Jackson Blue Sky Boatworks
A fishing catamaran that gives you the access of a kayak, the stability of a boat, and a platform unlike anything else on the water.
"My buddy would hate me for saying this, but the Blue Sky Boatworks is as good as a bass boat, but maybe more fun! All I'm missing is a couch, a beverage and a TV on this thing."
— Travis Randall
Every year kayaks get more boat-like. Working in the industry, we thought there is really only so much innovation that can be had with fishing kayaks. Someone at Jackson Kayaks thought differently and asked: what if we built a different kind of vessel entirely?
The result is the Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Pro — a twin-hull catamaran fishing platform borrowing the best ideas from fishing kayaks (bank launches, shallow water access, low cost of ownership, etc.) and combining them with the kind of stability and deck space you'd normally only find on a full-sized boat. Even with our own experiences, we still are not sure how to properly classify it. All we know is, our staff has had a blast on the catamaran-style fishing 'kayak.'
To understand the 360 Pro, you have to let go of the categories you already know. It is not a wider kayak. It is not a miniaturized pontoon boat. It is a purpose-built twin-hull catamaran designed from the ground up for the way serious anglers actually fish.
Two parallel hulls connected by a rigid deck platform — that is the catamaran formula, and it fundamentally changes what is possible on the water. The 360 Pro's hulls slice through the water independently, which reduces drag compared to a wide flat-bottom hull. But because they are spread apart, the platform they support is dramatically more stable than anything a single-hull kayak can offer.
The result is a vessel that is almost impossible to tip. Anglers who fish topwater lures, throw flies, or need to sight fish standing up will immediately understand the value. If you're like me, it feels unnatural to cast and reel from a seated position. Even if you love fishing from a kayak, anglers like myself still feel most at home standing and casting.
Despite its unconventional design, the 360 Pro retains the DNA that makes fishing kayaks so practical. While heavier than many fishing kayaks (around 150 lbs outfitted), the 360 Pro can still be maneuvered on land, transported in a truck bed or small trailer and can be launched from the bank, a dock, canoe launches and boat ramps. And it operates in water that would ground any boat with a traditional hull or motor.
This combination — boat-like stability and fishability, kayak-like portability and access — is what makes the 360 Pro unlike anything else in the market. What draws us anglers to fishing kayaks above all else is the more intimate experience on the water at the cost of some room, speed and stability compared to boats. With the 360 Pro, you can feel like you are on a boat platform without sacrificing your access to areas boats simply cannot go.
Compared to other popular fishing vessel types, the 360 Pro's catamaran platform stands on its own.
* Ratings are relative estimates for stand-up stability under typical fishing conditions. Individual results vary based on angler weight distribution, water conditions and ability.
Jackson offers the 360 in two configurations. Both sit on the same catamaran hull platform, but they are built around very different visions of what gets you on fish. The Angler is the pedal-powered, fully appointed fishing machine — complete with the Mark IV Flex Drive, swivel seat, and every organizational feature you can think of. The Pro is the motor-forward platform — wired for a trolling motor, battery-ready out of the box, and built for the angler who wants spot lock and electric power rather than pedals.
Which Package Is Right for You?
If you want a fully equipped, pedal-powered fishing machine with swivel seating, integrated storage, and hands-free propulsion built in, the 360 Angler is the complete package. If you know you prefer to run only a trolling motor — and want spot lock, a dedicated battery box, and a motor-mount-ready hull right out of the box — the 360 Pro is built for that setup. Both are the same exceptional catamaran platform. The question is simply how you like to move.
The pedal drive included with the 360 Angler is not an afterthought. Jackson's Mark IV Flex Drive is one of the most purposefully engineered pedal systems in the fishing kayak market. On a platform as versatile as the Blue Sky, the Flex Drive really shines.
Jackson Kayak's forward/reverse pedal drive system, designed specifically for demanding fishing conditions.
Forward & Reverse Retractable Dagger Prop Arm Shallow Water Capable Tool-Free Install Prop Access Hatch 3 Position Deployment Self-Retract PropellerRetractable Dagger Arm. Unlike rigid pedal drives that can snap or sustain damage when they hit rocks, stumps or debris, the Mark IV's dagger arm protects the propeller from damage and retracts automatically up into the hull. You can then easily deploy the propeller back down by using the deploy lever.
True reverse. Not all pedal drives offer genuine reverse propulsion. The Mark IV does, which makes maneuvering the 360 in tight cover, around docks, or back into a current far more manageable than a paddle-only setup.
Three Deployment Positions. The Flex Drive can be deployed in three different positions: Fully deployed, shallow deployment and stowed. When fully deployed, you obtain maximum speed and efficiency. Shallow deployment allows you to pedal in extremely shallow water but sacrifices some speed and efficiency. Stowed allows you to tuck your propeller up into the hull completely. This means you don't need to remove your drive when docking, landing or going over shallow water. All three positions are controlled by a deployment lever from your hull and Flex Drive.
No vessel is perfect for every angler or every type of water. Here is our honest look at where the 360 Pro excels and where you should consider more carefully before purchasing.
| Category | Strength (+) | Limitation (−) |
|---|---|---|
| Stability | + Near-zero tippy feeling; stand-up casting platform | − Wider beam takes getting used to in narrow channels |
| Portability | + Can be transported in a larger truck bed and moved with a kayak cart | − Heavier and more awkward than a single-hull kayak & may require a trailer |
| Fishability | + Massive deck space; tackle storage; 360° casting access | − Not built for big open water or heavy chop |
| Shallow Access | + Gets into water boats cannot reach | − Catamaran width can snag brush in very tight timber |
| Propulsion | + Flex Drive (Angler pkg) frees hands & motor-ready | − Pedaling in heavy current takes more effort than a motor |
| Versatility | + Paddle, pedal, or small motor compatible | − Motor adds cost and complexity beyond base packages |
| Cost | + Significantly less than a comparable boat rig | − Higher than a standard fishing kayak entry point |
The 360 Pro is not for everyone — and it does not try to be. It carves out a very specific niche, and for the anglers who fit that niche, there is nothing else on the market that does what it does.
Fish lakes, ponds, slow rivers, tidal marshes, or flooded timber where access — not speed — is the limiting factor. If you have ever paddled a kayak wishing you had just a little more room to stand, a little more stability to fish confidently, and a little more deck space to keep your gear organized, the 360 Pro was built with you in mind.
It also makes serious sense for anglers who have mobility or balance considerations that make a standard kayak feel risky. The stability margin on the 360 is not just "pretty good for a kayak" — it is flat-out reassuring.
Chase big open water, regularly fish in heavy current or surf conditions, or prioritize covering large distances quickly. The 360 Pro is a fishing platform first and a vessel second — it wants to be somewhere specific, not everywhere at once.
Anglers who primarily run long lake crossings or need to fish in heavy wind-driven chop may find that a more traditional fishing kayak or a small aluminum boat better serves their needs.
You do not own a large truck that can fit the size of the Blue Sky, or if you do not want to purchase a kayak-specific trailer to transport the large footprint of the Blue Sky Boatworks. If you are looking for a throw-and-go experience, the Blue Sky may not be a good fit for you.
The 360 Pro doesn't ask you to compromise between access and stability. It just gives you both — and lets you figure out what to do with all that room to fish.
— Eco Fishing Shop
The Jackson Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Pro represents something genuinely rare in a market full of incremental updates: a new idea. It takes the best features of kayak fishing — portability, shallow water access, low overhead — and combines them with boat-level stability and deck space that no single-hull kayak can match.
The 360 Angler, with the Mark IV Flex Drive, is the version that fully unlocks the platform's potential. Pedaling hands-free across a flat or through a backwater channel while you work the water hands-free is the kind of fishing experience that is hard to describe until you've had it.
The 360 Pro base package gives you the same foundation at a lower entry point, with the flexibility to upgrade as your budget allows.
It is not often we come across fishing kayaks or personal watercraft that are truly unique compared to other brands and watercraft styles, but the Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Pro and Angler are just that — completely different from everything else we've been in.
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Not a kayak, not a boat but something in-between. Jackson's Blue Sky Boatworks 360 Pro is a catamaran-style fishing vessel that blends the adaptability of a fishing kayak with the stability of a bass boat. Reach the same water kayaks can with the added benefit of more space and stability. Meet the Blue Sky Boatworks.
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