Old Town’s Sportsman AutoPilot Fishing Kayak is awesome, but it has a bit of a learning curve. GearJunkie contributor Morgan Nowels went down to Florida and got the inside scoop.
Old Town recently released new boats in its motor-driven, pedal- and paddle-powered Sportsman line. Included in the new line are two groundbreaking motor-driven kayaks: the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot and the Old Town Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota.
The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot beat out 30 other products to take the overall crown for Best of Show at the 2020 Virtual ICAST show.
The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot comes in two sizes, the 120 and the 136, which are 12 and 13.5 feet long, respectively. The 120 retails for $3,800, and the 136 retails for $4,000.
A third pared-down option called the Old Town Sportsman 106 Powered by Minn Kota measures at 10.5 feet long and retails for $2,500. The 106 is a phenomenal boat in its own right, allowing anglers to fish from an easy-to-use, power-driven kayak at an affordable price.
Read on for our full review of the AutoPilot option.
The New Motor-Driven AutoPilot
The two Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot kayaks are the flagship boats in the Old Town Sportsman line. The AutoPilot is unique because it’s controlled differently than any other kayak before it. It may be an oversimplification, but the AutoPilot is essentially a fisher-friendly remote-controlled boat.
A handheld i-Pilot remote controls the saltwater-ready Minn Kota power drive. While this remote is waterproof, it does not float. However, if you were to lose it, you can download an app on your phone that will allow you to control the motor.
There are only two ways to control the boat outside of the remote or phone app: foot pedals that control the rudder or the kayak paddle on the right side of the kayak, which is useful for situations where you can’t use the motor.
Hovering in Place With Old Town’s AutoPilot’s Spot-Lock
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