Why I Got Rid of My Old Town AutoPilot 120: Better Alternatives?
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
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Motorguide Xi3:
- Freshwater version: amzn.to/3vFwKDR
- Saltwater version: amzn.to/3il7EY3
One Objective Kayak Mounts for Motorguide:
-www.oneobjectivebf.com/store/...
Kayaks featured in this video:
- Old Town AutoPilot 120: oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors....
- Bonafide SS127: bonafidefishing.com/pages/ss1...
- Vibe Shearwater 125: vibekayaks.com/products/vibe-...
- Crescent Lite Tackle II: www.crescentkayaks.com/produc...
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Love my Salty and haven't thought about wanting something else. Thanks for your view
I love my Sportsman 106 w/ a 100ah battery that sits comfortably under the seat and the motor sits flush in the floor.
I had a Nucanoe Unlimited with a Bowmount XI3 and transon mount Suzuki 2.8 Outboard. It was a great kayak. You also can buy the pedal drive for it. It was 84 lbs bare with an open bow which you can store a ton of things on. What I learned foremost is to buy a trailer. Loading and unloading a kayak is a pain in the butt. My opinion is if you are going to go this route just buy a jon boat which I did and sold the kayak. I will buy a cheap kayak for accessing nonpowered lakes but other than that I think the jon boat is the best option. JMO
Jon boats are great for small lakes. But it just wouldn't work on the lakes I fish. Too many big boats and when the wind gets up it can be dangerous. I feel much safer on my old town predator pdl.
Looking really healthy Tyler. Your “Less of me” video inspired me to get into shape. It’s been about a month and a half into my journey for “Less of me” and I’m down to 192 from 206. So a whopping 14lbs! I still eat the foods that I love. I just simple cut out soda and the sugary sweets. (I still treat myself once here and now) and obviously started to work out more at home and counting my calories. My goal is 170. Thank your for the big inspiration and the great content that you put out!
I was gonna say the same. Looking lean and mean bro! Nice work.
Same for me too, perhaps the very first diet/exercise/lifestyle plan that seems actually sustainable AND spoke to me on the "why" of it all. Discussing and linking that article on compression of morbidity was so impactful - I plan on watching that vid and reading it monthly to keep this going.
Thank you. Congrats on your progress. 14 lbs is no small amount either and you are well on your way to your goal. Once you get the calorie counting down its pretty easy to sustain with portion control. I just went to Thailand for 3 weeks and came back weighing exactly what I did when I left because I've learned to control my portion size and exercise, even on vacation.
@@spiltmilt The useable weight capacity for the auto pilot 120 is 415lbs. I don't know where you are getting your numbers, but based on my research the Old Town is a much more stable kayak just not as fast
Tyler's next task, SWOLE IS THE GOAL SIZE IS THE PRIZE
Hi Tyler, yes to crescent kayak!!Im waiting for my CK 1 to be shipped to me from Headwaters. Thanks for your video on lighter boats you posted few months back!
The minn kota riptide powerdrive ipilot is about 40 lbs. I mounted it in the bow of my hobie kayak and it allows me to still use the hobie pedals if the battery runs out, which has happened before. I did have to trim the shaft to make it more manageable for kayak. Also have to change the setting on the trolling motor to small jon boat otherwise it will use too much thrust when in anchor mode.
Really cool review. I have my Old Town Sportsman autopilot 120 fishing kayak for 2 years now and I can't go back to any other kayak without the spotlock feature especially for the type of kayak fishing I do every week. Saves me so much time just to fish rather than adjusting my spot.. I just wished that they had a way to integrate a paddle drive as well. When you deploy the motor, you could just click on the drive when you need it.. That would be a game changer for sure!
The have that now but 7000$ cad ffs
Love your videos and have learned a lot watching. I had actually done the research and ordered a shearwater 125 and Xi3 motor 2 weeks ago. Hearing you say the same things I came to the conclusion of makes me feel better about my choice :D
Well made video . Perfect insight I definitely have more confidence in my future choices
Just moved from a Bonnafide RS117 to a Hobie PA 14, have had it once so far and wow game changer. Moves through the water fast and fishes great. Can't wait to chase Kokanee, Salmon,crab and some bottom fish out of it this year.
Great video and I agree with all your talking points. I have an AP136 and yes it is heavy. But I do like how stable it is in rough water. I wish you made this video a year ago, I may have gone a different direction. I have too much invested with time and money to really change now. I have a trailer so it’s not bad moving it around. I’m just going to enjoy fishing on it and overlook its faults. Keep up your health journey!!! I need to start myself!
Loved this video - visited the sportsman's show last week and I just wasn't sold on the Old Town, glad I watched this before committing as I have a civic and prefer car top traveling!
This video was quite helpful. Weight has always been extremely important to me when car topping. If it's too heavy I seldom use it.
own AP136 , yeah weight in and out of water is .... but once on the water : killer trolling set up and as stealthy as light weight options on shallow water , weight/ size become benefit on large bodies of water, i fish lake pondery ID , it takes wind , wave or a boat wake like nothing, pick up bed with bed extender is the key, car toping is hernia recipe . would i buy it again yes but there were 3k back then
Been looking for someone to compare Old town to other brands and finaly found yours. Great review, I like old town but just to heavy for convenience and easy transportation from home to water. I didn't want to buy a trailer cause I needed 2 kayaks, but saw your video today and realize there are other methods besides old town and still not saceifice quality and good craftman ship.
This is a great topic of conversation, and its great to hear your thoughts on how to build a modified kayak that can get the best of both worlds. I'm hoping that in the future someone designs a kayak specifically in mind with an interchangeable drive system - where it can use a pedal drive or an electric motor drive depending on user choice just by swapping them out of the same place, making it easier for the consumer to get a hold of without having to build something custom. That is kind of what I'm waiting for before making an expensive kayak purchase (or having to buy two large kayaks). I can think of many fisheries where I'd love to use both. I'm sure something of that nature would be very expensive, and it will not be easy to design a kayak that can use both drives perfectly. And it's hard to say if a kayak company would want to purposefully build a kayak that can do both when they want to sell different models for separate functions. But it sure would be awesome. I have a 9' Vibe Skipjack paddle yak that I use mainly for smaller lakes for trout and for plunking/setting lines in the Columbia. For the price ($400 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods) its been fantastic. A lot of kayak in a very affordable package that was clearly designed for fishing. I've also been taking it to central Oregon every summer to trout fish, and want to try kokanee fishing out of it (with help from your videos). Otherwise I am 90% of the time a bank-bound angler save for my fortunate last-minute seat invites on friends boats. I can't wait to hopefully purchase a kayak one day that gives me the freedom of fishing bigger open water whenever I want.
Thanks for useful informatio. I used to think of getting a auto pilot oldtown over my hobie outback. love my outback
Thanks for this. I was looking at numerous kayaks and wanted a motor option for lower Columbia fisheries but also don’t mind pedaling on non motorized lakes.
Thanks for the honest review. Old Town bombarded a lot of CZcamsrs with AP 120's a few years ago. Most all have gotten rid of them.
This video is so on point and I have the same experience with the AP120.
I got the cheapie riot mako 14. Which so far has been great. Just ordered an xi3 Monday. The weather has it delayed but can't wait to try it out.
I've always thought they should make a 'moped' kayake! One that has the option of pedal or motor! You just came up with the solution!
I love my Perception Pilot 12. Highly recommended pedal drive yak.
Great video! I was seriously considering selling my Crescent Lite Tackle and getting the Auto Pilot. Now I'm seriously considering just adding a motor to my Lite Tackle. That being said I have paddled several different kayaks and the Lite Tackle is one of the best paddling kayaks out there. I have been using mine for three seasons now and I am still amazed at how well it paddles. It's fast, gets up to speed quickly and tracks amazing (no rudder needed).
excellent comparison
I was wondering when this would come out. I was checking out the One Objective x Motorguide combo for my PDL 120 about a year ago. Came to the same conclusion you did though. I'll stick to the pedal for now.
I thought about upgrading to an OT auto pilot but no pedal no thanks. I own an OT 120 Pedal and installed a Newport nk180 24v motor and 2 x 100 amp lithium .
I save a few hundred dollars by not getting the OT auto pilot versus OT120 pedal.
Here’s my breakdown of my OT120 pedal :
2020 OT pdl 120 : $. 2250
Garmin 9sv fish finder $600
Weize 100 amp two batteries @ $500
Newport Vessel NK180 24 electric motor $800
Total ~~ $ 4149
Honestly I think Old Town needs to pick you up on their design team. You bring a lot of hands on, on the water knowledge that would only benefit Old Town and their customers.
My god would that be a mistake
@@mikehankins8438 that’s it? It would just be a mistake? No basis behind it?
Hey I met some of your old coworkers a few days ago at Lake Cascade. I mentioned your videos and they told me that you used to work with them at North 40, small world
Now if someone would just make spot lock buoy I could carry out and plop into the water next to me when I'm ready to be "anchored"
I agree with you about having pedal and motor propulsion. I have a lightning strike kayak and I added a watersnake 24lb thrust to it on the back. I have the motor locked straight and use the rudder to steer. It works great. I use the fins with motor together a lot to troll fast and conserve battery. I use a 50 ah lithium battery(stored in front hatch) with a wireless controller to control motor speed. I went lightning over vibe because its made in America!!!!!
lightning kayaks were off my radar! would love to see a pic of your setup
Good info. I’m really surprised there aren’t more companies out there trying to create a lightweight clamp on style motor for kayaks. It would be nice to have something small enough to run to a spot and then store it away while you fish with the pedals, or vice versa, pedal out to where you want to be and then clamp on for spot lock while you fish a spot, then store it for heading back.
There is such a motor: it's called Pac Motor.
@@boweebles1 thank you. I’ll look into that.
Love this video. So comprehensive. I noticed here in the PNW we don't have some of these brands in retail outlets, did you factor shipping into the prices?
I did not partly because I don't think its productive to record everything from a PNW centric perspective (half the total views on this video are from TX & FL thus far). Additionally, the PNW is a really small kayak fishing market so most manufacturers simply ignore it and very few cater to its fisheries. This is partly why Hobie remains a dominant brand here because they have so many retailers.
Daaamn... you had me sold on the Autopilot 120 in your other vid! I think for my purposes I'll still go ahead with the OT AP 120 just due to finding one never used at a pretty substantial discount, it'll go in the back of the truck, not car topper. Definitely food for thought. Thanks for the vid!
I really my hope old town is working on a version two, it’s such a great platform but I’m there’s sooo much room for improvement I’ve owned one for three years.
Im running a predator PDL with a bow mount Xi3. Great setup. I had a battery fail while on the water and was glad i still had the pedals. Only problem is the front is so mich heavier now that it tends to nosedive into big wake, which isnt a huge issue but can be rather sketchy if you arent veey experienced. Other than that its a great setup, but needs to be trailered.
Excellent commentary. I own two AutoPilot 120s with Lowrance units, and have the identical comments. On top of that, the motor and battery connectors are cheap (retail for $11) and sometimes lose connection. I'm planning to sell mine also. They are nice boats, but could be MUCH better with your recommendations.
I have a small boat and it's great. You could get the motor, and the stuff you like in a small boat possibly for less.
Tyler - this was a great review and analysis. I’m a paddler and probably always will be. But your points about and advantages and disadvantages is spot on, regardless of model! Another option for some of the alternative kayaks you mentioned could be a stern mounted option such as a Torqueedo. They are lightweight including the supplied battery. The fact that they are stern mounted alleviates the need for a factory or owner installed rudder. Thanks for sharing.
Except Torqueedo lacks spot lock which is really the only reason I'd want a motorized kayak.
Im blown away you sold the AP120. Ill be very interested in what your next setup is.
No motorized kayaks for a while. Just sticking with the Salty 120 PDL for now.
When I bought my ap120 it was between that and the p127. I feel now I should have gotten the bonafide. Still love my ap120. But ain't used it out here yet.
I really do wish they would of supported i-Pilot link and even mounted a transducer into motor itself like the Terrova or Ulterra has. Would of made it a much more seamless Kayak.
These types of kayaks are great but honestly, they're just too big to beloading them on top of a car. A small trailer is really the way to go, it makes it so much easier to load and unload.
If I have to buy a trailer I’d just buy a boat
Almost word for word what I have been telling people when asking about the Ap120. If I could do it over I would get a pedal kayak and add a motor. I fish the Columbia river. Worrying about getting back to launch if battery of motor fails is awful. You could buy a smaller battery since you dont have to rely on the motor alone for travel. Spotlock and trolling are very efficient power wise. Thats a little weight saving between the drives. Every time I am out I miss my PDL so much. And those design flaws you mentioned drive me crazy. Cup holding water. Gear storage that is wide open and past my knees to reach. Gear track is the same. The closest point is near my knees and if you do put anything there the forward facing rod holder is useless.
I had to paddle my ap120 due to malfunction from st.johns bridge back to Fred's marina against current on incoming tide once. I was so exhausted and beat...needless to say I no longer own a ap120, sold both of me and my wife's kayak.
Told myself I will not put me in that position again to have to use the paddle on ap120. Now in a hobie and have both pedal/motor.
I wonder when someone is going to add the technology for e-bikes to pedal kayaks. I would love that for the pedal back to the ramp at the end of the day when my butt is sore and my legs are toast.
great video mate, only downside with the vibe is they dont ship to Canada. I do like the indepth info and I think ill stay with pdl as staying healthy is key
Great video, but I didn't hear or see anything in the comments about floating seaweed or running into a lily pad patch. I have an Old Town PDL (pedal) kayak and love it. Knowing I am getting older, I will have to consider a powered prop kayak in my future. You mention seaweed for keeping your prop high to avoid it down below, but what happens when you get tangled in the floating seaweed? With my PDL, I pull the prop out of the water thru the large center opening and pull the glob of seaweed off. On the Minn Kota powered version, that opening is so narrow that I don't know if a glob would fit thru that opening to get that glob off. And for the Motorguide bow mounted motor, how do you reach the prop if you get into a tangled mess? Don't like leaving my seat when in rough windy choppy wave water. Your thoughts?
Its very easy to reach the motor and remove seaweed. Additionally, the prop can be fitted with a cutter to help cut through thicker vegetation. My wife and I fished the back back of San Diego several times. I was in my PDL kayak and she was in the Autopilot. She cut right through it and I was constantly clearing my PDL drive
Thank you for the quick response. I have a weedcutter blade on my 72" salt water MinnKota Riptide Ulterra for my boat and it works great. I didn't realize they made a weedcutter for that MinnKota on the powered kayak. Would be great if they made a weeddcutter for the PDL. I would think the prop would be spinning at about the same speed/ RPM's. My kayak fishing is done here for the season in Maine. Hope your's is still going strong. @@spiltmilt
Wow, great honest review. I wonder if oldtown kayak management knows who you are. If they didn't their loosing out on a great salesman for them. If they did and didn't have you as a design consultant for fishing kayaks they have blown a huge opportunity. Oldtown kayaks should be reaching out to you to help them design the ultimate fishing kayaks. If I owned any of the kayak companies that your considering buying I would give you a kayak for free to get your input on the perfect fishing kayak. One of those companies will give you one if they are smart. It's great advertising to have a great fisherman using their kayak. Good luck with the new setup.
While I agree that it doesn't make sense that they didn't make the ipilot link an option for the kayak, you can get find heads to replace the existing ipilot head that also have link for the networking. Though they are pretty costly. I'm probably going to get one before salmon season on the columbia. I'm also thinking of getting a small outboard as well. You might ask, why not just get a john boat at this point. While I could, by the time I get it to be as usable as the kayak, I'd easily be $20K-$30k deep. Even at it's most basic, the old town autopilot allows me to deal with reeling in a big fish while also navigating and avoiding other boats without interrupting the fight.
That’s kind of a ridiculous statement. If you need to spend over 20k to get a job boat to fish well, you’re doing it wrong. 2 years ago I did a 14’ with outboard and trolling motor for 5k. I could have added ipilot link and a second downrigger and still been under 8k.
@@dennisschafer8594 Well that's not what I said at all is it? I said if I wanted the john boat to be as usable as my kayak, I would need to spend $20-$30k. Sure, I may have exaggerated the amount a bit. But I sure as hell said nothing about my ability to fish well. I'm not even sure where that comment came from. The simple fact is that an autopilot is easier for a solo fisherman to use and control than a john boat.
You should do a similar video comparing all the current peddle kayaks. I have been looking at the old town 120 pdl cause I am in the mid Atlantic area
That would be tough because there are so many.
Have you looked at the nucanoe unlimited or the crescent shoalie
Those would all work too. I am not much of a NuCanoe fan. I feel like they are overpriced for their lack of features.
Hello first time viewer, i am looking to buy my first kayak and not sure what one will work best for me. Price being the biggest factor. Have you or anyone else ever used a Feelfree kayak? That is the one i am leaning twords just looking for people with kayak experience to share there pros and cons. Congrats on the weight loss keep it up my dude.
Feelfree are good kayaks. I think their pedal drive could use some improvements especially in deployment but otherwise fine. What type of fishing do you do and what kind of weight capacity are you looking for?
I bought a 16 foot aluminum smokercraft with a 25 hp Nissan and trailer for $2,500. Added a 24v 80LB thrust Minn Kota Terrova with iPilot. Crazy my set up costs less than a new Old Town Autopilot without a battery.
must have bought it used. new set up closer to 20k without trolling motor
@@howardb4 hahaha yes, the boat is used.
I got rid of both my AP120 also. Those kayak are tanks, and I can't imagine loading/unloading without trailer. It gets old real fast car topping..
Now in a different brand and haven't looked back...old town AP120 was not for me. I want the option to pedal and motor.
I don't think you will want to have to paddle any of those with a big bow mount on the front though!
Tyler , saw you still have salty and like it. I have a sportsman PDL but thinking about the salty, you made the switch and seem to like it. Do you feel it is a better kayak then the Sportsman PDL I like the speed part of it. On another note how do you secure your kayaks when on your road trips, cables, chains, locks…… Thanks for all info.
I prefer the Salty primarily for its speed, more aggressive bow, and you sit slightly lower to the water which makes netting and handling fish easier. My security measures include a cable lock and an alarm.
@@spiltmilt what makes it as stable as the Sportsman if it sits lower in the water. You seem to like it for the rougher water correct? Seems like a contrition.
Moving your center of gravity lower makes you more stable by definition.
I love mine ,I have a 136 auto pilot. For a half mile an hour more really. Would never give mine up .
How long will the battery get you? 10-15 hours?
@@sov19871987 A 100 ah battery will go for about 4 to 5 hours on high . I have a 75 ah battery and I can go on two 6 hour fishing trips with no charge
The great thing about kayak fishing is there is a kayak out there for every angler. We are in completely different worlds of fishing so a lot of your issues are non issues for me, so maybe instead of saying the design is bad (yes there can always be ways to make things better in any platform) but you could say that the design is bad for you, your body type, fishing preference, and way of transportation. Thanks for the content bro, keep it coming!!!
Maybe but there are many more kayaks out there that are slow wide and heavy built for se bass and essentially none that meet my need well. The Salty is best for my needs but far from perfect 👍
I bicycled for many years. Kayak pedal driven Kayaks should be using some very high end bicycle components. They should look at some of the derailer systems used in Tour deFrance bicycle component systems such as Dura-Ace. ❤
OK what about Stability on these ? Im old and want pedal + motor, That Vibe looks nice, I will be trailering got to get one for daughter too
The Vibe is very stable you can stand easily
You need to think about balance. If you run the xi3 and any decent battery in the front, your going to have a problem in my opinion. I had a balance problem with the xi3 and battery behind my seat in a PA12. The Shearwater has multiple problems. I had one, 3 trips out, 3 pod failures with my pedal drive. Other problems on the shearwater as well.
I've seen several reviews of the shearwater and the issues with the rudder systems and pods. Seems to be mixed reviews so I am still not willing to count it out, although I do hear consistently their customer service isn't as good as Old Town's or Hobie's. What was happening with your pods in your Shearwater?
As far balance issues that's a fair point. That's why I suggested stepping down to a smaller 50 amp battery or using the FPV batteries which weigh a fraction of the weight LiPO4 batteries.
@@spiltmilt I sold my shearwater after the 3 failures in a row, (short trips) plastic pod didn't handle the drive. There are aftermarket fixes for the shearwater problems, but not cheap. Add $4-$600 to do everything right. I love my seaghost, and still have it, but to me they cut corners on the shearwater. The boat has potential, but Vibe needs to step up and fix it if they want that boat to run with the big boys.
I think Old Town needs to update their entire fleet in 2024. They've been running the same designs for a while now. The pedal drive should stay the same though, tons of torque on that thing. The Hobies are just insanely priced although a nice rig with a mediocre warranty. I think OT went up a few hundred bucks this year and Hobies went up $1000
What do you think about the 133x by ascend? Could it be paddled in an emergency?
Most kayak can be paddled but most won't paddle well including the 133x
Absolutely blows my mind why they don’t support i-Pilot link on the APs… they used to sell a minn kota control head that supported i-Pilot link so that people that had existing motors could upgrade.
You can upgrade the AP ipilot head. Though it's not as straight forward.
Where did you get your marine Matt for the autopilot??
Ordered a custom thru Sea Dek
Invested way to much $$$ to get rid of my AP 120, fortunately I have a truck and trailer to haul it. True it is a tank and some design flaws.
you should add wilderness recon 120 hd to that list or if you really want to take a walk on the wild side, look at the Blue Sky Angler 360
Blue Sky is way too big or heavy for my liking.
Wilderness pedal drive systems are junk
@@spiltmilt lol yea you wouldn’t be car topping that. And I wasn’t aware of the wilderness systems drive issues
I have the AP 120 and love it so far. It is alil heavy. Definitely not for car top.
Good to know. Will you be going away from your oldtown pdl?
No I still think the Old Town Salty 120 PDL is the best kayak for me
Why do you like the salty over the sportsman or the top water?
Its faster and better suited to rougher conditions found on our PNW coasts.
Quite the 180 on this kayak.
A fair assessment after much use.
What about a minn kota terrova? seems like a better unit
Doesn't come with the shorter shaft. If you cut the shaft you void the warranty.
Someone needs to invent a drive that can either be pedaled or battery driven. Maybe also with a battery-assisted pedal mode like those electric bikes.
Old Town has that, their e-pdl system.
What are your thoughts on the Shoalie?
I know a lot of folks love it. Looks like a great option for this configuration as well.
Yo congrats on that weight loss!! Healthy living is the way
I was going to buy the shearwater, but upon further investigation I found some serious issues. I’ve seen videos of the hulls leaking and other molding issues. I looked up the BBW records and the list of complaints is endless. People having an impossible time trying to reach customer service and receiving their kayaks with missing equipment. That was enough for me. For anyone wanting a shearwater I’d recommend doing your own research on this and make up your own mind.
Even the high end brands have issues with thin spots or holes coming out of the molds. I had a brand new Wilderness Systems that had to be replaced due to a paper thin spot in the recessed keel. I can't speak to Vibe's customer service though but they are non US based which often leads to issues.
Did you find yourself running out of battery on the old town cause everyone else has said it's plenty enough for 15 hr days
No never had any issues but I used Bluetooth capable battery so I always knew how much I had left.
Humminbird has a very (whats the word?) cumbersom naming system. They have "i-Pilot" and they have "i-Pilot link" The "link" one talks to the fish finder, the other one doesn't. Its confusing. They use names that are similar to another and not al all descriptive of their function. They need some new people in their offices.
I prefer the Minnkota over motorguide. The anchor mode on motorguide pales in comparison to spot lock.
I’ve seen mixed reviews on this. That being said Minnkota doesn’t currently produce a standalone 36” shaft I-Pilot motor so you’d have to cut one down voiding the warranty if u want to use it on anything other than the AutoPilot.
What kayak do you use now?
Old Town Salty 120 PDL
Ow mounted trolling motors on yaks are dangerous if you hit a stump or rock it can cause your yak to lift out of the water crack the yak stress point. Just saying
I am a handy man I can make stuff using fiberglass and make it loom just like it’s older in nearly make fish net pockets rivet them in after I locate where they will go kayaking is a game of making things and customizing your own yak the way you want it
Can the vide kayak 125 do saltwater
Of course
Every hull is a compromise. Personally I want a kayak that performs like a kayak instead of trying to turn it into a small skiff. Pedals are a game changer from paddles. But I can’t commit to a motor, battery and trailer to drag it all around. To me that puts a craft into a different category. Now get off my lawn!
Why not Sportsman PDL + motor guide ?
As I mention in the video that combination would be very heavy and expensive
I'm kinda shocked Nucanoe wasn't mentioned. Pretty much the same price point, granted they're pretty wide they're not as heavy as the ap.
Not a huge fan of NuCanoe. For as much they charge their kayaks are basically featureless and don't even include the cost of the chair on many models. I am not even impressed with the hull design.
@@spiltmilt yeah that's probably the biggest downside is buying the add ons separately, plus with their f12 being so wide the deck is known to wrap by the scuppers affecting drainage. I went with their f12, mainly because it doesn't have the molded in center console(big feet) and I was obese at the time(650lb capacity). Probably the only thing I despise about fishing kayaks when standing is those center consoles... Being a wood worker I'd love to get one cheap to cut up or 3d scan one to build a wood version with a modified bottom hull to achieve higher speeds with an outboard.
People always talking about the reliability of Old Town and the autopilot. There have been TONS of issues with the minkota motor on these and Old Town sending refurbished units back to customers under warranty. This is also a kayak that cost well over $5k with battery. People trash Hobie about their prices, but the autopilot is no different and this being on nearly a decade old hull design with low quality gear tracks, cheap seat, and poor storage.
Says the Autopilot was too heavy so u got another one that's heavier?
No idea what you are referring to.
What is your opinion of Native kayaks?
Early iterations of their pedal drive weren't great but it seems they are more reliable now. Their kayaks are def designed with bass anglers in mind, generally wide, heavy, and slow so of very little interest to me.
I’ve decided my next fishing kayak has to be a tandem. My son is outgrowing his seat in the back of my Old Town 132 PDL, and he’s not ready for his own fishing kayak. I’m strongly inclined towards human powered, so probably a Hobie Oasis, or Compass Duo- the second steering control is a huge factor and makes me scratch my head why Hobie left that out while giving it all the other good features. I think the Ocean Kayak Malibu Two could be a good candidate for adding a motor and some fishing accessories if I wanted to go motorized. What suggestions would you have for a tandem fishing setup for myself and my son and girlfriend or other guest, or others who might be interested in fishing from a tandem?
Honestly the Oasis is the only real way to go. The reason I say so is that its one of the few tandem pedal drive kayaks where both anglers can control the rudder. That helps immensely when on the water and also allows the front angler to be engaged in the whole experience.
I’ve seen your video on your Oasis, and I agree 100% that dual steering is key. I’ll be shopping the used market due to my budget, so I won’t be scared to drill into a Compass to add dual steering controls.
As always, thanks for the great content and replies.
What about a Hobie pro?
Too heavy and too $$$
I've always kind of thought if you're going to get a motorized kayak why not just get a boat instead?
Kayaks still have advantages over powerboats, even motorized kayaks. Transportability, safety (e.g. self draining), affordability, etc...
I personally hate listening to the motor all day, and smelling gas if the wind blows in the wrong direction.
Have you review NuCanoe??
I am not a fan of Nucanoe. Too expensive for what they are and you have to spend a lot $$ for even basics things like a chair. Also the pivot drive seems rather clunky to me.
@@spiltmilt Good to know! We are all so grateful for your knowledge, expertise, and passion for kayak fishing and especially Kokanee!!
I love Kokanee trolling because I am constantly calculating depth, speed, angle, wind, sunlight, etc. Let alone choice of lures and here color and dodgers, based upon season, amount of daylight, etc. I could do it all day on top of that I get to catch kokanee and eat them too! Your scientific approach with practical applications it's just icing on the cake.
@@spiltmilt Good to know! We are all so grateful for your knowledge, expertise, and passion for kayak fishing and especially Kokanee!!
I love Kokanee trolling because I am constantly calculating depth, speed, angle, wind, sunlight, etc. Let alone choice of lures and here color and dodgers, based upon season, amount of daylight, etc. I could do it all day on top of that I get to catch kokanee and eat them too! Your scientific approach with practical applications it's just icing on the cake.
What about the ePDL?
$6000…no spot lock…no cruise control…no thanks
@@spiltmilt I understand about the spot lock but I believe it has a cruise control setting and is faster than AP. The 6k comes with the 36v battery too. I also think it is way too expensive but not out of line with the cost of an AP or MK.
No more Old Town sponsorship? 😉
No more sponsorships in general. I still love my Salty 120 PDL and still highly recommend their kayaks
you should have gotten a thule hullavator :) would have made car topping much much easier for you.
The Hullavator can't handle larger kayaks
Have you thought of the Bixpy system? I first heard of Bixpy about 8 years ago, so it has a been around for awhile. It was specifically designed for kayaks. The drive system and lithium battery (the battery is in a waterproof case) both weigh 10 lbs. total (super light). It costs $1200. The battery can fit under most raised seats in a kayak or in a hatch. It can last up to 12 hours. The motor can be mounted to the the motor in the back of the kayak, the front of the kayak, the rudder, or if your kayak has an opening for a peddle drive (like a Hobie) you can use that opening to mount the motor. However, the motor only has 33 lbs. thrust. But that should work fine since you are looking at lighter kayaks (they advertise 5 mph+ in a Hobie revolution). Bixpy has a list of many kayaks showing the mounting systems that are available for many different kayaks. You can even buy a solar charger to extend its range.
Bixpy doesn’t have spot lock though
I think all of the Old Town kayak layouts are bad. I switch from a Sportsman 106pdl to a Native Slayer Max 10. Just as stable as the Old Town but WAY better layout!
I feel like you have a ton of complaints about the AP which really aren't valid for a lot of anglers and fail to list much more of its positives, which you will undoubtedly miss when you try to achieve what the AP does on another platform. I promise you it is MUCH more than just the motor you like, but I guess I'm not out there to work out. I'm out there to fish. I have an AP136. Trailer it, launch it like a boat. Can also pull it off the trailer fully loaded onto a cart to launch anywhere, no boat launch required. Can't do that with a jon boat. I'm only 5'5, 135lbs. Honestly, I can't relate to any of your complaints besides little nitpicky things about the hull that every kayak is going to have.
I'm mainly a bass fisherman on rivers and lakes. On rivers chasing smallmouth, I can run all day 12+ hours up river on a 120ah lithium. There's enough deck space and stability to where I'm literally standing up fishing 99% of the time, even in wind and waves, following shorelines and contours hands free, pinpoint casting the entire time while the motor pulls me on course. When I need to cruise to another spot, I can do so hands free with my feet steering the rudder. I can re-tie my lines, put on new lures, have some lunch while on the move.
All the storage spots you say are useless... are not. I have sunscreen, bug spray, screen cleaner, a variety of tools in mine. I prefer them there instead of in this massive storage pod up front like most kayaks. Those are completely useless imo... give me the deck space to stand up and move around on deck instead. My crate and cooler in the massive rear tank well hold everything I could possibly want for the day, out of my way.
I have dual Helix units, one on each rail. One up front for when I'm standing, one closer to the seat for when I'm sitting and cruising. The AP has the best possible spot for a large battery ever on a kayak, down very low and under your seat, out of your way. This adds stability due to the low cg and balance that no other kayak has.... with a bow mounted motor and battery either up front or back you are not going to achieve that same balance. Your bow will dip into the waves due to the weight and your battery will not be down as low for that added stability like on the AP. Also, keep in mind how the AP keeps the motor mounted on a spring bracket - it's extremely unique. You can run it into boulders and it will just stop and pop up harmlessly (I've done it a hundred times on the river). Try that with a bow mounted motor a few times and you'll be replacing it real soon. The rudder on the AP is foot controlled, leaving your hands free. You can't just mount a bow mount onto a pedal powered kayak and achieve the same thing, you'll still need one hand to work the rudder control. You could let the motor do all the steering, but it's not the same - you lose speed and efficiency.
I disagree with you. The AP simply cannot be replicated with just any old kayak with a bow mount and if you try, it most definitely will not be any sort of upgrade to what the AP offers.
Glad you like your AP. It just wasn't the right kayak for me.
I love my Autopilot 136, but I have a trailer for it. I can’t imagine car topping that beast. I wouldn’t even haul it in the back of my truck.
I've put both in the back of my truck and on my truck rack. I've considered a trailer but I don't really need one. When loading it in the back of my truck, I don't even strip it down. As a solo fisherman, I've found the 136 to be a game changer for me. I feel completely comfortable navigating with tight group of trolling boats while fighting a monster king salmon. I could not imagine doing that in a super light kayak while trying to pedal and steer all at the same time.
I have mixed feelings about motorizing a Kayak as well. The weight of the motor and the battery create problems that hinder if not completely defeat the entire point of a Kayak, which is to move a single person through the water very efficiently. Once you add a motor, why worry about it being very narrow and efficient at all? You have a motor, make it wider so it won't tip or have the load limits of a kayak. That's called a boat. Honestly, before I bought a motorized kayak, I would just get a pond prowler 8 or 10 and slap a nice trolling motor on that. It will never tip over, it's a great fishing platform, you can car top it, and it's less than $1000. This guy catches tons of fish, and his rig cost a lot less than an autopilot. czcams.com/video/3rqgpQm7-kY/video.html