Getting offshore
An angler’s connection to his or her boat can, in some ways, be likened to the relationships shared by more familiar pop culture duos like the cowboy and his steed. In addition to the many angling advantages that a wide variety of watercrafts provide, fishing vessels hold special places in our hearts due to their inseparability from so many of our best stories, and dearest memories.
The aforementioned connection between angler and boat is explored in acute and entertaining detail,
in outdoor writer and television personality Steven Rinella’s ongoing web series entitled “Das Boat”. The show’s star and centerpiece is none other than Das Boat; the somewhat-dilapidated, aluminum manifestation of the archetypal North American fish’n boat, whose outer appearance does everything but describe verbally, the typically hilarious, sometimes outlandish, and always entertaining stories of chasing fish as semiresponsibly young adults. In addition to the large fleet of aluminum fishing boats that are partially to thank for generations of great fish stories, an untold number of inflatables, ‘car-toppers’, and other similarly un-seaworthy crafts have been used ambitiously for fish-related purposes. Though they are sometimes the subjects of ridicule, less-conventional modes of aquatic transportation like the float tube are useful for a variety of reasons, particularly for individuals to whom labels like ‘fish bum’ are commonly ascribed.
If we know anything at all about angler behaviour, it’s that fishing effort is a very dynamic thing, and it follows a semi-predictable progression. At certain stages of an angler’s life, obstacles related to the accessibility of fish tend to emerge, and many anglers’ ambitions for pursuing fish may exceed their ability to finance necessary, yet expensive tools such as fishing boats. Some particularly eccentric anglers have responded to this by attempting to fish out of makeshift vessels that would appear more at-home in a Tom Sawyer or Robinson Crusoe story, or on the set of a Tom Hanks film. Nonetheless, many more affordable and adaptable options exist now to help anglers who are in the early stages of getting offshore.
Second-hand canoes have long functioned as fishing vessels, but more effective alternatives like the fishing kayak and standup paddle board have rightly found their niche in the recreational fishing market. Smaller ‘jon’ and aluminums boats referred to as ‘punts’, or ‘cartoppers’ serve a similar purpose, and make excellent fishing boat options for anglers who are mechanically-inclined, and promise to enjoy the process of making some basic, fishing-related, and personal modifications. Casting and poling decks, rod racks, makeshift livewells, and custom paint jobs are among the many simple additions that make functional personal fishing vessels out of bent and riveted aluminum.
Inflatables of a wide variety have also earned spots in the armada of recreational fishing vessels, and possess their own set of unique advantages that have resulted in their more recent popularization. Improvements in building materials have allowed for the creation of float tubes, pontoon boats, zodiacs, and drift boats that are simultaneously durable, affordable, highly portable, and almost infinitely versatile. Though not as appealing to anglers with ‘reasonable’ standards of personal comfort, float tubes, which can be purchased for a cost no greater than that of a few tanks of gas, can provide many years and miles worth of fishing usage in waters that would otherwise be the stuff of dreams for shore anglers. At the other end of the spectrum, high-tech inflatable boats such as the Watermaster Kodiak are available for a higher, yet relatively modest cost, as fishing vessels that are literally sea-worthy under the right conditions. Having personally resorted to using the latter of these two options, I can confirm that I do enjoy greater access to a vast expanse of new potential water—all without the added costs of gas, insurance, launch fees, transportation, and storage that are associated with the purchase of a more high-tech boat.
Like many other things in recreational fishing, the recruitment of a good vessel is a reflection of personality and style, and also a result of the angler’s persistent desire to see around the proverbial (or literal) ‘next bend’. Though modern technology and manufacturing have provided many solutions to the problems that are inherent in so-called sportfishing, there remain many reminders of the ingenuity and motivation that make it virtually impossible to keep anglers from exploring the new water that is the subject of their endless and optimistic speculation.