Inflatables for fishing - Anyone have any experiences?

[sns2]

A very good friend of mine who owns Europa Canopy and Marine just took on a line of inflatables. He says they are sturdy as heck and lots of people use them for fishing.

Do any of you guys have experience with inflatables for fishing with 2 or 3 guys in a boat? All feedback on inflatables is appreciated. But I want to hear about inflatables, not read "Get a Lund." Thanks in advance.

[Sumara]

I have a 10ft Inflatable Duras i bought at the boat show a couple years ago. Me and a friend have fished comfortably in it many times. They are very smooth on the water and very hard to capsize. I have it paired with a 55lb trolling motor and it's perfect for small lakes or if it isn't choppy.

I had originally bought it because it fit perfect in my car's trunk with most of the gear. If you get one i recommend some launch wheels as it makes getting to and from the water a lot easier.

[dutchpirate]

Friends of ours use a zodiac with great success, family of four. The hard floor is in sections so it's easily transported in their truck or jeep. I'll try and get more details from them and post back.

[azn_rice_man]

Been reading up lots on the Intex Mariner 4 and how people are modifying it for fishing. Seems quite popular in the States, even for saltwater fishing in some applications. I just got the Intex Excursion 4 over the holidays and will be starting to build my mods and pairing with an electric trolling motor, too.

[bagwan]

Buy the Seamax as they are as good or better than most. i ran a 380 9.9 yamaha 4 stroke and would still have it but back problems lifting it and kneeling down putting it together made me buy a 16 tinner. Never felt uncomfortable in rough stuff. I saw their ad saying they picked them up. Pump quit and had a new one immediately with no hassle from Kaygee. I would imagine Europa would do the same.

[dutchpirate]

Just heard back from them. They have a Salter that, in their words, "...can go anywhere and they are light and the aluminum floor is easy to clean. You can use both electric and gas motors so it can go on any lake."

[sns2]

Originally Posted by bagwan

Buy the Seamax as they are as good or better than most. i ran a 380 9.9 yamaha 4 stroke and would still have it but back problems lifting it and kneeling down putting it together made me buy a 16 tinner. Never felt uncomfortable in rough stuff. I saw their ad saying they picked them up. Pump quit and had a new one immediately with no hassle from Kaygee. I would imagine Europa would do the same.

Thanks.

Europa is now handling Seamax.

[Headdamage]

I've had a Zodiac in the family since 1975, some one. No problem fishing from it, never put a hole in it.

[Bigwoodsman]

I have no expierence with inflatable boats but I have seen where guys have cut blue styrofoam to fit the floor for added stability and durability. Thought that was a good idea.

BW

[Wallman67]

I purchased a 12 foot Seamax , with aluminum floors, a few years back. Ordered in online from Edmonton . For the most part we loved it . We ran a 12 volt 55 lbs trolling motor on the bow and a 2 hp 4 stroke Honda on the back. We found that lawn chairs worked best with a cooler in the middle for the two of us. I suggest the automatic pump that fills it to the right PSI in minutes and deflates it flat later to go back into the bag. It took about a half hour to set up and the same to de-construct. I also second the transom wheels as it makes it easier to launch and move around. The boat loaded up is quite heavy and will take two guys to move even with the transom wheels . On most lakes we fished in southern Alberta it was good , but on windy days water does come in as the boat is low to the water . We would have to use both motors on those windy days but on a calm day the 2 hp would do just fine . We took it out to a large lake a couple of times and it was quite scary when the large waves came up from the wind , got off pretty quickly. It's nice that it will pack all up and fit into a small SUV . I think we paid about $1800 , sold it last year for $900 . If you look around might be able to pick one up.

[Mountain Guy]

I tried a 13' Saturn with an air floor and a 25 hp merc.
Not for me.
Now I have a lund....

[1bluZebec]

Have a Zebec for seven years now and love it and it's waaay safer then any tin boat under 16' and I can put it in the trunk of a car go down ANY area of a river in almost any depth it will never sink. Also don't need a trailer so storage is never an issue and either is theft. One day when I got a nice bank account balance I'll buy a Lund


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[slamilton]

I've got the Mariner 4 with hard floor and 30lb Minn Kota and works great. Lasted 4 years so far with no issues and lots of use. Could use a little more power but works fine. My parents also have one and no issues with theirs after 5 years. Highly recommend for the price and portability. Got it on Amazon around $300 but may have gone up in price now.

[azn_rice_man]

Originally Posted by slamilton

I've got the Mariner 4 with hard floor and 30lb Minn Kota and works great. Lasted 4 years so far with no issues and lots of use. Could use a little more power but works fine. My parents also have one and no issues with theirs after 5 years. Highly recommend for the price and portability. Got it on Amazon around $300 but may have gone up in price now.

What battery are you using for the Minn Kota? How long does it last?

[Tannerdog]

I have a Zodiac as well as aluminum boat. There are very good points to owning one as mentioned above but one downside I have never liked is the fact that you lose a lot of space inside the boat due to the inflated sides. The Zodiac is nearly 5' wide but you have less than 3' inside for people and stuff.
Great for being portable and safe as it gets. X10 on the electric pump to inflate and deflate though.

[Baitban]

I have a saturn inflatable 11 f for 5 years now, no problems. It has the air floor I must say the floor is great glad I went with it over the AL floor. I inflate it every time i go out takes about 20 min from the Time i pull up till I'm on the water and same getting off. I have a 55lb minkota with the maximizer i have yet to kill the battery only trolling 7+ hrs. Full speed you get 2.5 hrs (5.5kph). 2 people it is not bad 3 people starts to feel tight. I also have a 9.9hp 4 stroke, if I'm alone it will do 32kmh 2 people 20km/h.

I do wish i had went for the 12 f that is my only regret in 5 years with it.

It gets used a lot too. From opening day till Dec 1st last year at least once a week normally more.

https://www.cdnrg.com/products/D121000B is what i use for a battery. No spills no acid no problems with it in 5 years

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Baitban

I have a saturn inflatable 11 f for 5 years now, no problems. It has the air floor I must say the floor is great glad I went with it over the AL floor. I inflate it every time i go out takes about 20 min from the Time i pull up till I'm on the water and same getting off. I have a 55lb minkota with the maximizer i have yet to kill the battery only trolling 7+ hrs. Full speed you get 2.5 hrs (5.5kph). 2 people it is not bad 3 people starts to feel tight. I also have a 9.9hp 4 stroke, if I'm alone it will do 32kmh 2 people 20km/h.

I do wish i had went for the 12 f that is my only regret in 5 years with it.

It gets used a lot too. From opening day till Dec 1st last year at least once a week normally more.

https://www.cdnrg.com/products/D121000B is what i use for a battery. No spills no acid no problems with it in 5 years

How is it when the wind picks up and things suddenly get nasty?

[knots]

I have a 12ft Salter Mountaineer. I use and electric motor on it. Super stable you can lean over the side, stand up quickly no problem. I've had it 2 years now. It can handle a small gas motor as well.

[Baitban]

It Handles the wind and waves good. you can cant go to fast with the outboard when the waves start to break. The hardest part while fishing when it gets above 40km/h wind is going in one direction, just looking down to change out a hook or something it starts to blow you "off course". I have had it out when the waves were much larger than the boat with no problems with stability. It truly is amazing what these boats can take. The waves do start to splash over the bow with 2 people in it at say about 20k/m winds ( all deepens on the lake).

[Supergrit]

I have 14 foot zodiac great boat lots of river trips only problem I have is water leaks up from the floor now went over two many rocks I just have to fix it some how but still a good boat that was after many river trips

[Elk Chaser]

I had a Zebec for years and it was great. After my divorce I down sized to a Salter and I love it. It is rated for a 15hp (OMFG) you would have to be nuts to put that motor on the transom. I have a 2hp lehr on mine. I can also put a 6hp tohatsu on if I want. You ride on top of the water and don't displace the water. great boats.

[slamilton]

Originally Posted by azn_rice_man

What battery are you using for the Minn Kota? How long does it last?

It is a Walmart Deep Cycle. I have never really timed it but for sure I would get 4hrs at least depending on wind/speed etc. It has always lasted the weekend if you are careful to conserve. My parents have a second back up which I need to do this year.

[Jack&7]

I have a 10' Zebec and I love it. Have had a few inflatables over the years and love this the best so far...only wish it was a 12 or 13 footer. I throw a 10 hp evinrude on the back and go thru anything. great little fishing rig for those small lakes with poor access as I also have the transom wheels.

I will never sell it.

[Trout Addict]

I have the Sea Eagle Foldcat going on 7 years.

Only had to patch a few tears which where completely my fault.

I've taken it down the bow on a overnight trip to Straight of Georgia Salmon Fishing. 3.5HP for big water and 50lb thrust Mine Kota for small.

All in all a damn good boat for it's portability. It really is a boat in a bag.

I dont venture out so far that I couldn't high tail it to shore in a few minutes if things got hairy.

Also great size if you fish solo a lot. I do stand and fly fish off it with ease.

I hope to find a 12 foot inflatable that has similar seating but can take a bigger motor to cover more water.

Definitely a upgrade from my belly boats of the past

[ericlin0122]

I have my seamax for 6 years. The boat has been on lakes and rivers, and it performs well.
9.9HP takes me anywhere, and electrical motor for lakes with gas motor ban.
Pros:
1. stable to fish, you can lean on one side without feeling of tipping over. Great for fly fishing.
2. can be packed up small for transportation
3. they are durable, floating down bow river no problem. drag it on the rock shore no problem.

Cons:
1. heavy, takes time to assemble. I ended up getting a trailer for it, and it sits on the trailer permanently now.
2. oar sucks. if you want to use it mainly for rowing, then you need to modify the oar system. I extended my oar (and use round wood rod insert to make it stronger) and replace the oar lock with metal instead of factory plastic.
3. usable space inside is way smaller than you think.


It's a highly customizable boat, I am pretty sure you will come up with the mod you need for the boat.

[azn_rice_man]

Originally Posted by slamilton

It is a Walmart Deep Cycle. I have never really timed it but for sure I would get 4hrs at least depending on wind/speed etc. It has always lasted the weekend if you are careful to conserve. My parents have a second back up which I need to do this year.

Awesome, thanks for the info!

[nast70]

Friend of mine has a Zebec, I think is a 12'er. He modified the hitch bumper to hold the bundle and his little outboard. Works for him. They do get a bit wet in rougher waters though.

[Vook]

We have an 11' Aquamarine boat. Aluminum floor. 45lbs Minn Kota motor.2 adults and 2 kids. Pretty happy with it. Check Costco site, they have a $750 boat.

[SamSteele]

My buddy has two. The first is a Zodiac Fish n Hunt (12') and the second is a Zebec 14'. He uses a 20 hp Yamaha 4 stroke short leg on it.

Pros:
- Easy to take up north without worry about rocks chewing up your boat and trailer.
- Easy to pack up and assemble on site. Can even take it in with a quad tub trailer if you like.
- We use a Stihl leaf blower to fill it up about 80% and then the foot pump to finish the job.
- Stable but wet ride in rough water. We have taken it across a large northern lake and then had to come back across 4' whitecaps and rollers. I didn't feel unsafe, but the back got pretty sore.
- Tough units. Neither one has had any issues with holes from hooks. The one had a small pinhole that developed where the floor rubbed a corner when folded during transport. Zebec patch units seem better than the Zodiac ones.

Cons:
- Wind blows you around a lot. You will need to anchor if you want to cast a specific spot. Also tends to wander a bit while trolling if there is a good cross breeze.
- Lack of floor space. This is probably the biggest issue for me. The pontoon sides cover up a good 6-8' of floor surface, making a big dent on the amount of room you have to haul gear as well as making for good spots for things like pliers and spreaders to hide.
- Time to set up and take down. It isn't difficult to do, but you don't just toss your stuff in the boat, back it in and take off. You have to unload it, install the floor boards, inflate it, hang the motor, fill it with your gear, and then go. Not bad for a weekend but I wouldn't want to be hopping from lake to lake in a single day.
- Seats aren't the best. You end up sitting on the sides a lot, but that can be uncomfortable in rougher weather. Standing up and casting is possible, and we have fished 3 guys out of the 14' Zebec, but you have to be careful with your backswing.

Overall, I like them for certain applications. Specifically if you are short on storage space, don't have a truck to tow, or don't want to double trailer. They also do really well running rough roads where you wouldn't want to tow a boat. That said, if I had my choice on the water I would pick an aluminum of the same size anytime.


SS

[SamSteele]

SS


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