Pedal Fishing Kayaks
Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Review: Instant Reverse, at a Real Weight
Quick answer
The Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 is a 12 foot pedal fishing kayak with a forward and reverse pedal drive that reverses instantly without removing your hands, a genuine 500 lb manufacturer capacity figure, at the cost of real weight for car topping and a price near three thousand dollars.
The Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 sells on one feature above everything else: the PDL drive reverses instantly with the pedals themselves, no lever, no switching to a paddle, which matters the moment a hooked fish runs under the hull. This review is built from Old Town's own published specifications and the consensus of verified owner reviews, not a kayak tested on the water.
Twelve feet of pontoon style hull, a 500 lb manufacturer capacity figure, and a removable pedal console cover the basics. The honest tradeoffs are weight, most of it in the drive system and hull itself, and a price that puts this kayak well above most paddle fishing kayaks on the market.
What makes the PDL drive different from a standard pedal kayak?
The Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 pedal fishing kayak uses Old Town's PDL drive, which moves forward and reverse directly through the pedaling motion rather than requiring a separate lever, a flipped propeller cartridge, or dismounting the drive entirely the way many pedal kayaks do. Reversing instantly, without lifting a hand off the rod, is the single biggest practical advantage over a paddle hull when a fish makes a run under the boat. The drive is also removable for transport and docks into the hull with what Old Town calls an easy docking system, and a universal transducer mounting system is built in for anyone adding a fish finder.
What does Old Town actually publish about weight and capacity?
Kayaks carry no federal capacity plate; that requirement covers monohull boats under 20 feet propelled by machinery, and canoes and kayaks are not included. Every capacity figure below is Old Town's own manufacturer figure, not a regulated one.
Old Town states a 500 lb maximum capacity for the PDL 120, with 384 lb of that stated as usable capacity for people and gear.
Published figure A published engineering, regulatory or manufacturer figure. It does not change because somebody disagrees with it.
| Model | Length | Hull + console weight | Max capacity | Usable capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDL 106 | 10.5 ft | 107 + 18 lb | 450 lb | 343 lb |
| PDL 120 | 12 ft | 116 + 19 lb | 500 lb | 384 lb |
Old Town's own usable capacity figure already subtracts the hull and drive system weight from the stated maximum. Applying the site's separate 70 percent of maximum convention on top, roughly 350 lb, is a more conservative planning number for anyone loading heavy electronics or a full cooler.
What the PDL 120 costs you in weight and price
At 116 lb for the hull plus 19 lb for the removable pedal console, this is not a kayak one person casually lifts onto a roof rack alone; a proper kayak cart or a trailer is the realistic answer for most owners rather than car topping solo. Price is the other real cost, sitting close to three thousand dollars before a paddle, a seat upgrade or electronics are added, which is well above most paddle fishing kayaks and even above several other pedal drive kayaks in this catalog. Neither is a flaw in the drive system itself; both are the honest price of the hull size and the mechanism that makes instant reverse possible.
Step up to the BigWater PDL 132, or save with the PDL 106 instead
Step up to the Old Town Sportsman BigWater PDL 132 for open water and chop where the extra length and volume matter more than the weight it adds; that kayak is heavier still and is genuinely not suited to solo car topping. Save with the PDL 106 instead when a smaller, lighter version of the same PDL drive covers the water actually being fished, since the mechanism and its instant reverse carry over unchanged on the shorter hull. Anyone unwilling to pay for a pedal drive at all should look at the Perception Pescador Pro 12, a paddle hull at well under half the price and less than half the weight.
Sources
- Old Town published specifications for the Sportsman PDL 120 pedal fishing kayak
- Old Town published specifications for the Sportsman PDL 106 and BigWater PDL 132
- Recurring themes in verified owner reviews of the Sportsman PDL line
Frequently asked questions
How is the PDL drive different from a standard flip-and-go pedal drive?
Most pedal drives need a lever, a cartridge flip, or a full dismount to switch between forward and reverse. Old Town's PDL drive reverses directly through the pedaling motion itself, so backing off a snag or reversing while a hooked fish runs under the hull happens instantly, without lifting either hand off the rod or the paddle to operate a separate control.
How much does the Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 weigh?
Old Town publishes 116 lb for the hull and 19 lb for the removable pedal console, for a combined 135 lb before a seat, paddle or electronics are added. That is heavy enough that most owners use a kayak cart, a trailer or a second person to load it rather than car topping it solo on a regular basis.
Does the PDL 120 have a Coast Guard capacity rating?
No. Federal capacity plate rules cover monohull boats under 20 feet propelled by machinery, and kayaks are not covered by that requirement. The 500 lb maximum and 384 lb usable capacity figures on the PDL 120 are Old Town's own published numbers from its own testing, not a regulated Coast Guard rating, though they are still the manufacturer's real, stated figures.
What is the real difference between the PDL 106 and PDL 120?
Length, weight and capacity. The PDL 120 is a foot and a half longer, about 9 lb heavier in the hull, and carries a higher published 500 lb maximum and 384 lb usable capacity against the PDL 106's 450 lb and 343 lb. The PDL drive itself is unchanged between the two, so the choice comes down to how much boat and how much capacity the water being fished actually calls for.
Is the PDL 120 worth it over a paddle kayak like the Pescador Pro 12?
For anyone who wants hands free propulsion and instant reverse, yes, and owners consistently describe it as a different category of fishing rather than an upgrade. For a buyer on a tighter budget, or one who does not mind paddling, the Perception Pescador Pro 12 covers similar fishing at well under half the price and less than half the weight, without the pedal drive's mechanical complexity.
Can the pedal console be removed for storage or transport?
Yes. Old Town states the pedal drive is removable, docking into a slot in the hull with what the company calls an easy docking system for launching and landing. Removing the 19 lb console also lightens the kayak somewhat for a shorter carry, though the hull itself still weighs 116 lb on its own regardless of whether the drive is installed.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published engineering and regulatory figures, manufacturer specifications and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are boating convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Marine electrical work is not house wiring. Use tinned, finely stranded marine cable, size it for voltage drop and for the ABYC E-11 ampacity table rather than one or the other, and put overcurrent protection within seven inches of the battery positive terminal, because everything between the post and the fuse is unprotected. A lithium battery needs a charger with a lithium profile. Never load a boat past its capacity plate, and remember that canoes and kayaks carry no federal capacity plate at all, so their stated capacity is the manufacturer own figure. Wear the life jacket, and treat early season water as the hazard it is: cold water immersion takes your breath and then your hands long before it takes your core.