What’s In A Name – The Big Rig HDFD

One of the best things about the kayak fishing industry that we’re all enjoying are the rapid levels of innovation and new products to help everybody get out kayak fishing and having a fun time doing it. When we launched the Big Rig in 2014 we had one primary focus – make the most stable and feature laden fishing kayak on the market. At that time, it was the first kayak on the market with designed in Power-Pole and Raymarine transducer scupper integration. It was the first kayak to take inspiration from drift boats and flats skiffs and introduce our Rod Troughs for more, protected rod storage. And most importantly it was the most stable kayak on the market, and kayak anglers fell in love with how easy it was to stand on, yet still be so easy to paddle. 

Flash forward four years, and our unique Flex Drive entered the picture, first on our Coosa FD model with a more moving water focus. Moving water is where our kayak fishing division really began, so we felt it was the most fitting introduction. Not surprisingly, we immediately began getting requests for the Flex Drive on a Big Rig with a more flatwater focus, with more stability and more real estate for gear management. We could’ve done it exactly like the Coosa FD and molded the geometry needed into the hull to drop the Flex Drive right in, but we wanted to take some time and do things differently. 

We wanted to offer more versatility and utility. We recognized that some paddlers just wanted a new Big Rig with all the latest and greatest features like our trimmable seating and newer hatches. But we also had customers screaming for a pedal version. So, once again, we innovated. We decided we could make a newer, better, bigger, Big Rig that could have more features and storage, for both paddlers and pedalers. Enter our vision of a ‘pod’, and enter the era of the Big Rig HDFD.

By rotomolding a large, interchangeable pod system that securely nests into the floor, we’ve developed a new kayak that solves all the problems our customers were asking for, letting you decide which is better for you, without compromising either. If you’re a paddler, you get more, dry storage at your fingertips in the floor in front of you, while keeping a nice, uncluttered deck area. You get more stability than the original Big Rig, more rod and tackle storage options, more customization options, more seating options, and even better maneuverability than the original Big Rig. If you prefer pedal power and hands free fishing, but want more rod and tackle storage, more stability, and more flexibility than the Coosa FD provides, now you have that option in the Big Rig FD. And if you want the best of both worlds, you have that too, and can buy whichever pod your new Big Rig HDFD didn’t come with, and switch back and forth as you desire. 

We’re anticipating a Fall release of the new Big Rig HDFD, so until then, think BIG, sweet, fishy dreams.

Damon