Search  for anything...

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

  • Based on 228 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for product changes
$2,226.51 Why this price?

Buy Now, Pay Later


As low as / mo
  • – Up to 36-month term if approved
  • – No impact on credit
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout. Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, PayTomorrow, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Selected Option

Free shipping on this product
This item's return window has been extended for the holiday season: Returnable until Jan 31, 2025

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.


Availability: 13 left in stock
Fulfilled by Amazon

Arrives Tuesday, Dec 31
Order within 9 hours and 49 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout

Color: Moss Camo


Pattern Name: Sit On Top


Features

  • Pedal Drive Efficiency: The Perception Pescador Pilot 12 offers a unique pedal drive system for sit-on-top kayaks. This innovative design allows you to focus on the catch, leaving propulsion to your feet. Designed for the angler at heart, this fishing kayak is a fantastic addition to your fishing trips.
  • Comfort and Convenience: Fitted with an adjustable frame seat, it ensures optimal comfort for lengthy fishing adventures. This kayak also boasts designated tackle storage areas, ensuring quick and easy access to your gear right when you need it.
  • High Capacity and Durable: With an impressive maximum capacity of 475 lbs, this kayak comfortably supports various paddler sizes and gear. Despite its high capacity, it maintains a practical weight of 85 lbs, facilitating easier transport and maneuvering.
  • Angler's Dream: The Pescador Pilot 12 is crafted specifically for fishing enthusiasts. Its pedal drive system enhances your fishing experience by allowing hands-free movement, whether you're navigating calm coastal waters, slow-moving rivers, or serene lakes.
  • Quality Craftsmanship: Made in the USA, the Perception Pescador Pilot 12 stands for superior craftsmanship and material quality. Its robust construction assures durability, promising countless successful fishing adventures and making it a reliable choice for your outdoor activities.

Brand: Perception


Material: Polyethylene (PE)


Color: Moss Camo


Style: Pescador Pilot


Seating Capacity: 1


Brand: ‎Perception


Material: ‎Polyethylene (PE)


Color: ‎Moss Camo


Style: ‎Pescador Pilot


Seating Capacity: ‎1


Weight Limit: ‎475 Pounds


Product Dimensions: ‎150"L x 33.75"W x 16"H


Global Trade Identification Number: ‎61


Model Name: ‎Pescador Pilot


Manufacturer: ‎Confluence Outdoors


UPC: ‎729282088161


Item Package Dimensions L x W x H: ‎147 x 32.5 x 16 inches


Package Weight: ‎38.1 Kilograms


Item Dimensions LxWxH: ‎150 x 33.75 x 16 inches


Brand Name: ‎Perception


Warranty Description: ‎5 years limited warranty against material or manufacturing defects in the hull and deck and 1 year on installed accessories


Suggested Users: ‎unisex-adult


Number of Items: ‎1


Part Number: ‎9351587031


Included Components: ‎kayak


Size: ‎12'


Sport Type: ‎Boating, Fishing, Kayaking


Date First Available: January 25, 2017


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Tuesday, Dec 31

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Financing through Apple Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Top Amazon Reviews


  • +The Pedal Drive is easy to assemble
Color: Sonic Camo Pattern Name: Sit On Top
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 yet Final 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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2018 by Amazon Customer

  • Amazing kayak. Don’t hesitate to buy.
Color: Sonic Camo Pattern Name: Sit On Top
This is a phenomenal all around Kayak. I have owned others and they simply do not compare. The pedal drive is smooth and almost effortless. It is big enough and stable enough to handle big water but light enough to car top. I added Scotty flush mount rod holder because the molded in rod holders are too shallow and wide. Other than that I have not found one thing I would change. I can’t imagine spending another $1000 on a more expensive pedal drive. I am 6’5” 240lbs. For reference. Plenty of room and plenty stable. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2020 by SCR2384 SCR2384

  • Well designed. A few improvements possible. Cheap up front, but parts don't hold up.
Color: Moss Camo Pattern Name: Sit On Top
UPDATE 2021: I still love this kayak (see original review below), but after two years I'm also feeling the compromises. The rudder lift mechanism never worked well, and recently the rudder lift lines broke and the rudder lift assembly broke, which disabled the rudder. Being out to sea without a rudder is worse than being up the creek without a paddle. Also, the pedal drive mechanism has started making funny sounds that make me worry it will fail while out at sea. And the hardware on the seat has completely rusted out (see picture). I take meticulous care of the kayak, and always hose it down thoroughly with fresh water after being in the Gulf. I've gotten two good years out of the kayak, so I got my money's worth, but now I'm discovering the downside of a kayak with a lot of mechanical components (as opposed to my simple Pungo 120, which has no mechanical systems and still looks brand new after 15 years). My biggest issue is that the manufacturer does not provide a detailed parts list and they stock relatively few spare parts for this model, even though they're still selling it. Instead, they refer owners to a third party site for parts, and finding the right parts at that site without a good parts diagram is a real challenge. I've called the manufacturer's tech support line, and they were some help, but they also recommended parts that were the wrong ones when I looked them up at the third party site. Also, replacement parts are very expensive -- e.g., a new seat (they don't sell just the brackets) costs over $200. Bottom line: If you want a pedal kayak and want to spend under two grand, this is still a good choice, but expect the kind of maintenance you have to do on a boat, not a maintenance-free kayak, and don't expect it to be easy to find the parts and support you might need. This is a great kayak. With the pedal drive I can cruise all day, averaging about 4 mph on the Gulf. Very stable, even with swells and lots of chop -- I had waves break over the kayak and the only issue was a bunch of live shrimp that I had to scoop up and throw back overboard. The rudder is effective and allows surprisingly tight turning radius. Pedal drive works in forward or reverse. The Perception Pescador Pilot is about a thousand bucks cheaper than many of the alternatives. I was afraid I would be making a lot of compromises to stay in budget, but this boat is sturdy and loaded -- great value. Buying through Amazon saved me $300 (the prices change all the time, so be patient and weight for a good deal), and also meant I didn't have to haul the kayak home since it was brought right to my door. The kayak is very heavy. The description says 85 pounds, but the sticker on the boat says 95, so with minimal gear you'll be well over 100 pounds. I can swing my Pungo 120 over my head and carry it without too much trouble over reasonable distances, but for the Perception Pescador Pilot I had to get a set of wheels. Although it's a big and heavy boat, I'm able to pull in the pedal drive and paddle it for reasonable distances when I feel like paddling (you'll want a 96" paddle given the width of the boat and height of the seat). So ... great kayak, but the overall experience wasn't perfect, mostly because Perception missed some things in final assembly. 1) The biggest issue was that the plate that holds the pins that hold the pedal drive in place weren't tightened down, so as I pedaled the plate slipped and the drive wouldn't work. Unfortunately, that happened after I was on the water, and I didn't think to carry a set of wrenches, so tighten that plate before you go out on the water (this might explain why another reviewer complained about the pedal drive slipping). 2) The boat arrived with no instructions for anything other than how to assemble the pedal drive; took me a while to figure out that the bolts that hold the seat in the track are put into their holes backwards at the factory, so you have to pull them out and reverse them to have the seat slide properly (unfortunately, the seat will slide into the track with the bolts backwards, but can't be secured into place, which might explain why another reviewer said the seat slipped). 3) The rudder is really, really hard to get up and down using the side bungee cables if it's in the full retracted position, with the rudder blade resting on the rear deck. The system is working against a bad angle with bad leverage in that position. The simple remedy is to point the rudder straight up before you launch. 4) The two storage compartments in front of the seat are designed to allow cables to pass out through the sides. Unfortunately, this means they're not water tight. In fact there are no water tight storage compartments on this boat, so you have to use dry bags for everything. I wish they had made one of the compartments water tight for stowing cell phone, etc. 5) The seat is designed for a bit more of lay back than I prefer, more like a recumbent bike and less like my other kayaks. I tried adjusting it to a more upright position, but the bar on the bottom seat really wants you to be more reclined. That probably provides better pedaling position, but I wish the seat had more adjustment possibilities for upright traditionalists like me. The paddle storage slots in the rear are well designed -- you can break the paddle in half and store half on each side very securely. You'll use your paddle each time unless you launch from a dock, since you can't launch from shore with the pedal drive and rudder deployed. [UPDATE: I've been pedaling the Perception Pescador Pilot around the Gulf and inland waterways for about a month now and love it. I can go much farther than I ever could in a paddle kayak, and in rougher conditions. I can maintain a steady 4+ mph across a wide variety of conditions for hours, which means I can put in the water, pedal 8 miles up the coast, and pedal back, 16 miles round trip, in half a day. And I can maintain that speed through swells or moderate (1-2') chop. For shorter trips or in smoother conditions I can maintain better speed. Recently I had a chance to try a Hobie kayak with Mirage drive (the flipper-style drive). I have to say that the Hobie feels like a higher quality product. For example, the rudder controls are much smoother, with controls on port and starboard; it can be fitted with a sail, etc.. But it also costs $1000+ more, so for me the Pescador Pilot still wins. Also, with the Pilot, the drive system pulls completely up into the hull, above a heavy rubber gasket, when stowed, which means it's completely protected when I beach the boat. That might not matter on rivers or lakes, but when I bring the kayak in for a landing on the Gulf, the waves can throw me up against the beach pretty hard, and the sand and shells aren't soft, so I appreciate having the fragile parts like the drive system and the rudder completely out of harms way rather than just mostly protected. So, although the Hobie feels like a higher quality boat overall, I appreciate the ruggedness and value of the Perception kayak. It's sort of the Jeep of the water.] Bottom line: Great value, well designed, performs well, stable. A bit of room for improvement (adding water tight storage, and tightening all fittings before shipping), but those are minor points. If you want to get a pedal-powered kayak, I don't think you'll find a better value today. A final note if you're debating a pedal vs. traditional kayak. I've used traditional kayaks for years. They are the epitome of simplicity -- the kayak is just an empty shell, you pop it in the water, ... and go. Regular kayaks are generally lightweight, rugged, and essentially maintenance free (no moving parts other than the foot stretchers). A pedal kayak on the other hand is as heavy as a small boat and has mechanical stuff (propulsion system and rudder) that can go wrong. What you get in return is a very different experience. You can pedal with your hands free, so you can fish, take pictures, etc. For most people you'll be able to sustain a faster rate of travel over longer distances. From my point of view, a pedal-powered kayak is less of a kayak and more of a human-powered small boat. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2019 by Eliot Prescott Eliot Prescott

  • Poorly packaged - yours may be missing pieces and is likely damaged
Color: Moss Camo Pattern Name: Sit On Top
For the price paid, it's a shame how this thing is packaged. Key components of the rudder just tossed randomly in the packaging and major damage. I thought this was an isolated incident in the first kayak I purchased, when the components were strewn about, one in a bag, the other found on in a cavity of the kayak. But the second kayak I had sent to be due to a problem with the first, had the same result. This time we could't even find one of the rudder components. Again, thrown in the packaging without a care. They've indicated they are extremely busy due to a surge in orders, but this shouldn't result in sacrifice of quality control. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2020 by UScommerceoffice UScommerceoffice

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.