Predator K138

Bought a Predator 140 and give it a 9.5. Would be a 10 if the sliding seat secured better. The plastic screws they use do not hold the seat in place, tends to slide back. I am still thinking about the rod holder. Could be placed a bit forward, tends to interfere with paddling. It is very strong, fell off my truck at 60 MPG, got scratched up a little. The camo hides the scratches well. All in all having a blast with it this summer.

Like they all said, I too am a big 5'11' 280lb I just started canoeing 3 years! I wanted a kayak as I like to fish and hunt and just have fun! Wanted some smaller than a canoe but stable and too hold my weight. I have old town products like them! I looked at the Predator 111 and 140, the 111 is too small rated 250lbs the 140 may as well be a canoe for its size, but be hold a model 138 mid size between the two!and rated at 350lb cap. Cool but guess what -- discontinued in 2007 I believe.
But found New One on sale! I will try it out this week end I think! I will do a follow up on my opinion!

My wife and I were kind of new to kayaking this year but were avid canoe people before. We've lived on the lake for 10 years now but just started kayaking this summer. We wanted something stable as we often experience white caps on our 2,500 acre lake. We borrowed a couple of 138 Old Town Loons, the older model Loon, from some friends and liked the stability etc. We also tried some Waldens that were ok and a couple of off brands. We decided we liked the Old Town so we tried some from a dealer up here. We tried the Adventure but found the initial stability to be a bit tipsy. We also tried the Dirigo but all said and done my wife was in love with the new Loon 120 and I with the old style Loon 139 that was the same mold as the Predator. So we bought my wife the ‘06 Loon 120 and I was looking for an older Loon 138. I liked the larger cockpit in the older Loon and the molded seat too. Ended up finding a ‘05 Predator and that was my boat. We've been in 2 to 3 foot white caps with them and never took in any water at all. As a matter of fact we faired better going sideways with the white caps. Just like a corked bottle. Anyone looking for a very stable kayak that tracks well and moves through the water fine would do good to look for an older Loon or a Predator. The only draw back is Old Town discontinued the 138 Predator for '07. Now only the 111 and 140 are available. The 140 has such a big cockpit that you may as well be in a canoe. The new Loons are great too except the cockpit is a bit smaller than the older ones and they have that new style seat that I don’t care for but thats only personal opinion. They do have a rear dry hatch and thats a big plus. I ordered a kit from Old Town to install one on my Predator. It says Loon on it so now I’m going to have a Predator Loon!! I give a 10 to both these boats!!!

Bought this boat last fall ('03) when they first became available. Same hull as the Loon 138 with a good camo scheme and a few extra "Bells and Whistles." Owned the Loon 138 before I bought this one. Stability, primary and secondary are excellent. Takes a lot to swamp this boat. Tracking is very good, and paddles well for a 29.5" wide boat. I have no problem keeping up with others in "Sleeker" hulls, when I'm not watching wildlife or fishing. Turning takes some muscle, but I still use this primarily on twisty Ozark streams. Hull is very tough, I can pull the boat up on a gravel bar and sit on it for lunch (all 250 lbs of me) withought any qualms. VERY few boats I would do this to. Hate to use the term "Bomb proof," but it fits this hull well. Now, for theose "Bells and whistles." The work deck is well made and very handy, but has one major design flaw. It straps on fore and aft. No problem strapping it on fore, but I have modified mine with velcro attached to the hull and straps for the aft straps. I did this so it will tear away from the cockpit and prevent entrapment in a capsize. I hope OT changes this. The hole for the rod holder has a "Cap" to cover it when rod holder not used. This cap frequently "Pops" off. The rod holder is fine for sitting and fishing, but somewhat in the way for trolling. The anchor set up works well, but I would caution against if for use on rivers with strong currents. If the anchor hangs up on rock or debris in current, you could be swamped if you don't cut the anchor line. On lakes, or rivers with slower current, it would be fine. The accessory tray that velcros the the bottom of the hull wasn't attached well, and is really unneccesary except to use when hunting as it holds shotgun shells and another cup holder (you already have one cup holder in the work deck). As for the seat, I wish they would have upgraded it as they did for the other Loons for '04. It is hard plastic and needs padding (I use a gell pad) but does provide plenty of back support. I am thinking of adding the padding kit, that will make it more comfortable for long hours in the saddle. There are no bulkheads in this boat, so I would suggest adding floatation. I have floatation bags supplemented with pool noodles aft, and put a dry bag with gear in the front. This is an excellent hull for fishing and hunting out of. The reason I give it an "8" is due to the seat and the fact that the accessories could have been better thought out.