Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 - Two Year Review

[@BeardedDadFishing]

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[@ryanr85]

You know what’s funny? Out of the reviews that I’ve watched for these, I haven’t seen many people put their rods in that front hatch. Only makes sense though. Great thorough review man.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching! That front hatch rod storage is my favorite feature. Appreciate you!

[@BERTRAND85O]

I’m bout to order one.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

🙌🏽 You won’t regret it!!! One of the top kayaks on the market 💯

[@C_Scalese]

Just Pre-ordered the limited edition Gray Ghost 120 PDL - can't wait!🎣

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Nice!! That color way is slick. Congrats my guy!

[@thatfishingnoob]

I'm going through a TON of reviews of this yak... thanks for all the info. I'm not close to being able to buy it, but I'm still gathering all the information haha.

[@brianb.3670]

Great Review!! I own the Old Town Sportsman pdl 120 and finally got it out on the Columbia River last weekend. Big body of water fast moving due to all the run off and it handled great. I think there were people quite amazed I was out on that river. Great moment in time. I would also like to comment on Nick from Navarre Great dude he answered all my stupid questions and I have a ton of his stuff on my Kayak. Great job to both you Gents.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

That’s awesome to hear Brian! Glad you got it out on the water. 100% agree. Nick is a fantastic guy. Very friendly and knowledgeable. I’ll keep buying his gear as long as he’s doing it! Thanks for watching brother!

[@Mike_The_Hog_A_Nator]

I'm 51yrs old & haven't exercised since high school! My Son & I just bought 2 Old Town Salty 120pdl's a month ago. They go fast! We've been able to get into spots where boats cannot get & we travel on the water to our "Redfish Hole" here on the SE Texas Coast about 6 miles round trip with zero leg fatigue! I was having back issues (which I always have) but I got one of those foldable hunting padded seat thingies & that fixed my lower back issues by the end of the day. Offshore it's great, very stable & in the Bays its wonderful. Very stable & the PDL has a ton of Torque! You definitely need 2 people to launch em. (If you're older) For around $5K I'm happy with both. We did do the Rudder Bolt upgrade & the Navarre Spacers. About to rig up a fish/depth finder & lights on ours. The seats will rub your butt cheeks raw, depending on what your wearing.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Hey Mike! Thanks for sharing! I'm glad you guys have been enjoying the salty 120s. I agree, that drive has got some mean torque! Let me know how the fish finder and lights installs go. I did both of those and have been digging the set up so far. How do you like the rudder bolt upgrade?

[@dman3531]

Mike, I'm here in SE Tex as well and looking to buy the salty 120 pdl as well. It will be my first and I'm just behind you in age. Where did you get them and I can't wait to get started.

[@TheOutdoorConquest]

Big kayak for big dudes! That’s why I love mine! It’s like a floating bathtub! I sacrificed speed for stability but I’m glad I did!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Heck yeah! I'll take the stability and all day comfort of my yak 🤙🏽

[@rvfishingyet]

One of the best reviews on any Kayak I have seen. Been researching for months and settled likely on Old Town, Hobie, or Wilderness Systems. Great walkthrough speed, brevity, humor and content. Great work good sir, really appreciated this video. Subscribed!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thank you for the feedback! Much appreciate your support!

[@andrewcox7179]

I have a hobie compass and an old town predator pdl. If i were to just go buy one again i would buy the hobie. It's lighter and easier to load. And the leg motion of the hobie drive is easier and more efficient.

[@williewilliams6163]

Did you pick one out yet?? I’m stuck between the same ones.

[@zacharystanton4932]

⁠@@williewilliams6163how about you, did you pic one

[@erick0434]

Hands down my favorite yak from all my previous yaks I’ve fished from. PDL 120 💯

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Absolutely. The stability and functionality are top tier 👌🏼

[@preacherchad]

Just ordered mine. Thank you for this awesome review. It’s my 1st real fishing yak. Can’t wait to get on the water and learn!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Great to hear Chad! Congrats! You’ll love that thing!

[@GageDrums]

What do you think about it after a year?

[@preacherchad]

@@GageDrums unfortunately it was a scam and I didn’t get it. Thankfully it was ordered through Amazon and they refunded the money.

[@the45er]

Man you've kept that kayak in great shape for 2 years of use! Looks brand new!

[@trickywild1]

It looks new because it's a garage queen

[@estebuddy]

Excellent detail in these videos brotha!! Just getting into kayak fishing and your channel is my go to now!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

I appreciate that brother! 🙏🏼 Enjoy the journey. Kayak fishing is one of the best ways to focus, re-energize and compete. Thanks for supporting!

[@samcrist7965]

You made up my mind for me. Awesome review

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching! Good luck on your purchase!

[@twbateman6108]

Glad to hear it!! Just bought mine Saturday

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Awesome brother! You're going to love it! I've got a few videos on the mods I have on my channel when the time comes.

[@twbateman6108]

I’m pretty sure i might have watched them all already 😂🤣

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Haha awesome man! Appreciate the support 🙏🏼 💪🏽

[@jessehoward5208]

great review, thank you!

[@clonefan9472]

Good review. I have a 120 PDL also. The under the seat angled plastic is really the only bummer. I’ve never received confirmation from anyone, but because of the shape, I’m convinced those angles are for hull support.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching! That makes sense. It does appear it can sit rods in there but not super comfortably. Tight lines!

[@fishinmagician81]

GREAT Job Jay; I know this was posted 10 months ago but I'm in the market now for a new ride I own a Hobie Compass but want something a little more Stable as I'm getting older and my balance isn't what it used to be .,Anyway the Angled Pieces under the seat are ROD HOLDERS so you can keep them safe ,Tips go in the grooves next to the front Hatch. Thanks again.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thank you sir! Appreciate the feedback. Always keep boxes under the seat so never got around to using the rod holders under the seat.

[@pyrowade4125]

I appreciate you. I watched this review and it sealed the deal for me. I go to pick it up tomorrow. Looking forward to landing some snakeheads & bass this season 🐍

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Awesome brother! Congrats on the new yak! You’ll love it!

[@beaubjarnason]

Hey man just found your channel as I’m looking at getting into kayak fishing this spring once I’m done on the ice. I’ve learned a bunch already from one video and it looks like your channel has lots of good content that I’ll be going through. Thinking about the 106 as opposed to 120 as I’ll be on smaller water, not a big guy and may be taking it overland on an atv I hope. Keep up the good work. Thanks.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching! You’ll love the 106. The guts are the same and so is the drive. Appreciate you! 🙌🏽

[@bme6949]

Thanks for your information, I’m actually looking at buying 2 now. But I wanted real world input and real fishermen experience to help me figure out what direction to go.

[@HendersonHookin]

excellent informative review. 100 percent agree about Nick. He makes the best stuff! And the front hatch! I hate that my Autopilot doesnt have that hatch

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Absolutely! Nick is the man. And yeah that front Hatch is a game changer. Just bought an autopilot 136 and I immediately missed my Hatch space 😆

[@charlesrowell8174]

Great video!

[@SaskFisher]

My kayak is just outright bad now looking at all these reviews haha. I LOVE that paddle drive system....screw the ores. I'd love to use this in some of the Trout Ponds. Awesome video

[@BroskiOutdoors]

Awesome video! Great review, you definitely inspired me to make my own review video of this amazing Kayak. I just installed my fish finder unit on my 120 PDL and I'm in love! I also recently designed my own seat risers (1.5" right now) and will be testing them soon. Nick and the other dude YakHobby both have real cool ideas and designs, I have pretty much all the parts you mentioned from NKF. I thought about the idea of making small designs more accessible (shipping costs and wait) and customizable with my name etc Tight lines!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Do it man! It truly is an amazing kayak. Agreed NKF has some of the best mods out there. Would love to see your concepts when you put them out. Thanks for watching!

[@TheMichiganFisherman]

Great review, Jay! If I ever get a big boy kayak, I'd DEFINITELY want something like this. For now, though, I'll keep carrying my Lifetime Teton over my head.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks Bryan! Still jealous of you carrying it over your head 😅

[@joespafford6499]

9:23 that is a pretty badass crate, what grade is that I didn't see it in the description or anything I love the way it flips up. And I really appreciate you doing it to your review. I'm a paycheck to paycheck but I'm getting there. My goal this year is to sort out how to get a kayak what kayak and all that. I'm really kind of stuck on Old Town and crescent. River and lake is where I spend my time but I really want that pedal drive. Thank you for the video

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Appreciate it brother!! Here’s the link to the build for the crate: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn3UomCMbc5ngrs Let me know when you pull the trigger on picking a yak! Thanks for watching 🙏🏽

[@joespafford6499]

@@BeardedDadFishing I'm watching another one of your kayak videos, and you actually made reference and also added the link in the description so I appreciate your response though. I didn't realize this video was from over a year ago

[@Yurazania]

I'm not a kayak fishing dad but I think your content is Nice and the review was well made ✨✨

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks bud!

[@tombosanko3085]

Those bumps are support units. I have the 106 pdl and enjoy it. I would like the 120 but problems transporting it.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Appreciate the insight Tom! Glad you enjoy the 106. They are both incredible vessels! The extra 18 inches and 10 pounds certainly does make it more challenging to maneuver on land though.

[@Timanator]

Great video man! The rudder bolt from Navarre is well worth it, I can go hand free in to the wind now :)

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to add it to the list. The stock set up in the wind isn't my jam!

[@FishYourHeartOut]

I just picked my OT sportsmen 120 PDL up friday, took it out Sunday. Had a blast!!! I did notice my rudder wouldn't stay fully deployed. I'm wondering if it just has a break in time or if the rudder bolt is a problem out the gate?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

It's likely an issue with the stock gear. Which isn't great, but at least it's an easy enough fix 👍🏼

[@LvnLyfoutdoors]

Great review!. But does to paddle get in the way of bringing fish into the boat? Since its only paddle park is on the left and I’m a lefty is great until it’s time to land that bass

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Not at all! I always bring in fish in the paddle side.

[@danhealyeverythingoutdoors7105]

Great review !

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks Dan!

[@tomballard8877]

I have the old town 110 sportsman and it is a tank. Not the fastest kayak but real stable. I use a stadium seat cushion to give me that little bit of height so I can get up easier and the strap helps also. You forgot to mention the rod holders on the floor by the seat that run up on the side of the front hatch. For fishing it is by far better then a sit in.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Agreed. The 120 is a beast. Amazing kayak with tons of features. Might have to upgrade my seat cushion as well. Goes a long way when pedaling long distances.

[@jeffheller8679]

Excellent video! I am thinking of purchasing this kayak. How well do you think it paddles if I wanted to take the drive out for a day?

[@danielfalcon6759]

Nice ty

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching man!

[@michaelbutler4961]

Being 36" wide if you had to paddle it ie peddle drive got damaged how does it paddle? Nice review, some good ideas you brought forth too.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks Michael! Glad it was helpful! At 36” wide, is it not the most fun to paddle. For short distances it’s fine, but for as heavy and wide as it is, definitely don’t recommend paddling it for long 😂

[@michaelbutler4961]

@@BeardedDadFishing Had another question for you. What did you use for a mount to hook your Garmin fish finder too, Was made for the Garmin or did you have to buy a rectangle and drill your holes?

[@dennissmith6102]

@BeardedDadFishing how do you store your Old Town Sportsman? Do you store it deck down? What does it sit on when storing it?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

I keep it in my shed face up on supports. My autopilot stays on the trailer face up with a cover. Up or down is fine as long as it’s covered and no ice forms in the yak.

[@dennissmith6102]

@BeardedDadFishing what are your supports made from (how wide are they), do they run across the width rather than lengthwise, how many supports? Thanks for all your help!

[@MrPrimetime474]

What do you think is more stable the old town sportsman 120, bonafide ss127, or wilderness system recon? I know you recommended all 3 of these in one of your other videos not sure if you've actually tried all 3. If you have which is more stable out of the 3 I mentioned?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Of those three I’ve only personally tried the sportsman 120. I’ve heard the bonafide is stable but the narrow seat can be a little uncomfortable for wider bodies. That said, the sportsman 120 is a great bet. If you have a local dealer they may have demo days on the water for you try them out.

[@MrPrimetime474]

@@BeardedDadFishing thanks

[@seandrake7534]

Is there such thing as a live well for kayaks or do you have to jeep them on a stringer

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Hobie has a live well. And there’s a few options of building your own if you’d prefer to do that.

[@thehonfleur]

Just picked up my second 120pdl kayak. Do you find that your pdl drive will fall out unless locked in? My first 120 pdl drive stays in place without the locking knobs being turned forward

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Congrats man! I always lock in the 2 front knobs that hold the drive in place but rarely ever lock the knob closest to the seat. Also acts as a way absorb a blow if I hit a rock or stump.

[@JuanDoe1776]

Great review. Personally I have the AP 120. I like the magnet dish. How do you install that on the track?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching! I made the magnet dish myself. If you loosen the wing nut, the t bolt slides right onto the rail.

[@calcovington8716]

Nice video! Great presentation, great review. Watching videos as I'm considering buying a kayak and this Old Town is one of my favorites so far. Only couple of questions. What is the Navavre link(?) and any other kayaks you feel I should be looing at for cost or build?? Thank you much.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Appreciate you watching! The link for Navarre is : www.navarrekayakfishing.com And really depends on your budget but the Native Titan, Vibe shearwater 120 and Hobie PA 12 or 14 are all great options.

[@calcovington8716]

@@BeardedDadFishing Awesome. Thanks so much.

[@jacobfunkhouser6600]

Great review man. Really leaning towards this kayak, especially for the money, but i have 2 questions. Does it come with some sort of cover for the hole if you remove the pedal drive? I fish alot of shallow grass which makes the drive almost impossible. And do the hatches come with any type of bag or liner to keeper any gear from rolling up and down the interior? Thanks for making this video! Extremely helpful

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching 🙏🏽 It does not come with a drive cover, but Navarre kayak fishing sells them for $75. And there’s no bag in the hatch but it’s big enough that you can put something in place to keep it from shifting around too much.

[@jacobfunkhouser6600]

@@BeardedDadFishing Thanks man! I hope to get one here soon, your video definitely helped!

[@WorldsOkayestBusDriver]

Rivers? Shallow water? How does it do in current and shallow water?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Depends how shallow. The drive comes down about 18”. But the drive can be propped up quickly.

[@Letizia4813]

Do you have an anchor trolley? If not, how do you anchor?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

I do not have one on the PDL 120 and dont anchor ever. However, if I did I’d go with a stakeout pole or mini power pole.

[@robbiejohnson3698]

I just order pdl 120 will a 16x16 black pak fit in tank well

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Awesome man! You won’t regret it.

[@AverageDadFishing]

I am looking at a pedal driven kayak… I fish a lot of skinny water, how easy is it to pull the drive out of the water while on the water? It seems like it would be pretty easy to pull up, get over the rocks and then drop it back down.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Honestly this is one of the easiest drives to pop out. You literally just have to twist the knob (unless you leave it open like me) and lift it up with one hand. It holds in place too.

[@AverageDadFishing]

@@BeardedDadFishing nice…right now the 10ft version is tops on the list.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Great choice. Even at 10.5', it still has a crazy weight capacity of 450 lbs. Definitely worth the 💰

[@MFOutdoors]

Would a 8' rod fit into the hull?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

I think it’ll fit just fine in there.

[@MFOutdoors]

@@BeardedDadFishing it sure will. I bought a PDL 120 Yesterday!!! I'm stoked!!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

@@MFOutdoors awesome brother!! Congrats!!! 🎉

[@thewey]

Great video. I’m trying to decide between your size boat or the 106. I’m smaller, 5’9” and weigh 180. I have to handle the kayak on my own, roof top mount, and feel the 12’ may be too long.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks for watching man! If you're car topping, I'd definitely recommend the 106. It'll make your life much easier. The 10 pound difference will be significant in the long run.

[@randall517]

I have the 120 topwater and car top it on top of a Durango. Its not as hard as you'd think. You cant just hulk it up on top. Theres some good videos that will show you how to get it done.

[@0260loft]

I've considered this yak. Any chance a kid could fish off the back? Do you think it's possible or just a bad idea?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Absolutely. I’ve seen more than a few put their kiddos in the rear tank well. With a PFD of course 😉 Thanks for watching!

[@aaron38144]

What are the dimensions of the front hatch opening? Thanks!

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Aaron I’ll take a look and let you know when I get out to the yak. Thanks for watching!

[@TJMetiv]

Great review. My only hesitation from buying this one is getting it on a roof rack if I’m solo. How do you transport it?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thanks Travis. I transport in a truck bed. However, I've seen guys solo roof rack a 106. It's not the easiest to do it with but there's hacks to make it easier.

[@chadcoones9204]

What are those covers on your rods???

[@BeardedDadFishing]

They are rod socks. Here’s the link to the ones I got : amzn.to/3MTGfss

[@chadcoones9204]

@Bearded Dad Fishing thanks dude I came across this video as im researching what id like to get into for fishing kayaks. Appreciate the quick reply

[@mikewalker7551]

What are those ride sleeves?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

I love those sleeves. These are the ones I got : amzn.to/43TF6qy

[@mikewalker7551]

Thank you

[@tonyelmore2167]

What sort of anchor system do you use?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

No anchor system currently. Just my legs 😅

[@franciscorobles7663]

I have a question. Im 5 foot 3 , would I be able to reach the pdl drive ? I don’t want to get one and not be able to use it 😣 Awesome review btw 💯

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thank you! I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t be able to reach it. The chair slides up a good distance and brings you closer to the pedal drive. Is there any way you can demo one first to find out?

[@franciscorobles7663]

Id have to ask first but thanks 😅

[@SLOWPEEK]

is the paddle only version of this worth it?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Depends what your goal is. The paddle version is very similar and has options for now mounted motor with an adapter. Thanks for watching!

[@krisethington1643]

Where do you put the fish you catch?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Usually in my cooler in the back tankwell or behind the seat .

[@kellyjohnson6372]

I personally ::hate:: the paddle keeper on my 120. It’s so darned tight that I have to be careful I don’t lose the tip of my thumb as I pull it up and over to lock it in. Hoping it will stretch a bit over time.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

It does loosen up over time. I agree it’s very tight at first.

[@keishlatorres5886]

Awesome review!

[@TheDisco672]

Love that kayak but just can’t see myself loading onto the roof of my SUV.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

While it can be done, I can attest that it is not fun and should be avoided if possible.

[@icantthinkofaname9603]

What is the best way to gaslight myself into forking over 3 grand for a kayak

[@BeardedDadFishing]

At $3,000, If you go out 100 times, that’s $30/ outing. Not too bad IMO over a season or two.

[@thatsnothowitworks7910]

Came for the review. Subscribed for the joke. 🤣

[@BeardedDadFishing]

😂 thanks for watching! More dad joke coming soon! 🤙🏽

[@jay-p5n3t]

compared with native kajaks any opinions?

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Never been in one so I can’t tell you. But I have yet to meet someone who didn’t love their old town sportsman.

[@trickywild1]

Anyone who keeps telling you they're not gonna lie......is lying to you

[@BeardedDadFishing]

🤷🏽‍♂️

[@FannyMag]

Martinez Scott Lee Scott Rodriguez Gary

[@WanderingYooper]

Excellent review video my friend! I just Subbed and looking forward to watching your other videos. I will definitely check out that Facebook page sounds like a good one.

[@BeardedDadFishing]

Thank you! I appreciate you!