Native Watercraft are the top fishing kayaks on the market

Author Steve Gibson with a spotted seatrout he caught from his Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 (Photo by Vinny Caruso).

The author poles his kayak in Tampa Bay.

 I have been with Native Watercraft since 2006 (http://nativewatercraft.com/). I started out in their Heritage kayaks, then switched when the Ultimate series was unveiled.

I have not been disappointed.

Of course, I often hear about it.

"You love Native Watercraft so much because you get them for free."

Not so.

I do get a discount. However, I wouldn't even be interested in them for free if I didn't think they were the best fishing kayaks on the market.

And I do.

I truly think the Ultimate series are the best fishing kayak going. They're roomy, v very easily to paddle, track extremely straight and are very stable. I like to stand and fish. I don't think you'll do that in many other kayaks.

Of course, you can add pontoons or other stabilizing systems to another brand, but you don't need such accessories in a Native. And there are other brands that you can stand in, but are said to be pretty tough to paddle.

Oh, I forgot to mention: Native Ultimates (http://nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=6)  have the best and most comfortable seats in the industry. The First Class Seat is just like sitting in a beach chair. No need for cushions or any other costly accessory.

I highly recommend Native's Seat Riser (http://nativewatercraft.com/accessory.cfm?id=28). It's essentially a block of solid, hard foam that fits under the seat and raises it to the gunwale. I like sitting up high and it makes it easier to stand up from the sitting position.

On my personal Ultimate, I've added a bow spray skirt, a paddle holder and an anchor trolley.

 The spray skirt (http://nativewatercraft.com/accessory.cfm?id=11) keeps water out of the boat in case you take a wave over the bow.

 I put my 9-foot paddle pole in the paddle holder (http://nativewatercraft.com/accessory.cfm?id=87 )   when I'm paddling with my Aqua-Bound Surge Carbon Paddle. When I'm standing and poling, I put my AB Paddle in the holder.

The anchor trolley (http://nativewatercraft.com/accessory.cfm?id=84) just might be my most valuable accessory. It allows me to fish in whatever direction I chose in windy conditions. Normally, I prefer to drift while fishing, but sometimes the wind is just too strong and you have to anchor.

My anchor is not fancy. I use a foam-covered, 5-pound hand dumbbell. Since my kayak is 14.5 feet in length, I have about 30 feet of anchor line.

I've got a new 14.5 Slayer (http://nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=49) on the way. I'm excited about this addition to my fleet. I was in on ground floor on the design of this new boat and can't wait to try it out.

I'm also planning on getting a Native Versa Board (http://nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=38). It's essentially a standup paddleboard configured for fishing. I tried one out last summer  and was impressed. I would consider getting it with the cooler seat (http://nativewatercraft.com/accessory.cfm?id=26). A buddy of mine, Dave Robinson, has a Versa Board and thinks it's great -- especially when fly fishing.

The Versa Board is easy to paddle and very  stable.

I'm very appreciative of being sponsored by Native Watercraft. They're fine people who make great kayaks.

I'm a Native man!