What is Kayak Spot-Lock? A Mentor's Guide to the Old Town AutoPilot 120

If you’re a serious kayak angler, you know “the dance.”

It’s that constant, frustrating shuffle of paddle-in-lap, rod-in-hand, one-eye-on-the-fish-finder, one-eye-on-the-shoreline… all while the wind and current push you right off that perfect spot you just know is holding fish. You spend half your day fighting to stay and the other half paddling back.

What if you could press a button and just… stop? What if the kayak “anchored” itself in 50 feet of water, without an anchor, leaving your hands 100% free to fish?

This isn’t science fiction. This is GPS Spot-Lock, and it has fundamentally changed kayak fishing. As your mentor, let’s pull back the curtain on this “magic.” We’ll use the perfect example of this technology: the Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120.

Part 1: The “Magic” - What is GPS Spot-Lock?

At the heart of the AutoPilot 120 is a seamlessly integrated, saltwater-ready 12V Minn Kota trolling motor (45 lbs of thrust). But it’s not just a motor; it’s a smart motor.

Think of Spot-Lock as a “digital anchor.”

Here’s how it works, in plain English:
1. You find your spot. You’re right over a submerged rock pile.
2. You press the “Anchor” button on the Bluetooth-connected i-Pilot remote (which you’re probably wearing on a lanyard).
3. The GPS receiver in the motor head instantly records your exact latitude and longitude.
4. The “magic” begins. The wind starts to push your kayak. The GPS instantly detects this drift. The motor’s internal computer calculates the exact amount of thrust and direction needed to counteract it.
5. The motor kicks in automatically—a little burst of propeller, a slight turn—and pushes you right back to your original spot.

This is a continuous, closed-loop system. The motor makes dozens, even hundreds, of tiny, automatic adjustments to keep your kayak pinned to a single point on the globe. Your hands are free. You are fishing. You are no longer “dancing.”

A critical mentor tip (from user Koz): You must understand how Spot-Lock works. It holds your position, not your heading. The kayak will always turn to face into the wind. This is actually a huge benefit for casting, but you need to learn to position your boat before you lock, knowing the wind will turn your bow.

Part 2: The “Hands-Free” Dream - Steering & Propulsion

Spot-Lock is for staying still. But what about moving? The AutoPilot system is a perfect harmony of three parts:

1. The Motor: The i-Pilot remote lets you control thrust (speed) and direction. You can “point” the motor and cruise.
2. The Foot Braces: The adjustable foot braces are connected directly to an extra-large rudder in the back.
3. The Synergy: Here’s the pro-angler move. You set the motor to “Track” (straight forward) at 60% power. Then, you use the foot brace steering to make all your directional adjustments. You are now cruising at 3.0 mph, hands-free, steering with your feet, rigging a new lure, and watching your fish finder. This is something a pedal-drive kayak cannot do.

Part 3: The “Platform” - Why It All Works

This tech would be useless on a tippy, unstable kayak. The AutoPilot 120 isn’t a kayak; it’s a serious fishing platform.

The magic is in the hull. It’s 12 feet long but 37 inches wide. This incredible width makes it stable enough to stand on. This is backed up by: * Non-slip EVA foam deck pads for secure, comfortable grip. * A “premium dual-layer Textilene” seat that is high, dry, and comfortable, more like a high-end lawn chair than a traditional kayak seat. * Smart storage: A 558-pound max capacity, dry storage hatches, a custom tackle box, and four flush-mount rod holders (two forward-facing, which is perfect for re-tying baits).

It’s a stable “boat” that’s designed to be a command center. It even has accessory tracks and through-hull wiring kits ready for your fish finder.

Part 4: The Mentor’s “Hard Truths” - The Trade-Offs

Okay, I love this thing. But as your mentor, I have to be brutally honest. This technology comes with three major trade-offs. This isn’t a “con list”; it’s the price of admission.

1. The Weight: This is not your granddad’s 60-pound canoe. The AutoPilot 120, fully assembled with the motor, weighs 152 pounds. As user Koz puts it, “This thing is heavy… you’re not going to want to car top this kayak.” * The Translation: You must have a plan. This means a heavy-duty kayak cart (and even then, it’s a beast) or, more realistically, a trailer. You will be backing this into the water like a “real boat,” as Koz says.

2. The Power (The Hidden Cost): The motor does not come with a battery. A 12V deep cycle battery is a required and expensive separate purchase. * Lead-Acid/AGM: Cheaper, but can weigh 40-60 pounds. Add that to your 152-lb kayak. * Lithium (LiFePO4): The preferred choice. Koz runs a 100Ah lithium. It’s much lighter (maybe 25-29 lbs) and lasts longer, but it can cost as much as a new kayak by itself.

3. The Law (It’s a “Boat”): Because this kayak is motorized, it is not just a kayak anymore in the eyes of the law. * The Translation: You will “most likely have to register it as a watercraft in your state” (thanks again, Koz). This means paying a fee and affixing registration numbers to your hull. It also means if you plan to fish at night or in fog, you are legally required to have navigation lights (port, starboard, and stern), which are not included.

Conclusion: Is It Worth It?

The Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot 120 isn’t a kayak. It’s a 12-foot, high-tech, solo fishing-skiff that cleverly pretends to be a kayak.

It’s not for everyone. It’s heavy, it’s expensive, and it requires managing batteries and legal registration.

But for the “serious” angler on “bigger lakes” who is sick of “the dance,” this machine is a revelation. It blows pedal-drive kayaks out of the water (metaphorically) by offering true hands-free operation. It solves the single biggest problem in kayak fishing—boat control—and it does it with the press of a button.

If you can accept the “hard truths” of its trade-offs, the AutoPilot 120 will, as Koz says, “open up a whole new world of kayak fishing for you.”