Pelican Catch PWR 100

The Pelican Catch PWR 100 is a compact, motor-driven kayak that’s built to be incredibly smart and functional. Pelican introduced this kayak in 2019 as the answer for kayak anglers who want to maximize the power and energy their trolling motor produces. It has great stability and contains many of the features serious kayak anglers typically look for in a super-compact and portable design. In this review, we’ll discuss the Catch PWR 100’s features and examine this Motor-Ready Fishing Kayak in more detail. 

Size, Weight, Capacity 

The Pelican Catch PWR 100 is specially designed to be a kayak that is easily transported using any type of vehicle. It’s one of the shortest fishing kayaks on the market today at 9’9” (297 cm) and can very easily fit in the bed of any pickup truck. With a 38” (96 cm) width, it’s easy to see how the Pelican Catch PWR 100 is able to have stability that’s comparable to some of the top brands in the industry. 

The company crafted the Catch PWR 100 to allow one person to easily handle it in and out of the water. It’s made from durable high molecular density polyethylene and weighs 75 lbs (34 kg) without the seat, which makes it fairly lightweight compared to most other fishing kayaks on the market today. It can be cartopped and launched by one person with relative ease. 

The Pelican Catch PWR 100’s total weight capacity is a whopping 450 lbs (204 kg) which should be more than enough for most anglers to have plenty of space and carrying capacity for all of their fishing gear. The kayak does have scupper holes to help drain excess water, along with four scupper plugs. 

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Features 

If you’re looking for a fishing kayak that’s short and compact, but can also be operated with a trolling motor, it’s hard to find a better choice than the Pelican Catch PWR 100. In addition to this kayak’s suitable design, it’s also engineered to have plenty of great features as well and makes optimal use of what little space it has.

The Pelican Catch PWR 100 is, by all standards, a fishing kayak. Many of its features are solely dedicated to fishing and it’s easy to see why this small, fun kayak would appeal to any angler. The bow is fitted with a rigid G2 carrying handle, but the 8-inch day hatch is the main feature of the Catch PWR 100’s front section. 

This hatch is large enough to fit any 12V or other battery inside with room to spare for other items. In the hatch, you’ll find a red and black (positive and negative) cable, which you only need to connect to your battery and you’re ready to go. 

Not only is this day-hatch equipped with a strap to hold your trolling motor battery in place, but it’s also designed with a pre-wired battery system that lets you connect your battery and trolling motor of your choice without having to drill holes or deal with the frustration of running wires through your hull. This hatch is spacious enough to allow you to store a rain suit, first aid kit or even a small lunch bag inside. 

The standing deck offers plenty of space for anglers to stand and move around without feeling overly cramped in such a short kayak. The deck doesn’t have any obstruction that would impede you from fly fishing as there is ample space to collect fishing line at your feet. The deck is also lined with anti-slip deck carpet padding, which goes a long way in giving you a safe standing platform. This thick EVA padding also has a convenient built-in ruler that you could use to measure fish instead of having to bring a board of your own. 

One of the few downsides to the Pelican Catch PWR 100 is that it doesn’t have quite as many inches of gear track space for anglers to mount various accessories like fish finders, camera gear, and other items. However, there are two short, 4-inch rigging tracks in the front on either side of the cockpit, as well as two other gear tracks featured in the rigid side handles that are each 15 inches. 

Ergo360 Seat 

One of the Pelican Catch PWR 100’s shining features is the Ergo360 seat. Just as the name implies, this seat allows you to swivel a full 360 degrees so you can face any direction you need to while fishing. Any kayak angler knows that this capability is a huge convenience compared to other seats that only allow you to face forward. This Ergo360 seat helps eliminate the need to constantly reposition your kayak if you want to thoroughly fish an area. 

The Ergo360 seat also comes with a good amount of padding in the seat, as well as plenty of lower back rest that supports up to 300 lbs (136 kg). There is also plenty of room underneath the seat for you to store your tackle box or any other items you want beneath you for quick and easy access. There are straps and bungee cables on either side of the cockpit which can also be used to stash tackle boxes or specific items like pliers, etc. You’ll also find two bottle-holders on either side of the cockpit for easy storage of your favorite beverage. 

The Ergo360 seat is also installed on tracks which allow you to adjust it fore and aft as needed to fit your specific needs. In fact, the seat can be moved all the way forward or backward to help balance out the weight of the kayak and give you the best performance and maneuverability. This helps if you want to have a heavier has-powered outboard motor on the back, or if you have a heavy battery and other gear items in the bow hatch and need to move the seat to achieve the best possible balance. 

Stern 

The Pelican Catch PWR 100’s stern offers more storage space than you might expect in a kayak that’s under 10’ long. The amount of space you’ll have behind the seat depends on how far you’ve adjusted it back. There is also more anti-slip padding that goes all the way back to the stern in case you need to stand further back in the kayak. 

The stern is also fitted with four flush-mount, recessed rod holders (2 on each side) and accessory eyelets which can be used to tie-down and secure your gear. The Pelican Catch PWR 100 is compatible with the brand’s EXOCRATE fishing crate bag, which can easily fit behind the seat while still allowing ample space on the standing deck in front. 

Pre-Installed Independent Transom 

Serious kayak anglers who want to have a quality trolling motor with their kayak will greatly appreciate the pre-installed independent transom. This allows you to fit virtually any type of trolling motor (gas or electric) onto the stern without the need for any mounting bracket or other alterations. 

On the starboard side of the stern well, you’ll find the pre-installed plug-in where you can connect your trolling motor cables. The kayak also comes with a cable adaptor that can be used. You can easily install your trolling motor on the stern and it’s also made with a convenient lip to hold the motor in place and prevent it from falling off if the bolts somehow loosen. This lip has a honeycomb design with holes all over it which allow you to run bolts through as needed to mount any type of motor without issue. 

Final Thoughts 

The Pelican Catch PWR 100 is a very well-made fishing kayak that includes just about anything an angler might want in a convenient, easy-to-manage package that’s under 10’ in length. This kayak’s hull is specially designed for stability, as well as to ensure that you’ll have a smooth ride whether you’re using the trolling motor, or paddling. 

One of the most common words used to describe the Pelican Catch PWR 100 is fun. Many anglers report that it has a very playful feel and allows the user to very easily face any direction they want with minimal movement on their part. The overall stability is impressive and it’s very hard to tip the Catch 100 PWR over, even when fully-loaded with gear and accessories. 

It seems to perform well in choppy, unstable waters, or calm conditions and many users have noted that they are able to traverse shallow water that’s roughly 1’ deep with the kayak. Pelican offers a lifetime warranty with the Catch PWR 100 and it’s easy to see the appeal in this lightweight, compact fishing kayak for anglers of all skill levels.