Old Town Sportsman Salty PDL (Final Thoughts) 

Congratulations on the Kayak Fishing Fun writeup. Was glad to see it.

Thanks Nick. Makes sense, hard core fisherman vs recreational/occasional fishing. I am one of those persons who will just throw 1-2 rods and crate and go fishing. Probably make zero mods to my kayak. So budget and ease of transport are more important. Thanks again for the detailed comparison

Great review man. This is definitely a great second kayak for people who do tournaments and want a different kayak for lite tackle kayak fishing. It will be a great option also for people who just go go kayak fishing on the weekends.

Thanks Nick this was good to hear we have had ours for a week now and I want a second one for me, I got my wife the first one

Thanks for your honest review. To me the salty pdl makes good sense to me since im not fishing at all, but probably in the future. What made me choose this over a hobie was the seat capacity, price and having service locally. My main use would be recreationally and doing group trips. Thanks for all the info.

I 100% agree with you. I have had my Salty for 1 year. Upgraded from a lifetime 10 ft. Amazing second kayak IMO. I do a ton of tournament fishing, and like you said, there is just no storage. That is 100% my biggest complaint. I did install a through hull for my fish finder and a Boonedox landing gear because carting the salty is the worst. I will most likely be upgrading to a pdl 120 or another platform in the next 2 years. I plan on keeping the salty for the wife and river fishing here in central Ohio. The salty is light and very easy to drag through some of the shallower areas we have here. Another point I would like to make is Old Town has the best customer service hands down. So honestly you can't go wrong with any Old Town Kayak. Lastly, the upgrades that you provide have made the Salty experience 1000 times better, I ordered a scupper transducer mount and realized after the order I needed a special part, gave you a call and you had it shipped out the next day. Amazing customer service on you part man. I recommend your product to everyone in my Touney trails keep it up, just need to get some seat risers ordered for next season!

I've taken my Salty out about a handful of times now, and overall, it's a good fit for me since I only get to fish maybe once a week, if weather condition allow. About running the fish finder transducer cable, I just strap it using some nylon zip tie mount along the side from the front to the seat, and that get it neatly out of the way. The hull slapping in the front when the water gets a bit choppy can get annoying, though.

Just ordered a salty wondered what rod holders work well in the track system. I may use it catfishing so I need a sturdy one. Thanks for your videos.

Pretty good review. I’m the Salty customer you described. Here’s why I upgraded from a Trident 13 to the Salty: 1) One of the lightest PDL’s. If I trailered, weight is not as big of an issue but it goes on an overhead truck rack so that’s my biggie. A Titan 106 is in the same ballpark though. Hobies are expensive, big and really get too close to ‘just buy a real boat’ territory. 2) It’s pretty quick/agile. It’s much more stable & comfortable than my Trident but still handles chop and swells really well. 3) I don’t miss the hatches. I have a BlackPack crate that’s very easy to access and holds a ton. Add under seat storage and a dry bag and I’m good to go! If I ever do another multi day river trip I may miss that hull storage for rods and gear though.

Fair enough. Thanks

Does that wilderness systems beach cart fit in the back? Parking is not the greatest in my area, so i don't have the time to put it back in my truck.

Great overview !!!

I think in general guys take way too much crap when fishing. All I ever take is 3 rods and lots of the time only 2. I use the Salty as my main boat and fish 2-3 times per week salt and fresh.

Great vid!

Could you give some info on the rod holder setup? I really like the setups you have displayed on the salty recently. Additionally I also have learned to downsize and properly organize my tackle which has been one reservation with choosing between the salty and 132, I think the salty may be a good compromise for me as I spend a majority of time fishing freshwater but do plan to try some near shore in the future once I get a few guided trips under my belt

Hi,, I love this kajak.. Where can I find ò to buy this kajaks

I ended up grabbing one and have been using it for a few months now, fish finder installation is definitely the biggest downside. Just no good spot to run cables, I still haven't decided where I want to run mine either. Only other thing I'd probably want is more flush mount rod holders facing back. I always bring 2 rods plus a net/gaff and it's just awkward without a place for the net/gaff. Definitely love how easy it is to pedal and get around with though, perfect for my needs.

Great video 👍 how does this handle in the surf? I'm looking to get a good pdl for running baits off the beach and light offshore fishing here in tx on the beach.

I am planning to get a kayak again this year. I used to have a paddle only cheap Walmart Kayak. I always used and will use it for small Michigan Rivers (AuSAble and Manistee) and inland lakes. I want to do some fishing from it and wanted a fishing Kayak. I have a limited budget as I’m a divorced dad and pay a boat load of child support. I am a big guy around 5’ 11” and 310 lbs. I am really thinking the Old Town Sportsman lineup. Researching I found the PDL version and auto pilot. The Auto pilot is out based on price and I want to Kayak to get out in nature and exercise. I also love going down the local rivers so I need to be able to navigate the rivers which are very shallow in many areas (under a foot of water and even a few inches in places) and can have some tight turns in 5 mph current. I was thinking the PDL so I can also exercise my legs in the lakes (I’m fat and want to lose weight) and was thinking it may make fishing more enjoyable (don’t have to paddle out of tight areas, etc) but I would not use the PDL on the rivers (or maybe I would) and get the hole cover. I most likely will be using a Kayak carrier on top of my Cherokee. So I was thinking the 106 PDL as it’s shorter for the rivers but I’m not thinking the 120 PDL as the liveries use larger kayaks and my weight. Do you believe the PDL would be worth it for what I want to use it for and knowing I’m in a very tight budget? The #1 reason I was thinking the PDL vs the paddle was for my health and to also be able to exercise my legs but is the $1,000 for the PDL worth it? I almost wish I could get the standard sportsman with the option to add the PDL later but that doesn’t appear to be an option. I want the Old Town for quality and stability.

Hey man I live in Pensacola. I traveled to Navarre today to look at the Native slayer propel max. What are your thoughts on that specific yak? I’m not sure if I want the 10 or 12.5.

What are your thoughts on Hobie kayaks? Ever think about renting one and doing a head to head comparison with Oldtown?

Would be a great kayak to peddle out baits

**Navarre 1” front and rear seat risers allow for access to seat hatch on the Water🤙

What do you use as a bilge setup in your Predator/Bigwater Kayaks Nick?

So for the serious, going all the time fisherman, what kayak would you recommend?

complete platform. hmmm..... osap 136 .... wilderness cart trough "the sugar sand " dare 😂

Your thoughts sum up my impressions when I looked at these at a dealer. I’d like to fish everyday if I could but when I can make it out, I go all out so the 120 or 132 is better for me. But for someone who travels light, the Salty might be a great choice.

What do you feel is the perfect kayak for you?

I just bought it a few weeks ago now I’m rethinking but oh well maybe it will work better for me since I’ll only fish once a week

Get a hobbie wow

Storage is overrated