Kayaks have been around for thousands of years.  The Inuit’s stretched animal hides over wooden frames and used those sleek watercraft to chase fish and animals for food on rivers, lakes and in the ocean.  For most of that time, there weren’t many changes in the design or manufacturing of kayaks.  Over the last twenty-five years however, there have been major changes and the Kayaks of today are much different and more plentiful.  A quick search on the web will reveal just how much is out there on kayaking and especially kayak fishing.The team at Sportsman’s News got their hands on an Ultimate 12 kayak from Native Watercraft now sold at Sportsman’s Warehouse and it is quickly becoming our favorite fishing vessel.
We traditionally spend our time on the water in pontoon boats or belly boats depending on the situation.  Anyone that has broken the ice from around the edge of a lake in early April to land some big rainbows will attest to the disadvantage of submerging your legs in the cold water (cold feet). There is only one thing worse than cold feet and that is taking an unwanted swim in forty-five degree water, which is what I related kayaking too.
The Ultimate 12 is so much different than I ever imagined.  The first thing that jumped out at me during the testing was the stability.   The Tunnel Hull™ is a patent pending design.   It is similar to being on a pontoon style boat.  I don’t just mean in a sitting position either.  This kayak is the ultimate fly fisherman or sight fisherman’s dream.  You can stand up in this boat with ease and perform all of the needed movements to successfully fly fish.  During our testing period, I felt a little uncomfortable attempting this feat due to the cold water temperatures, but after a few minutes in the shallows I was perfectly okay standing up.  I actually put both feet together too one side of the boat without any danger of tipping it over.  The tunnel in the hull works as a suction cup on the water.  This one feature changed my mind about kayaking and especially standing up to fish.
Since the primary purpose of our boats here at Sportsman’s News is fishing, my overall evaluation is with that in mind.   What fisherman doesn’t have gear?  I just hate to leave anything back at the truck.  If I leave it, I will surely need it.   The Ultimate 12 can accommodate all of your gear needs.  Built in Scotty rod holders can accommodate fly rods or spinning tackle.  If you need more rod holders, the ADAPT-A-TRAK™ system easily mounts more of them.  It will also hold many other accessories that make your boat more fishermen friendly.  You can easily fit a cooler in the back as well as several large tackle boxes in the front.  Everything you need for a full day on the water fits with ease.   Native makes many different accessories that are specifically designed for these boats.  The boat is rated at 350 pounds so you should take that into consideration when loading your gear.
Comfort is an essential part of spending more time on the water.  The seat that comes with the Ultimate 12 is nothing short of spectacular.  The adjustability will rival that of your favorite beach chair and since it is totally removable, it can second as your new favorite beach chair once you get away from the crowds.  The textilene® solar screen fabric used to build the seat is designed to withstand seven years of daily sun exposure before it starts to break down, but since our testing has only been a few weeks, we can only vouch for the comfort.  Due to the tunnel hull design as well as the raised seat, your feet are several inches lower than your behind in the seated position, a much more comfortable position than in a standard kayak.  This combined with the EASY FOOT™ Foot braces, make hours in the seated or rowing position extremely comfortable.  They are easily adjustable from the seated position as well, but will totally detach from their tract with one smooth motion and get out of your way when you start stripping fly line.
Getting from point “A” to “B” is another area where a kayak stands out from a pontoon boat.  Anyone that has ever had to row a pontoon boat against the wind knows how hard you have to work to get anywhere.  Truly not the case with a kayak, it cuts through the water and the waves with ease.  I would recommend that you invest in a spray skirt if you are going to be in any serious waves or high wind conditions though.  This will keep more water out of your boat and you and your gear dryer.  Rowing this boat in a river is extremely impressive as well.  I found that the boat tracked very well with little effort.  Even when the boat turned sideways or hit obstacles, stability was still never an issue.
These boats come in many different colors, but our test model is a great shade of camouflage.  You can also get spray skirts from bow to stern in camo as well making this not only the best fishing boat ever made, but might just now be our favorite waterfowl vessel.
This boat has a total length of twelve feet one inches and tips the scale at just fifty-five total pounds (including seat).   With the removable seat weighing seven pounds, just about anyone can load this unit on a car rack by themselves.
Overall this boat is comfortable to ride in and paddle.  It is an extremely stable platform to fish or shoot out of whether you are sitting or standing.  It has more room for gear.  It is more maneuverable than a pontoon and is just an all around better experience on the water.
Look for our video product review on this item at www.sportsmansnews.com coming soon.

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