I had planned to hit the coast for some flats stalking, but the weather didn't want to cooperate. So instead I decided to hit up Calaveras this morning. I usually fish for catfish in cali, but today I had to target reds. I couldn't cast net any big shad that I like to use for cut bait, so I hit the wall with some freelined bluegill instead. I really dislike fishing the wall, I rather be in my kayak and if I see any one person while out on the water I consider that too busy of a spot. The wall today was stacked up with people, not on the same level as the weekend but busy for a weekday. It wasnt fast and furious like it can be, but the weather was nice and it was good to be out. I landed one 23" red and had another good sized fish break me off under the wall.
So to start things off, I sold my tarpon 160 and bought a new native slayer 14.5 from ACK a few days ago. I had been contemplating between this and the cuda, and as you can now see I sided with the slayer. I played hookie from work to hit the coast today. I saw the forecast 20+mph winds, but I had to go get it wet regardless. So I am going to do a bit of a review with what little time I spent in it so far, along with my trip out to the west matagorda area. The Report- I got to the launch by 6am and boy was it howling. It was definitely the 20+ that was predicted. I started by fishing grass shorelines and prowling along the edges. With all the wind and waves it was really difficult to see any wakes or any other clues, plus the water was dirty. Double whammy. Wind was from the SE. The tide was coming in most of the morning and the water was low. Usually I love low water, the fish give themselves away. Such was not the case today.. I came across some sheepshead with their backs out and thew a crab pattern to them hoping for my first sheep on the fly. Casting cross wind it managed to push my line over and land it right on top of them, spooking them off. By about 9 and no action I decided to retire the fly rod and resort to my cast net. Gathered some nice finger mullet and shrimp and staked out at the mouth of a lake. After about 10 minutes of soaking a mullet my rod doubled over. Tightened down the drag but this thing was still stripping line fast, I tried slowing it down lifting my rod and it felt like a train, I couldn't change its direction or speed. After about 15 seconds it spit the hook. My guess is a big black drum, but who knows. That's why they don't call it catching right? Slayer 14.5 First impressions- First off, let me explain why I chose the slayer. Now that I am fly fishing more and more, I wanted a kayak that I could easily stand in. Just as importantly, I wanted a kayak that had an open cockpit with as few of things as possible to snag my fly line on. Any little clip, buckle, hook etc will find a way to snag line, my tarpon was an expert at this. After looking at several kayaks I chose the slayer, for the reasons listed above. Paddling & Stability This kayak has a flat hull and round nose which is a huge asset for standing. I was able to stand in the 20+ mph winds and fish all day, I never felt uneasy or off balance. I even threw my cast net several times from it, I was surprised at how easy it was. Casting with my fly rod while standing was great, polling around was just as fun and easy. Stability on this thing is superb. Speed wise, no it is not a speed demon. I wouldn't call it slow, but I was used to my tarpon so it was a but of change. Most of the places I fish are within a 1-2 mile paddle of where I launch, so I didn't need a really quick kayak. I was happy with how it paddled. Turning it in the wind, despite the higher sidewalls was not an issue at all. The rudder obviously helped a bit but I did not feel like I was really being blown around or really struggling to get somewhere. Ergonomics and layout- This is where I was really sold on the slayer. The cockpit is wide open and minimalist. The padding on the floor really helped with both footing grip and just as importantly keeping the noise down as I dropped my rod/pliers/knife etc. I can really see this coming into play stalking fish in skinny water. I have been in situations where I'm stalking some fish and accidentally drop something on the deck and spook them off. The padding is a great idea and one that I know will really come in handy down the road. The seat on the slayer is a thing of legends. It is extremely comfortable. Not just the comfort but the high/low positions is great. I had it low while paddling to a spot and raised it up as I stalked shorelines waiting for a shot at a fish. The foot pegs are nice and big, I never had an issue with the smaller ones on my tarpon, but I liked these larger ones. The slayer does not have hatches for dry storage but Native does sell hatch covers to turn them into a more water resistant storage area. I saw some people overlooking it for this reason, but I never really used mine on my tarpon. The front and rear tank wells worked much better for me and utilized space that I would have otherwise not used. I put my cast net and bait bucket up front and all my tackle in the back. Both fron and back have large scuppers for quick draining. Water did splash up through the scuppers when I left then out, so I left them plugged up. If water accumulated I just opened a scupper for a second to drain, though it was a pretty dry ride and I had no issues with having to remove the scuppers to drain. There is a dry storage space behind the seat as seen in the picture above. I threw my keys, phone and wallet in there. This was something I missed on the tarpon. On either side of the seat is a built in tackle tray holder, with a strap to hold it in place. I kept my fly box here and on the other side a tray with clippers/knife/leader. This was super handy and an awesome asset. Everything I needed to switch flies and reorganize was just a short reach away. The only negative I have on this is that the bottom of this tackle slot is slightly recessed and water pooled, not a lot but just enough to let a little water in my fly box. Otherwise, it is an awesome feature. The front console is designed for a fish finder and also has a small rail on it. I may mount a rod holder on the rail in the future but have no plans for a fish finder. It came with 2 cam lock paddle holders. The set are made to hold one paddle but I found that 1 holder held my paddle just fine, so I used the other on the opposite rail to hold my stake out stick. This really helped clean up the cockpit as I was use to just laying my stake out stick somewhere between my legs. Problem with that was my line would get snagged on the stake and I would miss a shot at a tailing red, and many times all you get is one good shot then they're gone. A cam lock paddle holder keeps my deck wide open and clutter free. Other tid bits- The handles on the slayer are awesome. Just a few weeks ago every single handle on my tarpon ripped off and had to be replaced. The handles on the slayer on the sides are actually part of the rail. All handles are solid metal. From what I have head previous years models did not include scuppers for the front tank well. I was pleased to see all scuppers had plugs for them. Previous models also did not come with the cam lock paddle holders. I had to look hard as they were stuffed between my seat. Even aftet being told by ACK that they do not come with it, I knew they did and found them right where I read others finding them. If you're going to spend 1400$ for a kayak it damn well better have a paddle holder and scupper plugs. Weight wise, thing thing is damn heavy. If it were not for the rear wheel it would be an absolute struggle to load/unload (wheel can be seen on picture loaded on truck). The wheel makes it easy to tow to the water. To load I just walk the nose up on the first rear rack, then I lift the back up. Unloading is the same, reversed. The wheel is a huge asset for this purpose. I read that earlier models had a loose wheel and moved back and forth while paddling and made noise. I did not have this issue at all as the wheel is pretty tight with no wiggle room. With the weight of the kayak comes durability. The plastic on this thing is thick, it does not flex much or give when standing on it or pushing on it like I have experienced with other kayaks. scupper plug and front handle pictured below. BOTTOM LINE:
I am very happy with my choice. I have only spent one day in it so only time will tell how it holds up, but after the first outing I see it being the flats/marsh stalker I was looking for. It paddles good, great features for stowing gear and tackle, super stable, extremely comfortable and well thought out. I will be sure to write another update to this after a get some more trips under my belt with it. I have 3 days off work next week and plan on renting a room for a night in matty to squeeze in 2 solid days of fishing. Stay tuned. |
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