Kayak Recs

I have never owned a kayak but I would really like to change that soon. I'm looking for a peddle kayak that I can troll with in the bays, big rivers and eventually I would like to be able to take it down some of the NW Oregon coastal rivers too. I primarily fish for salmon, steelhead and trout. I am 5' 10" and 250lbs. My price range is 2-3k but ideally under 2.5k.

I have "researched" a little but would like some suggestions. So far I have looked at the Native Titan, Old Town PDL and Hobie Outback. Would love to hear experiences and opinions from anglers who fish Tbay and the coastal rivers. Not sure how important instant reverse or flip up tech is in these fisheries.

Welcome!
You'll get some great advice from more experienced folks than I, but in my opinion, you can't go wrong with the Old Town Salty PDL. $1900 new, and comes with a great warranty. I personally prefer the Old Town PDL drive a lot more than the Hobie drive system...but people love Hobie's for a reason, so try to demo both if you can.
 I've seen a few more used kayaks coming up for sale just in the last week, so that might be an option as people start their spring cleaning/upgrades for spring and summer fishing season.

Thank you. The Salty looks like a solid option and Old Town seems to have the best warranty. Something one hopes to never have to use, but helps with some peace of mind.

I'll have to do some research and find out which of the dealers provide demos. Thanks for the reply!

Definitely best if you can try out various models to see which one "fits" you.  With spring coming watch the regional kayak shops for demonstration days. 

Definitely try before you buy, I got two older native peddle drives weather and tides permitting I’d let you take an extended test drive for the bicycle style. Some guys have knee or hip issues with a particular style, the hobie back and forth hurt my hips and knees.   

The most common model at that pricepoint is definitely The Hobie Outback.  I am very partial to Hobie and have the outback and the Revo.  Old Towns are definitely becoming more popular but not at the same level as the Hobies yet.  You may want to double check what is in stock as i know Outbacks were hard to get a few months ago as they were all sold out. 

They both operate differently and have different muscles that are used so that may be important if you have past injuries. 

I will finish by saying that i believe that there are a few influential people (many of them on this forum) who have moved to Old Town boats as they recently became sponsored and are trying to convince everyone that they are the best.  I know that this happens with Hobie but the sales pitch seems a bit weird to me.  However, Hobie has been the tried and true kayak in the PNW for years-- consistently.  Old Town has not made a PNW impact until the last few years.  Unfortunately both companies main target is bass fisherman.  For the PNW- i think the Revo is the best model especially if you are focused on salmon.  I wish the kayak companies would target the PNW fishing style of salmon and ocean fishing.  As many people have said in the past- if the Ocean Trident 13 was converted to peddle then i would switch as that hull is perfect for the local areas.

Based on your needs and price range I'd definitely steer you towards the Old Town Salty 120 PDL. I have both the Salty 120 PDL and the wider Sportsman's PDL 120. Both are more than adequate for big river/bay/lakes trolling but the Salty 120 is much faster, more affordable, and will be far easier to paddle down rivers absentia a PDL drive of course.

The Hobie Outback is a great all purpose boat but it's also $1200 more than the Salty 120 PDL which carrier a far superior warranty (5 year on the PDL drive and lifetime on the hull) than the Hobie does. At the same time the Outback cockpit has more features than the Salty as its fairly bare minimum aside from two gear tracks running along the cockpit. I owned an Outback a few years ago and can say with certainty that the Salty is far easier to paddle than the Outback. This is in part due to the fact that the Outback was designed purposely with a pedal drive in mind whereas the hull design of the Salty is borrowed from Ocean Kayak's Malibu paddle kayaks. The Salty has a more aggressive rocker and softer chine which translates to better maneuverability and would be IMO more pleasant to paddle down a river in search of steelhead and salmon.

If you have any more questions feel free to reach out to me. Full disclosure I do pro-staff for Old Town. That being said they do make kayaks for more than just bass anglers. The Old Town Predator/Bigwater has been one of the dominant kayaks in offshore big game fishing in Florida for years and the Salty PDL comes from Ocean Kayak's Malibu series which was designed with surf punching and inshore fishing specifically in mind. I converted from a Revo to the PDL 120 and other Old Town kayaks when I moved inland and my fishing priorities changed.

Outback, no contest.  Worth the extra $$.  Newer outbacks will hold their value.  I recently bought a 2021, and wound up selling my 2017 for the same as what I paid for it, less the cost of a few accessories.  I’m not sure any of the copy cat pedal kayaks will have great resale at this point in time.   The newer 2019+ outback’s have revo-like smoothness through chop and have some many amazing features; a great stable boat for any conditions.

It could be a non exsistent issue but I wonder about draft in the Old Towns withthe PDLs while floating some of the coastal rivers. 

Another big factor for me, being a beginner,  is kayak stability. Is the Outback noticeably more stable than the Revo? Sportsman PDL than the Salty? Or is there not much of a difference that I should just start with a Revolution or Salty?

I do like gear and storage options and the Salty definitely seems to be bare bones.

I need get in somewhere to demo an Old Town and a Hobie. At least put my hands on them.

Outback, no contest.  Worth the extra $$.  Newer outbacks will hold their value.  I recently bought a 2021, and wound up selling my 2017 for the same as what I paid for it, less the cost of a few accessories.  I’m not sure any of the copy cat pedal kayaks will have great resale at this point in time.   The newer 2019+ outback’s have revo-like smoothness through chop and have some many amazing features; a great stable boat for any conditions.

You sold you 2017 for like new prices because the used kayak market was absurd this past year because people couldn't find new boats available.

It could be a non exsistent issue but I wonder about draft in the Old Towns withthe PDLs while floating some of the coastal rivers. 

Another big factor for me, being a beginner,  is kayak stability. Is the Outback noticeably more stable than the Revo? Sportsman PDL than the Salty? Or is there not much of a difference that I should just start with a Revolution or Salty?

I do like gear and storage options and the Salty definitely seems to be bare bones.

I need get in somewhere to demo an Old Town and a Hobie. At least put my hands on them.

If you are talking about fishing the lower tidal reaches of rivers like the Kilchis and Wilson then a PDL or Mirage drive will be fine but if you are floating swifter rockier sections you'll likely want to to leave the drives at home or at least have them up.

There is quite a difference in the stability of all these kayaks. Here is how I would rank them.
1.) Sportsman's PDL 120: Stupid stable, like have a drunk dance party stable
2.) Hobie Outback: Very stable, you can walk around no issue, stand turn and access the rear easy
3.) Salty 120 PDL: Stable enough to stand in on calm water but you need balance and minimize your movements
4.) Hobie Revo: Not a boat you can stand in and not designed with that in mind

Give Seth a call at Next Adventure they carry all of these models. I'll be in Portland/Salem for 1.5 months with my Salty 120 PDL from April 20th on and you are more than welcome to meet me and take it for a spin. I'm going to bring a second kayak but not sure what it will be yet.

I sure did!  But the newer outback’s are really dialed in and will do well.  I don’t think Hobie did any major updating to the Outback back from the original design til 2019.

In a more normal resale market I think you will still do better on a Hobie than most other brands.  We’ll see.

Thanks for the generous offer USP. I'm hoping to have a kayak by then, but if for some reason I don't I may take you up on the offer.

I just now read about some Hobies experiencing hull issues. Seems to be a reoccurring theme for quite a few years now. Definitely something for me to keep in mind considering my build and weight.

Going off what others have said: The outback is really dialed in for storage. I loved the outback, but the drive didn't love me. I do wish the salty had better cockpit storage, or a forward hatch for rod storage during a surf launch, but then again, i don't want to deal with a leaking hatch. The kickup fins would be nice.
Price, drive style, warranty and simplicity steered me toward the Salty, but ultimately my knees made the decision. I'm a mountain biker, and pedaling doesn't hurt, while stair stepping did.

There was/is an issue with Hobie's cracking around the drive, but surely Hobie addressed that issue by now...

Again, there's a reason you see so many Hobies online and in person: People love them, and there's a reason for the love. Next Adventure has both brands (and native I believe), so if they have demos, you'd be set.

Hoping Im not getting myself banned from invites being the "other brand guy." haha

Thank you all for the input.

I went to Next Adventure today and reserved an Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL. These things are scarce right now and the arrival is still "TBA" so it could be a while. I'm hoping it's soon. The only ones available to reserve were in the Photic Camo but I'm hoping the color will grow on me.

It was either this or the outback for me and when I started adding up the costs of all the safety gear and fishing accessories, it steered me towards the Old Town. I also feel like the drive will be easier on my ankles and knees but that's just a guess.

I still plan on demoing an Outback. The baby blue one sure caught me eye on the show floor. Good looking yak.

I'm hoping this Sportsman will still be able to handle the coastal rivers, bays and such. Don't know much about hull design and such.