By Paul Lebowitz

Years ago, kayak manufacturer Wilderness Systems introduced a kayak that matched a performance-oriented 16-foot-long hull with a sit-on-top deck. Quick but stable, the Tarpon was a cult favorite among kayak anglers with a love for going the distance.

If anything, the boat borrowed too much from her touring kayak roots. The lack of a stern tankwell put a serious crimp in her West Coast fishing utility. Wilderness Systems remedied that shortcoming when it launched the redesigned T160i in 2005. She's the same kayak from the waterline down, but has an all-new fishing-friendly deck.

"There's a lot of room to mount equipment," said Team Wilderness Systems Pro Staffer Mark Pierpont as he pointed out the highlights of the redesigned deck: an expansive rear tankwell, spots to mount equipment fore and aft, and a reconfigured center console. Belowdecks storage is as generous as it ever was - 16-feet long accessed via a medium-sized bow hatch and two smaller round hatches.

Now that the T160i is as "fishy" as any sit-on-top kayak out there, her performance features really shine. "The 160i is fast," Pierpont said. "It allows greater mobility, so I can cover more water and handle adverse weather."

According to Pierpont, skilled paddlers can get even more from the 16-foot-long 160i. "It allows kayak anglers to implement real sea kayak paddling techniques and boat handling," Pierpont said. "The 160i is for anyone who is past the first boat jitters, or wants performance."

THE WILDERNESS SYSTEMS TARPON 160i OFF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND