Best Fishing Kayak: E-Bike Power and Range for Kayaking

And the speed and range stats for this model are pretty amazing. Top speed is between four and five miles-per-hour. At that top speed, your battery will last up to three hours. But by dialing that speed down to the middle setting, the battery duration goes up to 23 hours. And at the lower settings you’re looking at well over 40 hours of charge. Obviously, the wind and water conditions and the amount of weight you carry will change these numbers slightly. But that opens up a ton of possibilities when considering how much water you can cover in a day of fishing.

And while just a little mindful battery management will mean you’ll rarely use it all up in a single day, you’ve always got your pedal drive to rely on to get you home.

So, when I got the offer from Old Town to check out one of their new Sportsman Big Water ePDL+ kayaks, I was totally on board. Not only was I psyched about the ePDL upgrade, the Sportsman Big Water is a monster kayak fishing platform loaded with features.

Let me tell you two quick things about myself. First, I have a long history of bass boat ownership and bass tournament fishing, but I haven’t owned a boat for a couple years. And for as much as I miss tournament bass fishing, bass boat ownership hasn’t been a realistic option recently, primarily for financial reasons. I feel like I’m probably not the only bass angler in that position. While this ePDL+ kayak is pretty top-of-the-line for Old Town, and definitely not cheap for a kayak, $6000 is a lot easier to swallow than $100,000 needed for most new, fiberglass, bass boats.

And second, I’m a well above average-sized human—6’5”, 290 kind of guy. This kayak, at 13’, 2”, and 36” wide offers a good amount of space, even for me. It seems like it’s right on that edge of being as big as it can be, while still not impossible to move around fairly easily by myself.

Here are some of the highlights of this kayak:
-Patented ePDL+ power assisted pedal drive with 5 speed settings and cruise control
-Includes a compact, powerful 36V 20Ah Li-Ion battery and charger
-Control buttons and polarized sunglasses-friendly screen integrated directly into ePDL+ Drive
-Redesigned stern tankwell optimized for a variety of crates and coolers
-Two Accessory tracks and two drillable mounting plates allow easy mounting of accessories
-Non-slip EVA foam deck pads provide traction and stand-up comfort
-Transducer mount allows you to easily install your fish finder
-Dry storage for additional gear in the sealed bow hatch and additional dry storage in the drive console
-ePDL+ Drive and Seat are removable for easy transport and storage

So, this is my new fishing “office”. I have big plans for putting this kayak to the test on the water and seeing what add-ons and accessories make the experience even better. I have a bunch of the best fishing industry manufacturers on board for this program and can’t wait to see how this all turns out. I plan to present a whole series of articles covering this new fishing adventure, providing honest insight and tips that I hope will open up some new possibilities for your fishing.