KayakDIY–Builds, Reviews &DIY Boat Projects
Builds · Reviews · Rigging
I own three pedal kayaks. I run two more in my rental business. I have pedaled just about every drive system on the market — and sold the ones that did not make the cut. Here is what I actually think. The Best Pedal Drive: Old Town PDL The Old Town PDL drive is my
Best Pedal Kayaks 2026: My Top Picks After Testing Them All Read More »
Pick the wrong battery and your fish finder dies at noon. Pick the right one and you stop thinking about power entirely. Here is exactly what I run and why. The Short Answer: 12V 20Ah Lithium (for Electronics) For running a fish finder all day, I run a 12V 20Ah LiFePO4 battery. It is the
Best Kayak Battery for Fish Finders 2026: What Size You Need Read More »
I have tested just about every kayak motor on the market. Most are fine. A few are great. And a couple you should stay far away from. Here are my actual picks — not sponsored rankings, just what I would tell a friend. My Top 3 Kayak Motors 1. AutoBoat GPS Smart Head — Best
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Paddle Kayaks · Fishing The Old Town Sportsman Autopilot 136 is the kayak that made motorized fishing mainstream. A 45-pound thrust Minn Kota motor with GPS Spot-Lock, controlled by a remote in your hand or foot braces on the deck, in a 13-foot 6-inch hull built like a tank. In This Review Who This Kayak
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Motorized Kayaks · Fishing Want to cover the whole lake without lifting a paddle? The Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota takes the compact, stable 106 hull and adds a factory-installed 45-pound-thrust trolling motor. In This Review Who the 106 Minn Kota is for The Minn Kota motor system Stability and standing Seat, storage, and
Old Town Sportsman 106 Minn Kota Review: Motorized Fishing Read More »
Motorized Kayaks · Fishing The Sonata 106 MK is the quirkiest boat on this list, and I mean that as a compliment. Old Town took a 10-foot-6 sit-on-top, built in a Minn Kota electric motor, added Bluetooth speakers and LED cockpit lights, and called it a day. In This Review Who It Is For Stability
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Pedal Kayaks · Fishing When the water gets big, small kayaks feel small. The Old Town Predator BigWater PDL 132 is a 13 foot 2 inch pedal-driven fishing kayak built for open water: big lakes, bays, and coastal water where you need to cover distance and stay stable doing it. In This Review Who the
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Inflatable Boats · Reviews 15.4′ of inflatable boat, room for 8 people, rated up to a 40 hp (15″ shaft / 175 lbs) tube outboard. Here is an honest, spec-by-spec look at the SD470 — what it does well, what it costs, and who it is actually for. Saturn’s 15' Inflatable Boats SD470 measures 15.4'
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Pedal Kayaks · Fishing The Old Town Predator BigWater 132 is one of the most battle-tested pedal fishing kayaks ever built. The Predator PDL lineage goes back years, and this 13-foot-2 tri-hull has been refined through countless tournaments and rough-water days. In This Review Who the Predator BigWater 132 is for Stability: a big-water tri-hull
Old Town Predator BigWater 132 Review: Proven Pedal Kayak Read More »
Pedal Kayaks · Fishing The Malibu ePDL+ 120 is Old Town’s electric-assist recreational kayak, and it might be the most fun 12 feet of plastic on the water right now. Think of it like an e-bike for the water. In This Review Who This Kayak Is For The ePDL+ Drive: How It Works Stability and
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