Native Watercraft's Ultimate 12 Kayak
By Cory Routh

Angler Moss standing in the Ultimate 12.

Legacy Paddlesports, a new company out of Greensboro, North Carolina, is making waves with its first offering. Called the Ultimate 13, this hybrid canoe/kayak is designed for angler by anglers. Jimbo Meador, out of Mobile Alabama, wanted to design a craft that can be paddled sitting as well as poled standing, like a flats skiff.

The basis of the Ultimate’s design is its pontoon styled hull. This open deck design provides a stable platform that is surprisingly fast and quiet. It also has a drop down skeg that improves tracking.

The Ultimate 12 is equipped with a fully adjustable, suspension seat. The seatback and cushion can be adjusted to fit any paddler. It is also fully ventilated and raised off of the deck, so no clammy bottom. The seat also has a tackle tray so everything you need will always be handy. It can also easily be removed and used as a beach chair.

Our test angler Dave Moss out of Seaview, VA got out the Ultimate in Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia Beach. The winds were steady 10-15 mph but Dave had no problem fishing from the Ultimate. Dave liked being able to stand and cast from the Ultimate. He said for fishing protected inshore waters that the Ultimate was an excellent kayak. Dave also noted that the Ultimate does very well to hold its position when you are standing. “Out of a 10, I would give the Ultimate an 8,” said Dave.

The Ultimate is 12 feet 1 inch long, 30 inches wide. At just under 50-pounds, the Ultimate can be loaded by one person. Retail for the Ultimate 12 is around $775. So if you are in the market for a flatwater fishing machine, check out the Ultimate 12 by Native Watercraft. Check out their website.

And for those who like to leave a bread crumb trail, it can store over 100 retraceable trails with up to 10,000 points in any trail. Add one of the Lowrance Mapping Cards, such as their Nautic Path Cartography and you have a very powerful navigation system that provides paper quality charts for the coastal US, Alaska, Hawaii, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It also has tide and current information for several tide stations. Combined with these cards, this is absolutely the most powerful handheld GPS system you can buy.

Lowrance also offers other cards with Freshwater Lakes and Topo mapping. At just $99 they are the best buy for those wanting a complete mapping system. I purchased the IH2Oc and the Nautic Path SD card together, and from the moment I installed the card, I was blown away by the amount of info this compact unit provides. It is like having every nautical chart in the US at you fingertips. I use the RAM mount to keep it handy on my kayak. I prefer to keep my GPS and fishfinder separate. This way if I have to “Walk Out”, I can take my GPS with me. Over all this is the perfect GPS for kayak anglers. So, if you are in the market for a handheld GPS, check out the Ifinder H2OC with optional Nautic Path cartography. You will not be disappointed.

Riptide’s Conley Grub is available in 8-fishcatching colors.