Perception Pescador Pilot 12 | Sit on Top Fishing Kayak with Pedal Drive | Adjustable Lawn Chair Seat and Tackle Storage Areas | 12'

I've had this kayak for around 2 months now and have been able to take it out on around 5/6 trips. This quick review is a review from what I have experienced so far. It should be noted everyone's experience will differ based on the waters you will fish. I fish freshwater lakes and rivers so this review will be for those waters. I'll review based on some categories:1. Shipping/Assembly.+The kayak arrived quickly and undamaged. I received the kayak about 1 week after placing the order. You will have to make an appointment and be present for the delivery. Must sign for this item.+The kayak arrives with the following: Kayak,Pedal Drive, Bungee for both front and rear storage, Rudder and Gear Track - X2. All items arrived safely and undamaged.+The Pedal Drive is easy to assemble. If more instructions are needed, there is a step by step video on Youtube.-The Rudder assembly, while not difficult, did not come with instructions. This may have been a missed item in my order but it was a slight annoyance. Again, Youtube or Perception's website can assist.2. Pedal Drive / Rudder Operation.+As a huge selling point of this kayak, I feel both systems are outstanding. The pedal drive has allowed me to quickly travel up and down river as well as around lakes. Pedaling is effortless and can be sustained for hours. Times where I had difficulty Pedaling against the current have become times where I fly up river.+The rudder works great in keeping you tracking well. When I am fishing rivers, I was able to stay almost stationary with occasional pedaling. The rudder kept the kayak from drifting one way in the current.-When pedaling for longer duration trips, I have had issues with the nuts which attach the pedals to the drive, coming lose. While this is a small issue, it can be annoying. I also had to tighten the rudder lines when I originally received the kayak. I have had no issues with the rudder since. Solution to both = Keep two Allen Wrenches in your bag, 1 for the Pedals and 1 for rudder adjustments on the fly.+Pedal drive seems to be very well made and durable. I have struck bottom many times (Shallow Rivers) and have not had any damage to the drive or Rudder.****** I saw many people asking the depth required for the drive to work. Based on my experiences, the drive needs around 14'' to 16'' of water to work. Again, some people's results may vary based on weight in the kayak.3. Ease of Use / Additional Features+The ability to transfer from having a lowered drive to flush with the bottom is amazing. It lets me cover ground quickly in deeper water and then explore extremely shallow areas if I wish as well. The process to lift the pedal driver up is easy and can be done in seconds once you get the hang of it.+The Kayak comes with a paddle holder (bungee type) on the side. I have found that my paddle is held securely and can be accessed quickly if needed.+The chair is very comfortable and can be easily adjusted for any height to get the best position to pedal. This is very nice when you decided to anchor and sit for awhile. I am able to stretch my legs and relax.+Front and Rear storage areas offer a large amount of room to work with. Am able to fit fishing bag, cooler and additional items in rear storage alone.-Storage inside hull could use work. The hole is very small and almost impossible to access while on the water.****I have not used the two gear tracks much yet so, no review there.4. Stability+I have had no issues with stability. I am able to move around and access front and rear storage easily without fear of tipping.****It should be noted, I have not tried to stand in this kayak yetFinal Verdict: Overall, I feel like this kayak is exactly what I wanted. For the price, I would buy another one in a heartbeat. The kayak has major positive points and very few negative. Most negative points can be dealt with just by being prepared and taking a few minutes prior to launch. Overall, I would highly recommend this kayak.

Loving this kayak. Have taken it out in a river, springs, Tampa Bay and down in the keys. Took a couple times to get the hang of it but now maneuvering it is easy , and switching from pedal drive to paddle is quick. Pretty sturdy when you have to climb in from the water. Seat is comfortable and adjustable. Glad I bought it!

I was waiting to use the kayak so I can make a review. The kayak is amazing and it works great. The only issue is that my kayak did not come with the front netting. I would give it 5 stars, but my shipment did not arrive complete.

I was excited, kayak was just delivered. It was plastic wrapped with some cardboard wrapped in a few areas. Not the greatest pack job but it looked okay. They unloaded in front of my garage and I took some of the plastic wrap off. Everything looked fine as far as kayak, no scratches, no cracks, no damage. I thought, YES ! Signed for it, driver and helper left as I finished taking cardboard and plastic off. Set the drive system that was in it's own box off to the left side, checked out the disassembled seat, looks really comfy for long trips on the water. This thing is a beast and I am super impressed. The rudder has to be installed so I started with that. Everything went okay. Then I opened the box for the drive system and 2 smaller bolts fell out. Okay, found them and set them off to the side. examining the prop and whole drive system, I saw it was missing the cranks and pedals. So, I went through all the packaging, all compartments and realized the cranks and pedals were not there, NOOOO! I tried the bolts on the cranks and they are to small, still don't know what they go to. I came inside and contacted Amazon thinking they might be in the delivery truck in a seperate box that might have fallen out. The options I got were to return or replace. This kayak is great, but I wanted it complete. After all, I paid for it to be complete, not for parts missing. Of course I want a replacement, same color and all. Took the day off and now I will have to take another day off for redelivery. They said it would be possible to pick up from my house, which is nice. If I can make one BIG suggestion. Make the delivery folks stay there and do a complete inspection that it's all there before you sign and before they leave. My mistake for not doing that with the excitement. I'll adjust my rating to the timeline and quality once I have what I paid for and had a chance to take it out.UPDATE: Amazon was great got everything set up for exchange and quick after a quick call. Kayak was delivered this morning and everything was as it should be. Guys from the delivery company were cool and extremely helpful. They also waited for me to open everything up and confirm everything was there. As of now, happy with everything and even mounted transducer , and mounts for rod holder and fish finder. I'll give a usability update as soon as I hit the water, likely late next week.

Just to start - if this is your first fishing kayak for that purpose -- you will love this boatEvery time I sit down I say in my head best money ever spent (especially for amazon)Gripes: Seat has given me pretty sore tush from multiple 6 hour days in the boat (bring cushion now) - you can stand just fine with practice just fine but who does that all day - 2- boat came with blemishes and gashes from shipping:( -3- rod holders will annoy you first time out -4- turning and staying still in particular position is not this boats strong suit ( directing the bow with paddle makes better turns)-5- hardware pretty light weight for 2k purchase ( will need significant upgrade for any serious water) -6- you will clean your prop multiple times per day in any shallow grass water ( just not were pedal shines) -7- not light boat - would be scared driving with this on top of a car (must have van or truck or trailer)besides this stuff you will have most fun putting this boat in correct situations. its reliability and solid construction get you off the bank and in the lake fast and easy.