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
1 year 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
4 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.
Sale & Shipping Restrictions. 
Requires scheduled delivery. Assembly options may be available. 