Inflatable fishing boats

[gpsposato]

I was thinking about getting an inflatable boat to fish with and was wondering if anyone had one and had any tips on what is good and what to look for. Also, does anyone know if these boats need to be registered in Washington? Thanks!

[A9]

Had a Sevylor Fish Hunter model 280 I believe for a few years. After a year and a half, it started having leakage problems with the air chambers. It's not going to last you for a bunch of years if you use it a lot, but a $150 boat for two years of service when no other boat is feasible is a good deal. Went through 2 in 4 years. Had a good experience with em. All I could afford as a kid.

[fishnislife]

I have an 8' Boston Whaler inflatable that does well on smaller lakes around here. I have a Minn-Kota T36 on it and it does just fine. You could get away with a 9hp Merc on it and you would be flying. Infatables are the way to go for smaller lakes. Look at the break down size and how long it will take you to set-up. I keep mine inflated because of the time it takes to put together. Look at pontoons as well, if you plan on fishing solo these are the way to go. You would be surprised at how much you can take with you and most have mounts for trolling motors. Otherwise if your looking for a real boat save up and go bigger with a trailer. Like Kafelafish said, an inflatable is not going to last you for a bunch of years.
As far as registering a boat, this is taken right from the DMV Boat Registration - Any boat or other water vessel that is 16 feet or longer, has a motor larger than 10 horsepower, or is used on federal waters must be registered in Washington through the Department of Licensing (DOL). Smaller boats must be used only in nonfederal waters to be exempt.


fishnislife

[Lou]

I've also had 2 Fish Hunter inflatable boats. One was the 280, perfect size for 1 person with gear and motor/battery. The second one, the Fish Hunter 360, I still have in my trunk. I keep it ready to go so when I get off work, I'm only 15mins from fishing. I've had them for 1 year each, and so far no real wear. I would definitely recommend these boats.

-Lou

[A9]

Make sure to be pretty gentle with inflatables. Don't drag em up over rocks like you would with an aluminum. Treat it good and you will get plenty of usage out of it.

One major downside: They are a pain to pump up and deflate after every use. Wish I had a truck I could just stick it in the back of, unfortunately it had to be folded and deflated to store in the trunk of a sedan....Motor's are cheap too, standard 30lb thrust minn kota's only run a bit over $100 and you can find them on sale occasionally for like $99.99

Good luck

[Toni]

I had a Sevylor 4 person (2 adults) inflatable when I started fishing as an adult. It was probably around maybe 30 dollars. It did well. I had a pump that I attached to my car battery to inflate and deflate. I just used paddles to get around. I enjoyed it because it allowed me to go fishing on the water and not just on a dock or shore. I think it had 5 different air chambers so if one deflated you were still afloat. One time one did deflate but we were still able to get to the boat launch. That was after I had it awhile. It patched up fine.

[cavdad45]

I had one for a very short time when I lived in Anacortes. To me it was a death trap and I really hated it and constantly worried about losing my gear. Got rid of it and bought a used aluminum for about $200 and never looked back.

My teenage daughters have one now that they like to bring along when we camp. They play around in it, but don't fish from it. Last summer I had to "rescue" them when the wind carried them away faster than they could paddle so I dragged them back with my boat.

If cost is luring you toward an inflatable boat, save up and find a used rowboat or aluminum boat. If it's convenience, look toward a float tube or pontoon.

Just my opinion.

[Derrick-k]

I have an 8 ft costco boat, and I love it. It is plastic and lightweight, and it is sturdy. Caught lots of nice fish out of it.

[dilbert]

I used an inflatable raft from Costco for a few years. It was inexpensive, got me on the water, and lasted several years. In fact, I just sold it this year at a garage sale. The downside is that they are a pain to inflate and deflate and get a little messy when you fold them up wet.

[michaelunbewust]

TARGET HAS A SIMILAR INFLATABLE FOR $29.99 WITH PUMP AND OARS. I USE IT TO FLOAT THE LOWER YAKIMA RIVER. IT WORKS GREAT.

[Marc Martyn]

If it is just for you, look into a pontoon boat.