Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 Review| Outdoor Life

After spending a number of days with a few registered Maine guides and locals, I realized that custom and innovation don’t compete towards each other for Maine’s searching and angling tradition. Instead, they coexist.  

This grew to become obvious as I examined the Old Old Town Sportsman Auto Pilot whereas trolling Moosehead lake for landlocked salmon utilizing a 6-weight fly rod. Trolling with a fly rod isn’t typical, however this system stays a staple within the state’s fishing tradition, as does Old Town Canoe, which has been churning out watercraft since 1898 in Maine. The AutoPilot 120 takes conventional Maine fishing tradition and weds it to the twenty first century, an unlikely marriage that makes use of previous success to propel it headfast into the longer term. 

With a deployable 12V Minn Kota motor, hands-free operation, and ample accent tracks and rod holders, the AutoPilot 120 permits anglers to fish and navigate their kayak with minimal effort. Features anglers throughout the nation can recognize. 

• Weight: 152 kilos
• Total Weight Capacity: 558 kilos
• Dimensions: 12 toes lengthy, 37 inches large
• Propulsion: Motorized
• 45-pound thrust 12V Minn Kota motor
• Spot-Lock expertise
• Foot brace or distant steering
• Four 18-inch accent tracks
• Extra-large rudder
• Lift help to deploy or stow motor
• Custom deal with field included
• Universal transducer mount
• Two rear and forward-facing rod holders

Motor
The saltwater-ready 12V Minn Kota makes the AutoPilot 120 one of many finest fishing kayaks for fanatics and match anglers. Operating the motor by means of the distant is intuitive, and it solely took me just a few hours to get the dangle of it. The responsive motor and extra-large rudder, which deploys on the flip of a swap, turned on a dime.  

Old Town claims that the Spot-Lock anchors the kayak inside a five-yard radius, which I discovered to be correct even in chop. Thanks to a easy pull twine, you possibly can simply pull the motor for shallow water or transportation after which shortly deploy it by pulling the twine taut and securing it to the cleat. The motor solely weighs 24 kilos, however it does contribute to the kayak’s general hefty weight.  

You’ll need to buy a trolling motor battery individually. The AutoPilot is suitable with both lead acid or lithium-ion batteries, which conveniently retailer below the seat in a water-tight field. You get two hours at max pace (round 4 mph). I trolled the AutoPilot at a constant 2.5 mph for 4 hours, and it confirmed no indicators of slowing.

Accessories and Storage
Serious anglers will recognize the space for storing and accent tracks. Four rod holders (two ahead, two rear-facing) present wonderful house for individuals who want a number of rigs on the prepared. With two extra rod holders, I ran two trolling rigs (one standard, one fly rod) and nonetheless had loads of room on the accent tracks, even with a fish finder.

The AutoPilot’s motor doesn’t simply cowl water effectively, it additionally frees up your arms and house in an effort to really maximize all these accent tracks. Because I didn’t need to paddle or pedal, I used to be capable of rig strains, make changes, eat, and even reply emails whereas fishing. Even with pedal-driven kayaks, you continue to need to navigate round pedaling, however the AutoPilot retains your knees out of the way in which when you’ll want to make an adjustment or a important solid.

For deal with, the rear storage presents loads of house, although accessing it isn’t the best, and there’s nonetheless a small place in entrance of your seat for stashing different gear in case you want it.  

Testing the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120

Thanks to the route of a few registered (and affected person) Maine guides, I used to be capable of dabble in Maine’s fly rod trolling within the Old Town AutoPilot. To get the backstory on this trolling methodology, I spoke with registered Maine information Christi Holmes, who additionally joined the fishing journey.

“This traditional method of fishing dates back to the nineteenth century,” Holmes says. “The state marketed itself as an outdoors destination for New Yorkers and other Northeast cities. Just after ice-out, guides would have their sports (clients) hold the fly rod, occasionally bumping the rod while they paddled the canoe. Now, people use more conventional setups, but it’s still efficient to troll with a fly rod.”

Efficient certainly. While trolling within the Old Town AutoPilot 120, I landed two keeper salmon on the fly rod, a 6-weight Orvis Clearwater rod and reel rigged with sinking line and a streamer that mimics a rainbow smelt. The sinking line, which we stripped all the way in which out to the backing, will get the streamer down within the water column and much sufficient away out of your kayak that you simply don’t spook the fish.

If you’re searching for swish casts and well timed hooksets, follow the tweed. I wasn’t thrilled to be trolling. I a lot desire casting or the sense of accomplishment that comes with having a fish take your fly after a decent solid and pure drift. But after having just a few salmon eat the streamer and the following struggle, I got here round to the method.

It’s arduous to argue with the low-risk and high-reward nature of trolling. I realized from Ryan Lilly, Old Town’s model evangelist and a lifelong angler, that one purpose this system continues to be wildly standard within the state is that Mainers don’t readily settle for change, not less than not when one thing works.

“Mainers would rather carry on a tradition than try something new,” he says. “We’re slower to adopt new technologies because a lot of old methods just work. It’s a mainstay of our personalities. We can be pretty staunch in our ways, which permeates the hunting and fishing culture. It’s both endearing and frustrating.”

It might need taken nearly a century for the Maine firm to reach on the AutoPilot, however it was effectively well worth the wait. And because of it, nobody needed to paddle for me whereas I performed the game and labored the rod, although the AutoPilot did present a glimpse of this previous fishing method and allowed me to understand developments that make it even simpler to carry out immediately. Like the Minn Kota, which did all of the work, and the additional rod holder on the entrance accent observe, which held my Clearwater within the trolling place.

For trolling, the Minn Kota’s distant, which connects by way of Bluetooth, permits you to set it at your required pace. You can management the route by means of the distant or handy foot brace steering, which is easy and responsive. This hands-free operation permits you to deal with casting, and in contrast to Old Town’s pedal-driven kayaks, there’s nothing to get in your manner in case you’re rigging, casting, and transferring on the similar time. 

What the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 Does Best

Spot-Lock completely makes the AutoPilot 120 a fascinating fishing kayak. Staying inside a five-yard radius eliminates the headache of attempting to regular your kayak when there’s a fish on the road, and also you’re attempting to navigate shallow waters, construction, and many others. This got here in helpful once I landed fish. I used to be capable of regular the kayak with the press of a button and easily reel. No combating, backpedaling, or attempting to awkwardly steer with one hand, and I didn’t have to fret about drifting within the wake.

The 4 accent tracks and common transducer mounting system are designed for critical anglers. I used to be capable of run two trolling rigs and a Humminbird fish finder and nonetheless had loads of room for different gear and storage.

A fishing kayak is barely nearly as good as its seat, and the mesh seat on the AutoPilot is a lot snug for all-day fishing journeys. It additionally gives loads of peak, so that you’re not sitting along with your knees in your chest, and you’ve got a greater angle for reeling or recognizing fish.

For the instances whenever you’re not sitting, the AutoPilot 120 is rock stable when you’ll want to stand and solid or simply swap it up, and the non-slip EVA foam pads are a pleasant contact. Though subjective, I positively desire the general hull size on the 120, as a substitute of the 136 for hauling functions.

Perhaps the very best (and most blatant) factor concerning the AutoPilot is the motor. You can cowl lots of floor with minimal effort. As lengthy as you’ve received a stable battery, the autopilot will make your kayak fishing easy.  

While the AutoPilot’s value would possibly provide you with pause, it does embody a lifetime guarantee on the hull, ought to something occur to it. And when you think about the maneuverability this kayak presents, it does run cheaper than shopping for an precise boat)—with much less upkeep. 

What the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 Does Worst

Price checks the apparent field right here. Right round $4,000, the AutoPilot runs nearly double the Sportsman PDLs. Numerous anglers will battle to drop that form of money on a fishing kayak. And in case you determine to spend that, go forward and purchase a hauling system for AutoPilot as effectively. At 152 kilos (with motor and different equipment), this kayak received’t be simple to cartop, although it isn’t unattainable. It’s rather more possible with a small trailer or a truck mattress extender.  

While I didn’t have any points with the battery energy, if it does exit, paddling the AutoPilot a major distance offers you a exercise.

Final Thoughts 

If you’re a die-hard angler who desires a powered kayak, I can’t consider a greater choice than the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120. For all its options, accent capabilities, and expertise, the very best factor this kayak does is present extra fishing alternatives.