The Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro is the one Old Town sells unfinished on purpose. Twelve feet, 36 inches wide, 540 pounds of Total Weight Capacity, and a deck cut for a trolling motor from the day it leaves Maine. No motor comes with it. Every mount, port and cable run a motor needs is already there.

That is a different pitch from most fishing kayaks, and it suits a particular buyer: the angler who would rather build the kayak out over two or three seasons than pay for a package up front.

What motor ready actually means here

It is a phrase that gets used loosely, so here is exactly what is in the hull.

The bow carries a universal four-hole insert pattern, built around Minn Kota's Kayak Terrova and Riptide Kayak Terrova. The stern carries a second four-hole insert for a transom-style electric motor or a shallow water anchor. Thru-hull wiring ports are moulded in, so motor and electronics wire passes through the deck without you cutting a hole and hoping. Steering cable routing is already run inside the hull. Battery space sits under the seat and in the tankwell.

Add a round stern hatch that opens into the hull so you can reach in to run wire and mount gear, and a built-in transducer mount so a fish finder goes on without a scupper hack, and the rigging job stops being fabrication and becomes an afternoon.

Standing and the DoubleU hull

Thirty-six inches of beam on Old Town's DoubleU hull gives you a stand-up platform that holds still while you fish from your feet. The EVA foam deck gives grip when you are up, and the hull runs quiet, which matters more in shallow water than most spec sheets admit.

Old Town rates it as a stand-up fishing platform rather than a kayak you can technically stand in. On the Caney Fork and on the lakes around us, that is the difference between seeing fish and guessing at them.

One hundred and fifty inches of track

Aluminum accessory track runs front to back, 150 inches of it. Rod holders, a fish finder, a camera arm and a crate all mount where you want them rather than where a factory decided. Three flush-mounted rod holders come in it, one forward-facing and two rear-facing, out of the way until you want them.

Storage is a large quick-seal bow hatch, the round stern access hatch, and an open tankwell with room for a battery and a crate together. The Element Seating System is removable at 6 pounds, with adjustable foot braces up front.

Specifications

Two numbers there deserve a word. Total Weight Capacity is everything the kayak can float, the kayak included. Usable Weight Capacity is what is left for you, your gear and your dog once the 102 pound Assembled Boat Weight comes off the top. Plan against the Usable Weight Capacity, which here is 438 pounds.

Steering, and which kit you need

This trips people up, so it is worth being plain. Which steering kit you want depends on where the motor sits.

With a bow motor, the 120 PRO Rudder Kit adds a foot-steered rudder that holds your line while the motor pulls, and it retracts from the seat for shallow water. It includes its steering cables.

With a stern motor, the 120 PRO Footbrace Steering Kit converts the footbraces to steer the motor itself. It does not include cables, because length depends on the motor you run.

Old Town recommends pairing a bow motor with the rudder kit for the most control. Either kit uses the cable routing already in the hull, so neither needs a new path drilled.

Rigging the electronics

The thru-hull ports and the stern hatch are there so wiring can be done properly. A GridLoc Through Hull Wiring Kit passes wire through the deck without leaving a hole that takes on water, and the XL version handles the heavier gauge a trolling motor pulls. A YakAttack Cellblok gives the battery a sealed home bolted to the track instead of sliding around the tankwell.

For the head unit, the 150 inches of track takes LockNLoad mounts for Lowrance, Humminbird Helix or a universal plate.

There is no wrong order to any of this. Most people start with the motor and the battery and add the electronics a season later, which works because the kayak left the factory cut for all of it.

Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro Questions, Answered

Does the Sportsman 120 Pro come with a motor?

No. It is a paddle kayak Old Town built to take a motor later. Bow and stern four-hole inserts, thru-hull wiring ports and steering cable routing are all there from the factory. The motor, battery and steering kit are separate.

Which trolling motors fit it?

Old Town builds the bow and stern mounting points around Minn Kota's Kayak Terrova and Riptide Kayak Terrova. Battery storage sits under the seat and in the tankwell.

Can I stand and fish on it?

Yes. The DoubleU hull is 36 inches wide and Old Town rates it as a stand-up fishing platform. The EVA foam deck gives you grip when you are on your feet.

Rudder kit or footbrace steering kit?

It comes down to where the motor is. Bow motor, get the rudder kit, which adds an actual rudder and includes its cables. Stern motor, get the footbrace steering kit, which steers the motor itself and does not include cables. Mixing those two up is the most common mistake on this kayak.

What is the difference between Total Weight Capacity and Usable Weight Capacity?

Total Weight Capacity is everything the kayak can float, including the kayak. Usable Weight Capacity is what is left for you, your gear and your dog after the Assembled Boat Weight comes off the top. Here that is 540 pounds total, 102 pounds of kayak, leaving 438 pounds usable. Plan against the usable number.

Can I put a fish finder on it without cutting the hull?

Yes. There is a transducer mount built into the hull and thru-hull wiring ports for the cable, so nothing has to be cut. The round stern hatch is there so you can reach inside to finish the job.

How does it compare to the Sportsman 120?

The 120 Pro adds the Pro cockpit, the motor mounts, the longer track and the larger bow hatch. The Old Town Sportsman 120 is the simpler kayak on a similar hull, and it is the better buy if you have no intention of motorizing.

How does the Old Town Sportsman 120 Pro ship?

Two ways. If you are inside our delivery area, local delivery shows up as a shipping option at checkout and we bring the kayak to you ourselves. We call ahead to set a meet-up, and since we do the unloading there is nothing for you to inspect or sign at the curb. Otherwise it ships LTL freight with a carrier running a 99.9% damage-free rate. On a freight delivery, look it over before you sign the receipt and write down any damage you see. That one step protects your claim. Then email clear photos to helpdesk@cfoutdoors.com within 2 hours. We email the full details once your order is placed.