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Old Town Loon 111

Old Town Loon 111 Kayak (Guest Review)
by Matt Feiler

I purchased an Old Town Loon 111 Kayak three months ago and have had numerous occasions to use it in various conditions. The Old Town Loon series comes in five solo kayak lengths from 8' 6" (kids model) to 13' 8". The 111 (11' 1" long) seems to be an ideal length for day tripping a smallie river. It weighs in at 47 lbs. and barely hangs out the back of a 7' pickup truck bed with the tailgate down or travels easily on the top of my Plymouth Voyager van. It has a large cockpit opening with plenty of leg room and storage room behind the adjustable seat. I put an 8 pack cooler, dry bag of goodies, and my tacklebox behind the seat. The Cross Link construction is nearly indestructible and provide its own flotation (no airbags or foam needed).

The ride is very stable and the boat tracks extremely straight. I have whitewater kayaked before and even attempted to fish out of a whitewater kayak. It was work. Too much rocker, the boat kept spinning around. The Loon is designed for flat water and Class I rivers. It works ideal on the slow Class I rivers here in Middle Tennessee such as the Duck and Buffalo. If the boat catches on a shallow shoal it can usually slide on downstream with your hands pushing on the river bottom. On a Class II river such as the Nolichucky River, it will generally handle most all situations, but remember, this boat will not turn on a dime, but will out-handle most canoes.

So how 'bout the river smallie fishing out of this kayak? Takes a little practice, but is very easy. Set the boat at a given angle in the current and it will generally stay pointed in that direction without rotating, giving good casting angles. I like to point it about 45 degrees UPSTREAM and cast my lures upstream and to the side of where I just floated past. I set the paddle balanced on the gunnel in front of me when casting and set the rod with the handle in my lap when paddling.

This boat sometimes seems to continue in straight motion without slowing down, even long after I've quit paddling. Kinda like Newton's law of motion. When that happens, I have to hit the brakes (dip the paddles, or else you will float right into your honey hole). You will be amazed at how thoroughly you can cover a section of river, from bank to bank, because of the size and the maneuverability of a one man boat with a double bladed paddle. Also the boat is a breeze to paddle upstream against moderate current.

Overall, I very much enjoy fishing out of the kayak and recommend an Old Town Loon to the smallie fisherman that likes to go fishing by himself with a minimal amount of hassle.

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