Kayak Fishing: Kayaks by Bo/Old Town TopWater 120 PDL Review

Happy Monday Spacefish!

I hope everyone had an extremely happy Thanksgiving that was filled with family, food, football, and ample opportunities to count our blessings and reflect on what we are the most thankful for. I would be remiss to not express my gratitude for John and Damon and for creating this awesome platform called Spacefish that has meant a lot to me on a personal level. I cannot express the amount of enjoyment I get from having the opportunity and platform to share my fishing journeys and adventures on this platform, and I am extremely grateful to the readership, and to the sponsors that make all of this happen.

In the spirit of gratitude and Thanksgiving I am going to talk today about Kayaks by Bo, Inc – located right along US Highway 1, and backed up to the Indian River Lagoon in Titusville. With the Holiday season approaching us – (I assume that if you are reading this then you have a passion for, are curious about, or have a loved one that is already involved in paddle sports, specifically kayak fishing!) – this would be an excellent time to go check this place out! Whether you are in the market for a new kayak yourself, or a loved one – even if you already have a trusty steed and are looking for some awesome kayak fishing accessories, or some cool gear & apparel, Kayaks by Bo has you covered!

Backstory on the Store

This is a small, locally owned, family run business that sells products made right here in the United States…#NuffSaid. But I will say more, anyway. Per their website…

“Kayaks By Bo is owned and operated by Tom and Lyn Altif. When you visit our store, you are meeting and dealing with the owners. We have enjoyed visiting Titusville on weekends for the past 35 years, and Tom has been fishing the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon since age 8. We decided to move from our home in Winter Park and become permanent Titusville residents in October 2010…Our business concept is to encourage visitors to enjoy the ‘Real Florida’ including the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Canaveral National Seashore Park, the beaches and the numerous spring runs and rivers found throughout Florida.”

Furthermore, the Altif family believes “[that being located here on the Space Coast] is the perfect place from where to launch your excursions. It is the hidden secret that has only been discovered by true nature lovers and conservationists. Using a Kayak is the best way to view the wildlife and enjoy nature. Kayaking is wonderful family fun; excellent exercise; a superb method of fishing and nature viewing; and just plain relaxing. Kayaking is a great way to see the Real Florida.”

Kayak Lineup and More

Kayaks by Bo is the place to go when looking to shop for kayak fishing vessels and gear! They carry top of the line boats made by the top brands in the industry; Old Town, Hobie, Nucanoe, Native Watercraft, Eddyline, Crescent, and Bonafide.

Whatever level of fishing kayak that you are looking for, whether it is a top of the line professional level yak, or something in the middle that barebones with a pedal drive, or a stripped down kayak that you have to paddle – they have options, and as far as I know, they are the only place around that allows you to try it, before you buy it. That’s right, you actually get to test drive the vessels out back of the place in the Indian River Lagoon.

Even if you have the kayak already, they carry every Yak Attack accessory that you may ever need; including but not limited to carts, rod holders, and nets (and much more). They also have lots of gear and apparel.

With the holiday season approaching, go pay this place a visit and buy the lucky kayak angler in your life (or yourself) a nice YakAttack stocking stuffer…or a new Old Town kayak!

My New Kayak: Old Town Topwater 120 PDL

So as of this past week I have upgraded to my first ever pedal drive kayak! I am now in the Old Town Topwater 120 PDL. I am writing this after taking it out for a maiden voyage, and I am incredibly excited to be fishing out of this vessel! Allow me to hit some of the high points of what I liked about it after day 1.

#1 – Pedal power! I think I may have found a way to get back in game shape again. It is a great workout, but after paddling around the last few years it really is nice to be able to use the pedal drive. When I was really working for speed to my first spot, my running app clocked me at 5-6 mph, which for a kayak is really nice pace. Having the ability to move faster, cover more ground while fishing, and be able to cast while moving, I am hoping that this over time doubles my capability of catching fish on the water.

#2 Pedal Drive Optional – When I pushed up into thicker vegetation, I was able to pop the pedal drive up and lock it in an upright position thanks to the spring assist feature. This allowed me to not have to worry or think too much about it, once it is locked in. As a kayak Bass guy in Florida, you will certainly want to have the ability to put your prop away when you push into the reeds and grasses.

#3 Hull Design – Compared to the Perception Outlaw, this kayak is even more stable, but even with a paddle it moves more quickly, and is much quieter. There is no hull slap whatsoever, and this thing accelerates and stops like an NFL slot WR.

#4 Rudder – I love how the rudder easily goes up and down with a switch on the right hand side, but it is easy to control while pedaling the drive and the kayak is very responsive.

#5 – Storage – The only thing I miss from the Outlaw is the amount of storage on my left and right hand sides, but this kayak makes up for it with plenty of storage behind the seat, as well as a small dry box in the pedal drive (great place to put phone, keys, wallet), a large dry box in the front, and a smaller one under the seat. Under the seat has a perfect rectangular area to store tackle trays.

#6 Fishability – The seat is comfortable, the drive is easy to use, and easy to prop and lock if you want to get your propeller out of the water, and it is not in the way. The stability is outstanding, the room for maneuverability on board to be able to cast different directions is great, and it is easy to turn around and grab stuff from behind you if need be.

#7 Transportation – It is easy to store, and load onto my truck without a trailer or bed extender. I used a rolling cart, and secured it with ratchet straps. This kayak weighs roughly 100 pounds so it is heavier than any I have owned to this point but is pretty easy to load and unload by myself.

I threw the bait into emergent vegetation and flipped it into the bases of trees, and worked it back to me very slowly with pauses where I would just let the bait drop. I actually got two thumps on these falls. My most quality fish was caught after flinging the bait into a patch of green reeds and slow rolling it out, the bait was about 2-3 feet out of the reeds when I felt the thump and set the hook.

I know I have probably said this before, but if anyone that was new to Bass fishing, or Bass fishing in Florida asked me for one bait that they could use to cover water and catch a bunch of fish with some quality fish mixed in, it is hard to argue with a Texas rigged Speed Worm in Junebug, Junebug Red, or Watermelon Red.

Conclusion

Well folks, that’s all I have this week. I had a good Bass fishing outing this weekend, I will pick back up with another spot report next weekend. I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday. I hope the food, family and (hopefully) time off from work did everyone good. If you are in the market for a new fishing kayak, or some accessories that can take your kayak fishing game up to the next level, check out Kayaks by Bo in Titusville!