The Bass Hunter boat.

[Fishing Rhino]

My wife and I went to our younger daughter's home in Georgia for Thanksgiving. She operates a kennel and dog training facility about forty miles west of Atlanta, close to Alabama.

Behind her home is a small pond of three or four acres. She has an old Bass Hunter boat that is rarely used.

So, we loaded my pickup with our two dogs, luggage, their crates, and my spinning rods and gear.

The pond was created years ago when an earthen dam was made to contain the waters of a small feeder stream. The top of the dam is an access road to homes on the other side of the pond.

A culvert beneath the dam allows the water to flow. On the pond side the culvert has a vertical pipe which establishes the water height.

Trees were cut prior to the building of the dam, so there are stumps which are visible only during times of little rainfall and the pond level drops.

Maximum depth at the creek bed is guesstimated at about eight feet. Bottom is fairly smooth with grasses and other vegetation.

I was told the largest bass in the pond were two to three pounders, which is fine for the size and convenience of access to it.

But this is really about the boat. I consider it to be ideal for this type of fishing. It is comfortable, reasonably stable, and has plenty of room for gear, a cooler, battery and trolling motor.

For two hefty guys, it will be maxed out, and maybe overloaded since its capacity is 575 pounds.

The sliding seats are very comfortable, and, a nice height. They also swivel which is a big plus. They also hold their place very well, and can be easily adjusted if needed.

A couple of rods can be stored, very carefully on each side. I'd prefer some type of higher outboard retainers, since a single, hasty, careless move could dump a rod or two over the side. A couple of built in hooks for a bungee would go a long way to reduce the likelihood of that happening.

In a pond this small, paddling is ok. But on larger waters, a trolling motor would be essential. it paddles like a barge.

In that regard, a trolling motor can be mounted at either the bow or stern.

The boat would be an ideal starter boat for an individual, or a couple of small kids. While two can fish from it, extreme caution must be used, simply because of the close proximity of two adults.

It may be best to have the seats facing each other. It will provide a bit more distance between the fishermen, and provide more convenient access to all the gear, beverages, and food on board.

It will definitely require strategizing the amount of gear you carry on board. On tiny ponds this isn't a problem since you can duck back to the shore to grab something you didn't bring.

It is easy to "beach" this boat, and step off the front onto the shore. Easy to launch and load as well with the bow close enough to step onto it from dry land.

Will it replace my canoes? No, but in some circumstances it would be superior to them, and I can see one of these in my future. There are a couple of ponds that I fish where it would be better than a canoe.

In calm water, there is no problem. But, I suspect that in even a moderate chop water would splash into it, necessitating some bailing, or a small bilge pump to remove it.

Did I catch one of those two or three pound bass that I was told inhabit the pond. No, but I did catch a four and a half pounder, three about a half to three quarters of a pound, and one dink.

Next time I/we go to Georgia, I'll bring my Eagle Cuda to scope out the bottom depths. I'm fairly confident that a larger bass or two inhabit the pond.

It has a pair of herons, and a few kingfishers around the pond which tells me there are more than a scattered few fish that bass need to grow to larger sizes.

This is the pond, viewed from our daughter's home at sunrise. They call it a lake.

[aceman387]

i love those boats i have two pond prowler boats at two different locations chained up.they are comfortable and easy for me to throw in the back of my truck for whenever i want to try somewhere new.this winter i want to make some kind of dolly or rig up some wheels for it and maybe make a stabilizer rudder for it because you do get blown around . it looks like paradise where your daughter lives ,if i were you i wouldn't leave until she asks you too

[zerofivenismo]

I've only had my Bass Raider 10E for a couple months and I love it. I've taken it out on the water (170 acre lake) with 10-15 mph winds and have not had any issues with taking on any water. Only problem I have with the boat on windier days is the back of the boat 'fish-tailing'. I have a 3hp outboard which helps some to stabilize it, but still looking for a better solution. May look into a small drift sock. As for rod securing, I bought Rod Saver's rod strap. The package comes with one big velcro strap and a small velcro strap. I cut a section out of the big strap and sewed it back on because it was too big. I screwed one strap on each side of the boat to secure my rods. Can't risk any of them going into the drink. Worth the $8 fix.  Not that I would ever take that many rods on a trip....I just overloaded each side of the boat to see how many combos I could fit on there ;D 

[Fishing Rhino]

The velcro solution looks like a simple fix.

I'm a bit of a bull in a China shop. Even one loose pole sitting on the rails is likely to get swatted over the side.

I pictured some type of vertical pole holder that loads from the side toward the center of the boat.

One suggestion for loading the rods, if you wanted to carry that many, alternate the rods, tip to butt, and stagger them a bit so the reels aren't side by each.

In the photo below, if you look closely, you'll see the reels are staggered. It's the only way I could carry that many rods without the gear clanking together.

Try a five gallon bucket to slow your drift, and keep the boat in line.  It works well for the canoe in the photo above.  The slightest breeze can make that spin like a frisbee.  It has no keel.

If the bucket provides too much resistance, drill some holes in the bucket to reduce drag.  I drilled three holes in the rim and made a cord harness, rather than tying directly to the bail.  The bail may work as well, but I like the looks of the harness better.

[zerofivenismo]

Thanks for the tips Fishing Rhino. I saw your fishing rig in the rides thread. You really did a great job with your rod storage. Initially, I didn't even notice that you staggered them. That'll keep those reels looking nice and shiny. Never thought to use a bucket for drift control. A great no-cost solution to a drift sock .

[Fishing Rhino]

The bucket is also great for storing odds and ends.  I keep my small mushroom anchor in the bucket when neither is in use.

I also use the bucket as a trash receptacle for line that I have trimmed, torn up plastic baits, sandwich baggies, empty beverage containers, etc.

It's always used for something, even if not its primary purpose.

[jaystu11]

OMG that is a SICK canoe!!! i love it!!!