By Nate Matthews

A new fishing kayak was released today called the Predator (top), which appears to be Old Town's answer to Hobie's popular Pro Angler model. Both yaks are part of a trend toward bigger, more comfortable fishing kayaks that trade range and speed for customizable versatility. Both the Predator and the Pro Angler feature highly stable multi-hull designs, extra-wide beams, and adjustable, removable seats that emphasize angler comfort (they look almost like deck chairs). Both are great kayaks for big-bodied anglers, those who want to stand up while fishing, and those who need lots of cargo space for carrying livewells, coolors, and other bulky gear. Both boats feature slip-resistant decking as well as mounting plates that let you attach rod holders, GPS mounts, or other accessories without having to drill holes in your hull. Both were designed to accomodate trolling motors. 

By Ben Romans

How much would you pay to be able to hit your target at distances of 1,000 yards—and never miss? TrackingPoint, a precision rifle manufacturer in Texas, is setting the opening bid at $22,500.
 
The company is producing precision rifles and fusing them with advanced scopes that account for distance, gravity, wind speed, humidity, and even the rotation of the earth. TrackingPoint debuted the system at SHOT Show in January to much media attention.

Shooters can view their target through the scope and “tag” it with the crosshairs, so even with the safety off, the gun doesn’t fire until it’s locked on to the target. What’s more, the scope systems are WiFi enabled and come with a color display that records the scope’s perspective so shooters can share videos online. But they come with a hefty price tag: $22,500 to $25,700.

By Ben Romans

A few anglers in Alaska recently had an up-close-and-personal encounter with a killer whale when it approached their boat and grabbed a halibut from the end of a fishing line.
 
In a clip recently posted by The Alaska Life, you can hear the men behind the line talking, but they seem relatively calm considering what happened. This has led to some comments online alleging the men knew the whale was in the area and were purposely trying to entice it closer.

Also, no additional details about the location of the encounter with the orca have been reported. Do you think it was a truly candid moment?
 

By Ben Romans

While everyone was focused on the potential world record mako caught last week in California, another mako off the New Jersey coast also made headlines.

On June 4, two Garden State anglers got more than they bargained for near the Manasquan Inlet when they hooked an 8-foot, 303-pound mako—and it leapt into their 31-foot boat.
 
Clint Simek of Brielle, NJ and Tom Rostron Jr. of Wall, NJ described the incident in the Asbury Park Press, saying they were simply in the area on Rostron’s boat, TNT, scouting for potential areas to hold shark fishing tournaments later this month. By mid-afternoon, the men had caught and released 14 blue sharks, and as the wind calmed and conditions improved, they were eager to see what else they’d find. That’s when the big mako showed up.