# Pelican Yak from Academy



## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Looking at getting the Pelican castaway from Academy. Looks ready to fish, good price, light weight. Do any of you guys own or know anything about this yak?


----------



## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Jcross15 if you do a quick search on the forum you will find many posts of people being unhappy with it. it was my first kayak then passed down to my wife we never had issues. but if I was you I would save just a little more and get the pescador 12ft . it is more stable tracks better and just is a better overall design. I read somewhere that they may be replacing the pescador with another model or may have already but its replacement is just as good.


----------



## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

i read that it doesn't track well... not exactly sure what that means, but I just want one for skinny water river fishing and maybe the bay every now and then. I have a regular fishing boat just wnt a little yak to play with.


----------



## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

Tracking is how straight a kayak goes when you paddle . The pelican likes to zigzag alot instead of going straight you constantly have to try to keep it straight. 
Alot of people had issues with leaks .
I'm fairly certain that once you catch a couple fish you will be hooked and want a better one. if you are buying new there isn't much of a price differance between the two anyhow . 
Alot of us kayak owners also own boats with gas being high and all the regulations offshore its easier to just toss the yak in the water and go.
No oil. Battery's and just minimal maintenace


----------



## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

My first yak 4 years ago was pelican castaway. Took it out in shallow water, paddled it and immediately gave it to my wife. It was too unstable for my size. I shortly thereafter got a used kingfisher that did the trick for me for the next year and a half. Thereafter, I went for the xfactor 14 footer. 

I agree with the other posters, go for the pescador, because it is much more useful and stable for getting into kayak fishing. After using it for a season, you will be able to sell it quicker in an upgrade situation. You will be wiser then also as to what next kayak you might want to purchase, if at all.


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

Let me see if I can lend a hand. I have a Pescador 12 that I actually won as a door prize and a Pelican Castaway 116 that I bought off a friend for $250. A lot depends on what you are you looking at, the 100(10.0') or the 116(11.6). Both or equal in the bottom construction with a 1.5' difference in the length. The shorter the lenght and flater the bottom the more you loose in tracking. What you expend in correcting your tracking you loose in forward momentum. The tracking on the 116 was enough for me to live with but it doesn't track near as well as the Pescador. Now the Pescador 12 was last years Wilderness System Tarpon 12 mold that was sold to Perception Sport. The grade of plastic used by PS is slighlty lower quality hence the price difference between the Tarpon and the Pescador. The leaks on the Pelican can be corrected if you glue a foam rubber gasket to the entire lid of the forward deck hatch, relatively cheap fix. The Pescador has a leaky rod holder on the starboard side because it is open on the bottom and comes with a plug that doesn't work so well. I am going to replace it with one that is sealed at the bottom. I would rather deal with a few oz. of water in the rod holder that have a few gallons in the hull. The Pelican comes with 3 rod holders while the Pescadore only has one. This is easily corrected if you check out the mods "sticky" posted on the Kayak forum.


----------



## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

The pelicans are fine if you're on a budget. I had one for a year or so and never had any problems with it. I sold it to upgrade to a Hobie, but life got in the way...I wish i still had the pelican castaway 116, it was a fine kayak.


----------



## YaknFish (Jan 27, 2012)

Pelican pursuit 100 from academy is what I have. My wife has the 80 just because it was pink. We were just getting into kayaking and didn't know a whole lot about them, but for being on a budget and as a starter kayak I love mine. No it doesn't track very well, didn't have any paddle holders or rod holders and the 80 doesn't have foot pegs, but all that can be fixed for relatively cheap. I have a Scotty adjustable rod holder in front of me and two flush mounts behind me. I also made paddle holders for both kayaks and added a flush mount to my wife's behind her. This summer for the tracking I'm making a cable driven rudder system to help the zig zag of the kayak. I paid $215 for mine and have $25 in accessories. I mostly inshore fish the intercoastal or perdido bay. Going to try out the gulf this year, tried it last year during some moderate seas and got pounded on the shore coming back in.


----------



## DTFuqua (Jan 30, 2012)

I just bought mine from Academy and I chose the prescador after all the opinions I found searching this and every other site about kayaks I could find. Just my opinion since I haven't even gotten my boat wet yet.


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

The Pursuit and the Castaway have one major difference, sit in vs. sit on top. The SOT is self bailing which came in handy this past weekend when launching into the bay across from the pass. I took a nice one over the back as I was launching. If you take a sit in out there I highly recommend a good spray skirt. Another Yak I have in the stable is a surf yak, the Necky Switch that I bought used with a nice Harmony spray skirt. Also, while were on the subject Pensacola Kayak and Sail has those nice compact hand op sump pump.


----------



## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys been doing some research and I don't think the tracking will be that much of a problem since I will mainly be fishing sloughs and rivers. On the river I drag a small chunk of chain behind that slows/stops my drift so I can fish. That should keep me from zigging and zagging...hopefully


----------



## Seatmech86 (Mar 8, 2011)

Okay with that in mind after you purchase you may find that you need an anchor trolley which allows you to adjust your anchor position fore and aft to keep you pointed I the direction you intend to cast in. If current and/or wind is a factor you'll find out like I did, it comes in really handy. Harmony sells a universal kit that I picked up at Pensacola Kayak and Sail for $30. The directions were a bit funny but I managed to make it work without the cleat.


----------



## Robin (Mar 22, 2011)

My ex-girlfriend had the 11'6" and she did well.It's a good fishing craft she alway's did well,never had it in the gulf,just the rivers.She used it for trips down Juniper and all the little streams,no problems.


----------



## Razzorduck (Oct 22, 2007)

Just don't take a Pelican offshore. Many horror stories and some i've witnessed myself. The seam will leak it's just a matter of time.


----------



## Foulhook (Apr 26, 2010)

I bought my castaway 116 about 6 years ago now and have managed to catch plenty of fish. The forward hatch does leak like a screen door when you take a wave over the bow. The leakage can be minimized with the addition of rubber gaskets mentioned earlier. I fish in the bay and in the gulf with mine and have added an anchor trolley system. At the time I purchased it, it was the cheapest SOT that offered adjustable foot pegs. I will admit to having yak envy for all of the other newer designs and manufacturers out there and if I was looking for an entry yak I would consider the Acsend models.


----------



## WickedWaze (Feb 9, 2012)

Glad I found this post as I was looking at yaks tonight at Academy and this has enlightened me some about them.


----------



## CORNBREAD616 (Jan 11, 2012)

I have had two pelicans because they were cheap and at the time that is what I could afford. Both sit on top and sit in. They are at most an ok kayak. the dry storage areas leak bad and if you are doing anything around here that is an epic fail. Water in hull never a good thing. The tracking is less than satisfactory and will make your experience on the water a nightmare. you will be so tired by the time you get to where you are going youll just want to give up. they also have a very cheaply made hull which is the last place you want to skip on material. 

With that said, if you are on a tight budget like most of the people that fish, you can look into perception brands, they have strong keels which is the angle of the bottom of the hull which affects tracking. They are roto molded and have all you rod hlders and paddle straps. Lots of options for the money. If you watch academy you can grab one on sale really cheap. Hope this helps.


----------



## chasintail2010 (Feb 28, 2011)

DO NOT but it I had one it is the worst one I've ever owned they do not track good they are top heavy and very tippy


----------



## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

I bought the castaway when I first started. I got rid of it about three months later and bought something better. In my opinion, I wouldn't spend under $500 on a kayak, when starting out. That seems to be the point where the kayaks start getting a little better. You can buy a cheap one, but chances are you will just replace it pretty soon. You will end up spending more than what you would have, if you would have just bought something better to begin with. I ended up with a tarpon140, have had it for three years and have had no problems with it.


----------



## dthomas142 (Jul 18, 2011)

+1 on the Pescador 12, dont own one, but as with everyone else, i have read many posts on here with positve remarks, not so much on the pelican. JMHO, Welcome to the Addiction, Tight lines


----------



## DTFuqua (Jan 30, 2012)

I own one, the pescador 12, but haven't even gotten it wet yet. I'm thinking about setting it out in the rain soon if I don't get a chance to take it out somewhere soon.


----------

