Watermaster Rafts

[alhuger]

All,

 

I am thinking on buying a raft for the bow this year. In particular I am looking at Watermasters:

 

http://www.bigskyinflatables.com/WM_Models_and_Specs.html

 

Is anyone here familiar with them or have any opinions about them? I am leaning towards a raft like this primarily for portability reasons. I actually have a boat for larger water (not rivers mind you) and I want something I can fit in the trunk of my SUV. Any input would be appreciated.

 

al

[CDone]

I think Courtney's bringing a couple with him when he comes out in April. i haven't had a chance toty them out but those that I've talked to really enjoy them.

 

Colin

[ÜberFly]

Al,

 

I have been looking into the Outcast Pac 1300 (more interested in the 1400 but seems like they don't sell them in canada). $$$, so some day. I have a small raft I currently use now that I built some bench seats and beefed up the oar locks for and it works ok for short floats. Remember Montana doesn't have sales tax, so it works out pretty good if you can go down and pick it up...

 

P

[rusty]

Al,

 

I fished in the WM last week on the Island for a day. I've owned a PAC900 for 6 years and have rowed lots of boats so I think I'm in a good position to judge.

 

The best thing about the WM is that you can stand up and fish without getting out of the boat and without worrying about it floating away on you. Also, the lack of a rigid frame made the boat very light and easy to carry around. The material is also very tough - we dragged them around and had no issues.

 

I really did not like the rowing, however. The fixed-type oarlock and short oars were not conducive to good rowing. I also found that there wasn't a ton of well-organized space to use (though the rear portion is more than large enough). The PACs are far more organized, and with the two side pockets and the rigid cargo deck you can easily fit enough "stuff" for a long day's float or a fall/spring trip where you wind up wearing a lot in the mornings and evenings. The seat system on the WM is stiff enough, but it just doesn't compare to the rigid frame and padded seat on the PACs. I love the built in anchor system in the PAC - it's super easy to drop anchor with one hand when you've got a fish on that you want to leave the boat to land. The enclosed frame on the WM would partially offset this problem.

 

The WMs are a nice little boat, and they'd kill a framed boat when it comes to any type of hiking, but for floating the Bow I'd recommend a good pontoon over one anyday.

 

Out of curiosity, what are they worth?

[Brownstone]

Never tried one but always wanted to, seen a few guys on the bow with them, look like they are pretty easy to control while fishing

[alhuger]

Al,

 

I fished in the WM last week on the Island for a day. I've owned a PAC900 for 6 years and have rowed lots of boats so I think I'm in a good position to judge.

 

 

 

Out of curiosity, what are they worth?

 

 

Rusty,

 

Thanks for the great reply (also, thanks to everyone else so far). Do you know by chance which model you fished in? As for price, depending on the model they run from 1100 to 1450 or there abouts I think. I have actually been toying with the Pac 900 for a long time, they look great but might be a storage hassle for me. I am really looking for something which I can fit *in* my SUV although I may end up changing my mind on that score.

 

al

[rusty]

Al,

 

PACs disassemble beautifully. Me and another buddy used to float all the time and do our own shuttles. I had a 2 door Saturn Coupe and he had a 2 door hatchback Escort. The seat and deck come apart from the side frames. You fold the pontoon ends over the side parts of the frame, stack them on top of each other, and you can easily fit two boats in almost any vehicle. Now that I have a Pathfinder I only fold one seat down and two boats go in easily. For long term storage I take the pontoons off and roll them up. I know plenty of guys who live in condos with pontoon boats. If you go with the PAC, the aluminum frame makes carrying the boats a breeze. I lived in a half duplex for a while with limited storage and I used to haul them out of a tiny closet under the stairs, up a flight, and out to the vehicle.

 

I've floated the Bow in jetboats, driftboats, jon boats, zodiacs, duck boats and even a v-hull once and I can honestly say that the best one *for fishing* is the pontoon. They're easy to control, draft very little water, and allow two guys to fish 100% of the time.

 

Plus, the new strapless boats are even quicker to put together and take down. The 900 strapless and 9000 are hardcore fishing machines.