It costs, but sure is fun!

The days of the timber ‘klinker’ boat is now long gone - today we have space-age materials with lots of stainless steel, chrome and synthetics that make modern day boats not only cost effective but also aesthetically pleasing. The necessity of having twin outboards on the transom - “in case one konks!” – is also no longer, with single motor –powered boats the norm. The popularity of small boat angling is not difficult to understand as more and more people take to boats to escape the crowded banks. Boats are also far easier to purchase – there is financing available and the variety from which to choose is greater than ever before. In South Africa we now also have local boat builders who to their credit offer craft of international standard. This series is dedicated to all those anglers who take to their boats on weekends and vacations to target a variety of species – from carp, kurper, bass, muddies, catfish and yellowfish on inland waters, to grunter, kob, leervis, stumpnose, skates and rays and the odd shark along the coast and in estuaries such as at St Lucia, Langebaan, Witsand and Swartvlei among many others. It will concentrate on recreational small boat angling but also use competition standard boats to illustrate standards of safety, reliability and effectiveness, and only hard-hull, trailer-size boats with outboard motors will be featured. News editor Charmagne Grimbeek and her husband Jaco have just recently started on their small boat angling odyssey. When they decided to go the boating route – tired of being locked into just one spot on the bank and having to share it with hundreds of others – they were initially advised of the financial implications of boat angling. “A boat,” they were told by an experienced boat angler, “is a bottomless pit into which you throw money every month!” But he added a positive rider: “It will however be the best fun you’ll ever have on the water, so go for it!” With that bit of timely advice, they made very sure that their boat would deliver its worth every time they wanted it to. That said, the decision had to be made as to what it was going to be used for - to go fishing, just cruising or maybe do some water-skiing? Well, if just fishing would the boat be at anchor or would it also be used for trolling baits or casting artificial lures? Would their vehicle be able to tow it and handle it when launching and loading it? In addition, would it be just the two of them on board, or would they want to invite friends along as well? It could also be quite possible that they would want to join a club and take part in organised boat angling tournaments. These are all questions that needed consideration. Well, water skiing and cruising – what a waste of fuel, so no way! Fishing in whatever way...a decided yes! A word on the difference between fishing competitively and purely recreational boat fishing - if you intend angling for a club and fishing in organized league matches, the boat must be set up to make use of all available space to make it an efficient fishing platform. A competitive boat must carry two anglers in comfort – and sometimes a skipper as well for the ladies and juniors – but for only recreational purposes then of course the options are much wider. Bear in mind as well that a large, heavy boat is difficult to manage by just two people and sometimes has too deep a draft for getting into shallow water when after certain species of fish. But the old truism remains as true today as it did yesteryear, namely “the more cumbersome the boat is on land, the better it performs on the water!” The size of the boat is however a serious consideration, and the waters that will be visited will determine how big or small the boat needs be. Big water equals big boat, but small water does not mean small boat! Always buy the largest boat you can afford and that can be comfortably towed by your vehicle. In any event, anything less than 3 meters in length is best left alone; 4-plus meters is the way to go, with a beam of 1,5 meters and more. Bear in mind that you will be standing most of the time, so deck space is very important.