I need some help. I plan on buying either a pamlico 120 or a predator 138.
I will use whichever kayak for fishing and for tooling around on a variety of water–Lake Champlain and various other ponds and rivers.
So, not considering price, can anyone give feedback on either of these kayaks?
To start, I really like all the bells and whistles included on the Predator model. If I went with the Pamlico, I would try to outfit it similar to the predator.
I found a predator 138 for 50$ more than the pamlico. So with the prices so close I need to base my decision on other things.
Any help???
Very different yak.'s!
Pamlico’s are much more performance oriented while the Predator is a barge by comparison.That’s not to say it doesnt have it’s place but the OT Loon’s would be a more appropriate comparison.If your looking for something very stable you can hunt and fish out of the Predator would be a good choice.However it’s going to be a slow,sluggish performer.Not a good choice on river’s.You’ll give up some stability with the Pamlico but gain significant performance and it’s fine on river’s.If you need to paddle any distance the Pamlico would be a much better choice.Good luck!
Predator 138 and Loon 138 Same…
– Last Updated: May-09-04 12:12 PM EST –
...hull. I think, Bernie, the Predator 14 is the one you're are thinking of as a "Barge." But the extra 20" will help the Predator track better than the Pamlico 12. Never paddled the Pamlico, but own a Predator 138 and Loon 138 before that. I like the hull, don't find it to be a "Barge" at all. It tracks well, but does take a bit of muscle to turn if you paddle rivers. That said, mine gets used primarily on rivers. The layup is as tough as nails. It IS heavy, but I can pull it up on a gravel bar and sit on it (all 250 lbs of me) and eat lunch without worrying about hurting the boat. As for the Predator series "Bells and whistles," I'm not as crazy about them. The anchor setup would be better for ponds or lakes, so I don't use it. The work skirt is nice, BUT, the straps need to be modified. The rear straps, I velcro to the hull so they will tear away to prevent entrapment in a capsize instead of strapping them on the way they are supposed to. Also, the rod holder fits into a hole to the left, front of you. Handy if you're not paddling, but a poor place to put it if you like to troll. And I wish OT would upgrade the seat as they did the "Regular" loons this year. I use a gel pad to make it a bit more comfortable, but am thinking about ordering the padding kit. The accessory tray that velcros to the bottom, wasn't attached well, but is primarily for hunting. It's an item could have been left out in exchange for a better seat. And I do like the camo color, I think they did a good job with a color scheme to fit most situations. Well, that's the good, the bad, and the ugly on my opinions of the boat. I do love the boat, I'd just have designed things differently. WW
Your probably right.
Saw a Predator at a local shop but didnt paddle it.Must have been the 140.Looked very wide and cumbersome but that might have been because it was indoors with skinny touring yaks all around it.Good luck!
Pedator vs Pemlico
One is a sport (fishing) kayak and one is a recreation kayak that will turn quicker. If your going to fish lakes and slow moving rivers go with the Pedator. If your going to fish medium to fast rivers go with performance. I have liked all three of my OT 13.8 (first two ripped off by my sons). It does take a while to turn in a tight, or small river, but it rides great and is very stable. The pedator has the look, but I bet you could pick up a 13.8 and outfit it up for about half the difference and install better tackle than the factory. I have go from holding a fly rod between my legs to a nice scotty rod holder that will also fit a driftboat style anchor system.