compared to other brands?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

@@BamaBassCatcher99 I've seen 1 in 4 years. And it was warrantied immediately

[@BamaBassCatcher99]

How is the plastic thickness compared to the others?

[@BamaBassCatcher99]

@@thebeardedpaddlerhave you sold quite a few?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

@@BamaBassCatcher99 only have one left

[@thebeardedpaddler]

@@BamaBassCatcher99 it's done really well

[@NiteWolfeFishing]

Question.... If mounting a transducer on the bottom of the pod does it sit low enough for sidescan to work? And if so is the transducer still protected by the hull Meaning it wont drag on the river bottom or when beaching? One of the things has me confused is the ketch board placement. If your mounting your fishfinder on the pod (which seems to be where design says to mount one, Then you can really use the ketch board holder.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Not sure if it sits low enough but you should be able to use a spacer. The pod does remove very easily so you could remove and then put into place when on the water. Hope that answers your question!

[@hugobarreiras6652]

Good afternoon, which is the safest and most stable Kayak, Bonafide PWR129 or Native Tintan X 12.5? I weigh 98kg.(216lb) Thank you and greetings from Portugal

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Titan X 12.5 is the most stable kayak out there

[@hugobarreiras6652]

@@thebeardedpaddler Thank you very much, but it is a little expensive, thanks again and best regards from Portugal

[@Osprey1955]

What are the dimensions of the kayak. Length, width, weight, capacity etc.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

It'd all in the description! Thanks for watching

[@WarEagleTheBest]

Did Bonafide test it with NK300 or Torqeedo, anybody have seen this footage? (Flukemaster videos are pointless). If yes, what did they do with a rudder and foot control steering for a back motor?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

For the stern motor you take the rudder cable off the rudder wheel and attach it to the motor. That will work on bothe the Torqeedo and Newport! Great question

[@WarEagleTheBest]

@@thebeardedpaddler strange Bonafide don’t mention that either their biggest influencer, do they make mounting plates for those stern motors?