Decisions on pond/small lake boat. 2025

kickbasskid reply :

I have been fishing from the shore for 3 years and I think I want something to take me to the middle or around a small lake. Here are my choices:

Choice 1:http://directboats.com/solobasshunter.html

Choice 2:http://www.amazon.com/Sevylor-Fish-Hunter-Inflatable-Boat/dp/B000K8R0VY/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1201875409&sr=1-26

low_pro reply :

Number 1 with a 30lb trolling motor would do you great! Those things are actually quite stable. Good luck.

A small canoe wouldn't be a bad choice either... anything to get you on the water...

kickbasskid reply :

Thats what I was thinking also. Thanks for the feedback. Also do you know where I can find a cheap 12V deep cycle battery.

RockvilleMDAngler reply :

I have a Sea Eagle SE-9 with the fishermans dream package and it works great on ponds and lakes. The only issue is that it gets blown around in strong wind so you must have an anchor. It is also large enough for me to bring a buddy or my dog.

www.seaeagle.com

kickbasskid reply :

It looks great. It is a little higher than I thought of going and the Solo Bass hunter has a bigger platform but I will still keep it as an open option.

Popeye reply :

FLBassMan: are those one man Solo Bass Hunters stable enough to stand and cast from?? THANKS!

kickbasskid: I apologize for asking a question on your thread. I kinda like the looks of the Solo Bass hunter myself and just wanted to know how stable they are once anchored:o)

Sam reply :

Kickbasskid,

I would be more interested in the size of the batter than its cost.

I know Wal-Mart has those yellow batteries but they are actually a little larger than others on the market.

With the boat you select you will need to save space.

And be sure to get a battery charger so you can trickle charge the battery between trips.

kickbasskid reply :

Popeye the question was good. Thanks for the feedback.

ThomasL reply :

It depends on cost,how are you going to carry it,etc.I have had three canoes and that would be my last choice.The bass hunter is around 350.00,i had a gentleman win a creekboat.com at a du banquet and gave it to me i then bought a canoe cart,depthfinder and had a sheet metal man make a seat frame like the bass hunter and put a seat on mine,it is good on ponds with little wind,i would not use it on lakes.If you watch craigslist you can purchased a used jon boat cheaper than the bass hunter and have more room.

kickbasskid reply :

Good news. I presented both the sea eagle se-6 fishermans dream package and bass hunter to my dad he said we could definatly get the sea hawk and there is still a good chance that the Bass Hunter could prevail. If I get my mom who is always the tougher sell than I will have my own rig by next month.

farmpond1 reply :

I'm sure there are others who feel differently but IMHO an inflatable boat rarely makes a very good fishing platform. It would do in a pinch when you need to portage through the woods or when your transportation won't carry something else but you'd probably enjoy something more stable and which sits higher up in the water. Was that a sentence run on or what?

low_pro reply :

Quote
FLBassMan: are those one man Solo Bass Hunters stable enough to stand and cast from?? THANKS!

absolutely! there's an older man who fishes behind my house all the time in one of these things and he's all over the boat. standing, turning, leaning to get fish, etc. (and no disrespect to him, but he's not the most sure-footed individual) you should have no problems in a rig like this. good luck.

kickbasskid reply :

Well I knew my mom would be a tuff sell but she said no before I even showed her the price for the Bass Hunter. So she said I have to buy it all by myself. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

RockvilleMDAngler reply :

Do not buy the Sea Eagle Se-6. If you need to buy it yourself save up and get the SE-9 or a jon boat from Craig's list. The SE-6 cannot hold sufficient gear. If you wait you will be happier in the long run.

kickbasskid reply :

I am 13 and I rarely ever bring a 2 rods with me. I also use poles of up to 6'6" since I prefer spinning outfits.

Kozak reply :

I'm in the same situation except I'm 17 and have a job. I've been looking around for about a month (water's frozen around here until end of march so I'm in no rush). I was thinking about the solo but then decided my 6'6" rods would be a tight fit along with all my gear, and a buddy of mine may want to join me every now and then. I was talking to people on another fishing forum and they said that the double pontoon design (as the solor Bass Hunter) has, makes it stable enough to stand and cast with ease. Anyways, my two choices are now this

http://www.directboats.com/bashunfisboa.html

http://www.directboats.com/ulbashun.html

I'd rather get the 2nd one obviously, and it'll come down to whether I got a pay raise or not.

If you're only using 1 rod and don't have to walk through the woods then the inflatable may not be such a bad idea. I wouldn't stand in it though

good luck

maxke01 reply :

I have one of them 8 ft sevylor boats you were considering and would be happy to sell it for a reasonable price considering i just bought a 12 ft aluminum. If your interested shoot me a pm and we can work something out

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

I , personally, would much rather save a little $$ and buy a used jon. Less $$-much more boat

They are modify-able, last a lot longer, stabler, and offer a much larger platform.

Jon's to 12' can be handled alone.

Brian_Reeves reply :

Either a jon or a canoe is the way to go. Yeah, I went there. I just bought a 15 1/2 ft canoe and I love it. A buddy and I went out yesterday, tore up some bass and had a great time. It was stable, had plenty of room, and did a wonderful job in the wind. I couldn't be happier. The plus side is you don't have to have a trailer or a truck to transport a canoe. Mine is big, but it only weighs 70lbs. So me and a friend can whip it around pretty good. There are smaller ones available too. You'd just have to find a dealer.

The brand I bought is a Pelican.

GatorBK reply :

I have a 10 ft john boat that works great for fishing out of . I can put it in anywhere . We have killed 12 ft gators with it

Or a Gheenoe is even better http://www.gheenoe.net/thirteenft.html

they make them custom for you I got a 10 ft gheenoe

here is a 12 ft gheenoe that will carry a load

Grey Wolf reply :

Stay away from the inflatables.

maxke01 reply :

Inflatables arent that bad when you are strapped for cash and rig them right. Mine had anchors in the front and the back so the boat didnt move much in the water when i didnt want it too. also had a trolling motor on it so i got where i wanted with very little to sometimes no problem at all

Ballpark Frank reply :

I used a pontoon for a little while until a crankbait treble happened to puncture one of the pontoons in 25 feet of water. I tried a canoe for a while ,now almost 90% of my fishing is from a kayak. I would stay away from the inflatables. I have a small fiberglass boat that I am trying to sell, we could work something out, take a look in the ads section.

harshman reply :

If you can save up the money try and find a Bass Hound. I bought a used one for $400 and there not uncomon to find at that price. i wouldn't trade it for any other small water boat in the world. I love fishing out of it with my wife it is perfect for any situation. I realize a new one is rather spendy but IMO it is worth every penny.

http://www.directboats.com/basstender102.html

Harshman

32251 reply :

Quote
Stay away from the inflatables.

I have several Sea Eagle inflatables. They are the best fishing money I have spent. I fished in my SE 6 today. Great product.

kickbasskid reply :

I think I am going with this: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131654&cp=2367826.2672651.2674153.2291570&cp=2367826.2672651.2674153&fbn=Type%3A+Kayaks%7CHard+Shell&f=PAD%2FType%3A+Kayaks%2FHard+Shell&fbc=1&categoryId=2291570&s=A-StorePrice-DSP&parentPage=search&searchId=22979738843

jerbs reply :

http://www.creekcompany.com/

Pontoon boats for $199. Good boat, for great price. I like water skeeters but ODC's are cheaper and customer service is good.

sdshort reply :

I would go with #1, I would stay clear of any inflatable, I had one and returned it within 2 days... also I found that Walmart is the cheapest place to get a deep cycle battery. I can run all day on mine just trolling around.

dougw82 reply :

first one

PelicanRaider reply :

funny how that kayak ad from Dicks calls it a "sit in". It's not. That's a sit-on-top kayak and they are MUCH better for fishing I'm told. I almost never fish from my kayak anymore (still LOVE kayaking though!)

Here is the boat I have:

http://www.directboats.com/20bara10efib.html

I love every minute I spend in it. Great boat! Stable, PLENTY of room for one or two people. Lot's of fun...but MUCH cheaper if you go to Academy sports... just $500 there.

Still, you won't go wrong with that kayak! Again, I hear sit-on-tops are the bomb!

MA_Bass reply :

I would say go with anything other than an inflatable or a canoe. I fished form a canoe for many years but now have a 17' catamaran (2 coleman canoes, 2 50# electric motors, stable enough for 3 people to stand). The only drawback of a canoe is that they will kill your back if you plan on staying out for any amount of time. Swivel seats are key. I've kayaked before but never fished from one. They look like highly versatile boats but I like the extra space of a larger boat. Plus its nice to have enough room to invite a friend. As for the motor, I say why not go for the biggest motor and biggest battery that you can find? The weight won't be much different. I bought my 55# Minn-Kota transom mount on sale for ~$280 last spring. A large deep-cycle battery from Wal-Mart was ~$70 and the charger was ~$50.

32251 reply :

go with the Sea Eagle. I love mine.

SV1000 reply :

IMO I would not choose either one. And I was very tempted at buying a two-man plastic boat and opted for a jon boat. Cheaper, more room and more options for improvements.

In my case, if my boat was solely to be used for my lake I would have gone with the two-man plastic. If money was not an issue (app. 3,500.00), it would be this:

My neighbor has one and it's like walking on a floating dock.

MA1232 reply :

a quick search on Boston.craigslist.org return this....

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/boa/618102793.html

Inflatable is not bad if you don't have a mean to transport a large boat. However, if you can transport them get the widest boat you can buy.

btcprince reply :

the little tracker type plastic ones are nice for what they are, but i would choose a used jon off craigslist personally. for years i had a 12ft alum. skiff with an aircooled 3.5 hp motor and added a couple swivel seats. canoes dont give you the stability. i like to stand. advice is get one that you can add to and has the most options you can do it. sounds like you will be stuck with the one you get for a while, so choose right. good luck

MA1232 reply :

hey is a nice one....

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/boa/618804043.html

jjbassjj reply :

you should def. go with an aluminum jon-get a 10 or 12 footer from craiglist

huskertko reply :

I will add my 2 cents for the bass Hunter, i just bought a 9 foot pond prowler from BPS, same boat style as your looking at, and I have to say it is a very stable platform to fish from. I am not exactly what you would call a svelt person :-[, 6' and about 235, and I can stand up move around and feel very safe. I have no fear of the boat capsizing or anything like that, although a PFD IS STILL REQUIRED.

I have fished from a pontoon kickboat which was OK but it is very low to the water and if you are in places where gators live, there is another name you would go by, DINNER. I would stay away from any inflatable for that reason alone.

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Decisions on pond/small lake boat. 2025

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