Korea_Bassin

I am looking into purchasing a Porta-Bote. I do not currently own a truck or SUV. Can anyone tell me if it is feasible to transport the Porta-Bote on the roof of a sedan? If so, do you have any recommendations for a non-permanent rooftop rack? Also, if you know of any reasons that I may be disappointed in the Porta -Bote, feel free to let me know that as well. Thanks in advance. (I currently have a Sea Eagle 9 but want to upgrade to something a little more comfortable and stable although I have enjoyed my Sea Eagle.) Also, if I end up buying the Porta-Bote, I am faced with whether I want to buy a motor for it or stick with my current trolling motor for significantly reduced performance. I want the motor, but what are some things to consider that I may not have thought about yet. I'm looking at the Suzuki 4 or 5 HP, Nissan 4/5 HP or the Briggs Stratton 5HP. Any recommendations? Thanks again.

You can get their Master Catalogs this way, but I don't think you can get the Limited Edition Hardcover 1400 page catalog like this. If I'm wrong, let me know.

Have any of you ever used one of these? Who can afford to? They sell for $79.99 each!!! Can you imagine the bad cast that lands one of these in a tree? OUCH! An entire fishing trip ruined with one cast. I fished with a guy who was using a similar (cheaper I would think) model and that thing was incredible. Looked like a real injured minnow when jerked around on top and the fish were hitting it like crazy. Any recommendations for similar (cheaper) models?

When the fishing is really good, that's the time to throw your favorite topwater bait. Theres nothing like the explosion of a bass hitting a topwater lure. My favorites...a buzzbait, a Jitterbug, a rubber frog, a Sammy. (Don't make me narrow it down to just one. :-/)

Here is a pretty good review of it: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewdaiwatierra.html

Why do you ask them not to send it to you? It's free.

Anyone here know when Cabelas will release the Limited Edition 2008 Spring Catalog? Also, do you know how you get on the list to receive one? I received one last year for the first time for some reason but would like to continue receiving it if possible. I have heard some say that if you receive it once, you will stay on the list for a few years. Anyone know if this is true or not? For those of you who may not have seen this catalog, it is the most awesome outdoors catalog I have ever seen from anywhere. It is almost 1400 pages, hardback, and tabbed to different sections. If you can get your hands on one, I guarantee you'll like it whether you ever purchase anything from Cabelas or not.

Yes, they do have Snakeheads here. They are a very aggressive fish too and put up a heck of a fight. I have never caught one although one jumped out of the water chasing my crank bait one day when I was bass fishing last year. It was right in front of me and scared me half to death when he came out. I saw it clear as day when he broke the water. I bet it was over 20" long. A Korean I guy I was fishing with a couple of years ago caught a small one (3 lbs?). Wow, they are a ugly/mean looking thing. There is a guy who is the most famous Snakehead fisherman in Korea who runs a fishing store not too far from my house. Here is a link to his website if you are interested in seeing some of the photos and you can also see some of the tackle they sell here: shinsfishing.com The website is mostly in Korean, but you should probably be able to find a link to some photos. I just noticed that he is sponsoring a Snakehead tournament in March. Maybe I'll see if I can get into it if it doesn't cost too much to enter. Looks like they had one last year too that I wasn't aware of either. The Snakeheads are caught in murky, brackish water. The more grass, moss, or any other kind of growth in the water, the better. Because of that and the heavy fight those things put up, guys use some really heavy tackle with 40-60 pound test line when they fish for them. They usually use a topwater frog or mouse with a small blade tail. Another difference in those topwaters and the ones we normally use for bass is that they usually put a thin strip of lead along the bottom to improve its action/commotion on the water. They usually use bright flashy colors too (pink, yellow, black and red striped, etc.) I guess this was probably a bit more information than you were looking for, but I hope you find it a bit interesting. Enough rambling. Later.

I too have the Sea Eagle 9 and have enjoyed it a great deal. I use it with a 65 lb. thrust trolling motor and it zips around small lakes pretty well. You definitely need an anchor with it though if you plan to fish in windy conditions. Before adding my trolling motor, a friend and I were out on a small resovoir one day when the wind kicked up a bit and it blew us to the end of the resovoir. Try as we might, rowing wouldn't pull us away from the wall we were up against and our launch site was upwind. Luckily, it was only about 400 yards away. If you plan to use it around rocky areas, I suggest always keeping a repair kit with you. I have punctured mine twice but the repair kits do a great job. Even with the punctures, it didn't deflate rapidly and I never had to cut an outing short. The four air compartments are a great idea. Sea Eagle makes some pontoon boats as well if that is what you have your heart set on and although I have never used one, I would have to say that I have been satisified with the quality of my Sea Eagle raft. I am currently considering upgrading to a "Porta-Bote" though.

Thanks for the warm welcome from everyone. I look forward to encountering you again here in the forums. M_Fields....I'm no longer in the military as I retired in 2006, but I'm still working for the DoD here in Korea. Skilleth...As for the Bass fishing here in Korea, it is a rapidly growing sport. However, their is a clear division between bass fishermen and other types of fishermen. The main type of freshwater fishing done here in Korea is carp fishing. The fishing channel on TV is 45% carp, 45% ocean fishing, and 10% bass fishing oriented it seems. The carp fishermen despise bass as they aren't indeginous to Korea and they claim that the bass eat the young carp and hurt the carp population. But as I said, it is gaining popularity and they even have two bass (they call them pro) bass leagues. None of the "pro" bass fishermen fish for a living and the top prizes are under $5,000 usually. I have fished a few of their pro-am tournaments (best finish - 4th) and some of the amateur tournaments (no boats allowed....bank fishing only....too crowded...never had any luck). They are a ton of fun and a great way to meet some nice Koreans. As for the fish, there is a lake on the east coast that has the largest bass in Korea. 5 pounders aren't uncommon coming out of there. They don't have smallmouth here...only largemouth. I'm not sure what the record is for Korea, but I'm relatively sure that it isn't more than 11 lbs. They use the same style of baits that we use in the US although they really like finesse fishing....mainly drop shotting (they call it "downshot"). Well, that's a little info for you here. I'll post some other information on here later that I find interesting about fishing in Korea...both bass and other. Good luck to all and happy new years.

Would you say that it is feasible to transport the Porta-Bote on the roof of a sedan? I currently don't own a truck or SUV, so I'm wanting to make sure this is something I will be able to get to the water. Thanks for the input.

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm leaning towards going for the Porta-Bote. Now, I just have to convince the other half of the joint banking account that its a good idea. ;D

Are any of you located in Korea or have been (Bass) fishing here in the past? I have been here for several years and have been fishing here for the past few of those years. If you are in Korea and enjoy bass fishing, drop me a response and maybe we can get a trip hooked up.

I currently own a 9' inflatable Sea Eagle but am thinking of (upgrading?) to a "Porta-Bote". I've seen several good reviews of those boats. Have any of you had any experience with these? If so, please provide input as to whether you think I will be disappointed or will enjoy this boat and the reasons why, If any of you have any ideas other than the Porta-Bote that you think I should consider, please chime in. I believe I could probably get a decent used aluminum boat for near the same price, but I don't have storage space for that nor do I have good means of towing it either. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.