{"id":11317,"date":"2025-06-12T10:02:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T10:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=11317"},"modified":"2025-06-12T10:02:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T10:02:23","slug":"review-bonafide-xtr130-fishing-kayak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=11317","title":{"rendered":"Review: Bonafide XTR130 Fishing Kayak"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    Review: Bonafide XTR130 Fishing Kayak<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-1-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Bonafide XTR130 from overhead\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-1.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The Bonafide XTR130 is an angling platform that straddles the line between kayak and motorboat.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Sorerrunte Johnson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p><iframe id=\"wxuzj5efbz\" src=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.dragonforms.com\/wxuzj5efbz\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If your perception of\u00a0a kayak is a sun-faded, sit-inside piece of plastic with an aluminum paddle, you\u2019re about to go from black-and-white to high-definition LED. Today, kayak fishing rigs resemble bass boats or center-consoles more so than paddleboards. And the leading edge might be a new kayak from Bonafide called the XTR130. Not all that different from what a fishing skiff offers, the XTR130 has room for two anglers to sit, stand and fish.<\/p>\n<p>Possibilities to modify the nearly 13-foot kayak\u00ad\u2014which features 700 pounds of capacity\u2014are eye-opening. The Bonafide XTR130 comes in four color options, including Andros Green, Top Gun Grey, Steel and Camo, and has an upper and lower deck. (Yes, you can step up to the forward deck.) The vessel\u2019s bow is designed for casting and sight-fishing, but it\u2019s also where the trolling motor mounts to a factory-rigged bracket, and electronics are incorporated via various optional configurations. Yes, live sonar and down-scan \u00adsonar can run in conjunction with each other on this kayak. A single 100-amp-hour lithium battery powers the trolling motor, sonar systems and lights all day. There\u2019s space for all of it too. Bonafide\u2019s optional crossbar allows kayakers to run two sizable screens, such as Garmin\u2019s Ultra 106sv 10-inch monitors.<\/p>\n<p>Both forward storage areas handle wiring and lithium batteries, but what\u2019s unique is within the largest hatch up front. Quickly remove the lid\u2014taking up a sizable portion of the front deck\u2014and that\u2019s where a second angler sits on a swivel-mounted chair connected to a track. Remove the chair and return the hatch into position, and the kayak converts from a tandem fishing machine back to a one-angler vessel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/how-to\/installing-an-electric-motor-on-a-kayak\/\">Installing an Electric Motor on a Kayak<\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-2-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Bonafide XTR130 with anglers fishing\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NM525-Kayaks-2.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The Bonafide XTR130 is stable as a table, with generous standing space around the main seat.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Bonafide<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>Amidships, there\u2019s standing space fore and aft of the main sliding swivel seat. Owners can add foot steering for a bow-mounted Minn Kota or MotorGuide trolling motor and steering\/throttle for a stern kayak motor from ePropulsion, Newport or Torqeedo. The tracks, which allow the seat to move forward and back, also double as prime areas to mount electronics or a forward-facing sonar stick and transducer. For those who want to keep the tracks clear, there are still multiple mounting points for electronics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the XTR130\u2019s stern, a mounting bracket for a kayak motor\u2014Bonafide works closely with Newport and ePropulsion\u2014comes standard. There\u2019s also space for another lithium battery and wiring, motor-\u00admounted lift lines, and steering to motorize Bonafide\u2019s rig. One might ask, \u201cWhy two motors on a single kayak?\u201d The stern \u00admotor serves as the power to get to a spot, while the bow trolling motor lets anglers cover an area while fishing.<\/p>\n<p>No paddle? No problem. Treat the XTR130 like any boat, but without the monthly payments that go with it. The vessel\u2019s tow eye is standard, meaning this 170-pound fully rigged kayak is best loaded in and out of the water with a trailer. Boat registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles is probably necessary. And a transducer will likely be sticking out the back of the\u00a0 vessel\u2019s hull too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But to see the Bonafide XTR130 and experience how far kayaks have come\u2014and what they can do\u2014is just next-level.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Five Standout Features<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\n<strong>Kayak Cockpit:<\/strong> Configured for a solo angler, this open deck is where you can stand, control your rear propulsion, check a panel of electronics or grab rods from horizontal storage.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Comfort Zone:<\/strong> The elevated seat turns 360 degrees on a swivel, plus it has plenty of storage beneath and behind. Also, it\u2019s a great spot to rig your forward-facing sonar transducer on the side rail.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Power Play:<\/strong> To get to fishing spots, you need power to push this 40-inch-wide, 12-foot-long \u2019yak. Mount a rear electric motor from makers such as Newport or ePropulsion.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Forward Deck:<\/strong> There is battery storage in the compartments below, plus an upper deck platform for stand-up fishing. Mount a second seat for another angler up front, complete with rigging for a sonar display.<\/li>\n<li>\n<strong>Max Movement:<\/strong> Mount a trolling motor to an available base at the reinforced bow. A grab handle, grip points below the gunwale, and even a tow eye allow anglers to maneuver or trailer the XTR130 easily.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/boats\/bonafide-xtr130-fishing-kayak-review\/\">Review: Bonafide XTR130 Fishing Kayak<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/\">Boating Mag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Sam Hudson<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/boats\/bonafide-xtr130-fishing-kayak-review\/\">Go to boatingmag<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Review: Bonafide XTR130 Fishing Kayak The Bonafide XTR130 is an angling platform that straddles the line between kayak and motorboat. Courtesy Sorerrunte Johnson If your perception of\u00a0a kayak is a sun-faded, sit-inside piece of plastic with an aluminum paddle, you\u2019re about to go from black-and-white to high-definition LED. Today, kayak fishing rigs resemble bass boats [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126,148,4765,351],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-11317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boatingmag","category-boats","category-kayak","category-nextmarine","tag-boatingmag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11317"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11317\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}