Inflatables

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:34 pm

Would little rubber boats, types used in summer by kids, be any good for fishing close to shore in?
Ive heard stories about this but bever thought it to be a good idea due to hooks and holes and the dreaded hiss...

But if I were to find a way to reinforce the rubber, would it be possible to fish with reduced risk of puncture?

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:38 pm

ummm aberdeen hooks and rubber boats sounds dangerous devil

id get it a go in about 3ft of water big grin

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:46 pm

Seems like a really bad idea fella, inshore? 150yd, 200yd? no way; not with 2 stray hooks and a fighting bass on. Dont risk it. A rowing boat would be better but i wouldnt do that either.
But your ingenuity will catch you fish in different ways winking

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:49 pm

Im just in need of new ways lol - I cant afford a boat and shore producing little - either taht or im a **** fisherman lmao

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 7:14 pm

Kayaks or patience are what you need. Don't go near inflatables unless they are semi rigid and have a decent motor.

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:20 pm

NO NO NO NO PLEASE DONT
every year we hear of people drowning
about 12 yrs ago two small children near here were on the beach playing they both died with one of them being washed up dead in sheringham two weeks later all because of those b****y toys
you put hooks with that and well you have just signed away your life
by all means enjoy your fishing but do it safely
cheers steve

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:10 pm

Ok, I think its safe to say fishing in inflatables is a stupid idea and should not be attempted by anyone. Even an idiot like me big grin

Thanks all...

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:43 pm

try a kayak never fished in one but have used one good fun and exercise and dont cost a fortune must be fun fishing in one as you can get close to your quarry with no noise
give it a go i,m sure there are places you can hire one for the day
good luck

Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 9:47 pm

Come to think of it I know someone with a small kayak, but are sports kayaks the same as fishing ones?

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 5:50 am

Problem with rubber boats is that the wind and not the tide have the biggest influence on them. A lot of folk assume that because the tide is comming in it will keep them relatively close to the shore. This is true up to a point, if you have a stiff breeze you could end up a mile to a mile and a halve out to sea before you realise it. especially if your attention is drawn by something else ie fishing. Ok lets get an anchor I hear you say, sorry lads I don't fancy an anchor abd chain in the bottom of a rubber boat. Just how long do you think it would stand up to the wear and tear?

There I had my tuppence worth. Tight Lines. keith

Joined: Apr 30, 2008 Posts: 4

I have an old Zodiak inflatable with a wooden floor, i have used that for fishing a couple of times recently and its worked a treat, i have an old 4hp engine and i can quite happily pootle along, i have an anchor for when i want to stop, its great fun, you just need to ensure you are extremely carefull with stray hooks and always take your mobile and let someone know where you off to.

Kiddys inflatables not such a good idea very soft plastic rubber compared to strong rubber polythene in a "proper" inflatable.

Theres my half pennys worth big grin

Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 2:22 pm

we used a 4hp outboard and i would never ever again
we were comming ashore in our 17 footer ,in a bit of swell at full throttle ,we could not keep up with the breakers ,one went past us , we thought we were fine but the following one picked the boat up with 3 on board ,it then lifted the outboard off of the back of the boat which turned us side on to the breaking waves ,which turned over the boat ,
i realy thought that was it , gone to see my maker, luckily none of us got trapped under the boat which was by now floating about a foot above the rocks
needless to say we went out the next day and bought an evinrude 40 hp
so please be carefull , enjoy the boating but be safe
cheers steve

Member Joined: Jul 09, 2008 Posts: 17 Location: dartford

many years ago i built a pbk 20 insted of covering it in canvas i ply skinned it very time consuming put a small sceg on the bottem. used it for fishing of greatstone anything up to two miles off . my friend skinned his in fiber glass his was not as fast but both were so stable we could swop canoes at sea . we ended up giving them to a boys club. im to old for that type of fishing now at 64 but it was great when i did it

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 1:56 pm

Don't suppose you can afford it but my mate and I use a portabote with a six horse 4 stroke which pushes it along at about 15 knots. Obviously we never go out in more than force 3 or 4 winds but it is fine up to around 3 miles off shore and of course in any harbour or estuary. All up cost new would be around £2k at present. Agree with others - forget rubber boats for fishing not only is there the risk of punctures but you can't lean over the side anywhere near so well as you can in a proper boat. If I could choose anything else I would have a 16 ft Orkney dinghy - don't need a lot of power and rides well in the water, you can sometimes see second hand ones for quite reasonable prices.

Guest

Your cheapest safe option, as you probably don't want to spend a fortune on a boat and outboard, with all the hassle of launching and retrieval, is sit-on-top kayak.
An easy to handle kayak for a reasonable price new, or even less used, is a Bic Bilbao. Very strong, stable, and perfectly ok for fishing up to half a mile offshore in suitable conditions.
You mostly only need three hundred yards off the beach to get a massive advantage over the shore angler.
You will have to buy a bit of safety kit, a dry suit is the best option at £200, plus another £50 on bouyancy aid and flares, wet boots etc.