Boats vs inflatable vs bait boat

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Jacques1982

New member
Now i know that all have advantages and disadvantages and i know more or less what they all are. I have a canoo and its a bit hard to row and control everything at the same tiMe, and i cant exactly put a trolling motor on it, plus its a bit unstable for my liking.

I have been browsing the internet and its hard to find something that really stands out as an obvious choice.

The bait boat has its benefits, but cannot tell me about silt and obstacles in the water so i don't really see the point unless there's something I am missing.

The inflatable is a nice opsion as you can pack it almost anywhere and you can place your bait nicely. I heard that the wind is a problem as it will move you away from your spot very easily. Then the punctures and blowing it up and also the longevity of the material in the sun worries me.

Then there are dingys that seem to be best, but its hard to find manufacturers of them they are either way to heavy or too big to load onto the trailer alone. I did see a cavity speedster to but it weighs 65kg.

So my question is. Are the inflatables a good choice with the disadvantages?
Am i missing anything on the bait boats?
If anyone knows of manufacturers or sellers of dingys or fiberglass boats that would fit onto a 6-7 foot bush trailer and one man can handle?

Thanks alot in advance.
 
H

HennieB

Sealiner
Bait boats have limited ability and they restrict you quite a lot. Buying a decent one with and ok fish finder can easily set you back 15k and then you're looking at 300M range. At certain dams that's not enough, then you also factor in that they are in general unreliable and if you don't have a means to retrieve a lost boat or snagged line unsafe for the environment.

Dinghy's and inflatables both have their pro's and cons. I've had both and I do prefer dinghy's but transport can sometimes be a problem. Inflatables are safer than dinghy's. If the wind is blowing then you'll be blown off your spot regardless.

My inflatable is always inflated, that's the way it's stored and transported. In 3 years it has had a single puncture. Stay away from the cavity, had one and sold it within a week. Pram dinghy's or a Walkerbay if you can find one are excellent.
 
J

Jacques1982

New member
Thanks hennie i will look into those. Thanks for the heads-up about the cavity, i was wondering why it was of the market. I do think that the inflatable is the way to go, wil just need to look after it.

One question, what are the reasons for leaving it pumped up? I have an idea why, i just want to confirm my suspicions. Thanks again.
 
H

HennieB

Sealiner
To ensure the longevity of the boat and it saves a lot of space when packing your stuff. When the boat is at home it's also not stored on the ground but on top of the trailer under a roof.
 
J

Jacques1982

New member
Thanks it makes alot of sense to me. And thanks for the reply. There's loads of people who are on this sight with experience on this subject, but you are the only one that replied. How sad. Thanks a million.
 
B

Barbelman

New member
I had a bait boat, never again. Not if, but when it fails you must wait for the wind to blow it out, unless there is a friendly fisherman there with a canoe to borrow you.
I really want to use one, and even thought of putting a second motor in it with a second radio system etc, just for in case something goes wrong, but I rather sold mine.
 
U

Unlimited

Sealiner
Have a bait boat now for almost 8 years, 2 motors and props. Best thing I have ever bought and my fishing improved. But, you are still fishing blind... Would also like to get a inflatable with a trolling motor and fish finder as an added advantage. Go in, find the spot, mark it and then use the bait boat to drop lines and feed the area.
 
C

Cobia333

New member
This is how not to lose you Bait boat.

U need two rods. The one will be for the bait drop, and the other will be for the bait boat retrieve.

Secure the line to the front of the boat. Control the boat to desired distance and depth, drop the bait, wind boat back to shore.

All you need to do is to ensure is that you watch wind direction to determine bait holder yo use and which side u place the line that will be used to retrieve the boat.

Eg: Wind right to left place bait into left holder and other line must be on the right hand side of the boat.

You will never lose your boat and it will save you battery power.

In this way a bait boat is a pleasure, if you have a space issue or other issues relating to inflatable usage.
 
H

HennieB

Sealiner
It's because of bait boats that a place like Doorndraai has been almost irreparably damaged. A bait boat is fine to use if have a means to retrieve snagged lines or fish like an inflatable.
 
C

Cobia333

New member
Yip that's the bad part of fishing. Snagged lines!!!!

Yip you have a better chance of retrieving a snagged line or a fish with a rubber duck, canoe.....but there is always a chance of not getting your trace or fish back or out.

It's the reality of fishing.

Even the fancy release sinker for specimen angling gets snagged or has significant cause of a trace being snagged.

We can't only blame bait boats. Somehow we are all to blame.
 
F

Fishing Gav

New member
Right, bait boat or inflatable? And the advice of each one.

I've owned both in the past and out of the two, I still have my inflatable. I experienced far to many faults with the bait boat to just keep fixing.

One trip it was the propeller that caught the only tree root I didn't see and mark. Same venue two trips later the remote receiver in the boat stopped working after 20 meters resulting in me having to row almost 1km to the opposite bank to retrieve it. Batteries are always an issue and if there isn't power at the venue then you either have to lug a crate full of batteries, taking up the space you should be saving, or having to take a solar charging system with or both because the solar panel takes forever to charge the battery.

Another major issue with a bait boat is the fact you are dropping your lines blind if you haven't done feature finding and marked a spot, even then you have to accommodate the swing back that will ultimately occur. Even an open bail arm won't allow your baits and freebies to fall together as the line will have resistance from the waters tension. If you are fishing deep water you have no chance your fishing on the feed you've just dropped. Range is determined by the remote and reciever and most clock out as said above at 300m. In most cases the bait boat just plows on ahead.

With an inflatable you are not as restricted in range and if you take a few precautions on the bank, like using a shade cloth to land on and launch from, then you shouldn't suffer any punctures. In my 5 years with my inflatable I've suffered two punctures and both times due to my own idiocy.

The biggest advantages come when dropping your lines as you know what the bottom feels like and you can feed tight to the hook.

Take my hard earned advice and go with the inflatable, there are so many more advantages and it's not just restricted to fishing but can be used for fun too.
 
T

toli

Senior Member
def inflatable, but get something with a good name(jarvis walker to mention one).

Only issue I have/had is the inflating and deflating part (as my storage space is limited and i like everything in a box).

BUT when targeting Vlei, a baitboat is my only option allowed.

bait boats can be full of hassles and headaches, but if you like fiddling with stuff and know how to use tools, one can solve simple problems. luckily mine never escaped while on duty dropping a line.

my vote; inflatable WITH a 5HP petrol motor, dont waste your time and money buying a trolling motor 1st.
 
H

HennieB

Sealiner
toli wrote:
my vote; inflatable WITH a 5HP petrol motor, dont waste your time and money buying a trolling motor 1st.
Click to expand...

Agreed, a trolling motor with at least 2 proper deep cycle batteries not this Royal 1150K scrap, smart charger, solar panels with charge controller will set you back just as much if not more than a small outboard.
 
N

Nick_Fraser

New member
Also Keen on getting an inflatable.
What do you thing of these http://www.mobilemarineservices.co.za/wboats.php?page=boatDisplay&boatcode=MABU1
looking at the 2.8m one.

another option
http://www.junkmail.co.za/motoring/boats/gauteng/johannesburg/benoni/inflatable-rubber-boat-32m-brand-newperfct-for-bass-and-fly-fishing/40599059
 
H

HennieB

Sealiner
Nick_Fraser wrote:
Also Keen on getting an inflatable.
What do you thing of these http://www.mobilemarineservices.co.za/wboats.php?page=boatDisplay&boatcode=MABU1
looking at the 2.8m one.

another option
http://www.junkmail.co.za/motoring/boats/gauteng/johannesburg/benoni/inflatable-rubber-boat-32m-brand-newperfct-for-bass-and-fly-fishing/40599059
Click to expand...
Stick to name brands, toli also mentioned it. These backyard jobs don't last.

Jarvis Walker, Sail Aquatic, Zodiac, ARK, Aqua Marine, Aqua Strike etc.
 
T

toli

Senior Member
Something also worth mentioning is, anything under a 3m inflatable is very cramped if there is 2 people on, and I mean VERY cramped with 2 normal blokes of 80-85kg 1.8m tall.

As you will porb have a combination of a trolling motor, F/F and the battery(deep cycles is big),your rod, prob a small unhooking mat and a landing net, and most likely a bucket of feed a small toolbox and spare leads on.( or replace the trolling with 2 stroke and safe on the battery space).
 
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