So having used the boatman actor mk4i last year due to an injury preventing casting i have actually developed a like for bait boats in certain situations.

This being the case i want a significant upgrade. Ive been looking at pretty much everything from x boats, gowi, tolson, ND, angling technics and rt4's, you get the idea.

I want a boat that is bigger than then one i currently use with sonar and gps. Im also curious how people find jet propelled boats over motor/prop ones as ive found mine abit of a problem in weed. Ive looked at that many boats ive kind of blew my head and gone in a big circle.

Hit me with suggestions guys.

TIA

Cal 👍

In reply to Post #1
its all about budget and how much your willing /have to spend these days

IMHO bit pointless on the small lakes we mainly have in this country and most clubs ban them here but you could maybe just add a Raymarine Dragonfly 5 Pro to your boat you have ?

but if your targeting some of the huge lakes in europe fishing several hundred yards with the big winds waves etc you will need a bigger more capable boat

In reply to Post #1
Im in a similar situation and think i have decided on a bespoke bait boat enticer pd-33. Well that was until my ridgeback smacked his head of table leg so now he needs a roof canal which is 3k and not covered by pet insurance so my lovely new bait boat is on hold. Im sure vets just make prices up as they go along.

In reply to Post #1
A bit difficult to answer your questions in its entirety. We would need to know what ‘certain situations' you are talking about. We also need to know your budget. Another factor is that virtually every boat out there is bigger than the Actor. Then factor in than very few people have used all the bait boats you mention so can't give a valid opinion on all of them so will just give opinions of the one they use.

I have had or used 3 of the ones you mentioned so can only advise based on that.

Angling Technics - unfortunately no - ☹️ I've had the original Baitboat and 3 Microcats. They are old technology and very fragile in construction as are most ABS plastic boats. They are still expensive to buy compared to more modern alternatives. The Technicat isn't much better and the Pro Cat is tiny like the Actor.

X boat- Tolson X boat is a good boat but has two main drawbacks. It's a huge boat. Also one of its good points is it is all integrated - GPS, Autopilot, echo sounder which makes it very slick and easy to use but means you are stuck with what you get. The Tolson fish finder is good but not as good as the Raymarine Dragonfly. I had a loan of one of these boats for 9 months.

ND - ND2 is my current boat. For the basic boat it is probably the best value for money boat out there. With the autopilot it is still very good value for money. Where it comes good is the amount of bells and whistles you can add. As well as the GPS, autopilot, mine has a Raymarine Dragonfly internally fitted, WiFi extender fitted internally and GPS injector. If you are happy to void the warranty then all sorts of third party bells and whistles can be fitted.

CarpLounge- I haven't used the RT4 myself but have a friend who has one and I've seen it in operation many times. Arguably the best all round Baitboat out there but the cost is eye watering. If your water allows rowing boats you can buy a boat, electric motor, battery AND a small fishing van to cart it around in for the same price as a fully kitted out RT4

With regard to pumps versus props it's not straightforward. They both have plus and minus points. Pumps are better in SOME weeds but not all. Although great in bigger weed like lillies etc they are vulnerable If the pumps suck in the small stringy weeds. They get ingested into the pump body. If you can't get it to pump out by itself then it's back to the repairers to have the hull split, pump body split or replaced - expensive They are fast though.

Props are vulnerable to weed and normally a bit slower. If you have the means to recover stuck boats not too big a problem as they can be cleared on the bank.

I have found the best compromise is a boat with a prop within a tube so it's a bit of a hybrid. The propulsion tube shields the prop and the thrust of the prop through the tube is a bit similar to a pump. A bit of a hybrid action. With a screwdriver to remove the tubes, any weed can be removed on the bank if you can recover the boat. The ND2 has this setup.

So there's my thoughts and my reason for the ND2 although not a small boat it's not huge either. To go into more details we would need to know your exact requirements.

Hope this helps 👍

Actor sell an actor plus bait boat with GPS and sonar which is a step up from the mark 4 I think it as one central hopper which u can divide into 2
and a hook release at the back I got mine with GPS on and it works fine just wish I had saved a bit longer and got the sonar on it as well

In reply to Post #1
Carptechnics SB3 and Toslon 740 or Raymarine (whatever your pref)
Compact size, lightweight, stable in all conditions, totally reliable, easy to operate - does what it says on the tin . . . the end

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I should of explained, i am on about venturing out nto europe the next couple of years.

After reading about the plus and negatives it seems like its between the nd bait boat and the rt4.

I could stretch to an rt4 but would obviously need to save for quite a while so im thinking the nd baitboat with auto pilot would be a nice upgrade. I currently have a deeper chirp 2 so this can also be attacjed in the short term.

With regard to autopilot how accurate does it tend to be?

In reply to Post #7
I own a RT4 V3 and V4. Dont bother with the V3 its over complicated the V4 is a lovely boat, very easy to use and too many features to list. That being said the best boat for ease of use, quality of build and overall maintenance the Anatec Catamaran wins hands down for me. Boat is massive but perfect for European waters. It is bomb proof and if something ever goes wrong you can swap the parts out yourself with its open hull design.

Only reason I got rid of it as I wanted Raymarine as dont rate the Toslon systems. Epic boat worth looking at if you are looking for something for larger lakes. The BBC even used the boat in the ocean tracking otters etc no matter what the conditions that thing will stay strong in the water. Mind you it could probably also be used as a real boat so big lol

In reply to Post #7
Autopilot is only as accurate as the number of satellites you can connect to on the day / at the recorded location; with a good system your looking at 1-2M radius around the spot . . . if you're feeling anal you can set the spot 'in front' of the actual spot and do the drop proper over the final yards using the sonar / a drop camera image (if you've got one) . . .

In reply to Post #7
Having owned both RT4 and ND2

Would hands down recommend the ND2 for ease of use and VFM

In reply to Post #1
Hi Callum89,
I am going to France in a few months and am pondering the purchase of a boat as it seems everyone else has one who's going, was thinking if boatman actor would be ok? I live in the bleek north west so apart from France I will never use it and it doesnt make sense to me to spend to much.

In reply to Post #11
Due to injury I'm now also looking at a bait boat
I've done my research and decided on an ND2

Just deciding whether to go brand new or second hand with dragonfly etc fitted

In reply to Post #11
the boatman are brillant and cheap

In reply to Post #13
They are very good however not if the water is choppy.

I think the ND2 for the bit extra is worth it but I get why Boatman sell loads of Actors

In reply to Post #14
Have had both Actors and whilst the mk4i is a fantastic small water (and def vfm) boat would go nowhere near the Actor Plus . . .have a look at the new Lake Reaper Pro perhaps?