Pardon me while I take a short time out to boat

[Mydlyfkryzis]

who has used any of those small, 4' x 8' ft Plastic barges to fish with?

Do they work O.K. or are they just a gimmick?

I am thinking of something like this:


Any feedback?

[CRFJohn]

It would depend on the size water you plan to use it on, small lakes and coves great,
big water=bad idea

[Mydlyfkryzis]

Small local lakes and ponds. No ocean or water skiing..

Just wondering if they are stable, go well with a small trolling motor....

I can stand up in a small flat bottom John boat, I wonder if it is stable enough to stand and cast.

[CRFJohn]

It is alot like a small jon boat, great with a trolling motor. I was on one many years ago, they are great at the right place, no ramp, shallow, easily hauled in a truck bed. Hell some of the best fishing is in the small lakes and ponds

[FJR1300]

We live on a private lake and a few homeowners have them.  Not me... this is what I want.



http://www.pondtoon.com/cruise_model.html

[Mydlyfkryzis]

We live on a private lake and a few homeowners have them.  Not me... this is what I want.



http://www.pondtoon.com/cruise_model.html

I wouldn't mind a 140 Ft Yacht either, but I need something light, one man moveable, and fits (at least mostly) in the back of a small pickup or small utility trailer.

These little plastic boats look like the ticket, but I wanted some feed back on the joys of ownership. Sometimes things like these look great in the catalog, but just don't work in real life.

[FJR1300]

These little plastic boats look like the ticket, but I wanted some feed back on the joys of ownership. Sometimes things like these look great in the catalog, but just don't work in real life.

I'll ask one of the neighboors who have one and see what their thoughts are.  I've seen a few of them on the lake and they look stable.  Right now, I fish out of my canoe.

[cultureslayer]

(It's T-pain, of course the lyrics are NSFW)

[KenH]

They are suitable for your intended use. They pretty much come in 1-seat and 2-seat sizes. Get the 2-seater even if you plan to fish alone. The plastic is quiet and less likely to spok fish than an aluminum boat.

A flat-bottom jon boat draws less water but generally requires more power because its planning hull does not slip well through the water in displacement mode. Try to find a fiberglass model as they are muchn quieter than the aluminum hulls.

A canoe is much more efficient when it comes to power requirements. A canoe's hull speed can be double the little plastic boats and require 1/4th the power of a jon boat. A 6-inch PVC pipe (sstop up each end with a balloon and lay some fiberglass strips and epoxy to make a round, waterprrof cap on each end) used as an ama provides a very stable fishing platform with a minimal effect on performance, and the iakos can provide support for a raised platform for a swivel chair.

A raft made of a couple or three sections of 12-inch pvc pipe makes a dandy fishing rig. Use ordinary steel conduit as a frame to hold the pipes in place and to support a platform for a swivel chair.

You can stand in any small boat, but standing is a stupid thing to do. Wear a PFD.