Terra 116 PDL

I was a little hesitant about getting a Kayak from a company that I hadn’t heard of but I just couldn’t resist the Cajo Terra 116. The design, the features, and the overall weight sold me to give it a shot. I have to say I am certainly happy that I did. Stability: The Terra 116 is off the charts in this category. I’m coming over from a Hobie Lynx which was very stable to begin with, but the Terra 116 is even better. It feels like it is controlling the water as opposed to just managing it. It also does a much better job handling the wind. The Lynx was completely at the mercy of being blown around. The Terra 116 on the other hand sits just low enough that it doesn’t get blown into the mangroves by anything over 10 mph. Setup: This is the easiest kayak I have ever owned to set up the way I like to fish. I use a Lowrance Hook 9 with a tripleshot transducer. The cutout under the hull is perfect for mounting the transducer which is 12” long. The cord runs right up through the scupper hole and feeds directly into the power plate. I chose to run the cable down the length of the kayak and then back out of the front power plate to the Hook 9 to avoid overlapping the cable. The power cable runs into the power plate behind the seat and comes out of the front next to the transducer cable. Very simple to set up. I’m planning to put the Newport Battery Box right behind the seat which still leaves plenty of room for rear storage. I also mounted a Power Pole Micro which was literally done with 4 screws into the provided mounts that were preinstalled into the kayak. Super easy! I only carry 2 rods and a net with me, so I have one rod holder mounted in the front pointed forward and one in the back pointed to the rear. But there is plenty of space to carry several more if that is your thing. The hardest part about rigging it was just figuring out which size machine screws to use, but that was solved with just one email to customer service. The steering on the Terra 116 is solid. The rudder works well and holds you straight. I always make sure to give it a good rinse with fresh water and some SaltOff when I get back to the house just to make sure it doesn’t seize up. I do the same with the Traverse Drive as well. Issues: I didn’t really have any to speak of. I did (at first) get some water making its way inside of the hull on the first use offshore. I don’t think this is a problem with the design or quality itself though. The power plates do have seals on the inside, but I don’t think they are completely water tight. That’s to be expected because you have to remove them to drill and run the cables. It would not make sense to have them sealed all the way from the factory because you would just rip the silicone out anyway. After I ran all of the cables I sealed the power plates with marine silicone and now I don’t get a drop of water inside. The only thing I would change on the Terra 116 is the front bow mount for the trolling motor. As it is, the holes are predrilled with metal screw holes pointing the motor mount directly to the front which is not realistic. I use the Minn Kota Kayak Terrova (saltwater model) which will not work with the current screwholes because the Terrova obstructs the Traverse Drive. Note to CAJO: Would it be possible to drill the predrilled holes to offset the mount at an angle in future models, where the trolling motor is deployed at an angle as to not interfere or obstruct the Traverse Drive? That would seem to be optimal. Overall I couldn’t be happier with the Terra 116. This kayak has definitely been a 10/10 in every category. I’ve used it in both fresh and saltwater, inshore and offshore, in calm waters and in slight chop (~ 1’ waves). It is at its absolute best in calm waters, but even in the chop I still felt more than comfortable and safe. At no point did I feel as though the Terra 116 was being overpowered by the water.

I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into when I first hopped into the Terra 116 but I quickly realized I was going to have a ton of fun with this boat. The stability while leaning and standing is far better than I could have ever imagined; on top of that the nose of the board stays stable in current allowing me to extend my casts and pick up more bites. Brand new the Terra is a "blank slate" that I feel like I can mod to fit whatever adventure is next. Excited to sink some hours into it!

I was a little worried going down the river in the Terra 116 PDL, but that quickly went away. The low profile allows me to get on and off the kayak with no issues at all. Super stable, and extremely easy to stand up from the Horizon Seat. The tray under the seat holds two 3600 series tackle boxes. For the size of the Terra 116 I'm impressed on how light it is fully rigged. No issues pulling the kayak across gravel bars or lifting it up to my truck's bed extender for hauling. I thought the armrest might get in the way of me paddling, but they're not at all. For my style of fishing and kayak journeys, the Terra 116 PDL Pro Series Fishing Kayak delivers a whole new experience on the river!

This hybrid hull surprised me! It is stable! I never thought I would be able to stand on the horizon perch. I am bigger guy. I weigh about 240lbs. But, I was able to climb right up there like it was nothing. I really like its open deck concept gives me the space to set things up the way i like them. I can go small for a little adventure, or load her up for a long journey.