Pro Staff Test

Ben is a self-taught angler who learned from experience while fishing the waters where he grew up in East Tennessee, and he is extremely passionate about what he does. He is an advocate of safe boating practices, catch and release, and proper fish handling techniques. He is constantly in the hunt for a personal best but is just as happy to enjoy a day on the water. Ben currently resides in Northwest Arkansas and is a founding member of the Arkansas Kayak Anglers Fishing Club and the RazorYak Tournament Trail. He also serves as coordinator, editor, and contributor for the OMTC Fishing Club Arkansas. Besides his contributions to AKA and OMTC, Ben is a ProStaff member for Ozark Mountain Trading Company as well as Golden's Baits (owned and operated by a current Native Pro Staffer, Gerrad Golden.) Ben's fishing experience extends through a broad range of species, locations, tactics, and techniques. He tries to split his time between rivers and lakes as well as trying to make it to the coast at least once a year. Ben is proficient and knowledgeable with both conventional and fly tackle and rigs his boats and equipment to meet his needs for any given situation. Ben is very active in his community and enjoys reaching out. He is glad to offer any tips or tricks one may need and is always ready to hit the water.

Keith is a freelance photographer and outdoor writer that has worked with the kayak industry since the mid 1980s. He started paddling as a teen in the early '70s and has fished all of his life

A Florida resident for over forty years, Brad's Love of fishing began before he was ten years old. He began scouring the local ponds, lakes, canals, and creeks of Broward and Dade counties in pursuit of anything that would chase a lure. Over the past twenty years his focus has been fishing the Florida Panhandle in both freshwater and saltwater. His love of fishing and his appreciation of nature spawned his venture into kayak fishing. Whether he's tossing a fly for Largemouth Bass, or stalking Redfish and Trout with artificial hardbaits in the backwaters of Florida's Forgotten Coast, you will find Brad on the water every chance he gets. When not on the water, you can find Brad at www.fcka.net participating in demos, monthly tournaments, and spreading the word about kayak fishing!

Dave Kooser is an accomplished multispecies fisherman who recently found a renewed interest in competitive fishing via kayaks. As a power boating tournament fisherman, Dave won the Colorado Walleye Association Angler of the Year in back to back years competing in the CWA circuit. He has competed in the MWC as well as the Cabelas National Team Championship. His travels pursuing walleye include states like Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Texas (yes, Texas has walleye) and his home state of Colorado. Dave has held just about every position in the CWA from President to Chapter Director. Dave is also on Lowrance’s Pro Staff and primarily covers the newly opened Bass Pro in Colorado Springs, CO. His vocation as an Information Technology Project Manager blends well with analytical skills, keen interest in technology, fishing and the best marine electronics available on the market; all which become evident in both his kayak and boat electronics setups. His future interests on the water include starting up a kayak tournament circuit with a handful of other kayakers in Colorado for the 2015 season. Dave has assumed the role of Tournament Director for the Colorado Kayak Fishing Club. His other interests are helping to spread the kayak tournament bug that is going strong everywhere in the United States. As a boating tournament competitor Dave quickly realized that boat control is one of the most critical components to success. Native Watercraft, specifically the Slayer Propel 13 is the ultimate fishing platform to allow for boat control and proper lure presentation. Feel free to reach out to Dave through Native Watercraft, his FaceBook page or by stopping into the Colorado Springs Bass Pro store, Marine department

My name is Edward “Ted” Crumb and I live in South East Virginia. I am 41 years old and have been hunting and fishing as long as I can remember. In the spring, summer and fall you can find me on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay fishing in my kayak. I fish as much as possible and try to be on the water at least twice a week. Fishing out of my kayak is a true passion of mine. I guess I could fish out of a boat, but what fun is that. I like to be next to the fish, on top of them or sneaking up on them. Waterfowl hunting has been a passion of mine since the first time I went. I try to hunt as much as possible during the season and spend close to 50 days hunting ducks, geese and deer. I believe there is a huge market for promoting kayak hunting for waterfowl, which I don’t see much...I want to be on the forefront of bringing kayak hunting to the public along with fishing!

I have been fishing since before I can remember, at least thirty-one years. I grew up bank and boat fishing for catfish and crappie in Central Texas with my dad. It wasn't until a few years back when I got my first kayak that I was able to begin learning how to fish for bass. Ever since, I have focused most of my fishing time on bass. Since 2012, fishing kayak bass tournaments, I have placed in the top 10 a total of 12 times with two top 2 finishes and four top 3 finishes. I have been blessed to have a wife who enjoys the outdoors as much as me. We have kayaked/fished all over Texas, from the coast to far West Texas. Away from the water I like to write and make videos over various kayaking and fishing topics and experiences. As well as showcase some of my wife's on the water photography. They can be found on my blog withoutapaddleblog.com.

I grew up fishing a farm pond and small rivers and creeks. I still fish the same rivers but now I fish them in my kayak. I fish all kinds of tournaments. I am with a club called Arkansas Kayak Anglers. I have been kayak fishing for about five years now and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I want to get more people involved in kayak fishing. Kayak fishing is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. I like to show off my Native Watercraft Propel to others and talk about my experiences I've had.

I grew up in rural Minnesota fishing mainly northern pike, panfish, and walleyes at my grandparents lake home. I progressed through college to chasing more exciting game fish like bass, muskies, and salmon. My grandparents moved to Port Charlotte, FL so the last few years I have spent time bay fishing in gulf coast Florida as a southern activity. These days I spend my outdoor time doing some part-time guiding, fishing with my 3 kids, and getting new people introduced to the outdoors.

Dee's passion for fishing started over 40 years ago while growing up in the Midwest. When most young girls were playing with Barbies and tea sets, she was fishing the fresh waters of Canada, Michigan and Wisconsin for walleye, northern pike, muskey, and bass with her parents. The passion continued after friends introduced her to the east coast of Florida where she tried her hand at salt water fishing. After moving to Melbourne Beach Florida and as her knowledge of the personalities and habitats of the different fish species grew, she decided she wanted to get up close and personal. The best way to do this was to purchase a Native Watercraft kayak, the missing link necessary to approach large fish in stealth mode. Sharing her expertise and abilities with others seemed to be the natural progression in her fishing success story, so Dee began guiding full time in the waters from the Mosquito Lagoon down to Vero Beach. Her favorite fish species to target are Snook, Redfish, Speckled Sea Trout and Flounder using light tackle with live and artificial baits.

As a child I grew up fishing the lakes and bays of Texas from bank and boat. It wasn't until several years ago that I discovered kayaking as the premier way to access fisheries. I now bass fish predominately in Central Texas lakes and rivers both recreationally and competitively. I still fish Texas bays occasionally but more often than not you will find me fishing for bass. I complete in kayak bass fishing tournaments both locally and nationally.