Native Watercraft Forge 12 Fishing Kayak

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 Fishing Kayak is an open-platform fishing kayak, 12 ft (365.8 cm) long and 35 in (88.9 cm) wide, with a 600 lb (272.2 kg) capacity. It ships as a paddle kayak listed with stand-up stability, a dry ride on a raised floor and hands-free, foot-controlled rudder steering, and it is suited to rivers, lakes and bays.

A direct frame-mounted seat, deck locker dry storage box, dual flush-mount and forward-facing rod holders, transducer mount, monitor mount and an accessory groove track around the entire boat come standard. The hull is also set up to grow with you, with a bow motor mount, Powerlink plate and motor steering ready provisions, plus the X-Range Pedal Drive and stern motorization kits available separately.

Fitted hull weight is 98 lb (44.5 kg) and fully rigged weight is 110 lb (49.9 kg), or 130 lb (59.0 kg) fully rigged with the pedal drive.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 suits anglers who want an open-platform 12 ft (365.8 cm) fishing kayak for rivers, lakes and bays and who plan to start with a paddle and add a pedal drive or motor later. It is not the pick if you want a pedal drive or motor in the box, since it ships as a paddle kayak. Hull material and seat dimensions are not published, so contact us if either decides your purchase.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 steers with a foot-controlled rudder, so your hands stay free, and its Springblade rudder is recessed into the hull. The bow is smooth and rounded, which suits everything from rivers to bays. No tracking, speed or turning figures are published for this hull. Hand-controlled rudder steering comes only with the X-Range Upgrade Kit, which is sold separately.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 is listed with stand-up stability, a 35 in (88.9 cm) beam and a raised floor, but standing still depends on your balance, your load and the water you are on. No stability rating is published. Try standing in shallow, calm water close to shore before you head into current or wind.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 is rated for 600 lb (272.2 kg) of capacity, and no conditions on that figure are published. Count yourself, your seat, paddle, PFD, safety gear, tackle, cooler and any pedal drive, motor, battery or mounting hardware you add against it, then leave margin below the limit. The hull weighs 98 lb (44.5 kg) fitted and 110 lb (49.9 kg) fully rigged, though what fully rigged includes is not defined.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 includes the foot-controlled rudder, frame-mounted seat, deck locker dry storage box, bow cover, dual flush-mount and forward-facing rod holders, drain plug and scupper plugs. A paddle is not listed. The X-Range Pedal Drive upgrade kit, swivel seat upgrade kit, bow locker pod and stern motorization kits are sold separately, and no motor, battery or pedal drive is in the box.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 comes with a direct frame-mounted seat. A swivel seat upgrade kit, a 2-position locking swivel with hardware, is sold separately if you want to swivel the factory seat to fish in any direction. Seat height, seat dimensions and a seat weight rating are not published for this model, so contact us if seat fit matters before you order.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 has a bow motor mount, a Powerlink plate and motor steering ready provisions built into the hull. Those are provisions, not equipment: no motor or battery is in the box, and no maximum horsepower, thrust or motor weight is published, so the 600 lb capacity is not a motor rating. Stern motorization kits are listed separately. Browse our kayak motors and drive systems or contact us before you choose a motor.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 is X-Range ready, and the X-Range Pedal Drive is sold as the X-Range Upgrade Kit for Forge with hand-controlled rudder steering, a thwart bar, a drive box cover and hardware. The drive stows low on the deck, deploys with a one-handed twist-lock, offers hands-free reverse and has a built-in weed cutter. Fully rigged weight with the pedal drive is 130 lb (59.0 kg). The drive's own warranty term is not published.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 includes a transducer mount, a through-hull scupper for the transducer, a monitor mount, a YakAttack through-hull fitting and Captain's Bridge ready provisions. The fish finder, transducer, battery and wiring are not included. Mounting dimensions and compatible transducer sizes are not published, so contact us with the model you plan to install before you order.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 has a deck locker dry storage box, a bow cover with paddle park and storage pockets, side storage pockets, dual flush-mount and forward-facing rod holders, multiple strap tie-down options and inside hull access. An accessory groove track runs around the entire boat for mounting gear. Storage dimensions and weight limits for the deck locker are not published for this model.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 weighs 98 lb (44.5 kg) as a fitted hull, and side carry handles and stern handles help with lifting. Its warranty excludes damage from improper storage or transport, including ratchet straps, and from using a winch to pull the boat onto a trailer, so avoid winching it. No strap-spacing or rack guidance is published, so contact us before you buy a rack or trailer setup.

Registration and titling rules for a motorized kayak vary by state, and no motor-based threshold is published for the Native Watercraft Forge 12, so check with your state boating agency before you add a motor. This is separate from registering the kayak with the manufacturer, which is a warranty step covered in the warranty answer.

The Native Watercraft Forge 12 falls under the Native Watercraft product warranty: a limited lifetime hull warranty for the original retail customer against manufacturing defects, a 5-year hull warranty against normal wear and tear, and a 1-year warranty on components. Register the kayak within 14 days of purchase, keep proof of purchase, and note that improper use, neglect, accidents and structural alterations are excluded. The X-Range Pedal Drive's own term is not published.