“Pungo 140 Angler” an excellent kayak that not only tracks well but rides through the water at a fast pace.

This kayak also provides fishermen and fisherwomen with the ability to maneuver at a high speed, for those who are experienced kayakers.

With unmatched speed capability and extreme stability with accessible rigging options suitable for serious kayak paddlers, the Pungo is becoming a very popular choice for anglers across the world.

Wilderness is one of the superior brands on the market and consistently make great kayaks, with the Pungo, in our opinion, being one of the best yet. This model will not win any awards for design, but it will win over fans of classic kayaks.

This kayak is very versatile, with the options to adjust seating and side rails plus there is enough room to customize your kayak in certain places.

Wilderness have been great at getting feedback on previous models and we feel that they have stepped up their game when developing their latest product.

What to Consider when Buying a Fishing Kayak

Choosing a kayak, no matter which one will wind up costing you a decent amount of money, choosing the right one for you is important considering the investment. There are several main considerations that you need to keep in mind when considering which fishing kayak to buy, including these:

The Wilderness Systems Pungo 140 Angler Fishing Kayak Review

The Wilderness Systems Pungo 140 is one of the best fishing kayaks on the market and we hope that this review will give you an insight into its capabilities and restrictions.

Read on to see if the Wilderness kayak is the right choice for you and your next angling expedition.

Specifications

Pros

Cons

You can tell how many features this kayak offers with one quick look and when you take a closer look at these features we think most of them will impress you.

The kayak looks like it is built to last, with visibly strong materials going the kayak an overall feel of being good quality, without it being sound over substance.

With handy places for you to store all of your belongings, including any electronics that you have, the size of the kayak is very reasonable. With good levels of tracking and the use of durable materials, this kayak is a good all rounder and ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to fishing kayaks.

Size and Weight

The Pungo kayak has an overall capacity of 350 pounds and is great for anglers on the smaller end of the scales or who do not take a lot of equipment on their fishing trips.

If you are used to going on long expeditions and taking a lot of equipment then the capacity may be an issue for you. For us, the balance between stability and maneuverability could be better as a 14 ft kayak with just a 28” beam may not feel stable enough for some.

Coming in at 60 pounds it is relatively light compared to some other fishing kayaks and those who are not very strong will love the fact that it can easily be moved by one person.

Design

With a length of 14 ft and a beam of only 28”, this is one fast kayak, in fact, it may be one of the fastest on the market. Narrow beams do not appeal to everyone though, so if you want to be stable rather than sporty, this is a factor you need to take into account if you are thinking of buying the Pungo.

The size of this kayak is breathtaking to look at as the streamlined image of this kayak standing in the river is very impressive indeed. We know that style is not everything, but sometimes you just spot a kayak that looks good and it can give you a buzz.

The “AirPro Freedom Elite” technology allows anglers to fish for long periods without becoming uncomfortable or risking getting a bad back. We have to say the back support was far superior to that we have seen on some models within this price range. The cushioning on the seat is some of best we have tried and you will be forgiven for taking a power nap in between catches, it is that comfortable.

Like we have said, this kayak is not all about what it looks and feels like, it has many innovative features, such as foot braces that you can adjust and adjustable seating. These features may seem trivial but when you think of the varying sizes of anglers, you can think about how a few inches of extra room can be beneficial.

Larger anglers often go for Wilderness kayaks due to this extra room and it is one of the main reasons people choose the Pungo model. If there is room to stand up and get as close to the fishing action as possible, it is a massive tick in the box from us.

One aspect of the Pungo kayak that we really like is the Orbix day hatch that can be found in front of the seat and gives anglers a good amount of storage space to keep your essentials dry. Unlike some other Wilderness models, there is plenty of standing room in this kayak, due to the lack of some other features.

This is where personal preferences come in, as all anglers want different things. If modern trends and fancy design features are your thing, then this may not be the model for you, but if you like your kayaks simple, then you cannot go wrong with this kayak.

Features

The Pungo features a very large cockpit opening that has a rim so that you can add a spray skirt and an area where you can attach a console for extra storage and places to put your paddle, electronic equipment and camera attachments.

There is room for most sizes of cool box and with the speed of this kayak you will be darting about the waters picking up plenty of fish, so make sure your cooler is not too small!

The Pungo stability is due to the pontoon-type hull design, which is becoming popular in the new generation of stand-up kayaks. The Pungo is definitely not flimsy!

There is plenty of dry storage space, as we mentioned earlier and there will be no problem finding room for your cool box. You often need to compromise on storage and standing room when you are preparing for an expedition, but the Pungo takes away this problem in a very effective way.

A lot of the features of this kayak are great, some very unique even.

Summary

We had a few doubts over some of the aspects of Wilderness’s other kayaks, mostly in terms of price, but the Pungo is very pleasing indeed and it is one of the best kayaks we have paddled in for a long time. We have to admit the speed of this kayak has us convinced straightway, as you can really hit a good pace due to its length and 28” beam.

Due to the speed, we would recommend that experience kayakers buy this model and we do to think that it is wholly suitable for novices. Yes, you will learn to adapt to speed in time, but you need to walk before you can run and your first priority will be adjusting to fishing in a kayak rather than a standard boat, not being the fastest on the river.

Critics have said that this kayak is a little old fashioned, without as many modern features as some kayaks of the same price, but there is nothing wrong with liking classic features, in our opinion. There really isn’t much not to love about this kayak and we are sure that you will love it too.