Old Town Autopilot Question.

[Jeffrey Walker]

For those that have or have used the autopilot, my question is can you stand and fish, while using the trolling motor?  in other words, from what i can tell, if you can stand and fish while moving, this is the closest thing to a bass deck.  Is that possible?

[FryDog62]

Yes, you can stand and cast/skip/flip... obviously when it's calm or low chop. Bigger waves/wind probably not. I think there are after market casting bars you can buy to stand/rest against. 

 

[Jeffrey Walker]

Thanks!  Can you stand and fish with the motor at trolling speed?

[Wprich]

I don't stand much out of mine except slowly going down a bank pitching or throwing a jerkbait but will speed it up to go to another spot and stay standing on occasion.  I wouldn't stand with it going full speed but I'll stand with it going around 2 mph but that's just my personal comfort level and based on how rough water is as well.

[Jeffrey Walker]

Thanks that is helpful.  Any regret with this kayak?

 

im debating between this or getting the new titan X and fully rigging it with power poles motorguide and a torqueeedo in the back.  Yes it’s overkill but i’m beginning to think that the autopilot can do all of those things albeit not as fast as the torqueedo but the spot lock makes the power poles unnecessary and it would be much easier to lug around.  The titan fully rigged would have to be trailered, so at that point it i might as well consider a small bass boat.  I think the motorguide still keeps some features of bass boat fishing but still keeping the convenience of a kayak.

 

For than that own a motorguide, would you agree?

 

[Wprich]

No regret with mine bought it July of 2022 and I love it.  Opened up waters to me that I wasn't able to fish in the past and I've had no issues with it yet knock on wood.  I've probably got between 30-40 trips or so on mine so far.  Taking it over to the Georgia coast for its 2nd taste of salt next week.

 

Spotlock is great unless it's windy makes you face directly into it so that would be my only negative.  

[Jeffrey Walker]

anyone know the dimensions of the back area?  i’m trying to determine what size crate to get?  If anyone can provide the in the boat dimensions of the rear storage area. that would be great!

[jimanchower]

It's not perfectly rectangular but on my 120 at its widest it's about 25" and the narrowest part just before the [undeployed] rudder is just under 20". You could fit a 22" square crate behind the seat. The 136 is even bigger, of course.

[Jeffrey Walker]

Which one did you go with 136 or 120 and why?

[Wprich]

I have the 120 and have the 16x13 yakattack blackpak in mine with 8 rod holders 4 across back and 2 on each side.  

[casts_by_fly]

I’m late to the party but I’ve had mine for three full seasons now. I’m around 100-120

trips on it and around 800-1000 hours in it. 
 

I stand to fish 100% of the time. I motor down the bank at up to 1.2 mph while fishing. That’s about as fast as you can burn a fast bait like a big spinnerbait or buzzbait. I’ll cross the mouth of coves at full speed while standing. It’s not as stable as a 7’ wide bass boat. It just can’t be. But as a kayak it’s as stable as you can be. 
 

mine is laid out in a similar style to a bass boat. Trolling motor in the front, rods laid down on the side, fish finder below and in front of me. There just isn’t much space beyond that. No hidden compartments. No dry storage. It’s not a 70 mph boat. Know all of that going in. 
 

that said, I love mine. For <400 acre places it’s great. For places with lots of slowly moving around and banging the bank it’s perfect. 

[Jeffrey Walker]

A few more questions.

 

What pros and cons are there to the different sizers?

 

1) I plan on truck bedding mine with tailgate down and no bed extender if i don’t have to.  I value getting on the water and off the water quickly.  I’m thinking the 120 could still be bedded. *•i currently have a hobie lynx which i bed no issues. 

 

2) launching.  with the boondocks wheels i imagine you could throw this thing in the water and then use the remote to bring it back to you to get in and out? correct? 

 

3) i use vertical rod holders and i like to bring a lot of rods.  Sometimes up to 15.  I found a nice way to make it work vertically but the idea of fishing 360 as mentioned above seems appealing.  i’m wondering how i could bring as many rods and stow them horizontally

 

4) Stabding and fishing while hands free trolling is clutch.  i’m assuming in order to do this while standing you need the remote to steer, can’t use the foot controls, correct?

 

5) if you can send me links to some of the key products you found helpful or at least the make and model for example the weedless prop, that would be helpful

 

on last question in regards to the weedless prop, can it go through heavy lillie pads?  my lake has very thick pads, actually they’re spatterdock i’ve been told they rode above the water 

 

 

[FryDog62]

13 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

anyone know the dimensions of the back area?  i’m trying to determine what size crate to get?  If anyone can provide the in the boat dimensions of the rear storage area. that would be great!

This one I learned by trial and error. Year One I tried a soft pack that just wasn’t very functional - so Year Two I went with the BlackPak Pro. 
 

I bought it at a big box store that only had the 16 x 13 size. I also picked up various Plano boxes to go inside and just couldn’t get the right configuration for maximum storage. 
 

I did further measurements and returned the 16 x 13 and ordered a 16 x 16. It all fell together with the larger box. I experimented with various box sizes and decided I really needed the big Plano Edge Plastics Box to start with. Around that, I was able to fit 8 of the Plano 3650 boxes perfectly. 
 

I could also attach 8 rod holders - 3 on each side and 2 in the back. They keep the rods organized and directly behind you and a little more out of the way when casting than the rod holders that are built into the kayak hull. 
 

https://www.yakattack.us/blackpak-pro-kayak-fishing-crate-16-x-16/

 

https://www.omniafishing.com/p/plano-edge-plastics-box

Also, I don’t recommend the Boonedox Landing gear for a couple reasons.

 

1) You have to drill into the hull which likely voids the hull warranty if it were to start cracking in that area.

 

2) The Boonedox mounts fairly far back in the hull so pulling it at the bow is EXTREMELY heavy and poorly balanced. If you are only going 20-30 yards you can tough it out, but it will wear you out any further than that. 
 

I switched to the Wilderness Kart. You can center it for balance and pull the kayak with 2 fingers longer distances with relative ease. 
 

https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Systems-Heavy-Duty-Kayak/dp/B07JQMZJLM/ref=asc_df_B07JQMZJLM?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79852149837939&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451676420343&psc=1

[jimanchower]

48 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

rods laid down on the side

Can you expound on this? What's your rod holder setup?

 

14 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

A few more questions.

 

What pros and cons are there to the different sizers?

 

1) I plan on truck bedding mine with tailgate down and no bed extender if i don’t have to.  I value getting on the water and off the water quickly.  I’m thinking the 120 could still be bedded. *•i currently have a hobie lynx which i bed no issues. 

 

This is the main reason I went with the 120. Well, that and weight in terms of getting it on/off the water. One thing to note is that the rudder is the first thing to touch the front of the truck bed if you're loading the boat backwards, with the stern first. I just got my AP120 and haven't gotten it on the water yet, but I'm going to experiment with loading it bow first.

[Jeffrey Walker]

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

This one I learned by trial and error. Year One I tried a soft pack that just wasn’t very functional - so Year Two I went with the BlackPak Pro. 
 

I bought it at a big box store that only had the 16 x 13 size. I also picked up various Plano boxes to go inside and just couldn’t get the right configuration for maximum storage. 
 

I did further measurements and returned the 16 x 13 and ordered a 16 x 16. It all fell together with the larger box. I experimented with various box sizes and decided I really needed the big Plano Edge Plastics Box to start with. Around that, I was able to fit 8 of the Plano 3650 boxes perfectly. 
 

I could also attach 8 rod holders - 3 on each side and 2 in the back. They keep the rods organized and directly behind you and a little more out of the way when casting than the rod holders that are built into the kayak hull. 
 

https://www.yakattack.us/blackpak-pro-kayak-fishing-crate-16-x-16/

 

https://www.omniafishing.com/p/plano-edge-plastics-box

Also, I don’t recommend the Boonedox Landing gear for a couple reasons.

 

1) You have to drill into the hull which likely voids the hull warranty if it were to start cracking in that area.

 

2) The Boonedox mounts fairly far back in the hull so pulling it at the bow is EXTREMELY heavy and poorly balanced. If you are only going 20-30 yards you can tough it out, but it will wear you out any further than that. 
 

I switched to the Wilderness Kart. You can center it for balance and pull the kayak with 2 fingers longer distances with relative ease. 
 

https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Systems-Heavy-Duty-Kayak/dp/B07JQMZJLM/ref=asc_df_B07JQMZJLM?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79852149837939&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451676420343&psc=1

Thanks for the tips.  I have a hobie H-crate which i added several extra rod holders i can get 15rods in that believe it or not.  i can upload a pic sometime. 

 

Where do you store the Wilderness cart when on the water. 

 

 

 

 

[FryDog62]

1 hour ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

Thanks for the tips.  I have a hobie H-crate which i added several extra rod holders i can get 15rods in that believe it or not.  i can upload a pic sometime. 

 

Where do you store the Wilderness cart when on the water. 

 

 

 

 

In the vehicle...

[casts_by_fly]

7 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

A few more questions.

 

What pros and cons are there to the different sizers?

 

1) I plan on truck bedding mine with tailgate down and no bed extender if i don’t have to.  I value getting on the water and off the water quickly.  I’m thinking the 120 could still be bedded. *•i currently have a hobie lynx which i bed no issues. 

 

2) launching.  with the boondocks wheels i imagine you could throw this thing in the water and then use the remote to bring it back to you to get in and out? correct? 

 

3) i use vertical rod holders and i like to bring a lot of rods.  Sometimes up to 15.  I found a nice way to make it work vertically but the idea of fishing 360 as mentioned above seems appealing.  i’m wondering how i could bring as many rods and stow them horizontally

 

4) Stabding and fishing while hands free trolling is clutch.  i’m assuming in order to do this while standing you need the remote to steer, can’t use the foot controls, correct?

 

5) if you can send me links to some of the key products you found helpful or at least the make and model for example the weedless prop, that would be helpful

 

on last question in regards to the weedless prop, can it go through heavy lillie pads?  my lake has very thick pads, actually they’re spatterdock i’ve been told they rode above the water 

 

 

 

both are big boats. You can truck bed both depending on the the size of the truck and if you want an extender. I have a 120 in a 5’7” ram bed.  I use an extender, but only to load it. It’s easier to stand between the tailgate and extender, lift the boat vertically, and take a shuffle step left or right to be on top of the extender. Loading straight into the bed means you have to twist your body while lifting the boat. It’s a lot harder. 
 

if I were to do it again I’d get the 136.  It’s 4# heavier (so nothing) but you get an extra 12” legroom in front and 6” load room in the back. Same speed, same everything else. 

 

don’t use a boondox. As fry dog said, lots of reasons why. 
 

I nominally carry 5 rods. I lay down 4 in the rack (see below) and have one in my hands. I can throw in a 6th rod in a track mounted single rod holder in the back easily enough and I’ll do that a couple times a year. I don’t find I need more than that but if I did, they would have to go vertical. 
 

yes, you use the remote to steer.  Before you stand up, make sure the rubber is pretty straight and then just use the remote to steer you around. If you’re going down the bank set the navigation direction where you want to go, set the cruise control to the pace you want, and just fish. If you’re going down a straight rip rap bank throwing a buzz bait for instance just set it to 0.7 mph or so and cruise. Super handy. If it’s windy you’ll want to plan to fish into the wind for better boat control. 
 

the weedless prop is the minn kota mmp-6.  Also get the ninja weed blade.  Together you’ll get through so much more grass and pads than you will without them. Pads are still tough because the stems wrap around the nose of the motor  and you have to clean them off occasionally. 
 

otherwise, I suggest the same every time-  get the boat first and fish it. Figure out what works for you and what you need. Then ask for a suggestion to fill that need. I love my horizontal rod holders but not everyone does for instance. 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, jimanchower said:

Can you expound on this? What's your rod holder setup?

this is more or less my setup. Mariner sails horizontal rod holder and I added upgraded knobs. 
 

[jimanchower]

@casts_by_fly would the horizontal rod holder work with the stern section mounted in the factory track mount? You wouldn't be able to easily reach the bungee but I'm curious if you mounted the rearmost section in an accessory track for another reason. Looks like maybe you have something else in that track at the stern.

 

Any thoughts on the YakGadget horizontal rod holder compared to the Mariner Sails?

 

Thanks for your input.

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, jimanchower said:

@casts_by_fly would the horizontal rod holder work with the stern section mounted in the factory track mount? You wouldn't be able to easily reach the bungee but I'm curious if you mounted the rearmost section in an accessory track for another reason. Looks like maybe you have something else in that track at the stern.

 

Any thoughts on the YakGadget horizontal rod holder compared to the Mariner Sails?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

 

My first setup was a pair of mighty mounts next to the seat with a pair of yak attack omega rod holders there tipped down.  It works pretty well, but its limiting to 3 rods in total.  That's why the mounts are there in the first place.  I've repurposed them for a net holder and a rod holder as you see above.

 

 

I considered track mounting for both rod mounts, but the span is too far.   You'd only have about 2-4" of the rod outside of the mounts at each end.  I didn't like that so I didn't bother doing it.  The other thing I considered (and you should too if you go this way) is that the rear rod holder is currently mounted almost directly above the rudder lever.  I can't flip the rudder with the holder swung out.  If I swing the holder forward as far as 4 rods will allow it (about 45 degrees) I can top the rudder up enough to clear weeds, but that's about it.  I have to flip the lever back before I load the rods at the dock and after I clear the rods while loading up.  Slightly annoying if its a shallow launch.  If I were to do it again I'd probably put the mighty mount on the flat behind the rear built in rod holder.  That would let the rudder lever flip between two rods.  I also considered moving it all backwards 12" or so and swapping the front built in rod holder for a cap and a mighty mount.  Then I'd have more space on the port side to land fish or do whatever.  If I sat to fish I would probably do that.  That said, I really like where they are when I'm standing (which I stand to fish 100% of the time) because I just bend down and grab the foregrip on the rod.  

 

The Yak atack 4-rod setup didn't exist when I did this or I probably would have considered it.  At the time it was only the 2-rod + paddle holder.  It looks a little heavier built than the mariner sails and it is adjustable for how far it hangs over the boat.  I'd probably be inclined to order it instead of the mariner sails.  The Yak attach is $8 more expensive, but I added two upgraded knobs for about that much from the hardware store.  

 

[Jeffrey Walker]

Can you mount a faster motor in the rear offset from the rudder?

[casts_by_fly]

52 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

Can you mount a faster motor in the rear offset from the rudder?

 

Yes and no.  You can mount a lot of things back there.  It is drilled for a powerpole and the holes are brass backed.  Its certainly possible to mount things there.  You can also put something like a bixby or other brushless electric motor on it.  A few guys have done it.  You then need to add another battery as well as whatever you want to use to control the motor.

 

that said, you won't get a ton more speed out of it.  The hull design is the main limiting factor for the autopilot.  What makes it stable (wide, twin hull style) is what makes it plow in the water.  I think the couple I saw on the group that did it were seeing an extra MPH.  That's nice and all, but its going to cost you $2k to do it I think it was.  These guys already had the motors from other boats and wanted to try it.  If you really want to push an autopilot, the better option is the same mounting location/bracket but get a 2 hp gas motor with the built in tank.  They will get you up to nearly 7 mph and you can pick them up lightly used for cheap.  I am still considering this option.

 

That said, you're then going to have a $4500 kayak with a gas motor.  At that point a jon boat is probably just as good of an option.

[Jeffrey Walker]

how fast would 2HP gas motor go?

[casts_by_fly]

Nearly 7 mph. 

[jimanchower]

On 10/10/2023 at 8:20 AM, casts_by_fly said:

I also considered moving it all backwards 12" or so and swapping the front built in rod holder for a cap and a mighty mount

 

Something like this?

 

I got my YakGadget 4 rod holder setup in today and have been tinkering with it. I think it's going to work great. I'll have to get some pictures once I get it dialed in, but I think it's going to do exactly what I want.

[casts_by_fly]

11 hours ago, jimanchower said:

 

Something like this?

 

I got my YakGadget 4 rod holder setup in today and have been tinkering with it. I think it's going to work great. I'll have to get some pictures once I get it dialed in, but I think it's going to do exactly what I want.

 

yep, that's one.  There are a couple that I've seen but Nick's is the one that most people use.  Most people are using it for small fish finders to get them closer to the seat but its a great option for a rod holder too.