Buying A Fishing Kayak With Pedals
Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity, driving a whole new world of ways to fish. That includes new ways of getting around, like motorized kayaks and pedal drive kayaks. If you’re thinking about joining the pedal drive fun, read on to learn why they’re so popular, and what to look for as you shop for one.
Why a Fishing Kayak With Pedals?
Pedal kayaks take your hands off the paddle so that you can focus on fishing. Kayak fishing already comes with all sorts of advantages. You can reach places fish love to hide—places with structure, depth transitions, or cover—that larger fishing boats can’t reach. You can launch from just about anywhere. You can maneuver more easily because of your size.
When you take that maneuverability and flexibility and you add extra power to it, you open up a whole new world. As of last year, it was estimated that a quarter of all kayak fishers were using pedal drives of some sort. There are a lot of reasons for that popularity. So what’s the big deal with pedals?
Speed
Pedal kayaks get you there faster. You can get to your favorite spot on the lake in no time at all, and spend more time fishing. If you’re in a tournament, you can break out of the pack faster, getting away from all the boats scaring the fish to cast in peace.
Stamina
Pedal kayaks aren’t as rough on your arms. Paddling is fun, but it’s also exhausting, and kayak fishing can become an endurance test after a while. Save your arms for fighting fish instead of traveling to them.
Likewise, when you’re done fishing for the day, doesn’t it sound nice to head home using your legs, instead of the arms that have been holding a rod and reel for hours?
Control
One of the hardest parts of fishing from a kayak is maintaining your position. You can’t fight a fish and paddle to stay in place at the same time. But in a pedal kayak, you can use your feet to stay put while using your hands to reel ‘em in.
What Should I Look for in a Pedal Fishing Kayak?
When you’re looking for a pedal-driven fishing kayak, the pedal drive and the boat itself are both going to contribute to your experience. You want a top-tier pedal drive, seated in a stable boat with plenty of storage space.
Truly Hands-Free Control
Every pedal kayak gives you some measure of foot control. After all, that’s the point. But there are different degrees of “hands-free”. Some pedal drives make you stop what you’re doing and make an adjustment with your hands if you need to switch between pedaling the kayak forward and reverse. If you’re in the middle of fighting a fish, that may not be ideal. Getting a truly hands-free pedal drive like the Old Town PDL Drive with instant reverse can really let you focus your hands on what’s important.
Buoyancy
Even the most stable kayak can be tipped in the right circumstances. If that happens, you want to make sure that your equipment and your catch stay as safe as possible. The PDL Drive floats, which may seem like a small thing until you learn that not every pedal drive does. Some pedal drives will sink to the bottom of the water if the boat flips and they aren’t strapped in. Your pedal drive is an investment, and that investment should protect itself as well as possible.
Easy Maintenance
A good pedal kayak should make your life easier, not harder. That means that installing, removing, and cleaning it should be simple. Maintenance for the PDL drive is as easy as rinsing away saltwater and clearing out any sediment and vegetation. That’s it. Sportsman PDL kayaks are made to be easy to care for and built to last. That’s why the boats come with a lifetime, warranty, and why the PDL Drive itself comes with an industry-leading 5-year warranty covering any defects in material or workmanship.
Stability
Of course, there’s more to a pedal fishing kayak than just the pedal drive. You need your boat to be good for fishing on a base level, too. For a start, that means a stable boat. You’re going to be pulled (and pulling) in all different directions. You will likely stand up to get a better angle on a cast, look for fish in the shallows, or to really dig in and fight to reel one in. It’s important that your boat stays upright when you do.
Gear Storage
If you’re serious about fishing from your kayak, you need room for your gear. You need rod holders, and a place to store your tackle. You need room to mount accessories. Space for a fish finder helps. (And a universal transducer mount--a bracket that lets you easily install your favorite fish finder--certainly doesn’t hurt.) The more tucked away spaces there are to keep your gear stored, secured, and dry, the better.
Comfort
The best fishing trips are the ones that last all day. Having a comfortable ride is a big part of making sure that happens. You want your seat to be supportive. You want it to be well-ventilated and to stay dry. If the seat is adjustable, that’s even better! Your height shouldn’t affect your ability to fish in comfort.
What is the Best Pedal Kayak for Fishing?
There are a few things to consider when weighing which pedal kayak is best for you. For a start, you want to make sure that your pedal drive suits your needs. The PDL drive is best-in-class, featuring:
- Effortless, truly hands-free forward and reverse control
- The PDL Drive floats, so you don’t have to worry about losing your gear if you tip over
- Easy cleaning, installation, and removal for fast launching and haul-in
- Storage built right into the pedal drive console to keep everything you need close at hand, like glasses, your phone, or your favorite lure
- 5-Year Warranty
So the PDL may be a no-brainer, but you still need to figure out which boat to put it in. It’s important to find a kayak that fits your body type, paddling style, and the waters you plan on fishing.
Each Sportsman PDL kayak has a different size or shape, for use in different scenarios, with different storage capacities and varying accessory racks. What they all have in common is the PDL drive and features like:
- Superior seat design with lumbar support, mesh for ventilation and dryness, and tracks to adjust legroom for maximum comfort no matter who you are
- Tracks on the hull for easy on/off mounting of accessories
- At least one forward and two rear flush-mounted rod holders that are there when you need them and out of the way when you don’t
- Non-slip floor pads made from EVA foam that provide traction when fighting fish and comfort when standing up
- Storage features from cup holders to a clip that stores your backup paddle out of the way until needed
- A universal transducer mount for easy fish finder installation
Sportsman PDL 106
Small and light, the Sportsman PDL 106 is built for stability, with a double-U hull shape that lets you push harder without tipping. Light enough to car top and highly maneuverable, the PDL 106 is a great kayak for finding the out-of-the-way fishing holes on your favorite lake or river.
Sportsman PDL 120
The Sportsman PDL 120 has the same hull shape in a longer boat. The added length is put to good use in terms of extra spaces to stow gear, and a higher overall weight capacity.
Sportsman Salty PDL 120
The Sportsman Salty PDL 120 is a light, nimble 12-foot kayak specialized for cutting through moving water. From surf launches to big waves, if you’re navigating coastal waters, the Salty PDL is the best boat for the job. Tank wells in the bow and stern are buoyed by a 450-pound weight capacity, giving you room for everything you need on the journey.
Sportsman Bigwater PDL 132
Based on the Predator PDL, Old Town’s first and most beloved pedal kayak, the Sportsman BigWater PDL 132 is the perfect boat for fishing on open water. This 13-foot kayak has a weight capacity of 500 pounds, but it still gives you the maneuverability you need to get where you want to go and stay there hands-free for a long day of fishing.
Pedal Kayaks for Everyone!
The Sportsman PDL line has a pedal kayak for any type of fishing in any type of water. Wherever you go, whatever kind of fish you’re after, Sportsman has the gear space, stability, maneuverability, and comfort to enable the perfect fishing trip, every time.