Thought I would start a thread about small
1-man and 2-man boats that are best suited
for private ponds and small private lakes.
Here is one company Water Moccasin Boats
that makes nice little pond boats. These
are three models they make:













Water Moccasin Boats

Here is another nice little pond boat
made by a company called "Creek Boats".







Creek Boats

Another good resource for small pond boats:

Direct Boats Mini-Bass Boats

Direct Boats Tri-Hull Mini Bass Boats

I picked up a used Water Tender 10 off of Craigslist a month or so ago. The company that makes them is here.

The boat is 10' long, and has a weight capacity of 525#. 3 hp motor is fine. I believe the boat weighs 110#.

Here's another great boat, had one for 15 years, very stable and built to last.
http://www.gheenoe.net/

I wish someone made a "decked out" very small fiberglass boat 10-12 foot that you could order with stick steering, a small gas engine, carpet, depth finder. I am looking into trying to "piece one together" myself.

esshup, I have considered one of those too.

Can you sometimes stand up and cast in that if you want to?

How is the stability?

Do you really like fishing out of it? Anything you don't like?

Yep, standing up is no problem - it's really stable. I've only been in the boat by myself, so I don't know how it'd act with other people in the boat. But, if I sit on the front seat, without any weight in the rear, the rear end of the boat lifts up. If I had a trolling motor on it with a battery, I don't think that would be a problem.

I wish that it had a drain plug so if it was lifted out of the water you'd pull the plug and the water would run out. You gotta bail it out, or tip the boat over, which is no problem. I think it weighs slightly more than 100#.

I'm happy with it - I think it's perfect for a smaller pond with 1 or 2 people in the boat. Very stable side to side.

Sounds like nice set-up esshup. Thats strange they didn't design the boat with a drain plug. Otherwise it should be perfect for you.

The boat design is 2 layers of plastic with foam between the layers. Top part of the boat is connected to the bottom with the "rub rail" that goes around the boat (top and bottom half are sandwiched together there). No seams under the water line = no potential leaks. The top half of the boat is the inside, and the bottom is the outside.

As light as it is, it's very easy to tip on it's side to get the water out, or bail it out. I'm still very happy with it.

Do you have a trailer or does it always stay at the same address?

Zep, here is a link to upgrading boats you might find interesting. http://www.myjonboat.com/

I have a utility trailer that I could throw it on easily, but it was purchased with the idea of staying at this address. If I put it on a public lake and want to put any type of motor on it (even electric) I have to register it and pay a yearly fee.

It's very easily moved by one person.

Hey thanks Bullhead. Looks like a neat site. I will check it out.

My dream pond boat is to have a one-man fiberglass
10-12 foot pirogue decked out with carpet, depth-finder,
stick steering, and a small gas engine. Basically designed
like the one shown below, but decked out like a full sized
bass-boat.




ProGator Peerogues

I've fished out of one and two person kayaks, fiberglass canoes, a couple different brands of "pond hopper" type boats. The best BY FAR I have used is the Buster Boat brand that is built in Perry Oklahoma. The canoe catches too much wind, kayaks you cant stand, both of these tend to turn towards the bait when fishing larger crankbaits. The Buster Boat is too heavy to load into the back of a pickup by yourself. I use the factory trailer but a small utility trailer would work just as well. A rudder that swings up will help keep you going straight and also swings up in the shallow stuff. Google buster boats to get more of their information. Also look on the fishing home page for articles Ralph Manns has written about customizing small boats. Hope this helps

Cpt I have owned a Water Buster Boat. I liked it pretty
well, except the seat would sometimes pop loose or out
of the runners it sits in. Maybe by now they have changed
the design. Here is a pic of my old Water Buster Boat before
I sold it a few years ago.

That looks pretty damn comfortable..

BlueGillerKiller....it was a nice boat. It was getting quite old and I cleaned it pretty good before I placed it on CraigsList. In the picture it looks a lot better than it actually was. I am now looking for something a bit more stable and fiberglass, but small. I think before I am done, I am going to have to get something custom. Probably a pirogue boat. If that happens I'll post some pics.

http://www.protatch.com/Pontoon15.htm

I have one of these one my 1 acre. It's been good for fishing, cruising, and pond service. With just a trolling motor, it has been all we need. Very shallow draft with the double pontoons.
I bought the top and have never opened that box.

buzz

Buzz, I've been on a couple of those. Darn nice pond or small water boat.

Try this thread for a great discussion about boats.


http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=55504&page=1

I have a Bass Buster, they advertise in Pond Boss and they are a great boat. The seats are bolted in solving that seat falling out and dumping you in the lake.

Bing

Buzz....I wonder if these mini-pontoon boats could
be left in the water all the time and double as a small
floating dock when you are not fishing?

Hey, Zep, it appears from their site that they can indeed be used that way. It says they even sell an aluminum gangplank that you can attach to the boat to use it as a dock, and then evidently easily disconnect it to use just the boat. Pretty cool concept!

I've left mine in the pond all summer for 2 years, tied up to the dock, and it shows no sign of problems. Right now it's sitting next to the pond under ice and show with the aerator onboard. I planned to get a cover on it but this lousy weather system blew in before I could.
Hmmmm, maybe if it clears a little this week.

buzz

Todd I had missed that. That is pretty neat.
I am going to look into this further.
A boat/dock combo is something that might work for me.



Boat/Dock Combo Website

Here are some additional options for small pond boats:

BeaverTail 1200

BeaverTail Stealth 1200

BeaverTail 2000

Beavertail Stealth 2000

Wow, that is a cool looking boat!

I just bought a SeaEagle 9. I love it and since it inflates you can put it in anywhere. I have a 75lb thrust motor on it that moves you around quick. Very stable and can hold over 1200lbs.

I just bought a SeaEagle 9. I love it and since it inflates you can put it in anywhere. I have a 75lb thrust motor on it that moves you around quick. Very stable and can hold over 1200lbs.

Cody...those do look nice.

Sea Eagle

I also like these duck boats that could
be used as a fishing boat on ponds.

CarstensBoats



Marsh Rat Boat

Hello everybody! I've been doing a little research on small boats for ponds. I am wondering if anyone here has had any experience with Porta-Bote? They advertise to be durable, lightweight and handy. Any comments good or bad? Thanks in advance!!