Brand new PDL!

Come share your backwater or even blue water success and help others learn more about fishing from a 'yak.
Jeffbro999
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 1952
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:59 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Re: Brand new PDL!

Post by Jeffbro999 » Sun Aug 20, 2017 2:05 pm

PDL just keeps impressing me more everyday I use it, especially when fishing side by side with the other pedal kayak brands that are out there. I've been out to test it in the bay in some rough water and 20-30mph winds, and it just wants more. I haven't found conditions yet that keep me at home, it's more of a challenge than anything at this point when the wind starts blowing. Stand up fishing stability is insane, and again haven't found chop big enough to keep me sitting down, even with 2-3' waves with boat wakes mixing it up. Been out with a few guys that thought I was crazy for standing, until they watched how easy it was to fish through it all.

Haven't had a single issue out of any parts of the kayak including the drive. I stand by what I said about the broken prop for sure. Went back to the 2 blade prop, and can feel more resistance than the single/broken blade prop. Went back again to the single and keep the other prop in the front hatch for a spare. The only thing I could complain about is trying to move through the thick hydrilla and pads on lake Seminole. The Ninja Grass Blade has worked well though and keeps me moving without getting bogged down by the grass. Been doing a lot of frogging in the pads, and push poling around in it is an easy way to move around. Shallow water can be an issue, but I don't often go shallower than 2' deep, and if I do I simply use a push pole.

Rudder control remains smooth and easy to use, and hasn't loosened up much so far. I've heard the cables may need to be adjusted eventually but it hasn't been a problem yet. Rudder has lost its color and has turned a whitish color, but no corrosion or anything. Rudder digs deep and turns the kayak in a circle that isnt much bigger than the length of the kayak.

I cartop my PDL and some people think I'm crazy for putting a 100lb kayak on my roof, but it couldn't be easier. I fish at least 5 days a week, and doesn't wear on me at all to load and unload. Simple upside down beach cart on the trunk, slide it off the rack onto the tires and roll it off. Not hard at all. My Yakima rack has been very strong, and used Malone Seawings to mount on it. Those Seawings fit the hull shape perfectly, and the PDL doesn't move at all while driving on the Interstate at 70mph+. Couldn't be happier with this system.

I'm very happy with my purchase of this kayak, and now see that they are definitely changing things when it comes to market share. A lot of people have been buying them down here, and all I've heard is great things! Definitely demo one if possible, it may be your new favorite kayak.
Last edited by Jeffbro999 on Sat Oct 21, 2017 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jeffbro999
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 1952
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:59 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Re: Brand new PDL!

Post by Jeffbro999 » Sun Aug 20, 2017 2:27 pm

Here's a rough water test I did out in Pensacola Bay in some high winds and steady waves coming through shortly after I purchased he kayak. Short video, 1 minute long. Very dry ride for the most part, as long as you don't clip a wave at the wrong time :lol: Been out in some rougher conditions when those summer storms blast through, and it just eats it up! Not sure how to directly post the video, so here's a link.
https://youtu.be/i7p-2rz5iXo

Jeffbro999
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 1952
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:59 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Re: Brand new PDL!

Post by Jeffbro999 » Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:38 pm

I've been working on this project for a while, and finally got it installed, so I figured I would share this on here. It was very difficult to figure out a mounting solution for the PDL, since the rudder and cables are in the way, and the kayak hull is very round at the stern. After going through several templates that didn't quite fit right, I ended up fabricating this mounting plate out of 1/4" aluminum, and it turned out very strong and fits the kayak nicely. Got some awesome deals on the PP Micros around Thanksgiving, so I went for it. Only mounted one for now, and after a few trips I can already see the dual setup will work great, so number two will be mounted soon. It's made a huge difference with the way I fish, no more wasting time sitting down to pull the stake out pole, moving, staking back out and standing back up. Wears me out after 8 hours or more on the water, which I do at least 5 times a week. Once I get to my area and start fishing, there really is no reason to sit down at all. Duals are gonna be really sweet, being able to anchor into the wind or current will be a must in several areas I fish. Had to drill some holes through the hull, but this will be a permanent fixture on my kayak so that's no big deal to me. Here's a few pics of what I came up with:
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8lb Speckled Trout from the first trip out with it:
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Jeffbro999
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 1952
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:59 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Re: Brand new PDL!

Post by Jeffbro999 » Thu Jul 26, 2018 1:26 pm

So I'm coming up on a year and a half with this kayak, and feel I can now give a good short review after some hard use. Always fish at least 5 days a week, and often fish 7, so it's been used a lot. If you have any questions about this kayak, let me know. I'm not involved with this company in any way, and have no sponsor ties to any brands.

As of now, I haven't had anything break that wasn't supposed to break for a reason. After I broke the prop the first time, haven't made that mistake again and haven't had another issue with it. I actually hit a submerged reef module the other day, and the break away cam-lock worked as it should basically exploding when it hit. It left just enough plastic that I could still lock it down, and found out that you can still pedal the kayak without even locking it. So if this happens, you'll still be able to pedal home. Other than that, nothing else has broken. Drive is still smooth and quiet, quiet enough to get right on top of redfish while sightfishing without spooking them. I stand on my seat often, and it hasn't ripped or torn anywhere and no rust on the fittings used. Went through some extremely rough conditions after Irma passed through FL last year, and it just ate up the chop and laughed at it.

Rod storage is awesome, love how accessible they are. I can have up to 7 rods horizontal, with 4 of them not strapped in. With this rigging I can change setups without having to sit down and run them through rod tubes. Some rubber on the seat frame and front mounting plates keeps the rods from getting scratched up.

Powerpole bracket has worked great and has not caused any issues with the stern of the kayak. Couldn't see myself fishing without it at this point, it's that good. I've actually been fishing out of this thing more than my Skeeter, even when making the trip down to Seminole. It's so much fun getting way up in the mats and pads and actually be able to get to your fish!

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