Thread: Default Smaller portable boats

Check out Pistol Creek Panfishing on YouTube. He is also here on cdc under the same name Pistol_Creek. He fishes from a Bass Pro Pond Prowler and probably could answer any questions on it.

Seen some of the plastic conventional boats out on the water with small outboards. They look very capable

I’ve owned both the Bass Pro Pond Prowler and the Pelican Bass Raider 10e. Both are super stable little platforms that you can stand in if you wish.

The thing I liked about the Pond Prowler was the flatter floor and the side handles. Neither are necessities. I just liked those two features in the Pond Prowler because I could put seat spiders down on the floor without putting down any flooring material and the side handles made easy carrying with two people walking side by side.

The floor I mentioned in the Pond Prowler does have a disadvantage that is taken care of in the Bass Raider. The Raiders floor has larger deeper grooves in it that channel water away. So you can have an inch or so of rain water in the boat and have dry feet. The drawback to those grooves is when you don’t use the sliding seat frames that come with these boats. I like seat spiders. They have four feet that sit on the floor and they are super strong. Back when I was pushing 268 lbs, I’d frequently bend the thin metal sliding seat frames that came with these boats. Others did as well. The solution was either to brace the factory seat frames, or use something else. The seat spiders work very well for me, and are removable for use as a regular seat at campgrounds, sporting events, deer blinds, etc…. But you have to put down something on the floor (I used 1/2” poly sheet, covered with outdoor carpet) to use something like the seat spiders, or the legs will tilt down into the floor grooves.

The Bass Raider seems to be better built than the Pond Prowler, although the Prowler wasn’t bad at all. There are lots you can do with these little boats. The more I added, the heavier it became, and loading them into the back of a truck on a steeper ramp can give you a hernia if you’re not careful. Speaking from personal experience. I can’t prove that the loading of the little Raider into my truck caused any of the three I had repaired this year, but I’m sure they contributed in some way.

A moving cart is helpful to get the boat from the ramp to a flat parking lot area, or just moving it around your back yard. I built a great working one with some 2x4’s and two larger caster wheels. I can provide measurements and pictures if you are interested in doing the same.

Harbor Freight makes a small 8’ long, 4’ wide trailer that is perfect for these boats. Even with the 10’ Raider, the front and back of the boat taper up, so the flat surface of the boat sits completely on the trailer. I used a single sheet of plywood for the trailer floor and coated it with several coats of paint front and back before installing. I don’t back that trailer into the water like I do with my bass boat. I back it up at the ramp until the license plate touches the water, and then I easily push it off the trailer by hand and tie it up to go park. Works so much better than trying to get it into my truck bed when I’m alone.

One final issue I need to point out - you need something front and back. I ended up installing trolling motors on both ends of mine. Both are Minn Kota’s I got on sale. I have a 50 on back to get me to where I want to be quickly, and a 30 on the front to maneuver while fishing. You don’t need two motors, but if you go with one motor, you’re probably going to want to affix a rudder of some sort to the other end. Some have used old broken trolling motor brackets and just stuck a modified paddle into it. When the wind kicks up, if you don’t have something on the opposite end from your trolling motor, the boat will pivot around the motor and it will be more difficult to stay on your spot.

Please let me know if you have further questions, need help deciding, etc…. I love using this little boat. They are a ton of fun, and compared to a larger rig, much cheaper to own / operate.

All the best,
Glenn

Good report on the boats. Thanks

They are handy and stealthy.

There's a heavy set guy that spider rigs with one on one of our lakes. Don't know which brand. Nothing fancy, motor is mounted up front between his legs and a homemade wood rod holder in front of him. I don't know if he hauls it in a truck or trailer. My brother-in-law had a used one that was drug a few times, had to patch the rear bottom. I asked the guy about that. He installed rollers on the rear.

I gave you an option on shipping on my boat on my for sale thread. If interested respond. In your not no problem.