< Kayaks
Old Town Canoes and Kayaks Predator PDL
The first Old Town canoe was built in Old Town, Maine, along the Penobscot River. Little did we know, it was the beginning of an incredible century-long journey. Some of our oldest boats are still navigating the world’s waterways. Meanwhile, our newest creations steer us in novel directions, pushing the boundaries of performance and comfort with innovative materials and design. All are born out of the same century-long tradition of quality craftsmanship that make every day on the water unforgettable. Whether you’re fishing, sea kayaking, canoe tripping, or enjoying a relaxing paddle on the lake, there’s an Old Town watercraft for every type of adventurer.
Overview
Highlights
- Award-winning instant forward/reverse PDL™ Drive
- Built-in accessory tracks on front and rear mounting plates
- Stern shallow water anchor mounting area with pre-drilled holes
- Composite rudder for better control and maneuvering w/ carry handle
- EVA foam deck pads for safe and comfortable stand-up fishing
Available Colours
- Red
- Green
- Tan
- Brown
The first Old Town canoe was built in Old Town, Maine, along the Penobscot River. Little did we know, it was the beginning of an incredible century-long journey. Some of our oldest boats are still navigating the world’s waterways. Meanwhile, our newest creations steer us in novel directions, pushing the boundaries of performance and comfort with innovative materials and design. All are born out of the same century-long tradition of quality craftsmanship that make every day on the water unforgettable. Whether you’re fishing, sea kayaking, canoe tripping, or enjoying a relaxing paddle on the lake, there’s an Old Town watercraft for every type of adventurer.
Features & Specifications
Overview
- Model Year: 2019
- Category: Kayaks
- Kayak Type: Fishing
- Paddlesport: Kayaking
- Number of Paddlers: Solo
- Structure: Rigid or Hard
- Propulsion: Paddle, Pedal
- Best Used For: Fishing
- Intended Waterway: Lakes, Ponds & Inshore
- Fishing Type: Standup
Specifications
- Length: 13' 2" / 401.3 cm
- Width: 36" / 91.4 cm
- Weight: 117 lb / 53.1 kg
- Capacity: 500 lb / 226.8 kg
Features
- Primary Material: Rotomolded Plastic
- Hull Shape: Shallow Arch
- Rudder or Skeg: Rudder
- Self Bailing: Yes
- Bulkheads: Bow
- Number of Hatches: 1
- Storage: Bow Hatch, Stern Tankwell, Cockpit Console
Outfitting
- Outfitting: Back Rest
- Seat: Adjustable, High-Low Seat
- Standing Platform: Yes
- Rigging: Deck Rigging, Accessory Rails, Accessory Plates, Fish Finder Ready, Rod Holder(s), Cup Holder, Carry Handles, Grab Handles, Drain Plug
What Users Are Saying
This kayak was designed by anglers for anglers. Spending a day fishing in it is a breeze and a lot of fun, but it doesn't stop there. You don't even have to fish to enjoy time spent in this thing. Its powerful PDL drive and maneuverability makes it the kind of kayak anyone can enjoy, even at a leisurely level.
- Thomas Allen, BassmasterIt's easy for me to stand up and fish from, and I am overweight and ruined my ankles in the service. I have only loaded it in my truck, haven't cartopped this kayak yet, and don't have a trailer. I can definitely load it on my truck; certainly no 10' Tarpon, but I manage. With the seat and pedal drive out of it, I can lift it by the side handle to move it short distances, but wouldn't want to do that for much over 50 yards (same for my Jackson Coosa HD). If I move it any distance, it's on a cart I built. It's over 13', but it's fine in my truck, which has a 8' bed with a toolbox. For me, it was better than anything else on the market for me, and I guess that still stands from what I see. The others I considered were the 13' WS Radar, the Jackson Coosa FD, and the Hobie Outback. The Predator PDL won out for me because it was more stable and I liked the more open layout than the Radar, maneuvered/turned a lot better and was also more stable than the Coosa FD, and was hands-free in reverse. The old Hobie system was hard to go from forward to reverse (which is really useful for a pedal drive), but it looks like the came up with a 5 grand solution with the 360 drive. The new Predator PDLs that they showed at ICast are going to have deck padding, a front facing flush mount rod holder, and be about $300 less than the last model, so take that into consideration when you look at the discount. I think the new one will have a cheaper front hatch cover, and maybe the small hatch in the PDL drive itself will be cheaper. But I'm just guessing, I haven't seen the new ones in person. The plates look like something I'd still change out for a railsystem. I have the YakAttack ones, so there's another $160. I really like my Predator PDL. The pedal drive feels rock solid. It needs about 2 feet of water to operate, no feathering the pedals like a Hobie or 1/2 up position like the Jackson FD. It is fast, and you will get a workout pedaling it, but it's much easier than trying to paddle a fishing kayak with these dimensions and weight. The rudder is capable of turning the kayak sharply enough that you'll want to slow down if you have some speed built up when you move therudder control deftly. I bought the adapter so that I can use it as a paddle-only kayak (they're about $100) in shallow water, and I use that when I take someone along that doesn't have their own kayak. The things I'm not crazy about: 1) It has some serious curves topside that make it a challenge to strap a cart to (I strap it right under the seat, but that makes getting the cart that far forward a challenge) and I had planned to put theBoonedox wheel kit on it, but I think that might be achallenge. I stack this on top of my Coosa HD when I'm hauling them both, using a 4"X4" as a spacer. To stack something on top of this you'd need a piece of 12" I beam. 2) The tranducer scupper only accommodates a tiny transducer, like the ones that come with a $100 graph. I ended up with a box that houses my graph, transducer on a arm, and the battery. I've grown to like the setup because itall comes off as one piece, but originally I hoped to set it up a graph differently, but that scupper really threw a wrench in my plans.
I have owned an Old Town Sportsman PDL 106 for about two years now and never looked back! I looked at every available fishing kayak on the market for 6 months before making my purchase. I love the convenience of of length and width when loading and unloading and it performs great on the water. I primarily use it on lakes and ponds for bass fishing. My only regret is not starting to kayak fish 20 years ago! I am 6' tall and weigh 230 lbs and find the cockpit with plenty of room and have no problem standing to fish or just get a good stretch. I have the seat setting at about half of its full length so taller fisherman should have no issues with its height and weight capacity. I also prefer the 10.6 length as I do not need a bed extender if the tailgate is down on my Nissan Titan truck. In addition Old Town offers the best warranty for lifetime to the original owner on the hull and 5 years on the pedal drive. Note: I have had zero issues with my pedal drive for operation and noise is as at zero! The 106 his highly maneuverable and can't tout enough about being hands free for forward and reverse which allows me to get where I need to go and in current simply pedal to hold an kayak position desired so I do not have an anchor installed...no need for it and less hazard if I would go fishing in moving water.