Further Review - Old Town Predator XL Minn Kota

Last June I received a Predator XL Minn Kota kayak from Old Town Canoes & Kayaks. Now that I have had a few months to use it I thought I would share my thoughts on it. I have to admit, When I learned my Predator XL was on its way I wasn't sure how much I would appreciate lugging a full-size marine battery in and out of my house every time I used it. However, Old Town doesn't make a bad product and everything they make for fishing receives input from professional anglers and pro staff members, so my confidence in its functionality was high.

The Predator XL Minn Kota measures 13' long by 36" wide, and weighs 92 pounds without the consoles. The kayak has a 600 pound weight capacity. When you look at the Predator XL you will see everything you see on all the predators such as the multi-position Element seat, six removable mounting plates, slip resistant Exo-Ridge deck, scupper holes with Old Town's patented one-way scupper plugs, side rod holders with bungees and rod tip protectors, and molded paddle rests. What you won't find standard on the other Predator models in the extra click-seal hatch just aft of the seat, a foot controlled rudder for steering, molded cup holders on both sides, and the extra large center scupper for the consoles.

The Predator XL can be purchased with any, or all, of three consoles. The Minn Kota console weighs 25 pounds and has a 45 lb. thrust saltwater rated Minn Kota variable speed trolling motor with forward and reverse. The motor has Min Kota's Digital Maximizer which only sends the amount of power that the motor needs, which extends the amount  of hours you get out of one battery.The motor comes with two kill switches, one to connect to your PFD in case you fall off, and one that connects to the hull to prevent raising the motor while it is running. When you raise the motor the Quick Stand springs into action holding the motor up and out of the way. Being able to raise the motor is especially handy if it picks up weeds or worse, your line. The console also has a sonar mounting plate and wire storage area that will accommodate almost any sonar fish finder on the market. Inside the console you will find a ton of storage for essentials such as a shelf for your fish finder battery, pliers, fish grippers, etc. You will also find a USB charging port for charging cell phones, iPads, or whatever else you might bring on the water with you. The Utility console weighs 8 pounds and is basically the same console as the Minn Kota without the motor. It is all storage and has the same sonar mounting features. The Exo-Ridge console weighs 6 pounds and is basically a plug that, when installed, gives you a fully flat deck. Nothing above and nothing below. With the Utility Console and Exo-Ridge console you will be powerless, so to speak, and you will need to paddle.

The Predator XL might be on the hefty side, but it's easily manageable. I drive a pickup truck, so loading and unloading is easy for me. I would imagine needing some sort of assisting rack like the Telos Load Assist from Malone Auto Racks if you wanted to carry this kayak on top of an SUV. I also use a cart when I have to go any distance from the launch to the water, which makes things way easier. That said, what it loses because of its weight (which I find is nothing) it more than makes up for with its stability. The extra width of the XL, coupled with the tri-hull design, make this by far the most stable kayak I have ever paddled...or powered. There are only two reasons I will not stand to fish: when it is windy because it turns me into a sail and I drift too fast, and when I just feel like lounging. Chop and boat wakes present no problems for this kayak. It rolls over waves with ease. I can take waves head on and the water drains right out through the one-way scupper plugs, or I can take them sideways and simply roll over waves while I fish.

The Minn Kota Trolling motor is what makes this kayak stand out from the pack. Using my Navionics boating app I have clocked myself as fast as (5.2 knots) 6 MPH. Add wind or currents to that and I noticed reductions depending on how strong the currents were, or how hard the wind was blowing, but I usually travel at full speeds of around 3.5 knots (5 MPH.) The motor console comes with a Minn Kota battery box that has a circuit breaker. The kayak is pre-wired with a forward outlet for the motor console and a rear outlet for the battery.  I run a 29DC battery with extra cycling capability and I have spent 8 hour days on freshwater lakes without draining the battery. Tidal use is another story. I fish the infamously fast currents of the Piscataqua River in New Hampshire 75% of the time. Most days I can get six hours of use out of one battery. I purchased a second battery as backup or for when I have two guided trips in one day. Then I can simply swap out the battery and I'm back up and running again.

Having the Minn Kota motor provides hands-free fishing, which makes me more efficient. Being more efficient makes me more productive. I can get things done on the way to my fishing location that I used to have to do prior to launching or after I arrived. No more getting to a fishing spot, finding fish busting on the surface, and not being able to fish because I have leaders to tie. I can troll or drift without paddling. When I get a fish on I can maneuver the kayak however I need without as much risk of losing a fish because of dealing with a paddle and boat position. Take striper fishing for instance. I often fish structure such as rock piles and ledges in as little as 5' of water. When stripers are on this shallow water structure it is imperative that you do not drift over them or you will blow them off the structure. Often times a big fish will pull me right back into the structure. I can use the motor to back away from key areas and increase the number of fish I catch each outing, a feature you don't get with a paddle or pedal kayak.

Having the Predator XL Minn Kota has been a game changer. I can travel farther and fish longer thanks to the power of the Minn Kota trolling motor. I can safely fish places I have never been able to fish, whether it's because the location was too far away or in too much current thanks to the stability of the Predator XL. I can fish almost anywhere in the Piscataqua River with the exception of a couple spots. The motor makes it possible to get there, the comfort and stability make it possible to stay there. This kayak has opened up a whole new world of kayak fishing for me. It has allowed me to raise the bar. I caught a New Hampshire state record black seas bass this season in a place I can't paddle to because the current is just to fast. I caught my personal best striped bass...twice. First with a 39" fish and then with a 46" fish. This kayak has also raised the bar for me as a fishing guide. My clients love the security of knowing that if they get overtired I can pull them to safety, or just to give them a break. When I am guiding less experienced paddlers and we see striped bass on the surface in the distance, I can tow them to the fish, saving them time and energy. As for lugging the battery in and out of my house; it isn't nearly as bad as I thought. Probably because of how many more fish I am catching. I highly recommend this kayak if you love to kayak fish . Don't take my word for it though. Visit your local retailer and ask to demo the Predator XL and see for yourself why it's not just a fishing kayak, it's a fishing machine.

My Biggest Striped Bass Ever

On the night of August 21, 2015 I headed out with my good friend Chuck Fritz in search of big stripers from our kayaks. The night before I set my new personal best with a nice 39" fish. When I arrived at the launch it was daylight and there were tons of birds on the surface on the other side of the bay we were planning to fish. Where there are birds there is bait, and where there is bait there is usually stripers. Chuck was running late due to a thunderstorm that was headed my way, so I quickly unloaded my Predator XL Minn Kota and headed across the bay. I arrived at the fish and was able to land a few nice schoolies before I noticed the storm approaching. Safety is most important so I headed back to the launch to wait out the storm in my truck.

By the time the storm passed Chuck had arrived, so we unloaded his gear and headed out fishing. The fish were no longer on the surface, and the sun was setting, so I switched to eels and began slow-trolling. I picked up a 28" fish right away, but nothing after that for quite a while. I decided that I would troll my way across the bay and begin trolling just up from where I caught the 39" striper the night before. I trolled a good 1/2 mile of shore line without a touch. As I reached the area where I caught the 39" fish the night before I hooked up with a nice 30" fish in 5' of water. I didn't want to stay out too late, but I couldn't leave without giving that spot one more pass. This time I hooked on my biggest live eel and decided to give a more natural and slow presentation by drifting with the current rather than trolling.

I felt a couple of bumps, but they turned out to be false alarms. My eel was doing what eels do and trying to hide on the bottom. I had no sooner resolved to the fact that there probably wouldn't be any giants this night when I got snagged, or so I thought. I gave my rod a yank to free it from the snag and when I did all hell broke loose. At first I thought my kayak was spinning in the current. I turned on my headlamp only to see that I hadn't spun at all. My line had shot out toward deeper water and line was peeling off my reel (the drag is silent.) The drag was as tight as I dared to have it, but I needed to slow the huge striper down and prevent it from heading into lobster trap buoy lines. I applied slight pressure to the spool with my thumb, which was just enough to stop the fish. I began fighting it back to my kayak.

As the fish got closer I saw a huge white flash. As soon as it saw my kayak it made another run back out into deeper water as if it wasn't even hooked. I was in awe at the power of the huge striped bass. The fight was on and I was in panic mode. I didn't want to lose such a huge fish. Some anglers, including me, fish their whole lives for a striped bass that size, and some never achieve it. I was able to turn the big striper a second time and get it back near my kayak. This time it gave me a good look at it before making a third run. It was a massive striped bass, the biggest I had ever had on. Its broad forked tail made my jaw drop and I had to talk myself down. I was panicking and it was only a matter of time before I did something silly like trying to grab a hold of the fish before it was ready to be grabbed. "Fight this fish the way you know you should," I told myself. I kept telling myself to, "Forget about the fish grip until the fish is ready," Yup, I was talking to myself.



The fish made a total of five long hard runs. Then as if to say, "I'm ready, you've earned it" the huge striper came up beside my kayak and I was able to get my fish grip on it. I let out a yell. I had just landed what would not only turn out to be my biggest striped bass from a kayak, but my biggest striped bass ever. It measured 46" long and had a 25" girth. It weighed 33.2 pounds. I called Chuck and had him help take photos. I was able to keep the fish in the water until we were ready, take photos, and revive the fish for several minutes. The massive beast swam away with its dorsal fin raised and looking healthy.The size qualifies it for an In-Fisherman Master Angler Award and a New Hampshire Trophy Fish Patch.