#1 23 Aug 2021 at 3.51pm
I have been looking at some of the cheaper bait boats on Amazon and was after people's thoughts.
I am going back to the lake we went to last year and a bait boat would be quite handy. I can cast roughly to where I need but a boat would get me on the spots under the branches. It is not a long way out and I won't be dropping off loads of bait as prefer to catapult out my free offerings. I have seen some low-cost boats on Amazon and am a little tempted. I don't need GPS or hours of battery life or huge distances or big hoppers and these lower cost boats seem to be ok for that (I know you get what you pay for and I know reliability may well be an issue). My biggest concern would be relating to the boat tipping the rig in the water. I use a large hook (size 4) and a large single hook bait (20 mm boilie) with a little stick of mix on the end. Would the presentation be ok?
I just don't carp enough to justify spending hundreds.
Link to the cheapy boat
AHWZ Fishing Bait Boat
I have been looking at some of the cheaper bait boats on Amazon and was after people's thoughts.
I am going back to the lake we went to last year and a bait boat would be quite handy. I can cast roughly to where I need but a boat would get me on the spots under the branches. It is not a long way out and I won't be dropping off loads of bait as prefer to catapult out my free offerings. I have seen some low-cost boats on Amazon and am a little tempted. I don't need GPS or hours of battery life or huge distances or big hoppers and these lower cost boats seem to be ok for that (I know you get what you pay for and I know reliability may well be an issue). My biggest concern would be relating to the boat tipping the rig in the water. I use a large hook (size 4) and a large single hook bait (20 mm boilie) with a little stick of mix on the end. Would the presentation be ok?
I just don't carp enough to justify spending hundreds.
Link to the cheapy boat
AHWZ Fishing Bait Boat
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In reply to Post #1
Actor . . .boatmanuk.com
The latest iteration has ironed out a lot of the previous niggles . . .
Actor . . .boatmanuk.com
The latest iteration has ironed out a lot of the previous niggles . . .
In reply to Post #2
Another one for the actor I have a toslon x boat but my dad has a actor boat and I'm really impressed with it, if I was in the market for a cheap boat that does everything you need I'd be looking at one
Another one for the actor I have a toslon x boat but my dad has a actor boat and I'm really impressed with it, if I was in the market for a cheap boat that does everything you need I'd be looking at one
In reply to Post #1
have a look at big lake bait boats, sounds like just what yo need
have a look at big lake bait boats, sounds like just what yo need
In reply to Post #4
Actor 👌
Actor 👌
In reply to Post #6
I would say the Actor range from boatman. I have the new mk4 with sonar and its better quality that more expensive boats.
Brent
I would say the Actor range from boatman. I have the new mk4 with sonar and its better quality that more expensive boats.
Brent
In reply to Post #6
dont worry about the rig being tipped out if you didnt have a weight on the line it would make a difference
but think about it the weight simply TOWS the rig straight vertically to the bottom !!
a boat that is getting rightly so rave reviews and is now the number one budget boat has to be the Actor range a quality boat for sensible money
starting at £220 like this one LINKY POO
oh and an important point unlike other cheap bait boats YOU CAN use a Deeper sounder without interference on these boats
dont worry about the rig being tipped out if you didnt have a weight on the line it would make a difference
but think about it the weight simply TOWS the rig straight vertically to the bottom !!
a boat that is getting rightly so rave reviews and is now the number one budget boat has to be the Actor range a quality boat for sensible money
starting at £220 like this one LINKY POO
oh and an important point unlike other cheap bait boats YOU CAN use a Deeper sounder without interference on these boats
In reply to Post #6
just used a actor mk2 with gps in france for a week and got to say I was well impressed.
the battery lasted all week, the gps was accurate to about 1 meter ( I only used the home function which was set just in front of my swim) its easy to control the boat to send out so did not set way points.
only down sides are the on off switch in the cap but I added an external switch so that's sorted.
if you load stick bait it can stay in the hopper when dropped but I just used chopped boilies and added liquid on top and had no problems.
I think the latest boat has 2 central hoppers with straight sides so that problem has been sorted.
for the money I would recommend it, far better that the reaper,
its fast enough and turns on a dime
just used a actor mk2 with gps in france for a week and got to say I was well impressed.
the battery lasted all week, the gps was accurate to about 1 meter ( I only used the home function which was set just in front of my swim) its easy to control the boat to send out so did not set way points.
only down sides are the on off switch in the cap but I added an external switch so that's sorted.
if you load stick bait it can stay in the hopper when dropped but I just used chopped boilies and added liquid on top and had no problems.
I think the latest boat has 2 central hoppers with straight sides so that problem has been sorted.
for the money I would recommend it, far better that the reaper,
its fast enough and turns on a dime
In reply to Post #9
I've brought one for my French trip, my 1st ever boat, its had a trial run as a tester, and I surprised myself with my performance (I'm not great with remotes/anything tech, although I wasn't fishing or loading rigs/bait, it was so easy to control. No sonar on mine, just the standard with 10ah battery.
I've brought one for my French trip, my 1st ever boat, its had a trial run as a tester, and I surprised myself with my performance (I'm not great with remotes/anything tech, although I wasn't fishing or loading rigs/bait, it was so easy to control. No sonar on mine, just the standard with 10ah battery.
Hi all,
Does anyone have recent experience of an actor bait boat as per this thread?
Many thanks.
Does anyone have recent experience of an actor bait boat as per this thread?
Many thanks.
In reply to Post #6
I got a wave runner boat from eBay for £300 a few months ago and so glad I got it as I also looked at cheaper options and I saw videos of some and to me they didn't seem good or reliable enough to buy one,I looked at one and the hopper on the back didn't put bait out properly by the looks of the video they provided,only by chance I saw they wave runner and luckily enough they were working in same area as I work so I popped and looked at it and it had a brand new battery and was in excellent condition and so far so good,actually caught a fish using it to out a bait out where I couldn't cast to.
I'm off next week for few days and now I'm getting used to it I've got a plan of how I want to use it and where I'm going to fish with it also got a plan B if someone's in that swim as a fall back plan.
I got a wave runner boat from eBay for £300 a few months ago and so glad I got it as I also looked at cheaper options and I saw videos of some and to me they didn't seem good or reliable enough to buy one,I looked at one and the hopper on the back didn't put bait out properly by the looks of the video they provided,only by chance I saw they wave runner and luckily enough they were working in same area as I work so I popped and looked at it and it had a brand new battery and was in excellent condition and so far so good,actually caught a fish using it to out a bait out where I couldn't cast to.
I'm off next week for few days and now I'm getting used to it I've got a plan of how I want to use it and where I'm going to fish with it also got a plan B if someone's in that swim as a fall back plan.
In reply to Post #11
you get what you pay for. my personal experience with an actor was terrible. Main hopper only intermittently opened. Far too light and unstable for the job. Range is another challenge...would imagine fine if fishing up to 70yds. Battery was good. Rear hopper worked well but main one was hit and miss. If fishing close in go for it. if looking for smith to take baits out at range look elsewhere would be my advice.
you get what you pay for. my personal experience with an actor was terrible. Main hopper only intermittently opened. Far too light and unstable for the job. Range is another challenge...would imagine fine if fishing up to 70yds. Battery was good. Rear hopper worked well but main one was hit and miss. If fishing close in go for it. if looking for smith to take baits out at range look elsewhere would be my advice.
In reply to Post #12
Yep. Now my experience of the actor mk2 boat is based on 2 trips to public waters in France in the last year & my son's experience who has owned one for a few years now and used it a fair bit on his local lakes (in France). Firstly, super cheap and the battery life is great. I have 2 x 10ah ones and did use both during the last trip but only because i was using a deeper on it and hence used it for finding spots as well as dropping rigs. It's easy to use, never had a problem with the hoppers not opening but did find that when using a lead free leader on a rig and placing it in the front hopper, the leader would get sucked into the props causing a major problem. Solved by placing the rig in the rear hopper - never had a problem after that. No other problems with the boat at all.
It does what it is meant to do although i never fished at long range, probably at 90 - 130 yards max on very small spots. It's tricky to see in the day at long range, much easier at night and helps if you switch the front light on so you know when it's facing you (day and night). I used the deeper in mine with a range extender and it was ideal. A bit of a faff but worked well. My mate, on the same trip, used the model with GPS and fish finder built in. The finder was ok - not as detailed as the deeper readings but good enough and simple to use. He/we couldn't get the gps to work properly but didn't try too long.
I fish in France a fair bit and have never felt the need to have a bait boat as usually have a proper boat to use but a couple of the lakes we've been fishing recently don't allow proper boats hence the reason for buying the Actor. At £200 or whatever it was, for a couple of weeks fishing a year it has already served me well. My lad has used his for 3 years now and has been pretty reliable. Any issues he's experienced have been as a result of a broken wire to one of the battery terminals. His boat has the switch on the inside, mine has the exterior switch. So personally, can't fault it. Wouldn't recommend using it on a big lake but for smaller waters I don't think you can go wrong.
Yep. Now my experience of the actor mk2 boat is based on 2 trips to public waters in France in the last year & my son's experience who has owned one for a few years now and used it a fair bit on his local lakes (in France). Firstly, super cheap and the battery life is great. I have 2 x 10ah ones and did use both during the last trip but only because i was using a deeper on it and hence used it for finding spots as well as dropping rigs. It's easy to use, never had a problem with the hoppers not opening but did find that when using a lead free leader on a rig and placing it in the front hopper, the leader would get sucked into the props causing a major problem. Solved by placing the rig in the rear hopper - never had a problem after that. No other problems with the boat at all.
It does what it is meant to do although i never fished at long range, probably at 90 - 130 yards max on very small spots. It's tricky to see in the day at long range, much easier at night and helps if you switch the front light on so you know when it's facing you (day and night). I used the deeper in mine with a range extender and it was ideal. A bit of a faff but worked well. My mate, on the same trip, used the model with GPS and fish finder built in. The finder was ok - not as detailed as the deeper readings but good enough and simple to use. He/we couldn't get the gps to work properly but didn't try too long.
I fish in France a fair bit and have never felt the need to have a bait boat as usually have a proper boat to use but a couple of the lakes we've been fishing recently don't allow proper boats hence the reason for buying the Actor. At £200 or whatever it was, for a couple of weeks fishing a year it has already served me well. My lad has used his for 3 years now and has been pretty reliable. Any issues he's experienced have been as a result of a broken wire to one of the battery terminals. His boat has the switch on the inside, mine has the exterior switch. So personally, can't fault it. Wouldn't recommend using it on a big lake but for smaller waters I don't think you can go wrong.
Thank you for the updates
I would only be using the bait boat on two of the waters I am currently fishing, and I have a question around the rig presentation.
I can see that the rig can go in the main or rear hopper. And on newer models, there is a rig holding hook at the back - I'd be concerned this hook holder could blunt the sharpness of the hook, so would opt for the hopper.
My question is: when the rig and lead come out of the bait boat, they will of course drop vertically straight down. Polar opposite to casting from the bank and fethering the line thus making sure the rig isn't directly on the lead.
Any thoughts/soloutions?
I would only be using the bait boat on two of the waters I am currently fishing, and I have a question around the rig presentation.
I can see that the rig can go in the main or rear hopper. And on newer models, there is a rig holding hook at the back - I'd be concerned this hook holder could blunt the sharpness of the hook, so would opt for the hopper.
My question is: when the rig and lead come out of the bait boat, they will of course drop vertically straight down. Polar opposite to casting from the bank and fethering the line thus making sure the rig isn't directly on the lead.
Any thoughts/soloutions?
In reply to Post #16
Not sure about the rig holding thing. Haven't got one of those on mine... But, treat it like a cast... stop the boat over or just beyond the spot depending on depth, tighten up and drop on a tight line - always works for me 🤷♂️. Edit... type of rig you're using will make a difference here... stiff boom to kick bait away etc if you're that concerned... rig foam maybe?.. one issue with the actor is the hoppers are small and a longer hooklink won't lay flat in the bottom of the hopper.. just pointing this out but there are solutions...
Not sure about the rig holding thing. Haven't got one of those on mine... But, treat it like a cast... stop the boat over or just beyond the spot depending on depth, tighten up and drop on a tight line - always works for me 🤷♂️. Edit... type of rig you're using will make a difference here... stiff boom to kick bait away etc if you're that concerned... rig foam maybe?.. one issue with the actor is the hoppers are small and a longer hooklink won't lay flat in the bottom of the hopper.. just pointing this out but there are solutions...
In reply to Post #17
Cheers Nick.
Have a look at this link for the hook at the back. It is a change that seems to be on newer Actor boats: https://boatmanuk.com/product/bait-boat-actor-plus-compass-9ah-basic-in-black/
Cheers Nick.
Have a look at this link for the hook at the back. It is a change that seems to be on newer Actor boats: https://boatmanuk.com/product/bait-boat-actor-plus-compass-9ah-basic-in-black/
In reply to Post #18
I like the look of that boat & may overcome the small hopper issue i edited in my last post! Looks good to me, be interesting to see what other's think of this one?
I like the look of that boat & may overcome the small hopper issue i edited in my last post! Looks good to me, be interesting to see what other's think of this one?
In reply to Post #19
I've had that one prob 12 months now only used maybe 12 times to bait up with in evenings. And it's been faultless. I use it as one big hopper instead of having the divide.
My runs true never had to calibrate it.
I've had that one prob 12 months now only used maybe 12 times to bait up with in evenings. And it's been faultless. I use it as one big hopper instead of having the divide.
My runs true never had to calibrate it.
In reply to Post #6
I would go for a Boatman Actor boat BUT !!!!!!!
make sure its a Compass model as the others wont steer so straight
I would go for a Boatman Actor boat BUT !!!!!!!
make sure its a Compass model as the others wont steer so straight
In reply to Post #17
I've used a boat once, in France, and it was an Actor. I used a knotless knot with 20lb Kontour hooklink (it's thick and kicks the rig away from the lead). Rig foam on the hook and the rig laid on top of the bait in the hopper. Only issue I had was birdlife following the boat and trying to get the foam. Was surprised at how much I enjoyed using it as I had been vehemently against them previously. Still cheating in England though.
I've used a boat once, in France, and it was an Actor. I used a knotless knot with 20lb Kontour hooklink (it's thick and kicks the rig away from the lead). Rig foam on the hook and the rig laid on top of the bait in the hopper. Only issue I had was birdlife following the boat and trying to get the foam. Was surprised at how much I enjoyed using it as I had been vehemently against them previously. Still cheating in England though.
In reply to Post #6
another vote for the Actor range.
I've had a mk4i for maybe 3 years and it's been faultless. Perfect for the smaller UK waters I fish.
My friend has a plus compass which again has been faultless and have also used that at a fair range in France.
another vote for the Actor range.
I've had a mk4i for maybe 3 years and it's been faultless. Perfect for the smaller UK waters I fish.
My friend has a plus compass which again has been faultless and have also used that at a fair range in France.
For the money, the Actor is pretty good. However, mine is in my garage at the moment with the lid off while I oil the barn door mechanism that failed repeatedly (again!) on my last trip. Not the most difficult of tasks but a bit annoying and with the amount of screws, not something I would recommend on the bank.
I bought this cheap bait boat earlier this year but direct from Aliexpress.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/mingqian-Fishing-Control-Automatic-Correction/dp/B0BZH6TDY8/ref=sr_1_14_sspa?crid=YATWIWB1I603&keywords=ahwz%2Bbait%2Bboat&qid=1697481211&sprefix=AHWZ%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-14-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1
A few things I can tell you about this boat and many of the cheaper ones that have similar style of hopper..... they are crap for deploying any rigs unless they are using a braid hooklink or a hooklink in a PVA bag. The size of the hopper doesn't allow for stiff rigs as the rigs are too long and just don't fit in without curling them up which kind of defeats the object of a nice strainght stiff link. Any rig that isn't in a PVA bag tends to have to be put in with the bait in such a way that it isn't tangled. I would recommend spending a little extra money on a boat that has a longer hopper much like the catamaran ones so that the rig can be placed in nice and straight.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/mingqian-Fishing-Control-Automatic-Correction/dp/B0BZH6TDY8/ref=sr_1_14_sspa?crid=YATWIWB1I603&keywords=ahwz%2Bbait%2Bboat&qid=1697481211&sprefix=AHWZ%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-14-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1
A few things I can tell you about this boat and many of the cheaper ones that have similar style of hopper..... they are crap for deploying any rigs unless they are using a braid hooklink or a hooklink in a PVA bag. The size of the hopper doesn't allow for stiff rigs as the rigs are too long and just don't fit in without curling them up which kind of defeats the object of a nice strainght stiff link. Any rig that isn't in a PVA bag tends to have to be put in with the bait in such a way that it isn't tangled. I would recommend spending a little extra money on a boat that has a longer hopper much like the catamaran ones so that the rig can be placed in nice and straight.
In reply to Post #25
extra money on a boat that has a longer hopper much like the catamaran ones so that the rig can be placed in nice and straight.
what do you think happens when you drop ANY rig ?
the reality is your heavy weight tows it down vertically at a rate of notts it does not fall down nice and horizontal ? so rig length is not the priority
trust me 15+ years 2 to 3 trips a year using bait boats along with inflatables I have dropped them and watched using an Aquascope I wanted to know if I was bait boating out 200 yards my rig was fishing as good as can be
and for me far more important is a stiff boom section with a small pva bag masking the hook so I can pull back the rig to fully straighten it once it dropped
extra money on a boat that has a longer hopper much like the catamaran ones so that the rig can be placed in nice and straight.
what do you think happens when you drop ANY rig ?
the reality is your heavy weight tows it down vertically at a rate of notts it does not fall down nice and horizontal ? so rig length is not the priority
trust me 15+ years 2 to 3 trips a year using bait boats along with inflatables I have dropped them and watched using an Aquascope I wanted to know if I was bait boating out 200 yards my rig was fishing as good as can be
and for me far more important is a stiff boom section with a small pva bag masking the hook so I can pull back the rig to fully straighten it once it dropped
In reply to Post #26
I cant physically get any stiff rig in the hopper of my boat without it sticking out the top and catching on release. It's nothing to do with presentation under water, believe me I also know a thing or two about using a bait boat, I have been using bait boats since the first angling technics boat was released which I only sold because I moved to Canada and couldn't bring it.
All I was trying to say is that unless you want to curl up your stiff boom so that it fits in the hopper, which kind of defeats the object of a stiff boom, the boats with a small hopper isn't useful. People strive to keep their boom straight after steaming them and use anti tangle tubing so that the rig kicks away from the lead and stays straight, the last thing they want to do is curl it up so that it stays in the hopper. If you want to use soft braided hooklinks then great a boat with a small hopper will work for you but you wont have the flexibility.
and for me far more important is a stiff boom section with a small pva bag masking the hook so I can pull back the rig to fully straighten it once it dropped
But a rig any more than 4" with a bag on the end wont fit in the hopper unless you loop the rig which many people don't want, read above.
These are findings from my personal experience, I truly wish I still had my angling technics boat or one with a similar style of hopper.
I cant physically get any stiff rig in the hopper of my boat without it sticking out the top and catching on release. It's nothing to do with presentation under water, believe me I also know a thing or two about using a bait boat, I have been using bait boats since the first angling technics boat was released which I only sold because I moved to Canada and couldn't bring it.
All I was trying to say is that unless you want to curl up your stiff boom so that it fits in the hopper, which kind of defeats the object of a stiff boom, the boats with a small hopper isn't useful. People strive to keep their boom straight after steaming them and use anti tangle tubing so that the rig kicks away from the lead and stays straight, the last thing they want to do is curl it up so that it stays in the hopper. If you want to use soft braided hooklinks then great a boat with a small hopper will work for you but you wont have the flexibility.
and for me far more important is a stiff boom section with a small pva bag masking the hook so I can pull back the rig to fully straighten it once it dropped
But a rig any more than 4" with a bag on the end wont fit in the hopper unless you loop the rig which many people don't want, read above.
These are findings from my personal experience, I truly wish I still had my angling technics boat or one with a similar style of hopper.
In reply to Post #27
I totally agree with this, I had the original Angling Technics boat which was great, with long twin hoppers. Then I swapped to a Waverunner Atom with a single small hopper and couldn't stand it.
I suffered it for 2 seasons but really missed 2 longer hoppers so got a RT4 which is perfect, although not cheap.
I totally agree with this, I had the original Angling Technics boat which was great, with long twin hoppers. Then I swapped to a Waverunner Atom with a single small hopper and couldn't stand it.
I suffered it for 2 seasons but really missed 2 longer hoppers so got a RT4 which is perfect, although not cheap.
In reply to Post #25
Fair points for sure, I just can't justify (for me) dropping nearly £2k on a bait boat.
But, your feedback on presentation compromise and rig issues is really interesting and making me pause for now.
Thanks all for the feedback.
Fair points for sure, I just can't justify (for me) dropping nearly £2k on a bait boat.
But, your feedback on presentation compromise and rig issues is really interesting and making me pause for now.
Thanks all for the feedback.
In reply to Post #29
You dont need to drop £2K on a top of the range boat, keep an eye out for someone selling an angling technics microcat, procat or technicat second hand I'm sure you could pick one of those up for the same price as a new budget boat.
You dont need to drop £2K on a top of the range boat, keep an eye out for someone selling an angling technics microcat, procat or technicat second hand I'm sure you could pick one of those up for the same price as a new budget boat.
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