Yes that would be great! The boat I had was also a sears gamefisher 10'. But it had a very low weight cap @ 245# was rated for 1 person. So, I sold it.

What are the weight caps on yours?

the weights on most 10s are low, I've fished 2 adults in it before, but like i said you have know your limits. Fishing it with my daughter has never been an issue at all,  but I think mines is about the same maybe like 275.

That's very true.

I have found that tracker 1032 has a weight cap of 320#. When you got a small boat every # counts.

So, its looking like the 12' or the 10' tracker for me.

But, I will keep yours in mind.

Thanks   

Get a couple of fishing kayaks.

x2

Relatively inexpensive, no registration required, easy to carry, and can go places even a tiny john boat can't squeeze into.

And if you get the right boat, you can stand, and carry a ton of gear.  My boat is rated for up to 600 lbs, and its FAR more stable than any jon or semi-v I've been in.

Prior to getting my current boat (2002 18' Lowe) , I had a Buster boat, Trophy model.  It came on its own little trailer, 10'long by 4'wide.  It was an amazingly stable little boat.  It would hold 2 guys and a modest amount of gear.  They only come one way - fully rigged.

Built in cooler - built in live well, comfortable seats, trolling motor, depth finder all wired in.

I don't know their web site address, but you can Google it.  If you're looking at a 2 man boat, these are a really good 2 man boat.

Ever hear of a GHEENOE?

http://www.gheenoe.net/index.html

Not sure you can get them up there, but they are very stable and  fishable boats, I would venture to say more than any kayak short of outriggers.  If I didn't have my Jon boat purchased and owned already I would get one in a instant.

I bought the Pelican Bass Raider boat from Sports Authority. I got it on sale for $400, it retails for around $650-$700. It has more than enough room for two adults, let alone an adult and a kid. Both my Brother and I get on it and have plenty of room, I'm 6,1 225 and he's 6,4 230. Just make sure you buy the 10 foot if you get it so you have enough room for tackle box and stuff.

Problem is it's not good for rough lakes, but what small boat really is though. It's awesome for inland lakes.

It fits perfectly on top of my girlfriend Durrango.  I wish it was winter so I could take pictures and show you.  I just put some padding up top so I don't scrape the roof.  You really save a ton of money with this boat because you don't have to buy a hitch or trailer. 

Hi everyone,

I'd like to thank everyone, all of these post have been very helpful. i just came back from looking at the radisson 14' canoe. It looked good on the website but, i think its to cramped not much room to move around. So, it looks like a bass hunter (raider) or a 12' jon boat.  Smallmouth41 are you putting the 10' raider up on the roof by yourself? I usually fish alone, my 13 year old son has taken alot of interest in fishing' so he sometimes comes along. I need something light enough to handle myself.

I hoping to get the Basspro shop within the next couple of weeks. Keep you posted. Only 3 months til spring  :'(

Last summer I bought a BPS 10' Pond Prowler.  It's 48" wide, has two raised seats like the Pelican pictured above, and weighs about 110#.  It fits great in the back of my pickup truck, and probably would your van if you can haul 4x8 plywood.  Weight capacity with gear is something like 600 pounds.  It will easily hold two adults comfortably, sitting or standing.  I only use it on a couple local small electric only ponds, and it's great.  Highly recommend for what I understand you to be talking about.

Dave

you should be able to get the boat on top pretty easy i put one on top of a blazer before it wasnt to bad but between the 12 foot jon and the plastic in the long run you could customize the jon a bit more with decks and stuff depending on stability but the plastic one is pretty nice and stable and it kinda has decks allready

on a side note idk if you will have the problem with a new one but a friend of mine gave me a old pelican bass raider and he had it outside for a long time but it would leak water inside the pontoon part  but it may have been cause he didnt take care of it

Sorry for the late response, yeah I put it up there myself.  It's easy for me since I'm an amateur body builder, been lifting weights since I was 15.  But, my Dad complains he couldn't do it.

What I do is put some foam up on the roof, lean the boat on the Durango and then grab it from the bottom, I then let the boat slide on the foam on top of the roof.  I find foam a lot better than any rack system since you would probably need two people to mount a boat on the rack system.

Hi everyone,

I'd like to thank everyone, all of these post have been very helpful. i just came back from looking at the radisson 14' canoe. It looked good on the website but, i think its to cramped not much room to move around. So, it looks like a bass hunter (raider) or a 12' jon boat. Smallmouth41 are you putting the 10' raider up on the roof by yourself? I usually fish alone, my 13 year old son has taken alot of interest in fishing' so he sometimes comes along. I need something light enough to handle myself.

I hoping to get the Basspro shop within the next couple of weeks. Keep you posted. Only 3 months til spring :'(

jon boats are fine, pound your local craigslist, also RI and CT, they're a dime a dozen.  Great Canadian has a canoe that'll be plentry for you and your boy and when your running those solo trips, you'll be able to stand and fish, or just stretch out if you have to.

Be very careful modifing a jb tho, I dont recommend decking a 10 or hardly a 12 for that matter.

Hey guys

Never made it Basspro shop. I'm a member of MA fishfinder. Met a local angler that sold me his whole set up. Crawdad jonBoat, trailer, minkota, battery, seats, ect.. all for $600.Didn't what to bother with a trailer, but price was good & still have enough $ for trailer hitch & maybe some new tackle ;D. Can't wait till spring to try it out!

Congrats on the find. I think you will like the crawdad.

Better off with a trailer. It will save your back immensely.  And with a trailer you can leave gear in the boat.  Saves time and work.

I am hoping someone will have some advice for me in choosing between a Pelican Bass Raider 10E ($679.99 @ Gander Mountain) and a 10' Pond Prowler ($749.99 @ Bass Pro). I have several small lakes (bass/tiger muskie) within a block or two of my house and have decided on one of these over a jon boat. I live near both Gander Mountain and Bass Pro, and while Gender Mountain has the Bass Raider in store (for me to see/touch/lust over), Bass Pro does not have the Pond Prowler in store. I am mostly interested in hearing if one is of better durability/quality than the other. Any info. to help in my decision would be appreciated. Thanks.

i think you would be happy with either boat.to me they seem similar.i have two 10 ft pond prowlers and they are comfortable and sturdy and easy for me to load in the back of my truck.i cant think of any negatives about them.

You won't go wrong with either of the two boats.  I have a 10yr old BR 10E and it's built tough.  It's got tons of scuffs and scratches on the bottom from dragging on the ground by previous owner, but there are no cracks or punctures.  While I've never been in a Prowler, I've seen and felt it in person and determined it to be just as well built.  You have to be totally negligent and reckless to tear them up.  The first thing to go is usually the seal where the top and bottom sections are attached.  Based on the prices you listed, I'd go with the BR (Not because I'm a BR owner), but because the BR is $70 less expensive.  That way you'll have $$ to get a new deep cycle battery from Sam's or wally world.  In the end, it's your buck.  Do what you're comfortable with.  You can also check CL for used ones too.  Good luck.

I'd go with the BassRaider since it's cheaper. Check out your local sports authority, I know lately they have been putting a lot of stuff up for sale cheap.

I checked out the pond prowler and it's looks just as good.  Seems to have a few more features than the bass raider, like the livewell in the middle.

I am hoping someone will have some advice for me in choosing between a Pelican Bass Raider 10E ($679.99 @ Gander Mountain) and a 10' Pond Prowler ($749.99 @ Bass Pro). I have several small lakes (bass/tiger muskie) within a block or two of my house and have decided on one of these over a jon boat. I live near both Gander Mountain and Bass Pro, and while Gender Mountain has the Bass Raider in store (for me to see/touch/lust over), Bass Pro does not have the Pond Prowler in store. I am mostly interested in hearing if one is of better durability/quality than the other. Any info. to help in my decision would be appreciated. Thanks.

When I was looking for my boat. I found that the Bass Raider 10 or 10e was $599 at walmart & $28 to ship to mass. Cheapest price & shipping I found anywhere.

Also I, noticed that the Bass Raider was 50" wide & the Pond Prowler was 48" wide. Don't know if 2" will really make a difference in stability or transporting it?

Good luck with what ever you choose!

I just measured my BR 10E and the bottom only measures 44" wide  :-?.  However, the boat does measure 50" where the top and bottom sections are joined together, which is above the waterline.

the pond prowler boats fit perfectly between the wheel wells in my pickup truck, i would think since this is how most people transport them the bass raider boats would be made them same.if your not in a hurry to buy a boat check Craig's list occasionally you might find a deal.

Thanks for the info. fellas.  Aceman...is that "livewell" in the pond prowler useful, or not really?  It seems like the extra $70 would just get me the livewell and padded seats (although they look to be just mildly padded, not the really big soft ones).  In the meantime...I agree that checking craigslist is a good idea.  Thanks again.

Bump!.....Bass Raider or Pond Prowler?

It seems the Pond Prowler has a bit more hp capacity. 5hp motor vs. 3.5 max for BR?

Also write-up for the Pond Prowler says "rib" design is for more stability for two adults to stand and fish.   This is KEY for me.  I love fishing from my canoe...but I HAVE to stand..and when I take others with me...they don't like me standing in the canoe (a bit tippy!).

Has anyone actually fished from both boats?  Any stability difference?

i didnt read all the post but look at the River Hawk line of boats. They are verygreat for 2 people and great stableablity

Thanks Tayler, you did reply earlier in this thread.  I checked out the river hawks...look great but are 2-3x the cost of these two boats.

I can pick one of these up at the local dicks for $550 right now.  I can get a Nissan 4-stroke 3.5hp motor for $900...if these are stable boats. I could have comfy boat with motor to get my dad out with me (he can't handle the canoe) for $1500 without the hassles of owning a full-fledge fishing boat/trailer/etc.

I just want to be sure if there is a difference between the two stability wise I get the more stable of the two.  It seems on the pond prowler the livewell might actual just take up valuealble leg-room (i'm 6'6"!)