beezy Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 Hey guys, I currently swimbait fish for bass from a float tube and it's not the ideal solution. I'm looking into buying a small boat for use in San Diego lakes like Lake Murray or El Capitan. Do you guys know of any boats that I don't have to get a trailer for? A boat that I can just put on top of my toyota highlander suv? I'd appreciate any advice from you guys. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSlant Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 I don't use a small boat but there is a thread on small boats...what about kayak?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggfeast Posted December 6, 2015 Report Share Posted December 6, 2015 Kayak, ultraskiff, bass hunter, pond prowler... I've only used a kayak out of these options, but believe they can fit on top of an SUV. basskickinrednick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-20 Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Portabote. No idea how it actually fishes, tho. If you have the storage space, I'd prob go with a bare bones 12' Jon with a hand control TM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunkerglx10 Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 I put a Hobie pro angler 12 on top of my Honda civic. Looks pretty god damn ridiculous, but gets the job done. I have the Yakima cross bars on top of the car, and just strap the yak down with those. They work awesome, especially if your car is a lease because they don't require the drilling of any holes to mount. The PA is probably around 120 lbs for reference, if that helps. SpaceGhost 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beezy Posted December 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 (edited) I forgot to say that I already have a hobie kayak and it's still not as stable as I want it to be. The main issue being the wind pushing my kayak. I wanted a more stable platform, more specifically, a smaller boat with a trolling motor that has a foot pedal. I know it sounds like I may be asking for too much but I find that it's pretty hard to steer my kayak or float tube while bass fishing and trying to stay on a certain spot. But I'll definitely look into the options that you guys suggested. I'll post on here if I find something I like but I would definitely appreciate more inputs. Btw, I really appreciate the inputs so far guys. Thank you. Edited December 7, 2015 by beezy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoopdaloop Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Do you have a tow hitch? Why not get a jon boat? You can trick those out for pretty cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beezy Posted December 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Do you have a tow hitch? Why not get a jon boat? You can trick those out for pretty cheap. No I do not. That is for the foreseeable future. Right now I'm only looking for something that can be stored on top of my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishDr Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Try a 1-man pontoon in the 8-9' range. Lots of people put a TM on those for increased speed/range and if you also wear find you can use your feet to hold position really well. I roll with my fins on every trip and add the oars for bigger ponds & lakes and find it works very well. You can throw the whole thing on the roof or take the pontoons off and just put the frame up there. If you partially deflate the pontoons you might even be able to slide it into tha back of your rig. My 8' 'toon fits in my short bed pickup when the air bladders are about 3/4 full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jace D Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Not sure how big the rack is on your vehicle but the Topper jonboats made by Tracker are made exactly for that purpose (hence the name "Topper") They are a lightweight, riveted aluminum, flat-bottomed jonboat and they are good upgrade from a tube or kayak. I believe they come in sizes from 10-15ft and are relatively inexpensive. My brother had a 15 ft model that we added a front deck to and put a trolling motor and 15 hp outboard on. He had a trailer for it but it could be lifted onto a vehicle without the motors or deck. A smaller 12 ft model would probably be ideal for you since it's a bit narrower than the larger 15'. Bass Pro Shops sells them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtrwsel Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Check out the Pelican Bass Raider from Academy. It weighs 92lbs and 8ft. I still have mine from 20 plus years and its still kicking; awesome little platform for small waters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahai808 Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Pond Prowler would be awesome. People put them in the bed or a truck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadinesmom Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 get a tow kit put on that thing, no reason not to, it is cheap. right now there are a ton of cheap bass boats out there in ca because of the drought. strike while the iron is hot! I picked up my 84 tracker for $1000 about 6 years ago and have never regretted it one bit. you'll be much happier in a boat that is designed for fishing, especially if you have a decent place to park it where you can leave all your gear inside for the quick hook and go. Go aluminum, go cheap, go old, it takes the stress out of fishing when you know your investment is low and you dont have to worry about blowing up a 20k motor like i've seen happen to a few guys i know. brock194 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin721 Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 Ive got a 14ft aluminum valco jon boat that we have put on an acura mdx. Its gonna be for sale soon in the bay area if anyone is thinking about looking at one up here by the way (: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Addict Posted December 7, 2015 Report Share Posted December 7, 2015 stay away from a portoboat/foldaboat, there are a million other boats that are way better. Also stay away from inflatable stuff unless it's a rib (rigid inflatable boat) or a quality one like Avon with a hard bottom and a wooden transom. Look into a Nu Cannu, coleman crawdad or a small bass tender. The nu Cannu is the nicest option and has a ton of after market parts so you can trick it out. A wave kayak is also a good platform, you can mount a gas motor on it and you can navigate through waters with current with confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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