Bait boats are destroying angling.. Well said Dave Lane and totally agree. His point on bait boaters ruining lakes for everyone else due to changing the fish behaviour was spot on.

They’ve allowed the poxy things on Walthamstow now, awful decision and completely unnecessary.

Agreed, joined a syndi last year, 75 acres, between me and my son we had 2 takes all year, not using a bait boat. Virtually everyone had them, some fishing at 200yds. Needless to say, I haven't rejoined.

However, have joined another local-ish club that allows them. First day out, witnessed a BB going out towards the opposite bank and dropping it's load. It was 40 yards wide with nothing on the far bank except grass!! Could have even cast the rod onto the grass, walked around and dropped it in. A complete moron!!

Luckily they are banned everywhere i fish now and i think will remain so.

Only encountered them on a large open lake Rockford, could not believe it saw them passing my point swim late at night and dropping baits over 200 yards from their swim. So lines cutting straight over the top of my left hand and middle rods!

That was the last season i fished there that and the nearly arrived crowds occupying every swim drove me off.

In reply to Post #1
But, on the plus side, they can force fish into the reaches of anglers who don't use them.
Imagine being on a lake with everyone right left and centre using spombs at night with lights on...makes bait boats saintly!

And that's it, I'm not entertaining another slagging match about bait boats..fgs

Fill your boots 👍

In reply to Post #1
I’ll probably get shot down for this but here goes.
DL is happy to jump in a boat and motor across a lake and hand drop a rig on a spot he can see but thinks that’s “fishing” as do others but moans at about someone using a BB?

I agree bait boats are a nightmare. I think the issue is bait boats allow the unskilled the ability to fish areas they wouldn't be able to. Whilst some are very skilled using boats the reality is from my experience is just having boats driving all over the place, idiots thinking that because they can drive a boat to a spot they can fish it regardless to the fact it is not their water and I dropping their rigs on top of mine.

I don't use a boat like DL but in his defense it does look like that like long range casting or stalking it is a genuine skill need to learn and practice for it to be effective.

I have a bait boat and the lakes I fish there’s not many proper carp anglers on them and if I have my own area to fish too like the far bank as that’s unfishable then I use it but I only use it when I need to but it’s opened my eyes about where the fish can be,some of the lads have got drones to find the fish but I’d rather use the boat,if no one else is fishing or no one minds does it really matter as long as I’m not interfering with anyone else’s angling and staying in my space I’m happy,I don’t go to cause drama on the lakes and like to do my own thing and I never disturb anyone else’s fishing.

Likewise I am probably going to make myself very unpopular but baitboats are simply a advancement in our sport. They are another tool to out armoury. It is the same with any sport. Look at tennis players for example. Carbon fibre rackets have meant players are now hitting the ball at 140mph - are we saying they should have stuck with wooden rackets because it's unfair? Those who moan about baitboats seem to have no issues using the latest carbon fibre super rods and casting 180 yards. What's the difference - it's just a technological advancement in fishing the same as a baitboat is - maybe everybody should remain stuck in the 60s with split cane rods and a maximum casting range of 50 yards! Everybody has the option to go and buy a baitboat - they are available for everybody to buy and nobody is missing out. It's just that some people choose against it for whatever reason and then moan they are an unfair advantage or it's not angling. Time to recognise that love them or hate them this is the new era of fishing - nothing stays the same for ever and you either move with the times or get left behind to do it your way.

I suppose those that use a SatNav to get to the lake aren’t proper drivers because they didn’t use a 1980’s A-Z

I use a boat where permitted but most of my fishing is done on a club water that doesn’t allow them. At the end of the day it’s a tool in my box and if I can use it, I will.

I have one. Really don't like it, but when you've paid best part of a grand for a weeks fishing in France it's stupid to not have one when everyone else does?

In reply to Post #1
Is just dumping 3 or 4 lines out, setting the alarms, wandering 100 yards up the bank to someone’s social marquee (proper carp tho, ‘cos it’s in camo, innit!) with a remote receiver, for a burger and a beer, classed as real, skilled fishing?
And yet that seems not to upset most people (?).
But how would that be viewed by real skilled anglers from 30-40 years ago….🤔

Everyone has their view on what real skilled fishing is, and isn’t. What is acceptable tech, and isn’t. But which opinion is the valid one?

In reply to Post #8
Not quite.
I can see the similarities with advancements in tennis racquets and fishing rods/reels but what if the tennis player had gadgets that steered the ball, that wouldn't be allowed.

Horses for courses.

Listened to a few podcasts recently where if you couldn't use a baitboat you would simply be camping for 48hrs...

In reply to Post #8
Poor comparison tbh, some serious ability is required to fish effectively at mega range with rods which is not the case with bait boats.

If allowed I will use one if I take it with me
If I can’t I will cast it out .
If its ok for TH it’s ok for everyone…. 🤣🤣
A bait boat can get a disabled angler back out on the bank so maybe some rules should be relaxed and taken on a case by case basis.
Hopefully nothing happens to anyone on here which means they are not able to cast.