If you're just getting into kayak fishing, Perception Pescador Pro 10 is a great boat to start with. Read on for a full review and specs!
If you are wondering whether a recreational or a fishing kayak will better suit your needs, perhaps a hybrid boat is the right choice for you. Perception Pescador Pro 12 is an excellent boat for people who equally enjoy paddling and kayak angling. In fact, it is an incredible performer in variable conditions. You can trust its built-in safety, stability and fishability while having fun building your balance and confidence on the water.
Contents
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Pros:
- Lightweight
- Easy to transport and store
- Stable
- High-quality construction
- Sizeable bow and stern tankwells
- Affordable
- Superb tracking
Cons:
- Shallow molded-in rod holders
- Minimal dry storage
About the Manufacturer
Perception Kayaks manufactured the first rotomolded plastic kayak in 1977, seven years after Bill Masters founded the company in South Carolina on a $50 investment. They pioneered the use of plastic material for building kayaks as opposed to the existing composite ones.
Perception brought affordability to the kayak industry and, with its first Pescador model (meaning “fisherman” in Spanish), set off kayak fishing as a new branch of the industry. Today, Perception Kayaks make 30 different models of kayaks in the recreational, touring, fishing, and sit-on-top markets, including models exclusively found in big-box chains.
Size and Weight
Perception Pescador Pro 12 is 12′ long, has a 32.5″ beam and 14.5″ deck height. Its weight of 64 lbs allows relatively easy loading onto the car top racks or the truck bed.
Capacity
Perception Pescador Pro 12 has a maximum capacity of 375 lbs and is well-suited to accommodate you, your gear, tackle and catch without compromising performance. This kayak is best suited for anglers with a sitting fishing style or bass fishermen of average or smaller stature who do not exceed 80 percent of the kayak’s total weight capacity. Being agile and having the right balance makes a big difference, too.
Construction and Material
Perception makes their kayaks from a proprietary High-Density Polyethylene material using the company-specific, one-piece rotational molding technology. The process involves pouring beads of polyethylene into the mold, which gets heated up and slowly rotated so that the material fills up every nook and cranny. After the mold cools down, you get a one-piece construction that is extremely rugged and durable.
Perception Kayaks’ material and final products are renowned for high quality and durability.
The downside of polyethylene is that it is a very non-stick material. If you manage to put a hole in the hull, you can’t just glue a patch to it. Repairing usually requires a piece of the same material and a blowtorch to melt it onto the hole.
Hull Design
Perception Pescador Pro 12 offers the same hull versatility as the Pescador Pro 10 with one benefit added to the already excellent overall performance of the boat, more speed.
Apart from having superb primary stability, the broad rounded shoulders add high secondary stability, even though it can be a bit shaky if you haven’t found your balance or make sudden movements while standing on the deck.
Many paddlers choose the Pro 12 because it handles very well in moderate wind and choppy waters. Novices build their kayak fishing confidence by experiencing exceptional buoyancy and overall performance in a variety of water types – from slow and fast-moving rivers to open lakes and inshore saltwater.
The sacrificial keel at the stern adds protection and longevity to the hull.
Deck/Cockpit
Perception Pescador Pro 12 features a clean and operational deck designed to enable carefree fishing and recreational paddling. The gear tracks, compartment covers and other add-ons are molded with a lower profile than the boat’s profile to provide snag-free angling experience. Additionally, there are no sharp bungee tie-downs, edges, or notches that can catch your treble hooks or lines while casting.
The cockpit comes with a center pod designed to accommodate your transducer battery, or if you are not using electronics, it can be dry storage for your small tools or water-sensitive items. It also includes a cup holder and six scupper holes for draining the water. There are two more scupper holes in the rear, as well as one in the bow tankwell specifically positioned for the transducer wiring.
Seat
The Pro 12 comes with a removable stadium-style seat that doubles as a camp chair. It features a sturdy, aluminum frame and dual-layered, breathable mesh padding that offers excellent comfort and back support for a whole day of fishing.
You can adjust the seat into two positions, high and low, by simply sliding it into the first or second set of molded notches without having to release the bungee tie-downs. The difference between the high/low setting is at the backseat, while the front-chair height remains the same at 3-¼ inches. As a result, paddlers decide whether the upright [high] or reclined [low] sitting is more convenient for their fishing habits.
The upright setting offers a better view of the water, thus providing a better fishing experience. The reclined position allows a lower center of gravity and more efficient, sportier paddling. It is recommended to put plugs into the scupper holes under the seat if you prefer a pleasant and dry journey.
Storage
The Pescador Pro 12 features an open-hull storage design. Unlike most of the fishing kayaks that have a dry front hatch, the Pro 12 offers a decent-sized bow tankwell covered with a stretchy mesh to keep your gear in place. This compartment is also useful for stowing your catch or live bait.
Under the seat, the manufacturer provides a molded-in recess that fits one Plano 3600 tackle box and two eyelets where you can tie some tools, or small accessories. Alternatively, you can repurpose the recess by installing a 6″ day hatch as a dry storage unit to stow your phone, keys or other essentials for quick access.
Behind the seat, there is a horizontally orientated, 5″ deck plate that is the only dry storage in-hull access point on the whole boat. However, this hatch is not easy to use while fishing because of its position and angle.
The oversized stern tankwell is secured with bungee cords and allows plenty of room to put a crate or a cooler and a backpack. This atypically large compartment has an excellent capacity to stow most of your gear and accessories.
Because of the open-deck storage, it is important to pack your equipment in waterproof boxes or bags.
Gear Mounts
Although the Pro 12 is a great fishing kayak, it doesn’t come pre-rigged with plenty of gear mounts. However, the engineers provided multiple inserts all over the deck so you can customize the yak according to your needs and preferences without having to drill holes. They also pre-rigged the stern with the necessary inserts for a quick rudder kit installation.
The boat includes two plastic YakAttack gear tracks on each cockpit gunnel where you can attach rod holders, a GoPro, or any accessory you may need on the water.
The central pod in the cockpit is fishfinder ready and fits a transducer battery. It comes with an insert on the lid where you can attach the display.
The unique thing about the Pescador Pro 12 console is that it includes two cable outlets at the back that guide the battery wiring directly into the transducer scupper hole in the bow tankwell. On the bottom, there is a transducer recess at the bottom that includes all necessary inserts to secure the transducer. The nook protects the transducer from potentially harmful objects in the water.
Rod Holders
Out of the box, the Pescador Pro 12 comes with two molded-in rod holders located behind the seat. Being only 5.4″ deep and too wide, they cannot accommodate most of the better performing fishing rods, not even the long-handle nets.
Being aware of the customers’ issues with the molded-in rod holders, Perception offers the specially designed Rod-X Pro tapered rod holders that come in all of the rotomolded colors of the Sound, Striker, Pescador, and Pescador Pro. The rod holder integrates a bungee leash for extra security.
The more experienced fishermen, or the ones who have bigger rods, typically purchase more versatile rod holders, such as the Omega Rod Holder, Scotty Baitcaster Spinning Rod Holder, or similar, and mount them onto the gear tracks.
If you opt for more heavy-duty holders, consider replacing the plastic gear tracks with metal ones.
The cockpit also includes two molded-in rod parks behind the bow mesh.
Footrests
The Pescador Pro 12 includes standard adjustable footrests found in most of their kayak models. The pegs easily slide on the rails and help you find the ideal paddling position.
Paddle Holders
The Pescador Pro 12 comes with only one paddle holder on the left side of the boat secured with a bungee strap. Additionally, the bow tankwell mesh doubles as a temporary paddle park.
Handles
The Pro 12 comes with front and rear flush-mounted carry handles and two molded-in side grips of a lower profile compared to the cockpit deck. This design results in having snag-proof handles.
Stability
The hull design and balanced load distribution provide superb stability and on-deck maneuverability in calm to moderate weather and water conditions.
The 32.5″ beam guarantees excellent sitting stability for any paddler that complies with the manufacturer’s weight capacity limits and recommendations.
If your fishing style involves more standing than sitting, your stance in the cockpit isn’t going to be wide enough. Hence, balancing may take some practice. The taller you are, the more difficult it can be to stand in this kayak.
Maneuverability and Tracking
Perception Pescador Pro 12 combines great stability with surprising agility, even at speed. The pronounced keel helps it track very well. Overall, users are very happy with how the boat handles on the water.
Speed
At 12′ long, Perception Pescador Pro 12 is designed to be fast. It picks up speed fairly easily and does not require a lot of effort to maintain it. If you need to cover long distances, you’ll be much more pleased with this model than with the shorter Pescador Pro 10.
Care and Maintenance
Rotomolded kayaks are incredibly durable and require minimum maintenance. However, here are some useful kayak maintenance tips:
You need to do some maintenance when you take your kayak out of storage before the season. Check the hull for damage, inspect all hardware and rigging, replace anything that wears out, check and refill the emergency gear. It is also a great time to get the new equipment you were dreaming of last year.
During the season, it is a good idea to quickly spray down your kayak after each trip (especially in salt water). Store the kayak away from direct sunlight or use kayak covers. Avoid dragging the kayak on its hull if possible. A kayak cart is a great and inexpensive accessory that can prolong the life of your boat.
When it’s time to put the kayak away for storage, turn it upside down and wash it with mild soap and a sponge. Make sure you get any sand, dirt, or dead bugs out. Dry the boat thoroughly. Check the rigging and see what needs replacement. Apply some corrosion protection (like WD-40) to metal joints, screws, and bolts.
Storage
The appropriate way to store your kayak is indoors, standing up on its end and secured by a strap so that it does not fall. If that’s not possible, store your kayak hull up on some flat surface. Worst case, just put it somewhere there’s no direct sunlight and use a cockpit cover to protect the kayak from dust or critters.
Warranty
For the original retail purchaser, Perception kayaks are warranted against material or manufacturing defects in the hull and deck for five years from the date of the original purchase of the kayak.
Parts, accessories, and outfitting are warranted for one year against material or manufacturing defects. This limited warranty is only valid with the purchase of a Perception kayak from an authorized Perception dealer. This warranty is non-transferable.
The warranty registration form should be completed online within 30 days of the original purchase to be activated. You should keep your sales receipt should it be required in the future for proof of purchase.
Perception may require you to provide photos of the damage or to return the product at your own cost.
Warranty terms may be different in different countries. Please contact your local dealer to learn more. For the full warranty terms and conditions, click here:
https://www.perceptionkayaks.com/us/warranty-registration-0
