# New Kayaks!



## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

We got our Ultimates this weekend. Picked them up On Friday night and had about a half hour before dark to play for a bit and then spent 4 hours fishing and paddling Saturday afternoon. Even in 20mph winds, these things were very easy to handle. Far easier than the canoes I'm used to! Super stable and very easy to fish from. Will spend some time on the water before I rig it so I can figure out exactly where I want things. Even managed to boat a a couple fish, just a small pike and a bass but at leat the boat has been christened! The GF loved her peddle drive, easy to peddle and pretty darn fast. I know I can't keep up with her, especially going into the wind...I had to paddle with a little effort while she leisurely peddled along. Should make a good fishing rig. The seats in these things are incredible, very comfortable!


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## Reel_Screamer86 (Mar 22, 2007)

Man those are sweet, especially the green one...Where did you get those..?


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

We got them at Powers Outdoors in Rockford. They have shops in Newaygo and Montague as well. Family owned shop and so far service has been good. They also have an outdoor adventure company and do a number of different outings throughout the year. 

Here's a list of dealers in Michigan.
http://www.nativewatercraft.com/dealers/us.cfm?state=MI


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## Reel_Screamer86 (Mar 22, 2007)

Swamp Monster said:


> We got them at Powers Outdoors in Rockford. They have shops in Newaygo and Montague as well. Family owned shop and so far service has been good. They also have an outdoor adventure company and do a number of different outings throughout the year.
> 
> Here's a list of dealers in Michigan.
> http://www.nativewatercraft.com/dealers/us.cfm?state=MI


Thanks for the link there is a place close to me that sells them i'm gonna go check them out.....


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## malainse (Sep 2, 2002)

Nice !!!


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

Definitely like the Natives. That's what I'd have gotten if I didn't get such a deal on my Mad River boat.


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## R_T (Feb 20, 2009)

Nice looking yaks. Let me know when you're ready to tackle the Joe. I've been fishing up your way for the last few months.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

R_T said:


> Nice looking yaks. Let me know when you're ready to tackle the Joe. I've been fishing up your way for the last few months.


I would like to fish the Joe sometime for sure. Not sure if my boat handling skills are up to it but I'd try!
I'll send you a pm.


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## fliesonly-fontinalis (Apr 12, 2004)

SwampMonster,
I realize this is an older thread, but would like to hear an update about how your boats are working out for you.
Is your boat a 12 1/2?
Is the Propel a 14 1/2?
Have you had a chance to use the boats on tighter, twisting rivers? 
The design of these boats look like they would track well and have stability. I like that, yet I need maneuverability. 
Any comments, issues, or other with the Propel unit?
Thanks for sharing if you happen to see this post.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

fliesonly-fontinalis said:


> SwampMonster,
> I realize this is an older thread, but would like to hear an update about how your boats are working out for you.
> Is your boat a 12 1/2?
> Is the Propel a 14 1/2?
> ...


Both boats are 12 footers. They have been great so far! We have put a lot of hours on them but all on flat water. For a short boat it tracks surprisingly well even with my average paddle skills. It is not a fast boat, but it is not as slow as some either. The Propel unit is pretty fast and very smooth, but isnt much good on small streams with the sytem in use. (you can remove it completely, they supply a thwart tube to put into place, it' easy and takes about a minute) As for maneuverability, the boat turns on a dime. The only moving water I've had it on is some small streams between lakes but the water is not swift. I have no probelm getting around or through obstacles however. Plan to do some moving water this fall. As far as stability, I have not dumped her yet. I haven't even come close to be honest and I have the thing loaded to max weight ratings. they are designed to stand up and flyfish in but I haven't tried yet. I'm too big imo. We have had them in some rough water up to 3'+ chop and boat wakes and while it makes for a little excitement, I've had no problems. A little water comes over the bow and stern in those heavy conditions but not to bad. They make bow and stern skirts that would eliminate much of that. 

The GF loves the propel, she rarely lifts a paddle! Me, I'd prefer mine without it. I fish some weedly lakes and the propel will get catch weeds. You can lift it to clean or lift it to fish shallow or weedy sections, but imho, it would become a hassle for me. It needs about 15" inches of water so you can still get into the shallows for the most part. Weeds can still be a problem though. I also prefer the more open cockpit of the non propel version. However, for trolling and or fighting fish, that system is very slick. Nice to be able to back peddle to help control fish. It has it place and the GF loves it for cruising aroung the lake. It turns a lot of heads as well.....numerous boats every trip cruise over to check out this chick peddling a boat! They usually have lots of questions. It is expensive, but you can find deals if you're patient. 

For fishing, I couldn't be happier. Lots of room, stable, and very comfortable. the Native seat is absolutely everything they say it is. It is the most comfortable in the kayak world for sure. The only negative is on the 12's, it is not the best for mounting rod holders and electronics. It can be done, but every position seems to be a compromise. The 2011 Native's have built in mounting tracks like they have on their SOT models. This system is a great upgrade. Overall, they are great boats! I don't know where you are located but you could demo ours if you close.


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## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

Nice boats, Swamp. Ironic, I was just out back at the loading dock getting my boat off the truck.  Checked out the local shops, paddled a few boats before I decided, but no one had what I wanted in earthtone colors. I don't want hot sunburst or bright colors, so I was left with ordering. 

Here she is:









Old Town Dirigo 120 XT Angler. They knocked $150 off for end of year clearance and offered free shipping, which was nice because outfitting is cheaper than buying the angler stuff attached at the factory. So I didn't get hit the a premium for the angler edition.

Now I'm sitting here at work stoked about floating this puppy. We were able to find my wife's Wilderness Systems Pungo locally and we've been hitting Sessions Lake at Ionia Rec area. The lake is no wake and since we only had the one kayak it was a good choice. Now that we have two, I've been scouring http://www.paddling.net/places/MI/ to plan out our weekend travels.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Sweet!! Congrats! Those are nice boats and come highly recommended from folks who own them. Good move on buying the regular version, you are right, you can outfit them cheaper yourself, not to mention you can place things where you want them to accomodate your fishing style. I have yet to rig mine with rod holders but I have the stuff. Still figuring out how I want things etc. 
I understand about the hot colors! Not for me either but they do serve a purpose. Being seen can be critical and my dark green blends in really well. I use a flag that helps with some reflective tape on the pole. A few weeks ago we had a run in with a kid on a jetski on Donnel lake that came within feet of running the GF over. Thankfully he heard us yelling and turned to looked forward (he was looking back for a longtime while traveling at speeds over 60mph) and turned sharp before impact. The GF wanted to throw up, it shook her up a bit. Good lesson for her however as she now pays closeer attention to others and makes a mental note of those she needs to pay close attention to. So being seen is a good thing, but I didn't want to be sitting in my yak and staring at dayglo orange all day! Plus I can see myself using it for hunting in the future. 
I would like to do some river trips as well. The gf needs to practice her paddling a bit so some easy paddles are first on the agenda. She uses the propel system 95% of the time so she really hasn't practiced at all with the paddles. Part of me just wants to just throw her on the moving water but I also dont want to scare her so...?
Paddling.net is a great resource.


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## fliesonly-fontinalis (Apr 12, 2004)

Swamp, 
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
I appreciate your input.
I would definitely use the propel unit only on certain types of water/situations. I'd like to have the longer boat as I paddle with my dog. It's how I keep her conditioned through the summer when the temps are too hot to run.
We do like to paddle the Fawn River and the tract we prefer is probably about an hour away from Niles. Only problem... it was very low two weeks ago and there were many log crossings due to the high water earlier this summer. It is a nice, clear, twisting river with a nice fish population.
If you're interested in the details of the launches and times, just let me know. Just be patient as my internet has been quirky lately.
Rick.


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