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4:06 am
Are any of you familiar with "Port-a-botes" ? I know a guy who's got one for sale. Just curious about any experiences with them, good or bad.
steve
2:23 pm
May 19, 2004
Offline
And they float. 😉
(Bunch of wiseguys if you ask me!)
Barry
We may only see what we look for.
2:31 pm
Musky Matt and Barry Surkin, ladies and gentlemen !
{ cue applause}
They'll be here all week....
thanks?
5:01 pm
June 23, 2004
Offline
People who use 'em, love 'em. They've been around for decades, so they definitely have staying power. There was a time that I seriously considered buying one.
For the guy who has so many commitments that he can only rarely get on the water (Steve), it would probably be a good investment. Just take it out for a run to make sure that it doesn't leak.
[[%&]]
With the peanut gallery adding so much to the conversation, it's nice to get a straight answer once in a while 😉
Capt. Dieter Scheel http://www.BigDRiverGuide.com
6:06 pm
Thanks Dieter. I got the impression that they are pretty durable for the size & weight. I guess mostly I'm looking for real negatives. I don't see myself skimming any rocky riffles the way you can in your jet, but it seems like it'd be alright for lakes.
4:52 am
March 26, 2004
Offline
Steve,
I have had a 12' porta-bote for 10 years, and I used it as my only boat for muskie fishing in PA from 1996-2001. I still have it out here in New Mexico and use it to fish small lakes without ramps or when they are drawn down. I used it mostly with an electric, but I did talk to some guys who ran a 6HP and said that was a bit much power for one person.
It worked very well for two-person float trips on the Susquehanna, Juniata, Delaware, and Lehigh; you did need to be careful about the shallow riffles, not because you were going to puncture the thing, but because those black tubes that protect the hinges can get knocked off. It was perfect for small lakes (esp electric motor only). You can stand and fish out of it about as well as an aluminum boat the same size, but you get a waterbed kind of effect, especially if there are two of you fishing.
Mine does not leak. When I didn't use it for a while (two years in my case), the hinges dried out and a little water got in the boat but when they softened up again it stopped.
I've been very happy with it, and have been pretty tough on it. It does take a bit longer to get everything out of the car, get the boat together, get everything in the boat, and get fishing, especially with all the garbage we haul around musky fishing. Now that I have a trailer boat, I just realize that I still have to do these things, just at home before I leave.
Email me if you have any questions. There was a picture of it floating around somewhere in a Susquehanna River discussion from last year sometime.
Chris
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