Need opinions on the bass hunter bass baby boat

[Lynx7386]

So I've spent the past several months looking into various options for a small, easily stored boat to take my wife and daughter out on, and do some fishing with a buddy from. I live in an apartment and have nowhere to store a 'proper' boat, so I've been trying to find something that accommodates that. At first I looked into inflatable boats, but the lakes around here (san antonio) have a lot of rocks and partially submerged trees/stumps/logs, and given the risk of puncturing an inflatable I dont feel safe taking my family out on one - even if it is the cheapest option I've found. I then looked into the porta-botes (never even knew these things existed before I came across one on a craigslist ad). I found one for dirt cheap (a 12' hardly used portabote for 600$, retail on those is like 2400$), but wasnt able to come up with the cash in time before it got sold to someone else. I also heard a few poor reviews about those things, so I'm not sure if they're worth the hassle.

After more research, I came across the bass raider 10e, and there's even a used one for sale nearby for 400$ which seems pretty reasonable (or I could do new for like 600$), but it's a little bit on the large side still. Further digging into the brand brought me to the topic boat: the bass hunter bass baby, an 8 foot with built in wheels, higher sidewalls (seems important for some reason), more handles, dry storage, and all for what seems like a pretty reasonable price.

8' is a little on the small side IMO, but I have a small storage closet at my apartment complex that I can use (it's a 5x8 room with 9 foot ceiling) and that boat should fit in there pretty easily on end, making storage a breeze. Another bonus - though this may also apply to the bass raider 10e, i'm not sure - is that it appears to easily fit into the bed of a truck, which is good because I dont have access to a trailer (or anywhere to park one). My truck is a 2010 honda ridgeline, so it's going to be a pretty rough fit given the small bed, but I think I could manage with some tie straps.

So really I'm just looking for opinions and reviews on this boat, to see if it's a good buy for my needs. In most cases I'll be on the water with my wife and my daughter (who is 1 year old right now, so that might wait a bit), or with a coworker of mine when we're fishing. I also have a 55lb dog that would probably love to ride along, she loves the water. My biggest concern at the moment is weight capacity, given those things - between myself, my wife, and my daughter we're just over the labelled 400 pound weight limit (though the label says 475 if you include equipment, and I plan on using a minn kota electric trolling motor and battery which should be light enough). I'm not sure the bass raider 10e has a much higher capacity though, even being larger.

 

[Maclin]

If you can swing the budget look at storage yards. Some of the limits you are under go away, and your potential family boat enjoyment goes up.

 

[JimS123]

I have no personal experience with that boat, but I have seen others that do.

Our Summer vacation in on the St Lawrence River. Our cottage is on a small bay where the fishing is great and few boats come in. There are virtually no waves, except for boats from other cottage owners.

Two guys at our camp have the boat you are looking at. They go fishing every day.... Unless the wind is more than 10 mph, or its a weekend and other boats traverse the bay. Even under the best conditions they only go out a few hundred yards.

I would not take my wife on that boat, nor any child of mine.

When my boys were small we bought a 14' aluminum fishing boat with a 10 HP outboard. That served us well with 2 adults and 2 pre-teens. If I had to do it over again and didn't have a place to keep it, I would buy that same boat and rent a spot at a storage yard.

 

[Lynx7386]

Anywhere for me to store a boat around here would cost a minimum of 100$/month - I'm pretty much the sole provider for all of our expenses while my wife stays at home with the baby, so even that much is a tough amount to swing, hence why I'm looking for store-able budget boats. Looks like it's back to the drawing board again =/

 

[JimS123]

Budget boats may not be safe as a family boat. Putting a dog in the boat is an issue that I won't even discuss.

Plan one nice vacation a year and rent a boat near the place you go.

As an option, forget the vacation and save every penny as a down payment for a house. Then, with ample storage space, for not much more than $600 you can buy a small tinny that would be safe for the whole family.

When my son was 19 he decided he needed a place of his own. He went into an apartment with a buddy, who soon got into trouble and backed out. Still wanting to live on his own we found a nice fixer upper house for $50K, with a mortgage payment less than half of the apartment rent.

 

[Lynx7386]

What about the similar sundolphin boats? Like these


EDIT: anyways, moving right now isnt an option, I work at the apartment complex that we live at so I get a reasonable discount, I've looked for houses in this area and anything I can find is far more expensive.

Someday a larger boat will be an option, but for now I have to go budget and I'm just trying to find the best thing to fit us. Of course, I showed the bass baby to my wife and she hates it, says it's ugly and doesnt like the idea of sitting above the waterline (she's clumsy as hell, tbh). It's been an absolutely frustrating search finding something that will be store-able, fit in the back of my truck, be safe enough and have high enough load capacity for us, and also be relatively inexpensive (sub 1k if possible).

Any suggestions?

 

[QBhoy]

A good quality inflatable boat these days are tough and robust things. Worth a thought.
Wouldnt even think about the portaboat idea. Just a gimmick.

 

[southkogs]

I have an inflatable kayak here in TN that we use on the rivers a little bit (rocks, stumps, etc.) and it works pretty well. But I wouldn't take a two year old out in it or a 55lb dog.

There's another option out there that you'd have to pick up used, but works pretty well called a Folbot. They're out of business now, but made collapsable framed kayaks. We've got one that'll seat three - and I wouldn't mind taking a 2 year old out in that boat because it's incredibly stable. I've almost always fallen out of it before I've managed to roll it over. The dog would still be out of luck.

They make 8' aluminum jon boats, but I don't know how stable I'd feel they are with two adults, a 2 year old and a big dog. A little kid can do fine on a boat, but they need a little room to move some. Asking a munchkin to sit still for a couple hours is torture for them, but if they have a little room to stomp around and look over the side a little they can do just fine.

My suggestion: get something inflatable that you can enjoy with a bud fishing. When you wanna' take the family out - rent a boat. Might not be the cheapest option but it would fit your main needs for the time being.

 

[Lynx7386]

I have an inflatable kayak here in TN that we use on the rivers a little bit (rocks, stumps, etc.) and it works pretty well. But I wouldn't take a two year old out in it or a 55lb dog.

There's another option out there that you'd have to pick up used, but works pretty well called a Folbot. They're out of business now, but made collapsable framed kayaks. We've got one that'll seat three - and I wouldn't mind taking a 2 year old out in that boat because it's incredibly stable. I've almost always fallen out of it before I've managed to roll it over. The dog would still be out of luck.

They make 8' aluminum jon boats, but I don't know how stable I'd feel they are with two adults, a 2 year old and a big dog. A little kid can do fine on a boat, but they need a little room to move some. Asking a munchkin to sit still for a couple hours is torture for them, but if they have a little room to stomp around and look over the side a little they can do just fine.

My suggestion: get something inflatable that you can enjoy with a bud fishing. When you wanna' take the family out - rent a boat. Might not be the cheapest option but it would fit your main needs for the time being.

Is that Folbot anything like the portabote?

This is the one that's for sale near me (apparently the other buyer fell through, so there's still a chance). It's a 12 foot for 600$, the owner claims it's hardly been used (just a few times on the lake). He's even offered to set it up for me so I can make sure it doesnt leak or anything before buying. Looks like one of the newer models to me, and it comes with a biminy and the attachable wheels.

 

[JimS123]

Someday a larger boat will be an option, but for now I have to go budget and I'm just trying to find the best thing to fit us...... store-able, fit in the back of my truck, be safe enough and have high enough load capacity for us, and also be relatively inexpensive (sub 1k if possible).

Any suggestions?

Safety has to be your main concern. Personally, I don't think there is anything out there that meets your list of requirements.

 

[Lynx7386]

A good quality inflatable boat these days are tough and robust things. Worth a thought.
Wouldnt even think about the portaboat idea. Just a gimmick.

Which inflatables are the 'good quality' ones though?

I was really sold on the intex excursion 5 at first, since it's relatively large and with a 1000 lb capacity I could modify it to my heart's content (wood floor, swivel seats, motor mount, etc.). I heard that the mariner 4 was tougher, but from my research it's made of the same thickness of vinyl.

The RIB's I've found are far more expensive, and dont seem to be any tougher from what I've read. The rigid hull may help stability, but I would think no more than a plywood floor in the bottom of a standard inflatable (which seems to be a very common mod).

Where can I find something with thicker than 30 gauge material without ending up spending the same amount as I would for a full hardbody boat?

 

[southkogs]

Is that Folbot anything like the portabote?

No, actually: very different.

Folbot closed up about two years ago. They were canvas/rubber(ish) hulls stretched over wooden or aluminum skeletons. Very impressive boats. They're expensive, but IMHO worth what you pay. The collapsable hull makes storage a lot easier.

Portabote I've seen used a few times. Not bad for small water and tough to reach places, but I don't think I'd want to make a day out of using one. And I surely don't think I'd take a small child on one. Portable, but not that solid.

The Admiral and I started paddling a little bit last year and are playing with a little inflatable boat we bought. It's a little two person kayak. It solves the portability and storage problem, but not really the issue of a child or dog on the boat.

 

[Sprig]

The size boat and the type of boat you are considering for you, your spouse, child and a dog is simply a disaster waiting to happen. You will be putting yourself and your family (and dog) in danger. Find another pastime until you can afford a decent 16’ or bigger boat for you and family. You will be sorry and disappointed if you get one of the boats mentioned and you’ll be putting your family in danger.

 

[briangcc]

What about outdoor storage at a storage center? Might even look locally as there is a fenced in area that stores boats & RV's just a few blocks away.

Reason I ask this is that munchkins like space, as previously mentioned, and also like shade - bimini or convertible top. Last thing you want to do is overheat your kiddo. Been there, done that, got 20' from the dock before having to turn around. Wasn't fun for anyone on that particular trip.

You're probably looking in the 16' or larger range for your family to be comfortable and include the pooch. Speaking from experience here as I was the charter boat for my cousin's kiddos (who now happen to be teenagers) and now my boys of 6, 4, and 7 months. Shoot - now I feel really old! Space to move around, shade to get out of the hot sun, and comfortable life jackets are key. I do not buy the cheapo Nylon stuff as it irritates my boys so they won't wear them. Later on, they're going to want a swim platform w/ladder to jump off the boat into the water and possibly tube/ski.

 

[Lynx7386]

Yea, you're right. Ideally I'd like to get a small-ish pontoon boat with enough room to walk around on, fish from, and still be in the shade. Guess I'll have to look more long-term.

 

[briangcc]

Renting is a good, albeit expensive, way to find out if boating is something the family is going to enjoy before you drop $$$$ on a boat of your own. Where I stay on our family vacation, bass boats and pontoons are available for rent...albeit around 1k for the week! A local marina to me also rents pontoons on an hourly/daily/weekly basis.It may be an option for you.

We rented in 1998...14' row boat with a 9hp motor. With 3 adults on board in a 6" chop the front passenger (ME) was soaked by the time we got back to the dock. I fixed that issue in '99....see signature Haven't looked back since!

With your Honda Ridgeline you're at 3500lbs max (boat, trailer, accessories) so make sure any purchase fits into that window otherwise you're looking at a tow vehicle update as well.

 

[southkogs]

My main concern for you is the "boating with a little one" part. Kids can boat just fine (and frankly be a lot of fun), but parents have to prepare, and continually be prepared, for the natural restlessness and curiosity of the little mugs. If the boat doesn't suit an active kiddo, more than being inconvenient you risk something tragic.

Make do for the time being or put off what you have to today, to enjoy it fully with your wife, kid and dog later on. It'll be worth the wait.

 

[NYBo]

With your Honda Ridgeline you're at 3500lbs max (boat, trailer, accessories) so make sure any purchase fits into that window otherwise you're looking at a tow vehicle update as well.

The Ridgeline is rated for 5000#.

 

[briangcc]

Depends if you're 2WD or 4WD as to the tow rating. 3500 for the 2WD and 5000 for 4WD.

 

[NYBo]

Depends if you're 2WD or 4WD as to the tow rating. 3500 for the 2WD and 5000 for 4WD.

The 2010 Ridgeline was AWD only. The new generation is available in FWD with 3500# towing.