Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 Review: A Serious Fishing Machine
If you are serious about kayak fishing, there is a big difference between a kayak that can carry fishing gear and a kayak that is actually designed around fishing. The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 falls firmly into the second category.
This is not a lightweight recreational kayak that happens to have rod holders. The AutoPilot 120 is a purpose-built fishing platform featuring a 45-pound-thrust Minn Kota motor, GPS-powered Spot-Lock technology, an angler-friendly layout and the stability needed to fish comfortably for hours.
For Cape Cod fishermen, that combination is especially appealing. From protected ponds and bays to tidal rivers and saltwater flats, the ability to move efficiently and then hold your exact position can completely change the way you fish.
The AutoPilot System Is the Star
The feature that separates the AutoPilot 120 from most fishing kayaks is, of course, the integrated Minn Kota AutoPilot motor.
The saltwater-ready 12-volt motor produces 45 pounds of thrust and is controlled by a wireless i-Pilot remote. The system allows you to control speed and direction without putting down your fishing rod.
But the real game changer is Spot-Lock.
With the push of a button, Spot-Lock uses GPS to hold the kayak in position. Instead of constantly paddling, pedaling or dropping an anchor every time the wind or current moves you off a productive piece of water, you can lock onto a spot and concentrate on fishing.
For Cape Cod, think about fishing a channel edge, a school of albies, a rock pile, a drop-off or a specific piece of structure. Being able to stop the kayak and stay there can be a huge advantage.
A Great Platform for Saltwater Fishing
The AutoPilot 120 measures approximately 12 feet long and 37 inches wide. Current published specifications list a capacity of 558 pounds and a weight of about 152 pounds, making it a substantial fishing kayak rather than a lightweight paddle craft.
That weight is something potential buyers need to understand.
This is not the kayak you casually throw onto your shoulder and carry a quarter-mile down the beach. You will want a good cart, a trailer or another well-thought-out transportation system.
But once you get it to the water, that substantial construction becomes an advantage.
The hull is designed around stability, and the wide platform gives you a reassuring feeling when you're reaching for a net, changing tackle or fighting a fish.
For anglers who spend long days on the water, stability and comfort can be much more important than saving a few pounds during the launch.
Hands-Free Fishing Is a Huge Advantage
One of the things that quickly becomes apparent with the AutoPilot 120 is just how valuable hands-free boat control can be.
Imagine working a topwater plug along a Cape Cod shoreline. Instead of casting, setting your rod down, picking up a paddle and correcting your position, you can make adjustments with the remote.
The same applies when fishing live bait, working a jig vertically or casting to structure.
The less time you spend controlling the kayak, the more time you spend actually fishing.
The AutoPilot's large rudder and motor combination also gives the kayak impressive maneuverability. Independent testing has found the motor responsive and easy to learn, with the rudder adding another level of control.
Built for the Serious Kayak Angler
Old Town clearly designed the Sportsman AutoPilot 120 with serious anglers in mind.
The kayak features four 18-inch accessory tracks, multiple rod holders, a universal transducer mount, tackle storage and additional mounting points for electronics and other accessories.
That makes it easy to build the kayak around the way you fish.
Want a fish finder directly in front of you? Add it.
Need additional rod holders? There is room.
Want a camera, light, phone holder or other accessory? The accessory tracks give you plenty of options.
The elevated fishing seat is another major plus. It provides a better fishing position than a traditional kayak seat and makes spending an entire day on the water considerably more comfortable.
Spot-Lock Could Be a Cape Cod Game Changer
There are plenty of situations around Cape Cod where Spot-Lock makes tremendous sense.
Fishing Tidal Currents
Current can make holding position difficult from a kayak. Spot-Lock lets the motor continuously make small corrections so you can concentrate on your presentation.
Working Structure
If you find a rock pile, drop-off or other productive piece of structure, Spot-Lock lets you stay there instead of constantly drifting away.
Fishing Windy Days
Wind can be particularly frustrating from a kayak. You may make the perfect cast only to find yourself 50 yards away before you finish the retrieve.
Spot-Lock helps eliminate that problem.
Chasing Bonito and Albies
When fast-moving fish show up, being able to quickly reposition and then stop the kayak can be extremely useful. The AutoPilot isn't going to turn a kayak into a center console, but it gives the angler an impressive amount of control for a kayak-sized fishing platform.
What About Battery Life?
The motor requires a 12-volt battery, and the battery is an additional consideration when putting together an AutoPilot setup.
Battery choice affects both range and overall weight. Earlier testing by Kayak Angler found that a 100Ah battery could provide substantially different run times depending on motor speed and use, with intermittent mixed-speed fishing use providing a full day of operation under their test conditions.
For most anglers, the important takeaway isn't a specific number of hours. It's to choose your battery based on how you actually fish.
An angler who spends most of the day slowly repositioning and using Spot-Lock will have very different requirements from someone who runs the motor at higher speeds for long crossings.
Lithium batteries can also save considerable weight compared with traditional lead-acid batteries.
AutoPilot 120 vs. a Traditional Fishing Kayak
A traditional paddle kayak is lighter, simpler and less expensive.
There's also something to be said for the simplicity of paddling into a quiet Cape Cod pond with nothing but a rod, tackle box and paddle.
But the AutoPilot 120 is designed for anglers who want something different.
It is about fishing efficiency.
Instead of spending part of the day paddling against the wind, correcting your drift or trying to hold yourself over structure, the motor does much of that work for you.
That can mean more casts, better presentations and less wasted energy.
The Bottom Line
The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 is one of the most sophisticated fishing kayaks available for anglers who want serious boat control in a kayak-sized package.
The 45-pound-thrust Minn Kota motor is impressive, but Spot-Lock is the feature that really changes the game. Being able to press a button and have GPS-assisted positioning take over allows you to concentrate on fishing rather than constantly controlling the boat.
For Cape Cod anglers, that's a particularly attractive proposition.
Whether you're working tidal water for striped bass, searching for bonito, fishing for largemouth bass in a Cape pond or simply exploring water that is difficult to reach from shore, the AutoPilot 120 gives you a remarkably capable fishing platform.
It isn't the lightest kayak.
It isn't the cheapest kayak.
And it certainly isn't the easiest kayak to carry.
But if your priority is spending more time fishing and less time fighting your boat, the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 deserves a serious look.
Goose Hummock Take
For the angler who wants to take kayak fishing to the next level, the AutoPilot 120 is more than transportation to the fishing grounds. It is a fishing tool in its own right.
Get on the water. Find the fish. Hit Spot-Lock. And fish.
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