Seeking Portable Boat Small Lake And Pond Use

[ikefan]

carmen,

i have the 9' uncle buck pond prowler and love it. it's as stable as can be..i fish standing all the time.  i had a 10' jon that i just sold last weekend.  i had great plans for the jon, but the 1032 was just too narrow and unstable.  i'm so much happier with the prowler.  i throw it in the back of my pickup with little problem.  i picked mine up on craigslist for $500..came with 30lb trolling motor, oars, battery and charger.  it's well worth the money and i'm sure you could find a similar deal.  the guy who sold it purchased it from bps this year and just found he had no time to use it.  i think this is exactly what you're looking for. 

[Pantera61]

carmen,

i have the 9' uncle buck pond prowler and love it. it's as stable as can be..i fish standing all the time. i had a 10' jon that i just sold last weekend. i had great plans for the jon, but the 1032 was just too narrow and unstable. i'm so much happier with the prowler. i throw it in the back of my pickup with little problem. i picked mine up on craigslist for $500..came with 30lb trolling motor, oars, battery and charger. it's well worth the money and i'm sure you could find a similar deal. the guy who sold it purchased it from bps this year and just found he had no time to use it. i think this is exactly what you're looking for.

let me resurrect this old thread ... I'm in a bit of a holding pattern because we'll be relocating down South.  I currently have a 15' jon boat that I really don't want to put any money or sweat into but I don't want to buy anything until I see the situation in the new area.  I do want something decent to fish from for the next couple of years though so I was thinking about the BPS Pond Prowler, which is getting good reviews overall.

Any further feedback, Ikefan or others with the boat?  Thanks.

[Fishes in trees]

Good luck with finding a boat that is the right fit for you.  Everything about small boats is a compromise and what suits one guy bugs another.  Let me share some thoughts concerning small boats with you.

Prior to getting my current boat, I've owned two different pond boats and fished with a bunch of different guys who had assorted boats.  I like the pond boats better compared to a 10' or 12' jon boat.  I think that they are just more stable.  Any small boat that you stand up in has the potential for balance issues.  I prefer the pond boats.  Get one of those inflatable life jackets and wear it.  It is just a matter of time, sooner or later you will fall out of the boat.

Jon boats and pond boats have issues in wind.  After a year or so you will understand fishing in the wind much better than you do now.  My second pond boat ( a Buster boats Trophy),  I somewhat solved the wind issue with a 55 lb 12 volt trolling motor and three deep cycle batteries.  You keep telling yourself that the wind is your friend, and get a drag chain to slow down your drifts.

I know that the notion of putting the small boat in the back of your pick up sounds like a good idea.  And it is, yet there will come a time when you're returning from a fishing trip and you're tired, and the last thing you'll want to do is to remove the boat from the bed and store it away. 

Unless you're going to keep the boat in the bed of the truck all the time (that is an option, I've had professor pals who exercised that option)  a boat on a trailer is a better idea.  You get home, throw a tarp over it, bungee the tarp down and you're done.

Some of my thoughts, hope they help, good luck on finding a boat you like.