Just joined & am trying to decide whether to buy one of the nice new inflatables like Sea Eagle or use the boats available at the sites. Lets see what some of you “old hands” say. Hope this fall brings some good fishin’ . Craig Miller, Mckinney

Club jon boats are great, but often larger and can be really heavy/require 2 people just to avoid scraping the bottom when moving it from the bank to the lake. Some of the lakes have pontoons already in the water (e.g. Pecan Gap/Jordan/Frannies).  Most of the people I fish with have a plastic boat of some sort (i use an ultraskiff 360, but it is pretty heavy, though it rolls on its side).  

So, a follow up to my boat thread the other day. Lookin at Sea Eagle 285 1 man inflatable or their STS stealth 2 man. Anybody got one of these? How bout a quick review if you have one. Craig Miller, McKinney

Just an observation and disclaimer. I fish about 1/10^th of the time Joshua does so take this for what it's worth.

The larger John boats are a load for one person, but I feel they are just fine. Most all are on grass so you flip them bottom side down and drag them to the water.  The trick is don't load your gear in the boat until it is partially in the water. The “pond” supports the weight instead of you moving the boat on shore with the weight.  This is the most important when you're dealing with the battery.  
 

Good Luck.

Had an inflatable boat years ago. Wind played havoc with it. Almost always windy here.  Purchased a sun dolphin 120 when I first joined the club and trailer. It worked great and I could launch for shore easy. Its casting platform was not real stable. As I aged I decided that I needed a boat I could stand in. Purchased a 14 foot fiberglass jon boat with a tilt trailer and rollers instead of carpet bunks. Seats are high and p Just placed a spot lock trolling motor on it with a rudder for steering on the stern. Works great and I can stil launch from shore with the boat loaded. As mentioned some of the larger boast are heavy when there is a slope and its muddy. Just my experience.

I think this really depends on your level of fitness and willingness to deal with a boat at the end of the day.

The club boats are almost all 12 ft flat bottom jon boats, but there are some that are V hull and some that are either smaller(10ft) or larger(14ft).

If you do use the club boat, check before flipping it, you never know what will be under it. I’ve seen large spiders, mice, armadillo, snakes, and ants all under the club boats. The ants are the worst as they will have been using the boat as part of their home and you’ll have to get creative on getting them out of the boat so you can use it. The other hiding creatures will usually scurry away without issue. 

As others have mentioned, the loading scheme is drag the boat partially into the water then load gear. Reverse for unloading, beach boat, unload, get boat out of water and flip back over.

Now here is where it really matters to me at least. Some of the club boats are in bad shape, and others although new, have been damaged and leak. This is a factor in my decision on where to fish. Boats that take on water are not all that fun to deal with, it’s dangerous as they get slippery, and you may need to bail water every 30 minutes. There are some club lakes I will not fish anymore because the club boat cannot be fixed or replaced(looking at you lancaster, love that spot but that boat and the concrete ramp are a bad combo).

If you have a truck, look at a plastic jon boat that fits into the back, or an ultraskiff type product if you are fishing solo. The plastic jon boats have really good balance from my experience and although not as roomy as a club boat, they are quieter to use and seem to be a little easier to control.


 

Originally Posted by Craig Awtrey

I think this really depends on your level of fitness and willingness to deal with a boat at the end of the day.

The club boats are almost all 12 ft flat bottom jon boats, but there are some that are V hull and some that are either smaller(10ft) or larger(14ft).

If you do use the club boat, check before flipping it, you never know what will be under it. I’ve seen large spiders, mice, armadillo, snakes, and ants all under the club boats. The ants are the worst as they will have been using the boat as part of their home and you’ll have to get creative on getting them out of the boat so you can use it. The other hiding creatures will usually scurry away without issue. 

As others have mentioned, the loading scheme is drag the boat partially into the water then load gear. Reverse for unloading, beach boat, unload, get boat out of water and flip back over.

Now here is where it really matters to me at least. Some of the club boats are in bad shape, and others although new, have been damaged and leak. This is a factor in my decision on where to fish. Boats that take on water are not all that fun to deal with, it’s dangerous as they get slippery, and you may need to bail water every 30 minutes. There are some club lakes I will not fish anymore because the club boat cannot be fixed or replaced(looking at you lancaster, love that spot but that boat and the concrete ramp are a bad combo).

If you have a truck, look at a plastic jon boat that fits into the back, or an ultraskiff type product if you are fishing solo. The plastic jon boats have really good balance from my experience and although not as roomy as a club boat, they are quieter to use and seem to be a little easier to control.


 

Craig, 

Over the past few years we have worked to replace the boats that leak. Could you send us a list of boats that need repair?

Thanks

Steve

Thanks for all the replies regarding boat ideas. I think I'm going with one of the Sea Eagle inflatables , add a trolling motor, depth finder & maybe experiment with ways to work with the wind. 

Yes, be careful when turning over boats. Had a friend in California that was bitten by rattler when he turned over a rental boat. Craig Miller

I always use an anchor. Good luck

When I first joined I used the club boats and bought a trolling motor, battery and an an anchor.  Now, I'm a big boy 6’2 and pushing 300 and those little aluminum boats were becoming dangerous for me.  I like to fish standing up and sitting down on those bench seats and standing up over and over was hard work.   Also, I fish with my teenage son 90% of the time.  With 2 of us it was not going to work long term.  

Thought about getting one of the pelicans (too small) or a kayak but decided to buy an older 14 foot aluminum boat and retrofit it for these club lakes   It's perfect. It has 2 TMs front and back, on board charger, 2 pedestal seats and Hummingbird.  Pretty stable and can get real shallow. Below is a pic of on Pecan Gap.  

As far as inflatable goes, I don't think I would do it.  Not sure how tough those shells are but these lakes have a lot of “stuff” in them.  Rock piles, concrete, submerged stumps and trees.  Some lakes even have old metal tposts and barb wire fence lines that can be submerged just under the surface.  These are all great for fish habitat but they might put a hole in an inflatable. Maybe they are puncture proof? 

If you don't want to get into a boat, I would seriously look at a kayak.  

Chris,

 Your boat turned out great. Remember when you were fixing it up

Originally Posted by Chris Haller

When I first joined I used the club boats and bought a trolling motor, battery and an an anchor.  Now, I'm a big boy 6’2 and pushing 300 and those little aluminum boats were becoming dangerous for me.  I like to fish standing up and sitting down on those bench seats and standing up over and over was hard work.   Also, I fish with my teenage son 90% of the time.  With 2 of us it was not going to work long term.  

Thought about getting one of the pelicans (too small) or a kayak but decided to buy an older 14 foot aluminum boat and retrofit it for these club lakes   It's perfect. It has 2 TMs front and back, on board charger, 2 pedestal seats and Hummingbird.  Pretty stable and can get real shallow. Below is a pic of on Pecan Gap.  

As far as inflatable goes, I don't think I would do it.  Not sure how tough those shells are but these lakes have a lot of “stuff” in them.  Rock piles, concrete, submerged stumps and trees.  Some lakes even have old metal tposts and barb wire fence lines that can be submerged just under the surface.  These are all great for fish habitat but they might put a hole in an inflatable. Maybe they are puncture proof? 

If you don't want to get into a boat, I would seriously look at a kayak.  

That is a great WIDE jon boat. Looks awesome. 

Originally Posted by Steve Alexander

Craig, 

Over the past few years we have worked to replace the boats that leak. Could you send us a list of boats that need repair?

Thanks

Steve

{Quoted Post}

Lakeside – takes on water pretty fast, I’ve sent video and photos of it before. Good property so one of the few I’ll fish and bail water

Lancaster(unless there is a new boat?/problem is the concrete boat ramp is where people beach the boat and that smashes the aluminum, I would move the club boat away from the ramp).

Bowie – only been out once but that v hull leaks

I haven’t fished in a while so maybe some of these have been replaced.




 

Originally Posted by Craig Awtrey

{Quoted Post}

Lakeside – takes on water pretty fast, I’ve sent video and photos of it before. Good property so one of the few I’ll fish and bail water

Lancaster(unless there is a new boat?/problem is the concrete boat ramp is where people beach the boat and that smashes the aluminum, I would move the club boat away from the ramp).

Bowie – only been out once but that v hull leaks

I haven’t fished in a while so maybe some of these have been replaced.




 

Hi Craig,

Thanks for taking your time to provide the list. I went back and reviewed the last time you visited these lakes to make sure we have corrected the issue. 

Your last reservation was:

Lanacster Malouf- June of 2021 – The boat has been repaired since your last reservation 16 months ago. We bought a brand new boat in 2018. But your right members drag the boat on the concrete ramp causing leaks. We have repaired the boat three times in the past 5 years and added a $100 real estate sign asking members to keep the boat off the ramp. 

Martins Mill LakeSide- July 2020- The small leaking boat has been replaced since your last reservation 27 months ago. According to the owner, there is a larger 14 foot jon boat there now.  In June of 2022 the boat had a small leak around the plug. The plug has been replaced.

Bowie Backside of the Moon- September 2017. Unfortunately this boat has not been replaced since your last trip 6 years ago. However, we recommend to members to bring their own boat as we will not be replacing the boat. This place is great and has some of the most loyal members who fish here. But, only a few members fish here and bring their own boat. 

We except full responsbility for working to repair or procure new boats for our properties. With 106 properties the boat situation is in constant flux and we made a real conserted effort to replace and repair jon boats over the past 4 years. Moreover, we have only been able to purchase 2 NEW jon boats in more than 2 years. Bass Pro and Cabelas is where we have bought more than 40 12 foot (Topper) jon boats over the past decade and they have not made any new 12 foot jon boats in 2.5 years. They are not taking orders for new ones. We have a standing order for 6 of them when they come back on line.  Supply chain issues and aluminum is up more than 100% since 2019. A new simple 12 foot  Jon Boat is now almost $2000. 4 years ago we could purchase them for $749. This cost is something we will have to pass along to our members in the way of daily and membership fees. 

For the most part there should be very few if any properties that have a leaking jon boat. If you ever find one, let us know. We want to know and we want to correct the issue. When we here of a leak, we often have it repaired within a few weeks or when possible replaced within a few months. 

Sincerely,

Steve

Craig,

Since the Sun Dolphin 120 is out of stock. I think the Bass Hunter (one piece rotomold) boats are the best value if your able to store the boat under cover so the plastic does not degrade over time. Get the 120 version (bigger version. 10 foot long). You can stand in one and they are bullet proof. We would use these more if we had covered docks on our properties. Easy to clean. Also, just put them on a simple 12 foot utility trailer or small boat trailer. 

https://basshunter.com/ ($1300 or so)

Trailer will cost about the same.