Paddleboards have never really made sense to me as complete fishing platforms. Tippy. Little storage. The wind tosses you around. Then the Ventral hit Kickstarter this week, and it’s addressing all of those points.
🎣 Dad Joke of the Week What do you call a lazy kangaroo? A pouch potato. |
Let’s get into it.
🎣 THIS WEEK’S FEATURE |
Meet the Ventral, an inflatable platform that’s actually built to fish
Ventral just launched a Kickstarter for an inflatable fishing board with a full electric smart drive built directly into the middle of the board. Not a bolted-on trolling motor, not a paddle-and-hope setup, an integrated Smart Mid-Mount Drive with GPS. Here’s why it caught my attention.
| It solves the biggest problem with paddleboard fishingEvery angler on a paddleboard knows the deal: current pushes you, wind pushes you, and you spend half the trip paddling back to where you started. The Ventral’s mid-mount electric smart drive handles positioning, so you’re actually fishing instead of correcting. Runs 5 mph, holds you against wind or current, and gets out of the way when you don’t need it. |
| GPS Anchor Lock is the feature that sold meThe board holds its position within about a meter, no rope, no stake-out pole, no drifting off your spot when you set the hook. Push a button, the drive keeps you planted. This is a feature I’d normally expect on a $5,000 motorized kayak, not a $2,499 inflatable fishing board. Watch it in action in my full walkthrough → |
| Back the Ventral on Kickstarter → |
Early bird $2,499, $1,500 off retail |
| The build is legit, 650 lb capacity, 12′6″ × 39″That’s a bigger footprint than most rec paddleboards and enough load rating for a full-size angler plus tackle, cooler, and dry storage. The board and drive both pack into carry bags, which means this thing goes in a car trunk. Try that with a pedal kayak. |
| Who it’s actually forIf you’re a kayak angler who already has a boat, this is a second platform for calm days, small water, and travel. If you’re a paddleboard-curious angler who’s been waiting for one that fishes seriously, this is that. If you’re in an apartment or a small SUV, this might be your first real fishing platform. |
| The math on early-bird pricingRetail is supposed to land at $3,999. Early-bird backers get it for $2,499, $1,500 off. The next tier up is already $2,599, and it climbs from there as spots fill. If you’re seriously considering one of these, backing in the first tier is the difference between paying kayak money and paying half-kayak money. |
EARLY BIRD · 23 DAYS LEFT $2,499, save $1,500 off retail Back the Ventral →Full walkthrough on YouTube before you back it |
🛒 GEAR PICKS · IF YOU BACK THE VENTRAL |
5 things you'll want in the bag alongside it
The Ventral ships with the board and the drive. These are the five things I'd stack on top so you're actually fishing-ready day one.
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🔋 STILL LIVE |
Redodo Lithium, 10% Off With BDF8
Last couple weeks on the Redodo deal, if kayak power has been on your list, the code BDF8 still stacks 10% off site-wide through the end of the month.
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📺 VIDEO SPOTLIGHT · NEW ON YOUTUBE |
This Inflatable Fishing Platform Holds 600 POUNDS?!
Full walkthrough of the Ventral Board, hands-on look at the Smart Mid-Mount Drive, the GPS anchor, the folded-down package, and my honest take before you back it.
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See you on the water. Tight lines!
, Jay