Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations boats for small ponds

what do you guys use to fish on your pond? I was thinking about buying an inflatable boat and attaching a trolling motor for my two small ponds.Another way to go would be with a float tube.
Tell me about what you do and use, to help me with ideas. I just need something practical and that will float

I would think an inflatable boat would have too high of risk of getting a hole from a hook and then sinking. A float tube might work but I wouldn't think so if the tubes were anything less than hard plastic or aluminum

I use a friend's 10' pond bass boat. They're called something to do with ponds and they run a couple hundred dollars brand new. The basic ones have removable raised seats and mounts for motors at both ends of the boat. They have basically a catamaran hull and are limited to small motors and trolling motors which is usually plenty for most ponds. A jon boat of the same length seems to work just fine though, I've used one. I've used a paddleboat too but they're very restricting if you cast your line or fight fish much. A trolling motor does wonders for saving time and pain. Unfortunately I killed the only one we had when fishing line wrapped around the shaft and I tried to keep it running. A jon boat or a paddle boat doesn't have to have a trolling motor or good seats. But you need good seats and a trolling motor that's easy to reach in those pond bass boats or you can get some back pain real easy.

Which boat would work better depends more so on the budget you have for a pond boat. But IMHO anything made of plastic wouldn't last long unless you have zero branches/stumps/rocks in your pond and are careful with your hooks.

If it can have a trolling motor and it isn't too big or hard to pull in and out of the water it should work great. A trolling motor isn't required though but it is a great invention nonetheless.

Who needs a boat? Fish from the shore or off a long pier. It's a lot less hassle. I have a 70 foot pier on my .62 acre pond that I got for $100.00 and it great to fish off of. The fish like to hang around it too.

I do have one of those 8 foot plastic dingys that comes in handy for moving diffusers, cages etc.

I agree with the inflateable being a possible problem. I use a 10 foot plastic boat sold by gander mountain. My wife bought it for me for $419 it was in one of their many summer sales. I had my eye on one in a local paper for $100 but my wife suprised me. I see alot of very inexpensive aluminum boats in the trading post type papers. I need a boat in my pond because over half of it is a STEEP slope with trees.

Cecil you really do get the deals! $100 ?

Well not always but I do get lucky from time to time on deals. I have a friend that lives on Oliver Lake in Lagrange county that replaced his treated lumber pier with a vinyl one. That's where I got the 70 foot pier. Now I have 6 aluminum frame vinyl pier sections for free as he has replaced that one too.

My plastic dingy I got ripped off on though. I bought it on vaction in Massachusetts where bluegills are considered trash fish. I just had to have it to get into an outstanding bluegill lake. When I went to pay for it the dealer said the price on it was wrong and it was $100.00 more. I almost told him to take a hike, but he was the only dealer around and I was hot to fish this little lake I could only get into with a boat like this. I know the SOB was lying.

Float tubes are great. Their fun, relaxing, and a good way to catch lots of fish. It's also a great way to check out your pond. For work projects an aluminum jon boat is hard to beat.

I have a 10ft plastic boat that i bought at sams for about $500 it has two seats and a trolling motor. However if money is no object check out the pond king boats. They are sold in Gainesville Texas and you should be able to pull up their web site by typing in pond king.

I use a plastic 10' long boat called the "Pond Master". They have them in Bass Pro and Cabela's.

It was about $900 bucks delivered, and has wiring for front trolling motors and sonar/depth/fish finders. It has two swivel seats.

Most importantly, each seat has a cup holder/caddy. This is invaluable for holding your beer.

The only thing is that this Pond Master is heavy as hell. Two men can lift it, but you may blow your back out if you have to move it more than 15'.

The extra weight gives stability especially if you use the boat for moving structure into the pond. However, if I bought another boat, I would look for something lighter in weight such as the other plastic boat's mentioned here for $400-500, or maybe even an aluminum john boat.

However, I am certain that the extra weight of my boat is the only reason I still have my boat.

A heroin junkie just doesn't want to exert that much effort to steal it. Now a crystal meph head..who knows?

Cecil, I agree that pulling the boat in and out can be a pain, but my pond is to large to fish most areas from shore.

I always suspected people in Mass. were strange!

I leave my sit in the pond. Mine is a 10 foot pelican with fold down swivel seats and prewired for trolling motor. I use a 55lb thrust trolling motor that the kids just love. Weighs about 150 but it is really east to drag if need be. I leave my covered with a tarp and use spring clips to keep the sun of the plastic and the rain out. A freind of mine had one for about 5 years (bass hunter) and left it in the sun all the time and the plastic got brittle. I do not have a theft problem hear so I do not worry about leaving it on the pond.

I might be a little red around the neck but we put a 20# trolling motor on our 4 seat paddle boat for cruising around and dragging spoons/spinners. It's a lot of fun and handy as a utility boat. Plans to upgrade to twin 75# motors with counter-rotating screws are in the works.LOL

I have an Old Town 158 that I love to fish out of. Canoes are the way to go if your a fit or younger gent that likes to explore places few other boats can go. I have some tight draws in my 9 acre pond that the 158 is perfect for running up when taking frogs. I also have a john boat with a mounted trolling motor for a more stable platform.

Jighead :

Good info in the above above posts .

I have used all types of boats including the following , pirouge , jon boats { 10-16 ' and diff. weights} , pond master type , wood barge, canoe , float tube and paddle boat. Each one has its pros and cons. It really depends on your needs and budget . One point not mentioned above to think about is visability from the boat. It is hard to see the water from a float tube , canoe or pirouge . Pond master type and some jon boats offer good vision if you can stand in them. So keep in mind your visual angle to the water as well as boat stability and the other points above in your choice . ewest

I have an Old Town 17'9" canoe that I got for $100. I never use it because the pond is too small. I really need to cover it to beat the UV rays. It is too large to fit in the back of my pickup. I either have to put in on a trailer or tie it on top. Not worth the hassle. Ought to sell it. Its in great shape and worth more than I paid for it.

I also have a 10 ft. aluminum jon boat that is great for snakes to hide under.

In my case, they were just impulse purchases.

ewest's comment about visibility and being able to stand up in the boat is on the money.

Canoes are great, but they are not stable. I've had some late night unintentional swims in my pond due to the other person in the canoe leaning over too much; although he still insists that Navy Seal Team 6 was doing manuevers and sabotaged our late night canoe ride.

There was a Hank Parker show where he and his kid were using a type of kayak that had pedals for propulsion. This thing would go in just inches of water.

I use a Stealth 1200 that I got at Cabela`s. I`ll bet I have paddled that boat hundreds of miles around my 12 acre pond holding a spot light looking at my fish!!

I use a bass buster. It is very light weight has two seats that sit up high enough so your back does not hurt like some jon boats. 28# trolling motor, works great. At the end of the day, just pull it up and flip it over. I think cost is under $500.00 but I have had mine 10 years, It still catch's fish every time I go out.
Bob

There are some great people there but there are also a lot of yuppies with their SUV's and fly rods that don't have a clue about fishing but try to impress you.

I like to fish a little gem of a lake of about 35 acres (electric motors only) on a former miltary post that I used to fish as a kid. No development on it whatsoever and you can fish for large bluegills until you get sick of it. The locals snub their noses at bluegills and would rather catch a stocked 10 inch trout vs. a 10 inch bluegills. Go figure.

I have a used old boat that uses a trolling motor with a platform with swivel chair up front for fishing.

A jon boat with paddle power for getting into those tight areas or to be stealthly.

It really depends on the size of the pond you are fishing and the terrain around it. I have an 8' and 14' jonboats. The 8' is perfect for myself and simple to load. The 14' is good for myself and 1, 2, or sometimes 3 others, but awkward to load and move around. In small ponds, a 12' jonboat with a trolling motor is all you need unless you want to get fancy and put 5 hp. motors on, fancy seats, etc.

I have a great pond boat that I and my brother built from wood. This is the 4th boat that I built. First one was a traditional east coast dingy shape 7 ft long. The rounded botom made it way too tippy and I could not do any pond work out of it. The last two boats I built have a similar shape to a jon boat but mine is more stable, shorter and lighter. Mine weighs about 35 lbs. It is 6' 8" to 6' 10" long, it fits in the back of my Venture Van with the back hatch door closed.

I use the boat for pond surveys and general pond work. It has one seat. It is basically a rectangle shape and 12" deep. It has sides and bottom of 1/4" water proof luan attached to a frame. I used heavier wood for the transom. I coated the boat inside and outside with boat building epoxy. I can lean way over the edge to pull weeds and not draw in water. I occasionally fish out of it and it works great if you don't have large amounts of gear. I have used with a 3.5 hp outboard motor on it to create waves in the pond for oxygenating and mixing the shorelines.

I would post a picture of the boat if I could ever figure out how to post pictures here. I will approach the Pond Boss magazine editor about printing an article about my home made boats within the next year. I have digital pictures that I can send if you are interested.

I have a 12-foot porta-bote. It is light (the hull weighs 69 pounds, seats and transom maybe another 20) but sturdy enough to bang off any rocks and stable enough to stand and cast (once you get used to the slight flex of the plastic hull). Rows well and floats in about 4 inches of water.

Best of all, it folds small enough to fit in my apartment. It did cost $1,100 (ouch) but I just couldn't see fishing in an inflatable. I love it and hope to use it on my own pond some day soon.

Ken

This isn't the best picture but you can make out my brother and soon to be ex-wife on the raft I made. I used a 4'x8'x3/4" plywood with some 2x4's and these Ø10" plastic tubes I got from my dad. Stable enough for 2 people to stand up on. I also have a 14' that I got from my grandfather. Its a little too big for my little pond.



The pond doesn't look this bad any more. Don't give me to rough a time for it =]

Forgot to add that I have since put a board on the back for a trolling motor. BC I'd like to see a pic of your homemade boat. My dad used to tell me stories of homemade jon boats he made back in high school shop class. I've never seen one though.

An old fishing and duck hunting buddy of mine from 35 years ago in Milwaukee came to visit us in TX. So I had to get a small boat to be able to fish our ponds.

I settled on a Bass Pro 12' Jon for just under $500. It should last forever. My friend still has the 10' Jon I gave him when I moved from Milwaukee all those years ago.

A few weeks after the above pic was taken I added a Minn Kota trolling motor and did a camo paint job on the boat.