Hey all,

I'm a bank fisher who is wanting to get off the shore, and after looking around, I've decided that I want to get a small pond boat in the next couple of months to start the Spring season. After researching prices and reviews, I think I've narrowed it down to either the BPS 10ft Pond Prowler or the Bass Hunter EX (probably purchased from Dicks). I was wondering if anyone on the forums had recommendations either for or against either of those (or something else in the same price range). I will be fishing probably equal parts solo and with my best friend. Location is a no wake lake (Boerne City Lake) and maybe parts of the Guadalupe River.

I also had a few other questions that I couldn't find answers to anywhere.
1. What other equipment do I need when I buy it (30lb trolling motor, battery, paddle, life vest, registration is all I can think of).
2. Can a boat like this do river fishing? Most sites just talked about small ponds and I couldn't really find anything about rivers. Will I need a larger motor?
3. What would I need for registration? (Also, if anyone could clue me in on how much that would cost I'd be appreciative)
4. Are "no wake" zones on larger lakes safe in a pond boat, such as they kayak launch area at Calaveras Lake?

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

I have the 8' Bass Baby, and it's my second pond-type boat. I've fished out of them at Ray Roberts, Fork, Lake Austin, Town/Ladybird, Inks, and dozens of smaller waters...but never in a river. The 30# thrust electric should move your 10' boat quite well in lakes, ponds, and rivers that don't have much of a current. Most sections of the Guadalupe should prove to be no problem as long as you don't try to go up or down rapids, and your boat should prove perfect for Boerne. I don't know about the Pond Prowler, but you wouldn't need a rudder with an EX.

You will have to register the boat if you use an electric or gas motor on it. That requires a title, which caused me some grief, since Bass Hunters are made in Georgia - and Georgia doesn't title boats. I bought mine from Dick's, and had to email back and forth several times to get paperwork that Texas Parks & Wildlife required to title the boat. That took about 3 weeks.

The only other equipment I'd recommend is a depth finder. I use a cheap Humminbird PirhanaMax 197. At just over $100, it's a great deal and works well for me finding structure, cover, and fish. I did carpet mine with turf carpeting and upgrade my seat so I have padding to sit on. I always fish alone, so only bought one. I also use two mushroom anchors at times.

Just a tip here - if you buy from Dick's, you might want to pick it up at a Dick's store. Otherwise, they'll drop ship it, and the OTR drivers are not allowed to do anything but take it off their truck. I had to manhandle mine from the street around the alley to my driveway with a dolly cart, and then spent almost 2 hours getting it out of its cardboard box, which weighed much more than the boat itself. If you pick it up at a Dick's store, I think they do all that and then help you load it onto your truck/trailer.

I trailer mine, and dearly love it. I fish it in all kinds of weather, but stay ashore if I'm at a big lake and the winds are over 20 mph. IMHO, there are way too many idiots out there to take chances.

Best of luck with your purchase, registration, and fishing from your new boat.

I've got a Bass Baby on order from Dick's. I opted for it over the EX because of it's wider deck and the wheels. The EX does not really have any more functional space than a Bass Baby. Most of the extra length on the EX is due to the extension of the pontoons at the front.

The EX has a more "aggressive" hull design and is rated for a 5 HP motor. I you want to run a kicker then I think the EX draws more points for consideration. But for electric power I think the BB is a better hull because of it's other features. Another plus for the EX is it is rated for more weight.

I will be using mine in local rivers as much as anything else. I opted for a 45 foot pound Endura Max for my electric power. None of these pond boats are kayaks however and you will have to be reasonable about where you take it on a river. When using my jon boat on the Guadalupe there were times I would get out of the boat and walk it either up or down shallow riffles or small rapids areas.

I do not have any experience with these craft however. I did have a 10 foot jon boat earlier in my fishing life and have missed it a lot now that I have more time to get back into fishing. But I think these new boats offer a lot of advantages.

I think the EX is an excellent choice though. When I was making my choice the Only boats I considered were rotationally moulded boats. They are very tough and seamless. I have heard many stories of ABS clamshell boats cracking and leaking. So for me it was between, the BB, the EX, and the Twin Troller.

Just some comments of my thinking from when I was making my decision. PhotoTex was a good source of info for me and his feedback on his BB experience helped me confirm my leanings towards this boat.

dxr

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I was initially debating on the pond boat vs a kayak, but I don't like how low in the water you are with kayaks. I was considering the Bass Baby as well and really liked the wider width and the attached wheels, but the 475 weight limit worried me. I'm not a little guy (225 or so) and my buddy weighs in at like 150. With the battery, motor, gear and everything else, I feel like I'm pushing too close to the limit.
The rotationally molded plastic on the EX is one of the things I really liked about it. It seems like that is the recommendation at the moment.
Question with shipping - how bad are shipping costs? I wonder if the ship to store option reduces or negates it.

I'm having my BB shipped to store and there was no shipping charge. You do have to go into the store to order the boat to make this happen. Otherwise they will charge $100 to ship it to your house. You cannot order ship to store and no shipping on-line.

rotationally molded plastic is only a process of manufacturing. it has nothing to do about the quality of raw materials. do these manufacturers identify the type of thermoplastic material used on there boats, and do they identify the UV plasticizers. Ultraviolet (sunlight) degradation occurs to all thermoplastics so before buying you need to check about plasticizers and their long term stabilization within the molded plastic.

I think it has more to do with construction method rather than material type. Here is a photo of a cut away of a twin troller x10.



And here is a sun dolphin pro 120.



Here is the basshunter ex.im sure they foam fill it after it's built but you can see how much stronger a one piece design is over a top and bottom sandwiched together with foam block in the middle.

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The EX and the Bass Baby are made out of high density polyethylene. Very tough
stuff and VERY crack resistant. You can beat it with a hammer and do little to it.
Don't try that with ABS.

As far as the foam in the EX and BB hulls, it also provides structural integrity as well as flotation. These
are quotes from Bass Hunter's website --

Bass Hunter uses a type of polyethylene foam that not only acts as flotation foam, but has structural foam characteristics, adding to the total boat strength. There is about an inch of foam on the inside walls of the boats. Boat manufacturers in the US are required to use enough flotation foam to maintain the total weight capacity above the waterline in a swamped configuration.

All Bass Hunter Boats are produced with internal foam flotation and UV inhibitors.

There is still airspace in the hull's pontoons so you can run electrical wires if you want.

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The inside of the Hunter EX is NOT filled in with foam anymore than you see in that cut away pic. You can store things in the pontoons if you were so inclined. They have some foaming as seen but are not filled.

The quality of the Bass Hunters is far better than similiar boats. They are one piece roto-molded not two peices stuck to each other.

They are heavier then similiar boats but are nearly bullet proof.

The twin trollers are super nice like KD has. But are a very pretty penny.

If your talkin pond prowler vs. Hunter there is no comparison in quality. In weight and price there is.

Depends on what your lookin for I suppose and your budget.

2 years ago i found a 11.3 Bass Buster.They are no longer made.They are in my opinion the best small boat ever made.
Watch Craigslist.

I used to be a dealer for the Bass Baby 2 person boat and considered them to be one of the best constructed pond type boats made. I had my own personal one which I used on the Sabine river quite often fishing backwaters with only a trolling motor. What impressed me about the BB was the stability.....good luck with your decision and have fun.

Martin --

The Dick's Sporting Goods at the Rim has TWO Hunter EX boats in stock. BOTH of
them were supposed to my Bass Baby. The warehouse keeps sending them the EX
model by mistake. Just an FYI. Ask for Kevin and tell him Charles sent you. He will
know exactly what you mean.

I just noticed you were in SA.

dxr

Thanks for the heads up dxr. I am actually planning to purchase at that store and think I have decided on the EX after all. Unfortunately, I have to wait until at least next month though before buying (promised the wife that I would wait). If they have not been sold off yet by then, that may just save me the shipping time.