Crescent Kayaks have been building boats in the Southeast since 2001. Now Crescent is entering the ring with their first specialized fishing kayak, the Shoalie. Crescent built the Shoalie as a 12-foot paddle kayak designed to be maneuverable in rapids and coastal waves.
Entering the ring with larger brands in the kayak fishing arena is a bold move these days. To design the Shoalie, and lead Crescent into the specialized kayak fishing market, the small brand brought in the knowledge of 2020 Hobie Angler of the Year, Drew Gregory. In this video, Crescent owner James Derbecker and Gregory introduce the Shoalie, and walk us through every component.
Introducing The New Shoalie From Crescent Kayak
“When Crescent goes into a market we want to go there with authority. And we feel like who we’ve partnered with on this kayak is one of the greatest authorities in the industry,” Derbecker states, introducing the intent of the Shoalie along with the work of Drew Gregory.”
Derbecker and Gregory walk us through some of the clever features incorporated on the deck of the Shoalie. An adjustable-length grab handle. A molded hatch cover, providing grooves for rod staging and paddles to lay. Interior rod storage. A recessed space to flush mount a fish finder. Crescent has even put forethought into the rod-butt staging area to match the length of common rods.
“I actually love the fact that if you slide the seat in the high position and slide the rod butts into these stagers here, a seven-foot-one or seven-foot-three rod, a very common length rod, it makes your baits actually lay just exactly at the end of this kayak. Where there’s not any rod sticking out to catch on things,” Gregory explains of some of the meticulous details that have gone into building the Shoalie.
The list of Shoalie features continues, and includes many we see regularly on a modern fishing kayak. Standing platform area. High and low seat positions. A big stern tank well. And fluid Power Pole integration.
Let’s Get to the Hull
“The first thing I want to touch on which has become a staple with Crescent is this bulbous nose,” describes Derbecker. “This bulbous nose is going to keep you high in rapids and current.”
Derbecker goes on to explain the playful rocker profile in the Shoalie allows it to handle well in whitewater. Derbecker and Gregory also walk us through the tracking shape in the hull concentrated toward the back third of the kayak, as well as the volume placed on the outer sides of the kayak for increased stability.
If you are wondering if the Shoalie gets the job done check out Gregory’s results. From the seat of the Shoalie, Gregory took the win at the Bassmaster event at Grand Lake in Oklahoma this spring.
Visit Crescent Kayaks to learn more about the new Shoalie fishing kayak.
The ‘yak is sweet – but the dreads are sweeter!