lagoon and river fishing

[subaruseun]

Hi Guys.

I am looking at the possibility of a lagoon/ river boat that is easy to tow around and reasonable to maintain. it is NOT for open water offshore.
the offshore boat will still be coming later this year!


found this 4.0m multi hull with trailer no motors on gumtree


what motors would be recommended for this boat? costs?
i would like to add a center consol any suggestions as to where i can obtain? costs?

 

[christob]

My experience on rivers come from the Breede so hopefully this will help a bit.  When river fishing you need to take the tide into consideration.  You will basically always be fishing off the back of the boat therefore I am not a fan of a centre console on a river boat.

You want to be able to place your rods on the back/transom of the boat so that they are lying with the current.

Keep in mind that a boat with a shallow draft will be more prone to swinging around in the wind - very frustrating when trying to catch grunter or kob and the bait is being dragged around on the bottom.  A cabin boat is also more prone to wind but is a good options for the family or when you want to go out for the night. 

Think launchability in rivers - check out the slipways where you will be launching regularly and understand the challenges that you are going to face. 

Access to the anchor hatch should be good for placing and retrieving the anchor.

My brother recently got hold of a Navarone - I believe that  this is a good option for the river and runs very well with a single motor.

Remember that a river like to Breede can get really nasty very quickly and when a West blows against the incoming tide you can quickly have a 2m + swell to negotiate.

 

Good luck!

Christo

 

[subaruseun]

thanks christo.

i will do some more research into the breede river and its microclimate.

i am getting a cat hull 16-18 foot boat some time later.

but for now i will do lagoon fishing on relatively calm days max 20-25kmph wind - langebaan would be my primary target.

 

[miles]

The Breede river becomes quite SCARY when you have a strong wind blowing. My last trip there we saw a capsized cabin boat, looked to be in the 16-17' class, being towed back to harbour by the NSRI. Luckily all crew were rescued by fellow boaters.

The problem that we have is that we often have limited time at our fishing destinations. So, you drive for 3 hours to get to Breede, so that you can have a weekend of fishing fun, only to get there and find that the weather prediction has changed/is wrong!! Now, faced with slightly stronger winds, what do you do?? If you have a larger, safer vessel, you can still SAFELY fish...........

Langebaan is most of the time dead flat in the morning with the ind picking up at around 12 'o clock. It too can become quite scary on a small boat, when the wind is blowing 20knts against the incoming tide, ESPECIALLY around the island.

If you're planning on a small estuary and rivers boat in FAIR weather conditions, the cathedral hull (tri-hull or multihull) boats are GREAT. They offer SUPERB stability at rest. They do however ride VERY hard in a bit of chop. Small semi-rigid inflatables are also GREAT. VERY safe boats, also have AWESOME stability. Look at the 4-5m class of boats. Both of these vessels are light enough to tow with a 1300cc car, easy to launch ANYWHERE and easy on the pockets too!!

If you're planning on taking the family with fishing and/or overnight fishing, ie. laying for large kob at night on the Breede, then a cabin boat is a better option. The cabin offers protection from the elememts (wind, rain, cold, etc).

For general all-round fishing, i prefer a centre console. You have easy access to the anchor (very important point ChristoB makes!!), you can fish easily at anchor, off the back of the boat, drift fish easily, as well as throw plugs and lures for the leeries or elf. VERY versatile.

The forward console offers more deck space AND is DRIER, as most of the water spray will be thrown up BEHIND the skipper, when riding.

There is no right or wrong choice, merely which one YOU prefer.

For centre consoles, look at the semi-rigid manufacturers. They offer a wide variety of stand-up and sit-down centre consoles. Cost varies from R2000-5000.

Check:
http://www.stingraymarine.com/boat-consoles.html
http://www.falconinflatables.co.za/falcon%20configuration.htm
http://www.wildcatrib.com/accessories.html

 

[Arrie D]

While we on the river boat / fishing topic.

What anker do you guys prefer and that works in Breede/Langebaan.

One that can withstand wind and current ?

 

[miles]

What anker do you guys prefer and that works in Breede/Langebaan.

For the sandy or slightly muddy terrain, there are a couple of options:

Danforth Anchor:

These anchors fold flat, making storing them very easy. They work by digging INTO the sand/mud. They have VERY good grip in sandy/muddy conditions.

The downside, these anchors have two very sharp points on their flukes, which causes damage to your boat when retrieving your anchor or even during storage.



Bruce Anchor:

Also offers SUPERB grip in sandy/muddy conditions. Its bulkier and thus a bit more difficult to store. I use this anchor extensively, as it doesn't have sharp pointy bits and rubber ducks and sharp pointy bits don't mix well!!

I also carry this anchor on ALL my boats, as a back-up anchor. Should you have ANY problem with your boat and you need to anchor, this is the one i would use. It WILL grip in 99% of the situations, which is what one needs in an emergency.

Lets say that you're fishing in Buffels for snoek or yellowtail. For some reason or the other, your motors die on you. Because you're in 40m+ water depth, with a sandy bottom, and there's a stiff wind blowing, your normal anchor will not hold the boat and you'll most likely get blown to shore, with your anchor dragging on the bottom. In such a situation, either the Danforth or Bruce anchor will save you!!

Remember, you MUST still use a chain that is at least one and a half times the length of your boat.

 

[Arrie D]

Thanks Miles !

 

[subaruseun]

thanks guys any idea what motor could successively run this boat?

20 30hp?

your thoughts please.

 

[Marcop]

Subaruseun

I have just bought a boat like the one in the picture, looks like an Arrowhead fc , mine has a 60Hp on but i think it will be fine with a 30/40hp if you just gonna fish off it. If you plan to any sort of watersport like ski'ing then a 50/60hp will do. Just dont go over the recommended Hp from the manufacturer.