I’ll never forget the guy who laughed at me as I launched my treasured though cheap boat, a 16-footer, at a ramp on the Tangier Sound back when I was in my early 20s. It was about as cheap a boat as you could find back then but it was what I could afford, and I utterly loved it. This guy with his much larger, fancier boat was launching next to me, glanced at my admittedly ambitious landing net, and said “you’ll never catch anything big enough for that net in that boat.”
Well. I wish he’d been there at the end of the day to see the 35-incher in my cooler.
I have a 16’ skiff these days, too, and I love it with a passion, but I also have an even smaller boat. The mini-boat, as I call it, is in fact quite mini. At 10’6” long and 4’6” wide, the Sun Dolphin Pro 102 has seating for two but is shorter than many modern fishing kayaks. Yet I love that tiny little fishing machine as well and have caught gobs of fish on it, including some rather impressive river monsters.
While a modern fishing kayak is certainly a more efficient fish-slayer and can handle a wider range of sea states, the mini boat has a number of attributes that make it attractive to an angler like me. First and foremost is that I can take a friend along for the ride. Another big factor is the easy launching and retrieving on a trailer, because with my back at my age I’m not thrilled at the prospect of wrestling around a lot of weight. Plus, the entire boat/electric motor/trailer rig can be had for far less than the cost of many top-end kayaks. For those of us who want a new boat but simply can’t afford what amounts to a big, fat new car payment, there are other options that check these boxes, too. Some other underrated fishing machines include:
- Aluminum Jon Boats – These can be tippy so very small ones aren’t for everyone, but get to 14’ or 16’ and a relatively wide beam and most are plenty stable. Aluminum Jons this size can be powered by a mere 15 or 20 horses and still get on plane. They’re sufficient for fishing rivers, tributaries, and protected waterways, and can be customized with all sorts of comfort-adding features like nice seats or decking. And of course rodholders. Lots and lots of rodholders. A new rig can be had for $6000 to $8000.
- Polyethylene boats – Though the Pro 102 I have is out of production, there are a number of other small poly boats on the market today. Sun Dolphin still makes several models including a 12-footer that’s on Amazon for a mere $1400. Add on a trailer and a six-hp outboard and you’ll be hard pressed to exceed the cost of a midrange motor scooter. If there’s more room in the budget, the Veer V13 has been getting lots of attention recently and is sold as a boat-motor-trailer package with either a gas or Mercury Avator electric outboard for far less than most fiberglass boats.
- Fiberglass skiffs – While fiberglass skiffs can be a bit pricier than these other options, you can get a simple hull with bench seats, a small outboard, and a trailer for less than the cheapest compact car on the market. There aren’t a ton of options out there, but if you hunt and peck you can find ‘em.
Everyone would like to have a big, bodacious boat but not everyone can afford one. And many of us who have a large boat still want a little one, too, for hassle-free trailering, ease of use, and minimal maintenance when kicking around in relatively small or protected waterways. Just how little is up to you, but I’ll argue that even 10’6” is big enough. And yeah, I’m bringing an ambitious net.