12-18-2015, 12:40 AM
I know this is an old thread but would like to chime in and might help other members. I currently use an inflatable for fishing. I started of with the Intex excursion 5 which I bought from KSL used for about $80 then found a great deal on another Intex boat this time for a Mariner 4 $50 used. Couldn't pass that up. I like the Mariner 4 better since it was easier to handle fishing solo. I have a 2.5hp Suzuki motor i used for both boats and it chugs a long fine with them. Its not even close to a speed boat but its a lot better than rowing. Compiled a list of pros and cons with inflatables.
Pros
-Beats shore fishing IMO. I like to troll so it allows me to bring my bait where the fish are.
-Little storage space.
-no trailer needed.(although i do want one now so i cant just launch when i get to the lake)
-Can fit in any car(i personally drive a 99 honda accord)
-Cheap way to get on the water.
Cons
-Setup time. I inflate and deflate the boat every time. Typically it takes me about 15-20 mins to set everything up and be on the water. This is not blowing the boat up that usually takes only 10 mins to do but also putting on the motor mount, getting my fishing gear ready, putting oars on and such. Putting it away is much easier only takes me about 10 mins to do that since deflating is a lot faster.
-Easily blown by the wind. Sometimes when i'm not trolling i like to drift fish but the wind blows you a lot faster since the boat is so light.
-Higher chance of leaks/holes. This can happen to any boat but since its an inflatable of course its not as tough as a aluminium or fiberglass boats.
All in all i'm happy fishing out of it and it actually made fishing for me much funner than shore fishing! I couldn't catch squat shore fishing! Having a boat also made me love troll fishing which i'm not really able to do on shore. I'm currently modding my boat over the winter to install downriggers on it so I can take it to Strawberry for some kokannee fishing. Also looking into taking it out to Puget Sound to do some salt water salmon trolling as well!
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Pros
-Beats shore fishing IMO. I like to troll so it allows me to bring my bait where the fish are.
-Little storage space.
-no trailer needed.(although i do want one now so i cant just launch when i get to the lake)
-Can fit in any car(i personally drive a 99 honda accord)
-Cheap way to get on the water.
Cons
-Setup time. I inflate and deflate the boat every time. Typically it takes me about 15-20 mins to set everything up and be on the water. This is not blowing the boat up that usually takes only 10 mins to do but also putting on the motor mount, getting my fishing gear ready, putting oars on and such. Putting it away is much easier only takes me about 10 mins to do that since deflating is a lot faster.
-Easily blown by the wind. Sometimes when i'm not trolling i like to drift fish but the wind blows you a lot faster since the boat is so light.
-Higher chance of leaks/holes. This can happen to any boat but since its an inflatable of course its not as tough as a aluminium or fiberglass boats.
All in all i'm happy fishing out of it and it actually made fishing for me much funner than shore fishing! I couldn't catch squat shore fishing! Having a boat also made me love troll fishing which i'm not really able to do on shore. I'm currently modding my boat over the winter to install downriggers on it so I can take it to Strawberry for some kokannee fishing. Also looking into taking it out to Puget Sound to do some salt water salmon trolling as well!
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