Kawasaki’s Jet Ski Ultra 160LX-S Angler

There are five rod holders on this personal watercraft: one forward and four aft. Courtesy Kawasaki

Yes, it’s a great thing to have a big boat that’s fully outfitted for fishing. The fighting chair in the cockpit. The nearby air-conditioned mezzanine seating. Crew standing at the ready with every kind of bait and lure imaginable.

But then, there are those times—and yes, we all have experienced them—when the urge hits to take a break from all the hullabaloo that comes with fishing from the big boat. Sometimes, an angler wants to be alone with his wits, his gear and his prey.

That’s why Kawasaki created the Jet Ski Ultra 160LX-S Angler. It’s designed for solo launches and retrievals, and to get into the kinds of fishing holes that the big boat can’t access.

This personal watercraft has a 22.5-degree deep-V hull for handling rough water en route to hotspots. Courtesy Kawasaki

Just some of the fishing-centric features on the Jet Ski Ultra 160LX-S Angler include a 7-inch Garmin EchoMap fish finder/chart plotter, side floats that add buoyancy and serve double duty as footrests for riders seated sideways, a flat fishing bench seat that lets riders turn sideways with ease, a rod holder forward, and a rear rack that holds a cooler, more rods and gear.

Enjoy fishing from smaller craft? We review the top fishing tenders here.

None of that is to say this personal watercraft can only be used for fishing. It’s based on Kawasaki’s supercharged flagship Jet Ski Ultra 310 series models. The front bumper provides splash protection, while the rear bumper makes it harder for water to wash on the deck during tight, banked turns. The five-way handlebar is adjustable to suit people of various sizes and allows for stand-up or sit-down riding.

Three people can fit on the seat, say, for a run to the dinghy dock. (Built-in cleats are on each side of the deck.) If a swim is in the cards, a reboarding step aft makes the process of getting back on board easier.

Kawasaki gives anglers several ways to bring along bait for the fish or snacks for themselves. This storage bag is one of them. Courtesy Kawasaki When the bag’s not big enough, the storage case is ready to swallow even more stuff. Courtesy Kawasaki Anglers can bring along all of their best rods and reels. This is the place to put them. Courtesy Kawasaki

It’s true that personal watercraft aren’t welcome everywhere these days, but this craft is also ready for riders who get the side-eye from onlookers in no-wake zones. One-touch 5 mph mode slows things down, and the cruise-control button increases speed up to 6.2 mph, just about right for a slow wave at the folks ashore.

Take the next step: kawasaki.com

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