Old Town Predator PDL

I’m thinking about getting a pedal powered kayak for fishing, and my early interest is in an Old Town Predator PDL, either the 10’6” or the 12’ versions. I’m open for info from anyone that has used one, or has something similar and better. I’d appreciate your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, etc.

Old Town makes a great kayak! The Predator is their top of the line model but the Predator is only available in the 13' length. They offer the Topwater line in 106 and 120 models. I looked hard at the Predator kayak a few years back but eventually went with the Pro Angler. The Predator is a heavy kayak. Keep that in mind. It is also very fast for it's size. They also now have the Sportsman PDL 120 which has a few more improvements over the Topwater 120 PDL and is the same price (at $2199).

I look for the Sportsman line to replace the Topwater line. This is just my opinion but I know kayak manufactures cannot effectively produce multiple kayak models that are really similar in today's market.

IMO Johnson Outdoors (manufactures of Old Town Kayaks) is a great company and will be near the top of the list with their kayaks in many categories.

Either way pedal kayaks are great for fishing when you don't have to do a lot of paddling in shallow, grassy or stumpy water.

Let us know what you decide.

I've got a Topwater PDL, the 10'6" version. The 12" wasn't out yet when I bought it. I can pedal all day at 3.6 mph according to my Lowrance, and I can get it up to about 4.5 mph if I pedal really hard. It's a bit of a wet ride even with the drive in the water. Water comes in around the edges of the drive but goes right out thru the one way scuppers. It's not light. With the drive and the seat installed it weighs 95 lbs. I can still pedal in water down to about 18 inches deep, though depending on how much you load it up affects that.

Some people don't like the seat...I normally fish for about 6 hours at a time, I find it comfortable. I have no problem covering ten miles of water in a day.

Pros:
Smooth drive (was designed by Minkota, also owned by Johnson) with a 5 year warranty
Stable Hull. It's 34" wide. I'm comfortable reaching over the side for a fish or turning around in my seat to get something out of the crate.
Pretty fast for a 10'6" boat
Decent storage space...can store plano boxes under the seat, the pockets on the side hold two small tackle boxes each. No problem putting my crate in the tank well, along with my C-Tug Cart broken down.

Cons
As mentioned above, you will get your feet wet, and when the drive is up there's a big hole in the floor, that stuff will go thru.
Doesn't paddle well at all. It paddles just like you'd expect a 10'6", 34" wide kayak to paddle.
Needs more rail space. I've got a Yak Attack Power Block and Switchblade transducer arm that take up the whole right hand rail. I have a rod holder and cleat for my anchor that take up the whole left side.
Seat isn't height adjustable, just fore and aft.

Overall I love it.

I bought a predator PDL and love it. I don’t think you will have any regrets buying one.

Looks like Old Town is making changes. The Predator PDL is no more (well technically). They have replaced it with the Big Water PDL 132. Just looking at the pics on their website I don't see anything that has changed other than the name. Tomayto Tomato. Old Town has a number of new additions including a new pedal drive kayak called the Sportsman Salty PDL 120. Looks like a great budget option for a solid pedal drive kayak at $1899.

https://oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.com/old-town-sportsman/fishing/sportsman-salty-pdl-120

That Salty PDL 120 might just be the ticket. Happily, my wife LOVES to kayak, and she has been peeved with me because I didn’t want a kayak. So, she won’t gripe much, if at all, when I decide to buy one. She already happy that I am showing interest.

We do a good bit of travel trailering, so I put her kayak up on the rack, and my 8’ plastic boat (the Robert E Lee) in the truck bed, along with a big battery, trolling motor, and whatever we need on the trip. That takes up all of the bed. It would be nice to put a second kayak up on the rack and leave the truck bed open for all the other stuff we travel with. Plus, I won’t have to charge that big battery and tote it back and forth to the boat. The kayak just seems like a good idea for traveling and fishing.

Help and suggestions from you kayak guys is much appreciated.

OP let us know what you go with. I really like Old Town kayaks. They've come a long way in the last 3 years. They have things on the kayak that make sense like a paddle clip style paddle holder where your paddle easily just snaps in with one hand instead of a bungee that's hard to do with one hand and having a rudder that when stowed for travel doubles as a handle. Their rudder raise and lower system is IMO the best in the business. Looks like the Salty comes with gear tracks, EVA deck padding and molded in rod holders with a 3rd forward facing rod holder for when you're taking off a fish or re-tying a lure, etc. I really like how the bow is raised. I doubt it will be a wet ride comparatively.

No, to the discontinuation of the Predator series. According to Old Town's website they have no intention of eliminating it.

Now, the market might have another idea and if there are no sales, Old Town certainly won't build them.

All nice kayaks! Most are rather heavy. the Topwater 106 has a design flaw, I think, where it didn't provide a little curb for the drive to fasten down to so if you lift it out of the water, it comes pouring in. Contrast this to a similar vessel, the Native Slayer Propel 10, for a better design in this regard.

All seem super fast.

I also like how much attention Old Town gave to the "muscular" look of its Predator. Looks count, too.

Brad

You're correct. After looking again I see they still have the Predator PDL. When I looked a little closer there are some differences (the Big Water has a different seat, rear access hatch and new rear hull design). Specs show the Big Water PDL 132 is about 20 lbs. lighter too.

Jerry, correct that the two vessels have some subtle differences. I think both are great designs. The market will speak, as always.

Old Town is to be contended with. When the firm hit the fishing kayak business, they came "all in" so to speak.

Looking forward to what else Old Town might develop in the future.

Brad

There is one for sale on Dallas Craigslist
https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/d/denton-old-town-top-water-106-pdl/7096921926.html

Darn it! With the stock market in the tank, I just don’t want to spend that much money right now. It is the right kayak for me and at a good price, but at the wrong time. Thanks for posting that up though.

I bought a Topwater 120 PDL in September and I love it. I’ve been on Grapevine, Texoma and Falcon with it in some windy conditions and felt safe. It’s stable, fast and I love the pedal drive system. It’s heavy for sure, but manageable. I really like it.