Bait Boats – Reviews & Information

Yes, that’s right.  If you are planning to head out to the lake this weekend, with a bait boat, then make sure to bring a wide angle lens, as you will be homing in on the biggest and baddest carp in the lake.

My first experience of fishing was as a young boy, going with my dad and his best mate on a Saturday morning down to the lake.  I have fond memories of playing by the lake on a sunny day, but not of catching fish.  And to be honest, not much changed when I got older.  I think it got to a point where I just accepted that catching the enormous monster fish was just something that happened to other people. I fell out of love with fishing and my fishing rod gathered dust is the loft.

Then one day, while trying to distract myself in the dentist waiting room, I came across an article talking about bait boats with built in fish finders.  My curiosity aroused, I set out on a mission to build one for myself. It took me a ridiculously long time, and several trips to the local hobby shop, but I managed it! (I wish I had kept a photo to show you, so you could have a laugh.  I named her Betsy and now she is with Davey Jones at the bottom of Keston ponds).

My first trip out it took me a little while to get the hang of the visual read-out, as being a home built jobbie it was not built into the control.  An hour in, and few sidway shuffles to get near the fish,  I had my first bite!  Not just any bite, but a 26lb carp!  I can’t tell you how excited I was, and since then, I have repeated this success many times, and my passion for fishing has been re-ignited. And it’s not just me, the reports I have been seeing in the forums, magazines and emails is amazing!  It seems like anyone who gets the right bait boat, some good bait and tackle can get results just like the pro’s.

So OK, in some people’s eyes it is cheating.  Sending out a remote controlled boat with inbuilt sonar to drop your hook and bait on the big fishes head does make fishing far easier (How long until they have a laser targeted harpoon gun to shoot your hook straight into the carp’s mouth?) but fishing is a pretty difficult sport to start with. Some will say that making fish easier to catch makes it less rewarding, and others say that catching nothing is the least rewarding of all. My view is that my bait boat (A nice, not so shiny through lots of use, Viper model) makes fishing far more fun.  I feel like a hunter tracking down the big prey. On this site I have put together some information about the different bait boats available for you to have a flick through, and also where to buy it from to get the lowest priced deal. Feel free to tag on your own reviews or success stories using the form at the bottom of each page.

That’s all for now. Here’s to your successful catches.

John McGuinty