The price of fishing kayaks is completely out of hand. For example, last year at ICAST, I sat in one that totaled over $17,000 after electronics, trolling motors, etc. Even without the bells and whistles, you’re looking at spending at least 3 to 5 Gs on anything with a pedal drive or a trolling motor. I mean, at what point do you just buy a boat?
So, when I was presented with the opportunity to head to Maine to fish out of some new boats from Old Town, I was fully expecting to be presented with yet another boat that makes kayak fishing anything but financially accessible. Instead, I was presented with the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro.
After 2 days of fishing, it proved it could hold its own against the best of the best while remaining affordable to the common man. It’s one sweet boat and has earned a spot as one of the best fishing kayaks I’ve had the pleasure of fishing out of.
In short: Out of the box, the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro ($2,000) is a seemingly run-of-the-mill paddle-driven fishing kayak. But it’s much more than that: it is the ultimate in customization. Whether it’s trolling motors, shallow-water anchors, rudder kits, or fish finders, you can rig any accessory to the boat painlessly. The 120 Pro lets you keep things cheap and simple, or build one of the most decked-out rigs on the water.
Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro Review
Specifications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Price
- Customizable to fit a wide variety of aftermarket accessories
- One of the roomiest cockpits available (great for fly fishing)
- Ample storage
- Extra stable, which allows you to stand while fishing
Cons
- Slower than other hull designs
- In rough waves, water splashes into the boat
- No ability to add a pedal drive
3 Things That Make the Sportsman 120 Pro Stand Out
The last two times I’ve gone to buy a kayak, I’ve been frozen with indecision. In the Old Town Sportman lineup alone, there are almost too many options to pick from. With the growth of kayak fishing, it seems like there’s a boat designed for every type of fishing in every water type.
After spending a few days fishing out of the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro, I believe there are three things that make it stand out in the crowded market. Now, no boat is perfect for everything, so note that I didn’t say it’s the best kayak available. Such a thing doesn’t exist, but these are the things that are its biggest strengths, and what may make it a good fit for you.
Price
My favorite part of this boat is the absolutely refreshing price of $2,000. In a world where kayak companies seem to be racing to build the most expensive plastic fishing vessel on the planet, I love that Old Town decided to focus on a lower-priced fishing kayak.
But don’t let the price fool you. This isn’t just some entry-level, paddle-driven boat (although it can be that if you want it to be). Old Town rethought the lower-priced boat, and created one of the most easily customized fishing kayaks available.
Easy Customization of the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro
You can leave the boat as is and have a fantastic one-person fishing vessel. Or you can build it out with almost any accessory you can imagine.
Want a Trolling Motor? Take Your Pick: Bow or Stern Mount
If you’re a die-hard kayak angler who wants a trolling motor on your boat, this is one of the best kayaks I’ve seen. Since Old Town is a sister company to Minn Kota, it seems pretty obvious for the brand to put mounting holes on the bow of the boat to easily mount the Minn Kota Kayak Terrova on the 120 Pro. That’s the configuration I fished over the course of 2 days.
Now, this isn’t a review of the trolling motor, but I will say it’s pretty sweet. I was able to cruise around the lake all day and spot lock in prime areas. I never even touched my paddle, conveniently stored on the side of the boat. The only place you’d need it is in extremely shallow water.
The motor is $1,599, so when combined with the boat, you’re looking at an overall spend of $3,599, which is $1,400 less than the Old Town Autopilot, which functions much the same.
However, you’re not limited to the Minn Kota Motor. Old Town knows the kayak market, and rather than run from the competition, it decided to lean into it. I’m certain Old Town is aware of the Garmin Force Current Kayak Trolling motor, and fully understands why some anglers may want to go that route rather than the Minn Kota. So, the brand built mounting holes in the stern of the kayak, ready to accept that particular stern-mounted motor out of the box.
Other Ways to Customize
The same mounting holes for the Garmin Motor also accept shallow water anchors. If that’s something you want, stick that on the rear of the boat, and mount the Minn Kota trolling motor on the bow.
Additionally, you can purchase a rudder kit for the boat. Remember, in its base configuration, the 120 Pro is a paddle boat, so it doesn’t come stock with a rudder.
However, if you add a bow-mounted trolling motor, installing a rudder allows you to steer with your feet instead of the trolling motor remote. The boat I was in had it installed, and it works fairly well. The rudder didn’t allow me to make as tight turns as I could with the trolling motor remote, so it doesn’t allow for fully hands-free use, but it was nice to have foot steering when going from spot to spot.
The Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro also has a ridiculous 140″ of track lining the entire boat. I swear, it feels like the entire hull is lined with it. On the boat I fished out of, I had a Humminbird XPLORE mounted in the cockpit with a MEGA Live 2 transducer mounted on a pole right by the seat. I could have easily added more rod holders, downriggers, and an anchor system on the boat without feeling like I was running out of space.
And, Old Town Made Installation Easy
Nothing drives me up a wall faster than trying to figure out a way to jerry-rig some accessory on a kayak. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve searched the web looking for a YouTube video of someone trying to install a certain accessory on the same boat I own.
Then, there’s the fun task of sourcing all the extra aftermarket do-dads to make it work. Then the real work starts, which usually includes drilling holes into my boat and inevitably botching the job entirely.
Well, you don’t have to do any of that on the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro. The boat comes pre-drilled for through-hull wiring for the bow- and rear-mounted trolling motors and a transducer. Out of the gate, it’s ready for you to add accessories as painlessly as possible. No more searching YouTube, no more janky setups, and no more drilling.
The Hull Is Designed for Comfort
Massive Cockpit
Another huge benefit of the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro is the absolutely massive cockpit. It is hands down one of the largest cockpits I’ve ever fished from. As I zoomed from spot to spot with the trolling motor, I was able to kick my feet back and stretch out, which is awesome. Kayak fishing can start to really cause odd aches and pains over the course of the day. At 6 feet tall, I could stretch my legs out all the way in the boat, with room to spare.
The massive cockpit has another benefit that I think some anglers will tend to overlook: it makes it the best fly-fishing kayak I’ve ever used. I despise fly fishing from kayaks, but since this cockpit is so roomy with virtually nothing to grab fly lines while casting, that’s not the case with the 120 Pro.
The tool holder in the cockpit also doubles perfectly as a fly rod holder. If you’re a fly guy looking at kayaks, the search is over. This is the one.
Storage Galore
One would think that with such a large cockpit, storage would be limited, but it’s not. Old Town used every square inch of the hull effectively. The rear storage area behind the seat is huge, and I fit a large dry bag, two tackle boxes, and a large battery for the motor in the back. There was room to spare, and I had even more open storage under the seat.
The front hatch has a massive opening, which allows for easy access. I appreciate that it’s so large. Small hatches usually leave me wrestling an overly stuffed bag into a tiny hole, but this one makes storing a bag inside the hull a breeze.
The Unavoidable Negatives of the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro
Remember when I said there’s no such thing as a perfect boat? When it comes to boats, there’s always give and take. What makes a certain vessel good at one thing will inevitably make it bad at another. Here are the trade-offs you get with the 120 Pro.
Excellent Stability Makes for Slow Speed and a Wet Ride
The hull on the 120 Pro excels at stability. Over the course of 2 days, I spent most of my time in the boat standing up. It’s so stable that I even shot around at full speed from spot to spot on my feet. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can stand while fishing in this boat.
But that stability makes for a slower boat and a tougher paddle if that’s your propulsion method. I’ve fished out of the Old Town Big Water, which is a noticeably faster and easier paddling rig. However, the Big Water feels less stable than the 120 Pro while standing. See? Trade-offs.
Old Town also recommends this boat for smaller bodies of water, not large, massive lakes. That isn’t because you can’t take this boat on large bodies of water; you absolutely can. But because of the low profile, you may get a little wet. One day on the water, the wind kicked up, and I found myself powering through a headwind. Waves slapped against the low hull, and plenty of water ended up in my lap.
A boat like the Big Water, on the other hand, has higher sides and will keep you protected from wave splash a bit better. If you’re going to constantly be fishing in rough water, this boat may not be a good fit, though it can handle it if needed.
Open Cockpit Means No Horizontal Rod Storage and No Pedal Drive Option
You know that roomy cockpit that I loved? It means there is no way to put a pedal drive on this boat. I figure that Old Town could have put some sort of hatch with a cover in the cockpit to drop a pedal drive into, but it would certainly take up room and eliminate the open cockpit feel of the boat. If you want to pedal, this boat isn’t an option.
It also means Old Town eliminated the horizontal rod storage found in its other boats. I really, really like horizontal rod storage on a kayak, so it is a bit of a letdown, albeit a necessary one. Of course, you can solve that by putting a YakAttack Sidestage kayak rod rack in the massive track system.
Final Thoughts
Despite those few negatives, I do think this is one of the best fishing kayaks on the market. For die-hard anglers, it gives you the ultimate in pain-free, easy customization. You can build the exact boat you want, tailored to your needs and style. It’s also awesome in that it’s a boat that can grow with you, no matter where you are in your kayak fishing career.
When I see this boat in its entirety, I think of one of my buddies who bought his first fishing kayak 6 years ago. He didn’t have the coin to drop on a fancy pedal- or power-driven boat. But he didn’t want to miss out on a spring and summer full of fishing. So he went out and bought a paddle-driven Old Town Sportsman 106.
Within a year, he decided it was time to upgrade. He had to sell the first boat he bought and then buy a new Autopilot. He ended up spending more money than if he had caved for the Autopilot in the first place. But cash flow is king, and he wasn’t in a place to buy that right out the gate.
Had the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro been available, it would have been the perfect boat for him. In its base configuration, it’s plenty affordable for newcomers to get out on the water. And, a year or two later, you can upgrade it in any way imaginable. Whether you’re a kayak fishing nut or a newcomer to the sport, the customization makes the 120 Pro a kayak that should be at the top of your list.
