The Water Master Kodiak and Grizzly rafts are the most versatile personal watercraft in the most diverse conditions. So often we talk about design in how it relates to performance on the water, but today I want to talk about wade fishing. Wading doesn’t have anything to do with rafts and floating down the river, right? With the Water Master it does. The design is twofold; it is extremely safe, and it allows unparalleled access.
The closed bow and stern allow an angler to stand and fish effortlessly without having to hold onto their boat. The WM’s low profile keeps the boat out of your way, and it is so light that, when standing, the boat rests on your hip providing a stable and secure environment around you. If you should trip or even fall, you fall onto the boat. This is a big deal. River bottoms are tricky and if you fish enough, you will fall in from time to time. I filled my waders twice this past season. The older I get the more I appreciate my long-time customers using this boat for safety. The WM gives them confidence, they otherwise wouldn’t have. Many of my customers purchase the Grizzly model solely as a wading aid, with no intention of sitting in the boat and floating. Fifteen minutes out of the bag and onto the water provides a quick and safe wading aid for their favorite section of river.
The design allows an angler to fish mid-river gravel bars, drop-offs, and long tail-outs. Anglers can fish everything. Not having to anchor your craft or get out of your boat, is an extremely important advantage. A person can cover more water. Either by fishing while floating, or by stopping and wading in places that wouldn’t be wise without the safety of the Water Master around them. Access is paramount, and the WM gives you that.
Smaller streams and lower water are perfect situations for the WM. The boat floats in four inches of water and is ideal for accessing islands and side channels. On one particular trip to a local stream I learned this lesson the hard way. We decided to wade fish all day and regretted not putting the boats in to float. I saw a mid-river island and decided to go for it. Fifteen minutes later I was casting to rising trout with ice-cold water in the bottom of each boot. My swim was brief, but could have been catastrophic. If I was in my WM, I would have enjoyed landing completely dry. The WM allows you to bring all your gear with you while you wade fish. The boat is always with you. An angler no longer needs to park his boat securely on shore, get out, grab some gear, and work their way into position. You can simply stop anywhere you choose to make a few casts by standing up. Anywhere you would be comfortable wade fishing is anywhere you can use the Water Master. I was recently informed by one of my elderly customers that his Water Master actually extended his fishing career, by allowing him the security to wade into his favorite water.

Written by Jeremie Loble