thinking of getting an inflatable for fishing

mark1981 · 02 August 2010, 19:21

hi everyone im new and have been thinking long and hard about getting a infltable and outboard and doing some fishing from it . im looking at carrying myself and one other to fish in it. i have looked at zodiac and engine wise yamaha and mariner . im looking at maybe a nw engine with a 5 year warranty and also a new inflatable as some come with a 5 year warranty as well . can anyone give any advice please on this type of setup and i know safety comes prior eg radio , life jackets , courses , flares etc hope i get some good feed back and hopefuly meet some fishing buddys to travel out with in the inflatables ... i dont mind second hand if anyone is selling up but im very fussy with the condition and maintenance , forgot to mention im only probably going to get a 5hp or a 6hp will these be safe and get me around ok i dont expect super speeds but from what i have seen on you tube the honda 5hp goes well and also the mariner 6hp and the yamaha 6hp

Maximus · 03 August 2010, 10:22

I had as small ''squidgey'' Zodiac with inflatable hull and alloy boards for a few years with a 20hp Blueband Merc.Great fun for all the family and a GOOD fishing boat,shallow draft not bad in as chop and very economical.I'd go for a low hours 2nd hand outfit..you can save a packet!
Whatever you get,all the best

I would say, Go for the biggest engine/inflatable you can...6horses does'nt get you in very fast if it does 'blow up''.

mark1981 · 03 August 2010, 11:48

thanks maximus , how about if i was say 500 to 1000 yards out

Mollers · 03 August 2010, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark1981

thanks maximus , how about if i was say 500 to 1000 yards out

You need something that will at least plane and you'll need some sort of keel.

Sharkbyte · 03 August 2010, 22:12

Hi Mark

Welcome to Ribnet, good to see a fellow Essex man on here.

The most important question of all.....what are you looking to catch?

Sizeable fish that would put a real bend in your rod, or a few tiddlers for an afternoon's fun?

Ultimately this will help decide what type of boat / engine package suits your needs, and avoid a costly, not to mention dissappointing, waste of time.

Cheers

Wayne

mark1981 · 04 August 2010, 08:26

thanks mollers and sharkbyte , well basically some bass cod and some smoothys , im located near thurrock and would like to travel to different areas if i did get one i have seen 10lb to 15lb rays being landed on a kiyak with minimal ish effort apart from bringing it up so i thought a inflatable would be a bit more comfortable and as enjoyable as a kiyak but you have a engine i know there are some differences between the inflatable and kiyak i guess the kiyak would stay afloat better than an inflatabe and more boyant .

m chappelow · 04 August 2010, 12:15

What you have to consider is the internal length of the boat and will it be big enough ,,with a 3.5 mtr boat your internal usable space size is down to around 3 mtrs,
also the tube diameter makes a big difference ,,bigger tube diam better sea keeping qualitys but then slightly less internal room .
its not a bad idea sitting in a boat and picturing where you will sit and where all the kit is going to go .,,

thornbackflound · 09 August 2010, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark1981

thanks mollers and sharkbyte , well basically some bass cod and some smoothys , im located near thurrock and would like to travel to different areas if i did get one i have seen 10lb to 15lb rays being landed on a kiyak with minimal ish effort apart from bringing it up so i thought a inflatable would be a bit more comfortable and as enjoyable as a kiyak but you have a engine i know there are some differences between the inflatable and kiyak i guess the kiyak would stay afloat better than an inflatabe and more boyant .

Wellcome mate, another fisherman up for fishing off a sib,dam good fun,with double figure hounds,and light spinning rods,the fun is watching your rod tip bend into the water,lol,scary as well,sib fishing is the best

Sharkbyte · 11 August 2010, 01:20

Hi Mark

Sorry for the late reply.

To be honest, if you want to catch decent sized fish, such as smoothies, cod and skate locally (Essex), you are normally going to need to push out a good few miles +.

There are occasions when species such as the big cod and skate can be caught inshore, but it's not very often. River Crouch probably best for the skate, far north of Essex, and into Suffolk, for the cod.

I don't know anywhere in Essex that yields quality, and reliable, smoothound sport inside of 6-7 miles steaming.

Shane's part of the world tends to produce much closer in, so depending on the size of boat that you're thinking of getting, Kent may be a better bet (not too far for you).

If you are looking for a rig to take you right out off of Essex, the sport available is unreal! Virtually guaranteed double figure cod, smoothies, skate, every trip.

PS. If it cut up really rough, I know which craft that I'd want to be in.....and it ain't a plastic log. ;-)