School Me on Small Fishing Boats

[MarkD]

Now that I live a five minute walk from a nice lake, and a five minute drive from a much bigger lake, and given my love of fishing.....

I want a boat. Specifically, a small fishing boat, that get get into the nice little places fish like to hide. I have no intention of pulling tubes/waterskiers/etc. The lake nearby doesn't allow gas engines, only electric trolling motors. Most times it'll have one person (me), sometimes two (but single-person-only isn't a deal breaker). It has to be something one person (again, me) can get in and out of the water. It would be NICE if it didn't require a trailer (right now I have a Jeep Liberty, but when that goes the way of all flesh I plan on a pick-up). I'd like to keep the total price under $1,000 (boat, motor, battery, oars, etc).

No kayaks please. The question with a kayak isn't IF you're going to dump it, but when, and I don't wish to have my fishing gear end up on the bottom of the lake.

I've been thinking hard about one of the Sundolphin 8 or 10 foot , two man fishing boats. I've also been looking HARD at the Pitt Boss boat, which seems just about perfect for one person fishing: https://www.pittboss.com/products/mini- ... loat-combo

What I really like about the Pitt Boss is it'll fit in the back of my jeep (someone on the FB page says they transport theirs in the back of a Prius), it's light enough for me to handle alone, and if I'm just looking for a quick trip I can use the kick-boat option.

[Netpackrat]

I could see that little plastic thing being useful for smaller water, but anything bigger than a pond and you will hate yourself.

I would go for something that can be cartopped... either buy a canoe with a transom, or build a little flat bottom skiff in stitch and glue. It will be much more versatile than what you are currently looking at.

https://boatbuildercentral.com/wp/prodd ... ?prod=WE12

https://boatbuildercentral.com/wp/prodd ... =FlatSkiff

The same company also has plans for an 11’ nesting dinghy along with some for a 10’ dinghy in foam sandwich composite that will be available soon, but those are somewhat more complex builds.

[Netpackrat]

This is what I built last year:





I built it mostly to sail, but it can be rowed or take a small motor. The sailing option probably doubles the build time. People have built that boat in a couple of weeks but of course it took me 5 months.

[MiddleAgedKen]

If it had a higher-peaked gunter rig, it'd durn near be a Mirror Dinghy. That's a nice-looking little boat (and I miss sailing).

[Netpackrat]

Mirror dinghy is longer too. Mine is just shy of 8 feet.

[blackeagle603]

Kayaks might not be limited to what you think them to be these days. Hobie makes some sweet sit on (not it) fishing rigs that are really popular here even in the open water offshore. There are some with wide enough beam I wouldn't be uncomfortable standing even. Nice set up with foot paddles so you can have 2 hands free. My son worked at the shop on Mission Bay last year of high school.

Though some of those get big enough you start wondering if you have enough roof to handle hauling them.

To wit the Mirage Pro Angler 14

[MarkD]

Kayaks might not be limited to what you think them to be these days. Hobie makes some sweet sit on (not it) fishing rigs that are really popular here even in the open water offshore. There are some with wide enough beam I wouldn't be uncomfortable standing even. Nice set up with foot paddles so you can have 2 hands free. My son worked at the shop on Mission Bay last year of high school.

Though some of those get big enough you start wondering if you have enough roof to handle hauling them.

To wit the Mirage Pro Angler 14

Sorry, but if I had almost four grand to spend on a fishing boat, it sure as HELL wouldn't be me-powered.....

Not really interested in building my own boat, seems that my first major wood-working project shouldn't be something that could kill me if it comes apart.

Actually, rethinking a bit, if I can attach some sort of outrigger to a kayak it might not be too bad, I'd want the extra stability because I'm a big guy and as noted I'd rather not have my gear end up on the lake bottom.

[Netpackrat]

Stitch and glue as a building method is pretty damn forgiving, but I totally understand. FWIW, the designer whose boats I linked doesn't consider them to be wood working projects... They are composite boats, that use wood as one of the materials. The Mirror Dinghy Ken mentioned was actually the very first stitch and glue boat, but the method has come a long way since then.

https://boatbuildercentral.com/wp/tutorials-2/
https://boatbuildercentral.com/wp/suppo ... d-glue.pdf

First generation stitch and glue boats were made of plywood parts glued with fiberglass tape and resin. The panels were stitched together with copper wire to keep the assembly together during the resin cure. The wire was removed later [or just left in -NPR]. Many stitch and glue designs still rely mostly on wood framing for structural strength and are not true composite boats.

More recent designs use fiberglass boat building engineering techniques: the seams are structural and replace the wooden framing. Not only are those boats stronger than wooden boats but lighter and much easier to build. All beveling and wood joinery work is eliminated. The stitches are few and made of plastic ties.

In even more sophisticated stitch and glue designs, the plywood is sandwiched between layers of fiberglass, usually directional glass. Only the assembly method is left from the early stitch and glue hulls: these are true composite boats. The plywood is used only as core and for strength, the structure relies on resin and fibers.

The boat that I would recommend for you has actually been out of production for years, Mad River Canoe's Missisquoi. It had a wide beam and a square transom so it could take a motor. I have their Winooski model which is the same idea without the square stern, so it can't mount a motor directly, although I have used a 2hp with a clamp on bracket. The canoe is wide enough that I can stand up in it and propel myself through shallow water using a pole. Both of these have been out of production for years, although you may be able to find one used. They were a very high quality canoe and probably a lot better than anything MRC produces today. I would not give up mine for anything.

Google also turned up a similar boat in aluminum:

http://directboats.com/12moalca.html?ut ... gJSGvD_BwE

I have no idea what the quality of that brand is though.

[HTRN]

Start watching craigslist for a 14 foot jon boat, ideally with a 9.9hp outboard.

You can row it, add a trolling motor, use the gas outboard on hp limited lakes, and its relatively shallow draft so its great on the Delaware(note, keep a spare prop and prop wrench with you, its not a case of but when youll hit something there underwater!). It can also be transported on top of a large SUV(Suburban or Expedition), albiet it, with a pain in the ass getting it on and off, ask me how i know.

If you want the ulimate river runner, a Sea Ark Jon with a jet tunnel, and the biggest jet drive outboard that will fit - 50mph+ in 8 inches of water, but youll stroke out at the price

Have you also considered a squareback canoe?

There are some fairly impressive electric outboards these days, but the ptice on them tends to be unreal.

[Netpackrat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsB3soo5abI