Paddle Kayaks · Fishing
Old Town Sportsman 120 PRO Review
Old Town’s newest Sportsman is a 12-foot paddle kayak built like a rigging platform: 36 inches wide, 540 lb of capacity, and factory mounts for a bow or stern motor.
The Old Town Sportsman 120 PRO is the newest member of the Sportsman PRO series, and it answers a question a lot of kayak anglers ask: what if I want a paddle kayak I can rig like a tournament boat and power later? At 12 feet long and 36 inches wide with 140 inches of aluminum accessory track, factory bow and stern motor mounts, and a 540 lb total capacity, this is a paddle hull built to grow with you.
If you want to skip the reading and see what it costs right now, check the current price here.
Who the Sportsman 120 PRO is for
This kayak is for the angler who wants to start with a paddle and finish with a fully rigged fishing machine. Maybe you fish skinny creeks today and want a bow-mount trolling motor next season. The 120 PRO’s universal four-hole bow insert pattern, stern transom mount, steering-ready cable routing, and thru-hull wiring ports mean you can add power and electronics over time without drilling a single hole.
It is also for bigger anglers and gear haulers. The 36-inch beam and 438 lb of usable capacity swallow a crate, a battery, sonar, and a full tournament load with room to spare. GearJunkie, after two days of fishing it, said it “proved it could hold its own against the best of the best while remaining affordable to the common man.”
It is not for the ultralight crowd. At 102 lb assembled, this is a heavy 12-footer that wants a cart, a truck bed, or a trailer. And if you know you want pedals, buy the PDL 120 PRO instead — there is no pedal-drive retrofit for this hull.
The PRO hull: wider and power-ready
The headline upgrade over the standard Sportsman 120 is width: 36 inches versus 33.5. That extra 2.5 inches of beam buys real deck space and stand-up confidence, plus it pushes total capacity to 540 lb. The double-U hull keeps volume outboard so the boat stays planted in chop.
Power-ready is the PRO’s reason to exist. The bow carries a universal four-hole insert pattern for a trolling motor mount. The stern accepts a transom-mount motor or a shallow water anchor. Steering cable routing is built in, and thru-hull wiring ports run power cleanly to the bow and stern. A universal transducer mount under the hull fits Humminbird and other popular sonar units.
Element Seating System
The 120 PRO ships with Old Town’s Element Seating System, a framed 6 lb seat that slides fore and aft on a track and lifts out for transport. Pulling it drops the boat to a 96 lb hull for loading. The wider cockpit gives the seat more travel than the standard 120 allows, which matters for dialing in leg room on long days. It is not the plushest seat in the class, but it is supportive, breathable, and easy to remove.
Stability, storage, and rigging
The 36-inch beam and flat standing platform make this a confident stand-up fishing kayak in calm water. Storage is generous: a large bow hatch, an oversized stern tankwell that swallows a crate, and a wider cockpit with room for tackle management. The 140 inches of aluminum track — versus two short 18-inch tracks on the standard 120 — is the single biggest rigging upgrade. Mount rod holders, a fish finder, camera arms, and cup holders wherever you want them.
For electronics, we recommend the Accuphy Ping Live Mini live sonar system. It retails for $699. See it here.
Motor options
No motor is included — the 120 PRO is paddle-first — but the mounts are waiting. A bow-mount trolling motor drops onto the four-hole pattern, or a transom-mount motor bolts to the stern. For a GPS trolling motor, we recommend the AutoBoat Smart Head Kit and the new AutoBoat Meridian. Check them out here.
For the battery, I recommend the WattCycle 12V 100Ah mini LiFePO4 battery with Bluetooth — it runs most 12V trolling motors plus a fish finder, and it is compact and light enough for a kayak stern.
Honest drawbacks
Weight is the big one. At 102 lb assembled, car-topping is a two-person job or a no-go — plan on a cart or trailer. The wide, stable hull is not fast; covering long distances under paddle power takes effort, and in rough water the high sides can catch wind. There is no pedal-drive option and no retrofit path, so pedal fans should look at the PDL 120 PRO. And while $1,999.99 undercuts most pedal and motorized kayaks, it is real money for a paddle boat — you are paying for the rigging platform, not the propulsion.
To haul your kayak, we recommend Malone kayak trailers. See them here.
Old Town Sportsman 120 PRO specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 ft |
| Width | 36 in |
| Hull weight | 96 lb |
| Assembled weight | 102 lb |
| Total capacity | 540 lb |
| Usable capacity | 438 lb |
| Propulsion | Paddle (bow + stern motor-ready) |
| Style | Sit-on-top |
| Seat | Element Seating System, 6 lb |
| Accessory track | 140 in aluminum |
| Storage | Bow hatch, oversized stern tankwell |
| Material | Polyethylene |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime hull |
| Colors | Storm, Sierra |
Frequently asked questions
Old Town Sportsman 120 PRO Fishing Kayak FAQ
Can you add a trolling motor to the Sportsman 120 PRO?
Yes. It has a universal four-hole bow-mount insert pattern, a stern transom mount, built-in steering cable routing, and thru-hull wiring ports — all factory installed.
Can you add a pedal drive to the Sportsman 120 PRO?
No. The hull has no pedal-drive well and Old Town makes no PDL retrofit for paddle hulls. If you want pedals, get the Sportsman PDL 120 PRO instead.
How much weight can the Sportsman 120 PRO carry?
540 lb total, 438 lb usable after the 102 lb assembled boat weight. That is 23 lb more usable capacity than the standard Sportsman 120.
Is the Sportsman 120 PRO stable enough to stand in?
Yes, in calm water. The 36-inch beam and flat standing platform are designed for stand-up casting, though balance, load, and conditions always matter.
What is the difference between the 120 PRO and the standard Sportsman 120?
The PRO is 2.5 inches wider (36 in vs 33.5 in), carries 40 lb more total capacity, and swaps two short 18-inch tracks for 140 inches of aluminum track — plus factory bow and stern motor mounts the standard 120 lacks.
What seat comes with the Sportsman 120 PRO?
The Element Seating System: a framed 6 lb seat that slides fore and aft on a track and lifts out for transport, dropping the hull to 96 lb.
Where to Buy
If the Old Town Sportsman 120 PRO sounds like your kind of boat, check the current price:
Wired2Fish summed it up well after their hands-on test: the 120 PRO offers “exceptional stability, generous capacity, and a wide, open cockpit with room to rig the boat their way.”
For the latest colors, specs, and warranty details, see the official Old Town website for the Old Town Sportsman 120 PRO.
Affiliate disclosure: KayakDIY may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this article, at no additional cost to the reader. Product availability, pricing, and promo codes can change; verify them before purchasing. Also check out our reviews of the Old Town Sportsman 120 and the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120.
