Tarpon 130X

13'
Length
32"
Width (in)
72
Weight (lb)
$1,499
MSRP

Tarpon 130X Description

Building upon the heritage of the revered Tarpon – the craft that pioneered kayak fishing – the Tarpon 130X maintains a sleek, speedy, and exceptionally stable platform with modern shaping and abundant feature upgrades such as the versatile Flex Pod OS, allowing for storage, electronic and propulsion opportunities with Helix MD™ Motor Drive compatibility. The ultra-comfortable AirPro LITE seat features a new slide-on-track system for increased fore/aft trimming while maintaining all of the comfort features found and loved in the AirPro MAX seat.

Tarpon 130X Specs and Features

  • Structure: Rigid / Hard Shell
  • Cockpit Type: Sit on Top / Open Cockpit
  • Seating Configuration: Solo
  • Ideal Paddler Size: Average Adult, Larger Adult
  • Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
  • Ideal Paddler Size: Average Adult, Larger Adult
  • Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Wilderness Systems
Tarpon 130X Reviews

Read reviews for the Tarpon 130X by Wilderness Systems as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

I am new to kayaking, but…

Submitted by: paddler490870 on 2/25/2019

I am new to kayaking, but not new to fishing. I did thorough research last year to come up with a kayak that would fit my fishing style. That said, my fishing style is mostly trolling and very little sit in place cast fishing.

This kayak fits the bill. I see where it gets bad reviews from being "noisy" - because it is - but people who think this "scares" the fish away are just looking for an excuse as to why they cannot catch fish. I have a motorboat that I use to also fish with(when I am having to cover a lot of water on a lake) and I will routinely troll, with the 70hp outboard motor running, in 12' of water and less - literally running the prop just feet from the bottom - and I will go home with a full live well of fish. The noise of the Tarpoon130x is insignificant as it pertains to being able to use for fishing.

So, noisy, it is - but that is just a personal preference. What you get in exchange for that noise is the features of having an EASY way to mount fishing electronics and the awesome speed that comes from the tarpoon family with a little bit more stability. I tried a few different ones before getting this one, and while there are other fishing kayaks that are more stable to stand in, they are much heavier and slower. And while the original Tarpoon's are not as noisy, they lack the fishing conveniences of this kayak and are not as stable/comfortable.

If you're looking for a kayak to mainly trolling with, then I cannot see how you're going to find a better one that will give you the fishing options this one has with the ease of speed needed for trolling. Its the "crossover" of the kayak world I think. The seat is a pain to put in sometimes, but most of the time its just because I don't take my time because I am itching to get on the water. It's not hard to put the seat in, it just takes more time.

I believe this kayak has a particular nitch, so I can see why it is being discontinued. It really is one of those kinds of products that fit a specific type of use the best, but come up short when compared to others used for other purposes. Not the best for just casual cruising because of the noise, not the best for hardcore stand up bass fishing because of the stability. Meaning, if you're looking for a kayak specifically for trolling, I highly recommend this one because it "fits" that type of use the best - better than any other kayak in its class.

I just wish they had developed the pedal drive to fit this, and/or make the motor drive unit more affordable. It would make the trolling sessions last much longer. After rowing non-stop for hours on end(except the occasional stop to reel in a fish) it does get tiring.

1

I test paddled this kayak…

Submitted by: TML on 11/19/2018

I test paddled this kayak recently and now know why it was quickly discontinued. I only paddled it about two minutes and realized I hated it immediately. I like all kinds of kayaks and canoes but not this one. The seat was comfortable but so fiddly of a retention system on slide tracks that makes it very hard to correctly line up and tighten down with two screw knobs and two cam locks like a bicycle quick release seat post clamp. You might as well just keep the seat on and never adjust it because you will cuss out loud trying to adjust it or get it back on after removing it. The boat paddles well since most of the hull shape is like the other tarpons but 2" wider. It is stable and has a lot of fishing features most anglers want. There is two giant holes in the middle front of the kayak. One has a plate covering it and one has a hollow small box covering it. These are for transducers and other various electronics mounting. ect. When paddling these giant holes in the hull slap and churn water at a ridiculous noise level equal to an old clothing washing machine. I'm not exaggerating, this boat is the loudest most annoying kayak I've ever paddled. It's downright terrible! How could this design make it through testing/development into production? How is this a fishing kayak? You will certainly scare away all fish within a half mile of your paddling area.

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