I have been fishing from the shore for 3 years and I think I want something to take me to the middle or around a small lake. Here are my choices:

Choice 1:http://directboats.com/solobasshunter.html

Choice 2:http://www.amazon.com/Sevylor-Fish-Hunter-Inflatable-Boat/dp/B000K8R0VY/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1201875409&sr=1-26

Number 1 with a 30lb trolling motor would do you great! Those things are actually quite stable. Good luck.

A small canoe wouldn't be a bad choice either... anything to get you on the water...

Thats what I was thinking also. Thanks for the feedback. Also do you know where I can find a cheap 12V deep cycle battery.

I have a Sea Eagle SE-9 with the fishermans dream package and it works great on ponds and lakes. The only issue is that it gets blown around in strong wind so you must have an anchor. It is also large enough for me to bring a buddy or my dog.

www.seaeagle.com

It looks great. It is a little higher than I thought of going and the Solo Bass hunter has a bigger platform but I will still keep it as an open option.

FLBassMan: are those one man Solo Bass Hunters stable enough to stand and cast from??  THANKS!

kickbasskid: I apologize for asking a question on your thread. I kinda like the looks of the Solo Bass hunter myself and just wanted to know how stable they are once anchored:o)

Kickbasskid,

I would be more interested in the size of the batter than its cost.

I know Wal-Mart has those yellow batteries but they are actually a little larger than others on the market.

With the boat you select you will need to save space.

And be sure to get a battery charger so you can trickle charge the battery between trips.

Popeye the question was good. Thanks for the feedback.

It depends on cost,how are you going to carry it,etc.I have had three canoes and that would be my last choice.The bass hunter is around 350.00,i had a gentleman win a creekboat.com at a du banquet and gave it to me i then bought a canoe cart,depthfinder and had a sheet metal man make a seat frame like the bass hunter and put a seat on mine,it is good on ponds with little wind,i would not use it on lakes.If you watch craigslist you can purchased a used jon boat cheaper than the bass hunter and have more room.

Good news. I presented both the sea eagle se-6 fishermans dream package and bass hunter to my dad he said we could definatly get the sea hawk and there is still a good chance that the Bass Hunter could prevail. If I get my mom who is always the tougher sell than I will have my own rig by next month.

I'm sure there are others who feel differently but IMHO an inflatable boat rarely makes a very good fishing platform.  It would do in a pinch when you need to portage through the woods or when your transportation won't carry something else but you'd probably enjoy something more stable and which sits higher up in the water.  Was that a sentence run on or what?

FLBassMan: are those one man Solo Bass Hunters stable enough to stand and cast from?? THANKS!

absolutely!  there's an older man who fishes behind my house all the time in one of these things and he's all over the boat.  standing, turning, leaning to get fish, etc.  (and no disrespect to him, but he's not the most sure-footed individual)  you should have no problems in a rig like this.  good luck.

Well I knew my mom would be a tuff sell but she said no before I even showed her the price for the Bass Hunter. So she said I have to buy it all by myself. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Do not buy the Sea Eagle Se-6.  If you need to buy it yourself save up and get the SE-9 or a jon boat from Craig's list.  The SE-6 cannot hold sufficient gear.  If you wait you will be happier in the long run.

I am 13 and I rarely ever bring a 2 rods with me. I also use poles of up to 6'6" since I prefer spinning outfits.

I'm in the same situation except I'm 17 and have a job. I've been looking around for about a month (water's frozen around here until end of march so I'm in no rush).  I was thinking about the solo but then decided my 6'6" rods would be a tight fit along with all my gear, and a buddy of mine may want to join me every now and then.  I was talking to people on another fishing forum and they said that the double pontoon design (as the solor Bass Hunter) has, makes it stable enough to stand and cast with ease.  Anyways, my two choices are now this

http://www.directboats.com/bashunfisboa.html

or

http://www.directboats.com/ulbashun.html

I'd rather get the 2nd one obviously, and it'll come down to whether I got a pay raise or not.

If you're only using 1 rod and don't have to walk through the woods then the inflatable may not be such a bad idea. I wouldn't stand in it though

good luck  

I have one of them 8 ft sevylor boats you were considering and would be happy to sell it for a reasonable price considering i just bought a 12 ft aluminum. If your interested shoot me a pm and we can work something out

I , personally, would much rather save a little $$ and buy a used jon.   Less $$-much more boat

They are modify-able, last a lot longer, stabler, and offer a much larger platform.  

Jon's to 12' can be handled alone.

Either a jon or a canoe is the way to go.  Yeah, I went there.  I just bought a 15 1/2 ft canoe and I love it.  A buddy and I went out yesterday, tore up some bass and had a great time.  It was stable, had plenty of room, and did a wonderful job in the wind.  I couldn't be happier.  The plus side is you don't have to have a trailer or a truck to transport a canoe.  Mine is big, but it only weighs 70lbs.  So me and a friend can whip it around pretty good.  There are smaller ones available too.  You'd just have to find a dealer.

The brand I bought is a Pelican.

I have a 10 ft john boat that works great for fishing out of . I can put it in anywhere . We have killed 12 ft gators with it

Or a Gheenoe is even better http://www.gheenoe.net/thirteenft.html

they make them custom for you I got a 10 ft gheenoe

here is a 12 ft gheenoe that will carry a load

Stay away from the inflatables.

Inflatables arent that bad when you are strapped for cash and rig them right. Mine had anchors in the front and the back so the boat didnt move much in the water when i didnt want it too. also had a trolling motor on it so i got where i wanted with very little to sometimes no problem at all

I used a pontoon for a little while until a crankbait treble happened to puncture one of the pontoons in 25 feet of water. I tried a canoe for a while ,now almost 90% of my fishing is from a kayak. I would stay away from the inflatables. I have a small fiberglass boat that I am trying to sell, we could work something out, take a look in the ads section.

If you can save up the money try and find a Bass Hound. I bought a used one for $400 and there not uncomon to find at that price. i wouldn't trade it for any other small water boat in the world. I love fishing out of it with my wife it is perfect for any situation. I realize a new one is rather spendy but IMO it is worth every penny.

http://www.directboats.com/basstender102.html

Harshman

Stay away from the inflatables.

I have several Sea Eagle inflatables.  They are the best fishing money I have spent.  I fished in my SE 6 today.  Great product.