The common paddlesports dilemma finds consumers trying to decide between a large, spacious kayak and a compact, lightweight model.
If you face such pondering, Old Town might have reached your middle ground with the Topwater 120, a well-constructed vessel retailing at $999.
Measuring 12 feet long and 33 1/2 inches wide and weighing 82 pounds, this model achieves the elusive balance of a sleek form, with a steady feel.
I got an early look at the Topwater 120 prior to its ICAST 2018 release and took it for a spin in my lake. I kept it simple with only factory rigging and just carried a few essentials — rods, tackle bag and a Yeti Rambler jug filled with ice water for this muggy morning.
From first entry, I could tell the lightweight, adjustable Element Air seat would provide all-day comfort, while the EVA foam deck pads will keep feet cool and well supported if you chose an upright posture.
To that point, I had no trouble standing up and flipping/pitching cover. No surprise, as I’ve retained much of my cat-like balance for over half a century on this planet.
Notably, my wife, who is the family’s superior caster (she tells me this often) had never fished standing up in a kayak. Still, she easily stood upright and sent a Texas rigged worm into the grass gaps.
I put this stability to the test by making several of those awkward reaches — casting below 3 and 9 o’clock — that often challenge our balance.
Twice, I heard fish busting off my stern quarter and both times, my heaving, nearly backward casts caused me no loss of comfort. No brace bar, no lateral stabilizers; just the sturdy platform provided by a DoubleU Hull design.
One thing that stands out with the Topwater 120 is the generous storage space, especially behind the seat, where molded brackets for hold a storage crate in place, while crisscrossing elastic cords will keep coolers, tackle bags, etc. in place.
The standard design includes three flush mount rod holders, but you can expand your arsenal with external holders mounted to a storage crate.
The universal transducer mounting system will facilitate the addition of your favorite electronics unit, while a QuickSeal forward hatch accesses cavernous internal storage.
The Rambler easily fit here, but my wife — the brains of the operation — found that it also sits well in the corner between the front side of the adjustable foot pegs and the cockpit edge.
By comparison, my 13-foot, 2 inch Old Town Predator PDL does great for longer runs and bigger water, but at 117 pounds, this is a lot of boat to be moving every time I want to hit the lake behind my house, or take an impromptu short-range outing.
Moreover, my wife’s past shoulder surgery makes it difficult for her to load/unload the big yak solo.
The Topwater 120 is significantly more substantial in design and solidity than the featherweight stuff you can buy at the big box stores, but my wife had no problem towing this boat to the lake on a C-Tug Sandtrackz cart and launching the boat.
Offering a nice balance of stability with manageable weight, the topwater 120 has plenty of width for comfortable movement without requiring strenuous paddle work.
Also, while I love PDL’s when I need to cover a lot of water, the absence of a gear box opens a lot of cockpit space for standing and flipping weeds, scanning flats for redfish or for carrying our dog Oliver on a lake ride.
Old Town’s new Topwater lineup also includes 10-foot-6 paddle and pedal models.
More Information: Oldtowncanoe.com/topwater
Advertising