Native Watercraft Slayer 14.5

I've had a total of seven different kayaks. Three of them have been made by Native Watercraft. I sold my Hobie Pro Angler and used the money to buy this 14.5' Native Slayer. I'm really liking it. It's fast and stable. Even without a rudder it tracks better than any kayak I've had.

Camping and fishing

I had a 22 foot RV for years. I've really been missing it. I recently got a new bumper pull camper - a Cruiser RV FunFinderX Shadow Cruiser. Who comes up with these names? Pulls easy behind my truck and is small but very nice. I love having an air conditioned place for lunch and a nap on a fishing trip. With the cheap cost of campsites and the fact that I don't have to board my dog, I can afford to go fishing more often.

One of the best days of my life, or why I sold my boat

Everyone knows the old saying "the two best days in a boat owners life are the day he bought it and the day he sold it". I bought my latest boat a couple of years ago. Great boat with a 50hp 4 cycle. It was boat number six for me. It will be last. Right, last until I buy another... 

It got great mileage on the water, around 15mpg. Rode nice, drew little water, and was easy to handle. That's the good stuff.
Why I sold it came down to a couple of factors: 12mpg towing mileage and ease of fishing. Launching and retrieving it was a little hassle, but not too bad. Only had to climb in and out 3 or 4 times each way.

What really did it for me was what it took to fish out of it:

• Get to the fishing area, drop the anchor or trolling motor
• Catch a fish
• Land the fish, usually on the floor of the boat
• Bend over, unhook the fish
• Open the ice chest, put the fish in
• Stand back up, cast
• Repeat
• Tides or current changing, pull anchor, move boat either by trolling motor or motor
• Set anchor
• Fish some more

Not a really big deal, but hey I'm old!

Kayak fishing:

• Hook up trailer to my VW diesel, 40mpg towing
• Launch kayak, usually off side of the road - Slayer has a wheel on the back
• Paddle 10 - 150 feet
• Maybe stab the stake out pole, maybe not
• Cast, catch fish
• Land in between legs
• Turn around, put fish in bag
• Repeat
• Pull stake out pole, move 10-150 feet
• Fish some more

I would come home from a boat trip completely exhausted. Kayak trips are much more relaxing for me.