FIRST LOOK: Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Pro 2025 – The Best Fishing Kayak?

A detailed review of the 2025 Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Pro, packed with new features for an unbeatable kayak fishing experience.

Kurt Mazurek | Mar 20, 2025

The all-new 2025 Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Pro with upgraded rigging tracks, trolling motor mounts, and unmatched flexibility, this fishing kayak sets a new standard. / Old Town

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to be among the first people to test Old Town’s all-new 2025 Sportsman PDL 120 Pro. I can tell you with 100% honesty, it was one of the most memorable fishing experiences I’ve ever had.

A rare icy, snowy, Florida morning and the coolest new fishing kayaks of 2025. / Kurt Mazurek

Sure, you might think the fact that a historic-level polar vortex blew into Florida the night we arrived, leaving snow on the ground where there hadn’t been any since 1989, would make an unforgettable impression. But, it was Old Town’s new take on their best selling Sportsman 120 platform that stole the show.

Why the Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Pro is a Game-Changer for Kayak Fishing

Of course the Sportsman 120 has been their best seller for good reason, but the list of well-thought-out updates is staggering. The flexibility, rig-ability and fish-ability of the 2025 model is off the charts.

This Kayak Is So Easy to Rig

Starting at the bow, you’ll notice a dedicated, pre-drilled and threaded mounting spot for a trolling motor. There’s even a through-hull wiring port to make installation a breeze.

The bow is pre-drilled to easily add a trolling motor. / Old Town

Next, you’ll notice a 6” steel mounting track, perfect for mounting navigation lights and/or an action camera. And it doubles as your bow grab handle.

The bow hatch that used to be oval, is now a much larger trapezoid shape, making it much easier to reach in deep when rigging your kayak.

The new bow hatch and bow mounting track/grab handle update the Sportsman 120's front end. / Old Town

Unmatched Rigging Possibilities: 151 Inches of Mounting Tracks

The new 120 PDL Pro includes four, 36” steel mounting tracks, two along each side. Combined with the 6” track on the bow, that’s a total of 151 inches of mounting track—best in class for a 12-foot boat. The rigging possibilities are limitless.

151 inches of mounting track mean the rigging possibilities are endless. / Old Town

Maximum Usable Space in a Twelve-Foot Kayak

An additional benefit of the thinner-style steel track is that the gunnel doesn’t need to be nearly as thick as it was on previous boats. And so, without making the outer dimensions any wider, there’s considerably more space inside the cockpit. The roomy feeling is pretty dramatic when you’re in the boat.

And that extra space has been put to good use in the form of horizontal rod storage for four rods with two rod tubes on either side of your feet in the nose of the boat. And with the extra wide cockpit, there are a couple inches of space on either side of your seat, just enough for the rod handles to tuck in neatly.

Horizontal rod storage is a huge upgrade. / Old Town

Following the narrower gunnels toward the back of the boat, you’l find a much roomier stern well behind your seat. Plenty of room for your YakAttack Black Pack and a battery to power that new trolling motor you’ve mounted up on the bow.

At the back of that stern well you’ll find a large access port to make wiring projects so much easier.

Trolling Motor & PowerPole Ready: Built for Serious Anglers

At the very back corners of the boat you’ll find two additional dedicated, pre-drilled and threaded mounting spots for your PowerPole or other electric motors.

Just like the front, the back of this boat is made with custom modifications in mind. / Old Town

More Sportsman 120 Pro Options

This boat is available with either Old Town’s super smooth, reliable PDL drive propulsion or their super convenient ePDL giving you maximum range for minimum effort. And Old Town has developed two beautiful new colors exclusive to this new model—storm; a rich, deep blue with a light grey swirl, or sierra; and sandy tan swirled with darker gray.

First-Hand Experience: Testing the 2025 Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Pro

And as great as all this sounds, it’s difficult to impress on you how great this boat feels as a fishing platform. It really does set a new standard for kayak fishing, The tracks running virtually bow to stern on both sides of the boat allow instant rigging flexibility unlike ever before. And horizontal rod storage in front of me is such an upgrade for my fishing experience. I can’t wait to spend more time in this new model.

Yes, it was one of the coldest Florida days in a long time, but the new Sportsman PDL 120 Pro was a good enough reason to brave the conditions. / Old Town

This is the boat I’ll be fishing out of myself this year. I’m eager to start building out my own Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL Pro and I’ll be sharing every step of the process with you here on this page. Stay tuned.

Where to Buy the Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 Pro

And if you’re considering this new kayak for yourself, check it out here at OldTownWatercraft.

Transparency Note: Although I have not been paid by any of the manufacturers, some of the gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own.