plus the cost of accessories.
No matter what type of craft you choose, each can be customized to meet your needs and personality. My personal choice is a kick boat. i own two: an outlaw escape and outlaw rampage. Both are part of the dave Scadden Signature Series from North Fork outdoors. each is fully equipped: a custom six rod holder, gps electronics, two tackle bags loaded with gear, oars and trolling motor (human powered of course). i frequently use the smaller escape for fun fishing. For tournaments, i add a custom livewell to my rampage and i’m ready to go.
When it comes to storage, going small has its advantages. You don’t have to worry about parking, boat covers or Mother Nature when you’re not on the water. Both my boats and fishing gear fit nicely in a corner of the garage. When i want to go fishing i just load the back of my truck and off i go. When i reach my destination, i can easily handle getting on the water without an extra set of hands. at the end of the day it only takes 15 minutes to break everything down and put it away.
Going small helps make you a better angler. First of all, you need to do your homework before you hit the water. a game plan is essential because you don’t have the option of running all over the lake. once on the water, you learn to fish each section methodically and pick it apart. Finding a pattern and exploiting it.
Countless times i have seen a bass boat fly into a promising area, drop the trolling motor, fish for ten minutes, then speed away.
Personal fishing craft put you in close contact with the water. in a belly boat or kick boat you are no longer on the water, you are literally in it. This directly connects you to the fish’s world and helps heighten your concentration on the task at hand.
one of the early pioneers in float tube and kick boat bass fishing is rich Caro, owner of CatchemCaro Bait Company. according to Caro, “stealth” is the secret weapon. “You can fit between and behind docks, access shallow areas and get in close. Places that never see a lure. to be successful, a quiet presentation is an important skill to have in your arsenal.” With increasing pressure on many well know fisheries, going small gets you fishing where the big boys can’t. This is a real advantage.
Planning, observation, focus and execution are not new concepts. Just good fundamentals regardless of what fishing platform you use.
Going small offers an excellent entry point into tournament bass fishing. all over the United States, and as far away as italy, South africa and Japan, clubs have sprung up offering tournaments for the little guys. one of the oldest of its kind is the Sonoma County Belly Boat Bass Club (SCBBBC) of Santa rosa, California. Back in 1983, club founder rich Caro
Issue 3 August 2011
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