I bought one 2 years ago and have been using it quite a lot ,like 2 time a week. If not more if I can in peak fishing times. I’m 60 years old and want a set up that’s easy for me to unload and load. So I bought a Malone trailer as well from DSG. Just recently about a month ago, I just purchased another Pescador pilot for family and friends to go with me. Love the boats And the trailer which I fixed up and put a deck on, it, makes it much safer, unloading and unloading.
nwpete
2 years ago
Pescador Pilot Is A Great Fishing Kayak
I've owned a Pilot for 2 seasons. Overall, this is a very good affordable PDL kayak and if you work out some of its kinks, it becomes a very reliable kayak. It is really stable and I've ridden it in 4ft waves in rivers and bays without feeling tippy one bit. Some people get put off by these kinks they give up on the kayak. First, the rudder cable needs to be replaced with a 1.4mm stainless steel coated cable. The one that comes with the kayak is a complete garbage and it will make the control very stiff. After replacing, the knob is as smooth as butter. Second, the giant rod holder holes are absolutely useless. Too big and it fits a redbull can. Most people don't use it but you could use PVC pipes to make it usable. I just have rod holders mounted to my milk crate in addition to rod holders on the track. Not an issue but Perception needs to do something about this nonsensical feature in the future. Some folks have trouble with rudder deployment but mine deploys easily. There is a mod video where a washer is added under each point helps alleviate the friction. The pedal drive itself is very reliable and I never had any trouble with it. My left pedal arm became loose once I hammered it in with a rubber mallet and used blue loctite to tighten it up. It never loosened after that. Now unlike other kayaks like Hobie and Old Town, the hull weight is very light for the size and stability it offers so if you're a car topper, that is a huge plus. I've ridden this thing in 4ft waves and nasty tides while salmon fishing. I've mounted a Cannon downrigger on this thing for kokanee fishing with a 6lb ball without any compromise to its stability. This kayak is a tank. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles as a $3,000 kayak, but I am still extremely happy with mine as there is nothing I cannot modify to make it work for the type of fishing I do. It may not be for someone expecting a plug and play right out the gate though.
Dyjital
5 years ago
Mixed Bag
I have two kayaks at the house, one is this Pescador Pilot 12 and the other is an Old Town Topwater PDL120. The Pilot is faster than the PDL and that’s about where the benefits end. The Pilot has a terrible rudder deployment, the drive system to bring it up is horrible but my wife likes the colors so she uses it. I would prefer to sell and get another PDL drive type such as an Ocean Kayak Malibu. I wouldn’t buy again, I should have put my foot down more firmly.
VT momma
5 years ago
Great Kayak Just Don’t Trust Dicks To Ship It!!
Our Kayak came damaged but useable, this was quite possibly because the driver had to unload it alone because dicks didn’t give the shipper our email. When I contacted dicks they expect me to drive 2 hours each way to exchange the kayak. I asked if they would ship a new one but they only offered a 10% discount. The shipper said often in cases like mine the company refunds shipping and give %25 back and it’s covered by the insurance policy and all Dicks has to do is make a claim. Dicks after two phone calls and 3 emails just cut off communication and said we are giving you 10% end of story. I am really disappointed we have bought 4 kayaks from them this summer and they won’t even listen to me!!!!! The shipper Pilot was super great but because I didn’t contract with them their hands are tied!!! Not a good way to keep customers Dicks!!!
kayakDon
5 years ago
My New Favorite Hobby
I bought this kayak a year ago and love it. I find it easy to peddle and turn. It was a roughed up when i picked it up from the store. Perception customer service was great and sent replacement parts. It did take me a few tries to get the spacing right so the peddles would stay in place. This was annoying at first but its not bad now. I have a small wrench in storage just in case I need to adjust it. The rod holders are a joke. To fix it I cut a piece of pvc pipe and stuck it into the holes.
Worf
6 years ago
Pedal Drive Is Lame.
Very disappointed, I would not recommend this drive system. Not what I originally ordered which was cancelled by dicks.
galger
6 years ago
Do Not Buy
Do not buy this Kayak. The company who makes this does not have a simple propeller if you loose yours. You will end up buying a whole new unit. We lost our propeller and called the company several times and they said they would have to replace the whole unit for a simple propeller and then never responds. Warning don't buy
Jmartygraw
6 years ago
Great For The Price.
A few things are a bit hokey but it works and is stable. Plus you can get a ton more gear with all the money you saved.
WATERBOY619
7 years ago
Great Kayak!
I have gone on two all day fishing trips with this and loved it. I did have to tighten some of the screws and hardware, but everything has been pretty smooth since. The biggest issue I have with this is the rudder. It is very hard to pull in and out of the water. I’m hoping I can find a solution. I was able to go 2 mph comfortably all day in this. If I felt like going fast I could get it up to 4.7 mph for a short period of time. I had a blast and look forward to many more trips with this kayak.
QballJeff
7 years ago
Great Kayak, Very Few Complaints
Bought this kayak on sale around Memorial day weekend. I've taken out about 5 times and I have very few complaints. First off, they have fixed the issues with the pedal drive. It no longer kicks up while pedalling because they istalled a saftey pin. So disregard all the reviews you've seen with that complaint. Only complaints I have are with the turn radius and the seat. If you are in a canal or tight area you pretty much have to do a 3 point turn to get out. I ended up putting a taco clip on it so I can grab my paddle to make quick 180 degree turns. The paddle holder that it comes with is good if you are just taking one in case you run into trouble. But honestly I have gone entire trips without ever using my paddle. The seat is very comfortable. I've been out for 5 hours without any pain. The seat does have an issue with the backrest not staying adjusted. After being out for awhile it will recline all the way back. I will be looking into some kind of mod to prevent this. The molded in rod holders are garbage but I bought a rod holder that fits in the side track and I only bring one rod so I'm not using them anyway. Overall I'm very satisfied with my purchase and have zero regrets.
baserunner7564
7 years ago
Perception Pilot Peddle Drive
I have had this kayak now since 4/2018, love this kayak. Tracks well, but could use a larger rudder, which would give it a better turning radius. Also better in the wind. A little bulky for one person, but still manageable. Not a deal changer. Rod holders are too wide and provides no support. Perception has made rod holders for the kayak to fix that problem. 22 dollars a piece is a little steep to fix their flaw. Again for the price a well rounded peddle kayak that is fun and sturdy.
Jin401
7 years ago
An Okay Kayak
Owned it for 1 year so far. Pros: Affordable, light weight, Awesome customer service, Cons: Seat, rear handle, drive, rod holders. Did I regret getting it? No. It was in my price points and was light for me. Although my seat ripped 1 year later, customer service has been great at replacing it no charge. Where can they improve: - Make the enter wider for the propeller to come up instead having to align it to the size of the open. - Better seating material that last. - 2 rear handles or make it like Predator. - Deeper rod holder holes. - Wider for more stability for the surf model.
nonchalantlamont
8 years ago
Pescador Paddle Kayak
This is one awesome kayak. I shopped and shopped and ultimately used some coupons and Dick's cash to make the purchase for Christmas. Only issue was that I bought a floor model and the pedal drive wasn't assembled correctly. The store should probably take better care on something so expensive. However, a few easy fixes with a few wrenches and we were on our way. Kayak extends your time on the lake 10 fold.
KennyMatt
8 years ago
Not Suitable For Current
The Pescador Pilot being the most affordable pedal kayak on the market did make me a little skeptical as to the quality of the product and it didn't take long for me to have issues with it. My first trek out in some moderate current which is a place i frequently take my sit inside kayak. First off i had an issue with the propeller spinning on the shaft of the drive. So as I'd pedal a little faster I could feel the vibration and the kayak would slow down. I tried to pedal slower to get better thrust which going with the current was enough to keep moving while i fish. then about 30 minutes in one of the pedal arms came off the drive unit (the threads had stripped out of the drive so i could not reattach it for more than a turn or two before falling off again). then the paddle back against the current was a real chore. Which i realize its a bigger wider boat and will not paddle like my Pungo 120. but it was enough to make me realize its not for me as i expected to get 5-10 years out of the drive unit. Dicks customer service was good and they took it right back as defective.
Jefris15
8 years ago
Great Price, Poor Quality - Not Ready For Production
I have been following pedal kayaks now for some time. When I saw perception come out with a pedal kayak for under $2,000 I was shocked and needed to get it. The design of this yak is fantastic. Comfortable seat, stable boat, plenty of storage and places to hook up all of your fishing kayaks. I recommend the yak to paddle. The pedal drive system however is awful. The quick key design is a good idea but not made well. When trying to pedal, it constantly kicks forward and becomes useless. The screws on mine would fall out when pedaling as well and I had to bring a toolbox with me every time I went out, regardless of how well I tightened the hardware before departing. I returned my yak. I love the idea and concept and think this will be the next best kayak when perception comes out with pedal drive 2.0 but until then I would save your money and buy one of their regular kayaks. On the flip side however, their customer service is by far the best I have experienced. Mine came with damaged pieces which they replaced quickly and easily. This gives me hope for the future of perception and I certainly would give them a new chance when they modify the design of the quick key system and pedal drive functionality.
