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Many MKF anglers are huge Hobie fans, and rightfully so. The pedal power does offer hand freedom for easier fishing. But for those of us who use paddle-powered kayaks, I suggest that you take a look at the Native Watercraft Manta Ray family (11, 12, and 14).
Many of you recall that my 2008 Native Manta Ray 14 developed cracks under the seating area. These were serious enough that my local shop, Annapolis Canoe and Kayak, contacted Native on my behalf. Native stepped up and offered me a brand new kayak of the same model. I picked it up a few weeks ago. I always enjoyed the medium blue color of my older Manta Ray, but that color is no longer available. Instead I chose a mango color for its visibility in the water.
I really liked the old Manta Ray. The newer model has even more features to make life more comfortable for the kayaker. Let me show you a few features.
1. Seat. The seat on my older Manta Ray was very comfortable -- I could not imagine anything more comfortable. Well, I was wrong. The new seat has more padding in the bottom with a wedge design. The seat fabric comes up the sides of the seating well and over the gunwales. I have not seen any other seat like it. I place a Skwoosh gel pad on top and am comfortable for hours.
2. Gear Tracks. The new Manta Ray includes two "Groove" gear tracks. The older version did not have these. I plan to get two of the new Scotty gear track mounts when they are available and put rod holders on either side.
3. Roller wheel on the stern. This is a nice addition. When I want to move the kayak across a hard surface or firm lawn, I can lift the bow and roll it along. This avoids the need for a separate roller cart. When moving across a soft surface, like sand, I run a heavy rope through the front handle and drag it. The wheel is a compromise. A larger wheel or a double wheel with the two wheel spread out a few inches would ride better. But then the wheel would extend way below the bottom of the keel and create drag and bumping problems.
4. Paddle keeper. The old Manta Ray had a bungee loop around the side handle to hold the paddle. The new Manta Ray use a plastic clip-type paddle holder instead. Initially I did not like it, but it is growing on me.
5. My customizations. I wanted to have Scotty pivotable rod holders. I installed three of them -- one behind me on both sides, and a third on the deck area between the foot rests. This is a similar configuration to what I used before. I keep all three rods flat and inline with the hull under most conditions. However, when I want to troll, I pivot all the rod holders to the side and can troll three rods at a time.
I used up my photo allotment here. To be continued on my reply.
Many of you recall that my 2008 Native Manta Ray 14 developed cracks under the seating area. These were serious enough that my local shop, Annapolis Canoe and Kayak, contacted Native on my behalf. Native stepped up and offered me a brand new kayak of the same model. I picked it up a few weeks ago. I always enjoyed the medium blue color of my older Manta Ray, but that color is no longer available. Instead I chose a mango color for its visibility in the water.
I really liked the old Manta Ray. The newer model has even more features to make life more comfortable for the kayaker. Let me show you a few features.
1. Seat. The seat on my older Manta Ray was very comfortable -- I could not imagine anything more comfortable. Well, I was wrong. The new seat has more padding in the bottom with a wedge design. The seat fabric comes up the sides of the seating well and over the gunwales. I have not seen any other seat like it. I place a Skwoosh gel pad on top and am comfortable for hours.
2. Gear Tracks. The new Manta Ray includes two "Groove" gear tracks. The older version did not have these. I plan to get two of the new Scotty gear track mounts when they are available and put rod holders on either side.
3. Roller wheel on the stern. This is a nice addition. When I want to move the kayak across a hard surface or firm lawn, I can lift the bow and roll it along. This avoids the need for a separate roller cart. When moving across a soft surface, like sand, I run a heavy rope through the front handle and drag it. The wheel is a compromise. A larger wheel or a double wheel with the two wheel spread out a few inches would ride better. But then the wheel would extend way below the bottom of the keel and create drag and bumping problems.
4. Paddle keeper. The old Manta Ray had a bungee loop around the side handle to hold the paddle. The new Manta Ray use a plastic clip-type paddle holder instead. Initially I did not like it, but it is growing on me.
5. My customizations. I wanted to have Scotty pivotable rod holders. I installed three of them -- one behind me on both sides, and a third on the deck area between the foot rests. This is a similar configuration to what I used before. I keep all three rods flat and inline with the hull under most conditions. However, when I want to troll, I pivot all the rod holders to the side and can troll three rods at a time.
I used up my photo allotment here. To be continued on my reply.
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