 |
| Here is my Old Town Sportsman PDL at the boat ramp ready to go. It is simply a fishing machine. |
I’ve been fishing from my Old Town Sportsman PDL 106 kayak for well over a month now. I’ve been out about 10 times for a total of roughly 40 hours of fishing. With that experience under my belt, I feel that I can now do a full review of this kayak.
I’ll be
doing a number of topics and giving each topic a grade (A, B, C etc.):
From a
fishing perspective-
Once you fish from one of these you will never go back to a paddle kayak again.
The hands free operation of the kayak is simply fantastic for fishing. You can be pedaling slowly and fishing at the
same time. No time is wasted. Trolling
is also a breeze. All steering is done by a rudder that is controlled by a knob
by your seat. This pedal kayak is a fishing machine! Grade-A
The pedal drive propels the kayak. Pedal in
one direction and you go forward. Reverse
direction and you go in reverse. The reverse is
a necessity.
Pedal
drive- The drive on this
kayak runs by pedaling like you would pedal a bike. The pedal moves a propellor
under the kayak to move you forward by pedaling in a clockwise motion. Move your feet the other way and you move in
reverse. I nearly bought a less expensive Hobie kayak that only had forward
movement. I’m glad I didn’t since I find
myself constantly using the reverse to reposition myself or to back out of low
water situations. People ask me what
it’s like to pedal this kayak. It is
like riding a bike up a gentle hill. You
will feel some resistance. Since I ride a bike just about every day, it was a
smooth transition for me. Those not in great shape my find it a bit difficult
at first. I can also move much
faster in this kayak than I can in a paddle one. Grade- A
Features-
I love the features on this kayak.
It was like a fisherman designed it. It’s got three rod holders in great
locations. The gear tracks on both sides
hold my trolling rod holder and camera boom.
There are hatches in the front and back that hold some tools and a first
aide kit in a dry bag. The hatches have somewhat tight covers that do not allow
water to come in. The paddle holder works great since a paddle is needed to
launch from low water and to come back in shallow water. There is also a well in
the back with bungee cords that holds my crate. If you are into adding a depth
finder/fish finder, there is a mount already set up on the bottom. The rudder
is lowered and lifted by a lever on the right side. Steering is done by a lever on the left side.
There are also indentations on both side of the kayak held with a rubber mesh
that holds my pliers and gripper and extra plugs. A plug box fits under the seat. There is even
a drink holder built into the hull! Grade- A
My Scotty trolling rod holder fits in the gear
track on the kayak. The kayak is loaded
with features fishermen will love.
Seat- The seat is mesh and padded. It is so
comfortable, it is like sitting on a living room chair. It is fully adjustable and can be removed
when transporting (I don’t). Grade- A
Stability-
So, so stable compared to other kayaks. In fact, I frequently stand up on
the padded floor to fish in calm water.
No problems. This kayak might be short, but it is 36 inches wide which
adds greatly to the stability. Grade- A
Handling
in calm water- At 10
ft., 6 inches, this kayak was basically made to fish freshwater lakes and ponds
and protected saltwater areas like harbors and bays. In calm water with winds
under 15 miles an hour and in current free locations it handles and moves
really well. Grade- A
Handling
in rough and choppy water- Not so good. The bow on this kayak
sits low with only about a foot of clearance from the water. If you are moving in choppy conditions (1 to
2 foot chop) you will get a lot of water coming into the kayak. It drains fast but when you see gallons of
water coming at you, it’s a bit unnerving. In addition, it does not steer real
well when you are getting tossed about. I’ve learned to not go out in 15 to 20
mile per hour winds and in very choppy conditions. Hey, it was not made for this. I do not plan
to use this kayak in the wide open ocean. If you want a kayak to go out in
bigger water, think about the Salty PDL 120 or the Sportsman Big Water 132. Grade-
C
Weight- Yes, it is heavy. Any double hulled kayak is heavy. This one
weighs 76 lbs. without the drive. The drive weighs another 18 lbs., but is not
in the kayak when transporting. I’m sure bigger, younger and stronger people
can lift this onto the roof of their vehicles.
I can not. I have to rely on a
cart ( Malone Wide Track ATB) to get to the water as well as into and out of my
garage. I might also back it up to a
boat ramp and just lower it into the water. By the way, the Malone Kayak Cart
is a perfect fit for this kayak. The kayak fits very nicely in the back of my
Toyota Tacoma Pickup truck that has a 6 foot bed. Grade- B
I would
highly recommend the Old Town Sportsman PDL 106 kayak to anyone looking for a
10 ft., 6 inch kayak to use for fishing in protected areas, bays and harbors.
For fishing, the pedal drive is a gamechanger!
 |
| Simply fantastic for fishing calm, protected areas. Highly recommended! |
