Thoughts on small fishing boats?

Hello all,

Newbie here. I'm in the market for a small 1 to 2 man fishing boat, like the Pelican Bass Raider10e. I want something small that I can just put in the backyard when I'm done. No trailering either. I plan on putting it on a roof rack.
Has anyone had experience fishing on one?

Thanks

Sounds hard,... I tried the "back of the pickup" for my 8 ft. a few times. Enjoy it so much more after I went and got a lawn mower trailer from tractor supply. Can also use the trailer for many more things.

Unless your pretty big fella that roof rack routine is gonna be difficult especially trying solo. Defiantly wanna have a truck and preferably a small trailer.

Yeah, mine wasn't so bad loading in the pickup bed. No way I'd try loading it on a roof rack.

better stay of lakes unless you want to be swamped.

Agree with all the above.

Texas sun and UV will destroy anything plastic within 5 years.
Whatever you choose to buy, keep it covered.

I'd look at kayaks also; easier to haul and carry; less maintenance; don't have to lug around a trolling motor and big 12V battery.

I appreciate all the advice. I definitely plan on keeping it covered when not in use.
If anyone has a line on a used one in or near SA, I'm all ears. I just want to get off the bank already.

Craigslist. Back in the day I had a BPS bass buster. 8 ft long with 2 swivel seats and I fished out of that thing for
years. A 55 lb trolling motor will last all day and then some.

Fished ponds and small lakes-as said, would not recommend getting out on bigger lakes-but with most any lake you can
usually find an area with calm water-say up a creek or cove. Get a decent fish finder and put it on the TM and you're
good to go.

They are great boats and you can put a ton of accessories on them, fishing finders, rod holders, etc. But without a trailer, atleast consider the wear & tear of the hull from dragging it. Usually by yourself, its not crazy heavy but because of the awkward shape you usually tend to pick one end up and it drag on the back to corners and that eats that plastic up ofcourse depending on the surface you drag it on. If you dont want to trailer it, ever think about a sit on top kayak?

I had a Bass Pro Shops 8' model over 10 years ago and it slid in the bed of my pickup truck. You can fish in the back of coves on most lakes and access areas that are many times very productive. Just remember to always wear your life preserver while in your 2 man boat. It can be a lot of fun.

I have the Bass Raider 10 E and take it out just about every weekend. Very stable little boat. If you plan on fishing larger lakes I’d get a small outboard. A trolling motor will also work but make sure to take two batteries.

My first boat was a 8' plastic bass buggy. It worked great on small water lakes along with electric only lakes. It didn't manage well in the wind, but what made up for it was the amount of fish I put in that thing.

I graduated to a 12' aluminum V-hull, did quite well on it.

Then I moved into a big boy boat...Nitro 700LX 17' w/ Force 120HP. That's when my wallet and bank account started to suffer.

AHAHHAHAHAHAH

There's nothing wrong with small boats as long as you have access to smaller water.

I plan on buying/making a dolly for it. The last thing I want to do is put a hole in my little boat.

Build your dolly, get your boat, and have a ball! Do yourself one favor though; invest the time for a bunch of trips before you start making it into a "tournament rig" with ten times the boat's value in electronics and accessories. You just might find that you prefer to keep it simple and uncluttered. Either way, enjoy!

That sounds like very good advice. I can't wait to get it!

Again, go the pickup and/or small trailer route. Of course, a small 5x10 trailer will double the cost of buying the boat. And since those boats weigh 100# or more, getting one up on the roof of an SUV without hurting the paint job on the vehicle is also to be considered.

My first two bass boats were pond hoppers like you're wanting, toted in the back of my pickup. Even after I moved up to first a Bass Tracker aluminum, and later Skeeter 'glass boats, I kept a pond hopper for quickie trips. But post-divorce I don't have a pickup now and I don't have a Bass Buster, so I'm factoring in how much getting back into the small boat scene would cost should I want to go that route again. Trailer (bought new) would be around $800-$1000 additional to the cost of the boat and TM/electronics.

I had an 8' bass buster years ago I would throw in the back of the pickup and used a trolling motor for power.
That was before kayaks were cool or mass produced, and only Eskimos used them back then.
I own a couple of kayaks now, and they would have been great back then as the only power you need is a paddle, and I had no problem hauling the kayak on the roof rack of my Jeep.
Check out the pond boat section, as well as the kayak section of this forum for answers to your questions.

I have used a kayak, canoe, bass buggy and small jon boats. I would consider a jon boat on a trailer. I currently have a 14 foot with a trolling motor and on 2 batteries I have a 7 mile range. It holds lots of stuff and I like it much better than the other options. Just a thought.

I have a Bass Raider 10 and its great and super stable.
My buddy has a Twin Troller 10 and that thing is sweet! If you want to spend a bunch of money, its the way to go for sure.
I agree with the other comments, that putting it on a roof rack isn't the smartest way, but rather in the bed of a truck or a cheap flat trailer or even convert a used jet ski trailer to hold it.

One thing to consider if you have to go the trailer route vs. in the bed of a truck.

If you are going to use a trailer that means you need space to park it after use, and then you will have to buy plates every year and maintain the bearings and tires to keep it road worthy.
Having to do all that, then you might as well go the route of a small aluminum 14' flat bottom boat. It's light, easy to tow, and you can take up to three people and gear.
For the price of a pond hopper, and trailer, you can find a used boat and trailer for around the same price.

One this I should have mentioned is that I'm going to put the boat on a Subaru hatchback. The roof is just under 5 foot, so I think walking the end up to the bars, then lifting the back end up should be doable. I don't plan on man handling the whole thing on top of the roof. If I had space for a trailer at my house, I would go that route. Picking up a used 12-14 foot Jon Boat would be great, minus the trailer part. I plan on using it for my Pop and myself. I'm hoping to go look at a used one this weekend and see if it looks good.

One thing that makes handling a plastic boat is that plastic and metal tends to be extremely slick.
If the ground isn't perfectly flat and you try to lift the end that is resting on the ground, you better make sure the end that is resting on the vehicle is not going to slide off, which it will if you are not careful.
Once it starts to slide there is no stopping it, and being bulky as those plastic boats are, there is nothing to grab hold of you all you can do is watch it slide off and hit the ground.
Don't ask me how I know this!

This sounds like very useful info for me; and a pain in the butt for you! 😜
I didn't even think of that, so I'll definitely keep it in mind. Thank you.

What ever you do, have fun, and be safe.

I fished my first bass tournament on Grapevine Lake with a new to the public mini boat called a "Water Spider" back in the 1980s. Got 24th place and won back my entry fee back with 2 fish on a 3 fish limit.

Have you looked at the Blue Sky Boatworks 360 angler? Know it is technically a Kayak but they have electric motor adapters for it and it fits easily in the back of a pickup. Don't have one but have been thinking about one....

If you have a Harbor Freight store or Tractor Supply, go there and pick up one of those movers blankets.
They don't cost much, and then throw that over the top of your vehicle and let the blanket hang over a little on the side where your boat will rest.
This will help a little keeping it from sliding, but better than nothing. It's what I used on the top of my Jeep to load my kayak and it also help keep the boat from scratching your paint.
Sorry I forgot to mention this in the earlier post above, but my memory isn't what it used to be!

Got get you a small trailer and put boat and trailer in the backyard. Loading and unloading a boat of the roof of your car is going to be a pain in the [censored] and at the end of the day boat will sit in the yard not being used.

Another option for you could be an inflatable like a foldcat. I have used mine since 2010. It fits in my garage and gets me off the bank.

Good points:

1. Fits in my garage in a small pace
2. Easy to set up
3. Excellent one man boat but has two seats. ( a little crowded )
4. Impossible to sink
5. comfortable seat

Bad stuff:

1. Horrible in the wind
2. Not good for casting as it's too light
3. No rudder - will go in a circle if not managed


Anything is better than sitting on the bank.

A movers blanket, alright! I was thinking a yoga Matt, but something that's actually made for this, even better.

If you have a trailer hitch or don’t mind having one installed , you can get a bed extender from Home Depot and turn it upright like a goal post. It would give you something to lean the boat against and slide it up without worrying about the paint job, in fact you could lower it to load and give yourself something to ramp it up onto the Subaru.

That is true. A bed extender and a hitch would work, but I just picked up a nice Yakima rack last night. I want some longer bars though. Now all I need is the ever elusive boat. Bass Raider10e's are all sold out, and on back order anywhere near SA. I've been on FB Marketplace, Offerup, and CL for the last week. All I get is a bunch of nothing(No Reply) to their listings, or people without title's. This is getting annoying. Fishing Gods help me🙏
I really appreciate all the input from everyone.

If I were buying a pond hopper, it would be the ultraskiff. https://www.ultraskiff.com/

For me, $1,500 is a bit steep for a pond hopper. It looks pretty cool though.

The Ultraskiff would work for me, because I have an SUV, not a truck. So I could carry it with a hitch extender, as in the video. If I were to haul a Bass Buggy type boat, I'd need another trailer, with the expense of tags, etc. basically doubling the cost of the boat, or more. And it looks like something really fun in the video, and there's some waters with good fish right in the center of Austin that only allow electric motor powered craft. Would be perfect for those places.

Kayak?

I finally found a legit video of someone roofing this boat. I'm a couple inches taller, about 40 lbs heavier, and my vehicle's roof is foot lower. I think I got this!

The Youtuber who posted this, Zoffinger, has some pretty good stuff. Lots of modding and fabrication.

https://youtu.be/u_6xJPKZOqE

Check out Gheenoes. I have one and absolutely love it. 15' fiberglass with a trailer and light enough to use a dolly if I don't have a boat ramp.

I have a Bluesky Boatworks 360 and it'd be a top choice for a small truck bed. It surprised me when I found out I could just push it up and it fit on the back of my 2016 Toyota Tacoma. And, a 10 year old child could walk it down to the water, back off again with its built in cart system.

But, it is a "no go" for car topping.

What I would really consider would be another vessel I own: a Meyers Sportspal canoe. Mine is an S-15 but I'd go with a S-13 if I wanted to car top it. Only 56 or so pounds. Small outboard, or TM can be mounted off its flat stern. Can be left outside but I'd cover it up. Easy to tote on top of a car and by hand once near the water. It'll give you more options, like paddling on small ponds and slow rivers. Floats on wet grass as they say. Can fish two men at the same time, so nice at times for that. Very easy to stand in and fish, paddle while standing.

Will last a lifetime.

Brad

Hey Brad. I tried to buy a sports pal this spring largely based on your and other recommendations. Unfortunately the company was having a heck of a time getting aluminum for their canoes and were not taking new orders. They implied their supply situation was due to a combination of the tariffs on imported aluminum and the all aluminum F150s. Hopefully they fix their supply problem relatively soon.