Two Man Boats - Aluminum Jon Boats or
Fiberglass 2 Man Boats Called Crawdads, Pond Jumpers, Stump
Jumpers, Pond Prowlers
All of my readers hear me talk
about fishing the lakes that are close to my house and they are not big enough
for my big bass boat.
You can bank fish and see the
big ones breaking the top
of the water out in the middle of
the lake and not be able to cast to them, and say to yourself I sure wish
I could get to those big
ones.
This is where the two man boats
come in handy and are easy to get into the small lakes and
ponds.
The small boats can be
fiberglass or you may
choose the Aluminum Jon boats.
The small fiberglass pond jumpers like
Uncle Buck's Pond Prowler Boat - 9'
are used in calm and small
lakes and should not to be
taken to large lakes. Most of the time the power comes from a trolling
motor or paddles and usually carry one to two
persons.
The small boats, either
fiberglass or the smaller Aluminum Jon boat, can be loaded in the back
of a truck and pulled right up to the lake.
The fiberglass two man boats
are also known as Crawdads, Pond Jumpers,
and Stump
Jumpers.
Which Aluminum Jon Boat Should You
Select?
The Aluminum Jon Boats come in lengths from 10'
to 18' and I suggest
if you are going to have it in the back of the
truck, go with the 10
footer.
If you are going to use it in
larger lakes that you will be running a
gas motor on the back, go
with a 16 or 18 footer.
The boat is rated for what is
the MAX Horse power can be
mounted on the Jon Boat. The rating information
is usually displayed on a metal
I.D. tag on one of the seats.
DO NOT... repeat...Do NOT think that you can
run a larger horse power
motor on it.
The rating tag will also give
you the amount of people and weight that is recommended.
What Equipment Should I Load On
The Two Man Boat?
You have to stop and really
plan the loading of the two man boat because
it is not like your big
boat that you can put everything in.
First, you need life
jackets:
this is a must seeing
the boat will not be as
stable as the big one and chances of getting
wet are greater.
I recommend no standing up in
the small two man boats,
and make sure both of you do not
lean over the same way. If you do, make sure
that you both have a spare change
of clothes and more fishing equipment.
Second is the power
source:
Either paddle or trolling
motor, and I would suggest
a small paddle anyway in case your battery wears out
and you find yourself at the
other end of the lake.
Limit Your Tackle and Ice Chest
Size:
You only have 1/10 the amount
of space and no sense in
taking every rod and reel you own. Do that and you will
deposit one or two in the lake;
been there and done that.
Where in my big boat, I carry
a large ice chest; in the small boat, I carry a small six pack ice
chest.
Do Not Overload or Imbalance
The Small Two Man Boat Plus Think Safety at All
Times
Most of all, do not overload
to boat with either tackle or go over the boat's recommended rated weight for safe
operation.
You will want to distribute
the weight and balance the
boat out or just one person leaning too far one way may get
both of you wet.
The one biggest thing is you
really have to practice being safe in the small boats. It can be the best day on
the lake or a great big
nightmare because you did not follow the rules.
What About
Kayaks?
They have come out in the past
years with Kayaks that are used for fishing also, but I have not tried
one.
This boat will really
try you as far as what to take.
The storage is very limited and will restrict you on what you can take and
can not take.
Do I Have To Register And
Put The Decal Numbers On The Two Man
Boats?
In my part of the country which is Tennessee and
Mississippi, it depends on where you are fishing. If you
are fishing area ponds, you do not have to register either
boat.
If you go to a large lake, it must be registered with the
state wildlife office and the decals (registration
numbers) secured to the side of the two man boat.
If you do not have number decals on the side of the
boat, you better have the registration slip in your
pocket showing you have applied and have not got the letter
back yet. The wildlife resource officers around here
love to write tickets.
Check and verify the
regulations
for your state yourself concerning the registration
requirements for the two man boats and kayaks because
the fines can be high.
Pick The Right Day For The Two Man
Boats
I have attached a picture that was taken this
past Feb 09 of my little two man boat along with my two
nephews.
We were about
to tackle a lake close to the
house.
The only problem with
this day we went is we
should have taken an ice pick instead of a rod
and reel.
It was still great to be out
and enjoy nature even though we did not get to catch any fish that
day.
Notice
the registration numbers on the boat?
Last But Not
Least:
You will notice that you can
get in some spots that the
fish have never seen what you are throwing and your
chances will increase on
getting that Bass Hog.
Do not be surprised
when you do hook a hog
that he or she drags you around a little.
Keep The Hooks Wet!
Steve
McGoldrick
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