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The bluegill has been famously called America’s most democratic gamefish. Cooperative, willing to bite, and far from finicky, there’s definitely a strong case to be made there.

It shares these attributes with other relatives, like other sunfish, crappies, and even yellow perch. Perhaps it’s the panfish that are the fish of the people - not just bluegill.

To this point, fishing for panfish often gets you back to basics. You can catch bluegill on hand-tied flies and thousand-dollar two-weight fly outfits just as readily as on a cane pole and a worm you dug out of the yard an hour before getting to the bank.

The thing about it is you can go your own way, as complex or as simplified as you want, but for many of us, panfishing gets us back to the basics.

And that’s why a craft like the Native Slayer Propel 10 is the perfect panfishing machine. Here’s what to know.

It’s a Comparative Featherweight

When you’re going after panfish, you need to go where they are. Whether that means finding the school suspended in deep water or going from pocket to pocket in the shallows, you need to be itinerant.

It also means you need a craft that’s easy to get about, both in the water and out of it. The Native Slayer Propel 10 is just that craft.

Only 10 feet long, and more impressively, just 81 lbs fully rigged, the Native Slayer Propel 10 is a real featherweight in its class.

It’s small and light enough to transport via cartop just as easily in the bed of a truck, and most anglers will have no trouble slinging such a light craft.

Which means it’s easy to take from hole to hole, too.

Hands-Free Fishing

While many of you might look the other way, past a pedal drive, when you were looking for a panfishing vessel (and justifiably so), this is the one to settle on if you’re still interested.

It’s light, fast, and hands-free, and as far as pedal drive systems go, pretty well prepared for shallow water. No, it’s not as shallow-water capable as a paddle-driven craft, but the pedal drive offers speed and flexibility that you otherwise wouldn’t have.

Meaning this is much more than just a panfishing-optimized vessel (but more on that below).

Next-Level Stability

You ever feel the need to stretch your legs on the water? Or maybe you want to stand so you can sight fish, or for extra leverage while casting?

Either way, the Native Slayer Propel 10 makes it possible, offering unbelievable stability you will have to experience to believe.

Power in Forward and Reverse

The pain of some pedal drives is that they only offer power in one direction. Out on wide open lakes and rivers, that’s no big deal, but when you’re in the shallows going after panfish and need to back out of the thick stuff, with hardly even any space to turn around, well, that changes the story a bit. Fortunately, with the Slayer Propel 10, you can literally back out of that predicament.

Less Fatigue

Paddling after panfish is no doubt the move that most light-tackle anglers make, but it is sure to tire you out faster. Armed with the Native Slayer Propel 10’s powerful pedal drive, you won’t need to burn your arms out faster, so you’ll stay fresher on the water for longer.

All Day Comfort

Let’s just be straight with each other. Sitting on the aluminum or plastic thwart of a canoe and casting to shallow water panfish may hold a certain charm, but only for certain while. And that while is not long.

Your back and bottom will want relief before more than half of the day is done. The Native Slayer Propel 10 is outfitted with comfortable, quick-drying seating that is supportive and impossibly comfortable - for all day long fishing.

That’s a bonus, considering the exceptionally liberal bag limits most states have on panfish. You’ll be able to stay out longer and be selective about your harvest.

It Can Handle the Bumps and Knocks of Shallow Water

If you want to pursue panfish, that means you need to go where they live - and that means a lot of rocks, logs, weeds, and other jams. The tougher and more sprightly your craft, the better. Such is the case of the Native Slayer Propel 10, a tough little craft that can handle a few incidental bumps and knocks.

Storage for the Essentials

While you won’t need much to have a successful day panfishing, you’ll need room for your harvest. As stated, most states have very liberal regulations concerning the harvest of panfish, with many allowing you to keep 25 or more, daily.

So, while you might not need a lot of room for tackle, you’ll need room for a bucket or a cooler to store your catch. The Native Slayer Propel 10 is marvelously equipped, with a large tie-down area behind the cockpit that is just perfect for that very application. (Yes, it has rod holders, too.)

Expandability Via the Gear Track Systems

If you ever determine in the future that your Native Slayer Propel 10 could use some upgrades, you’re in luck. It’s outfitted with gear tracks that make it easy to add kayak fishing accessories from the top producers, like RAILBLAZA, Scotty, and Ram, among others, so you can customize the rig to your preferred pursuit.

On that note…

Prepared for More than Panfish

While the Native Slayer Propel 10 might be an excellent option for panfishing (as pedal-driven kayaks go, at least) it is customizable for so much more.

The stability, expandability, comfort, speed, power, and easy handling of the vessel (among its other attributes) make it excellent as a bass rig on big lakes and rivers, as well as perfect for inshore fishing for back bay species, like schoolie stripers and fluke.

All that, from one of the lightest yaks on the market, and one that’s among the easiest to transport. You don’t need to go big to land big results. You just need to choose a good vessel, and this is an excellent one.