Zodiac Boats? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

BigFish · 07-19-2005, 02:41 PM

My buddy has one laying around I am thinking of making him an offer on it.....comes with motor. Any thoughts on these boats for fishing coastal areas, launching from the Race?

Thanks!

zacs · 07-19-2005, 02:59 PM

POP sssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Just kidding. I have fished from one many times as my parents use one as a tender to their sailboat. Landed some nice fish out at block as a teen in one. Use to screw all over salt pond in one and catch fish too, back in the day. One year in college, we lived right on salt pond and our landlord had one and an old 15 horse johnson chaind to the post. A trip to joblot for some bolt cutters and a stop at cumbys for some gas and we were tooling around all fall and spring nailin' em.

So, yes you can fish from them. they are stable as hell. i have never been to race pt., but i bet you could put one in if the swell wasn't big.

they don't really have much of a v entry so you will not cut through the surf at all.

but for salt pond, marshes, back bays, rivers, estuaries, they are the bomb.

_Z_

Fishpart · 07-19-2005, 03:02 PM

Don't know how they fish, but we beat the $--- out of them in the Army. They work great for getting on and off the beach, driving onto landing craft and helicopters...... Need some power when the surf is up....

BigFish · 07-19-2005, 03:05 PM

I think my buddy has a 40 horse??? Might that be right?

Fishpart · 07-19-2005, 03:08 PM

Must be a nice sized boat....40 hp should scoot one right along. I am assuming tiller steer and not console.

BigFish · 07-19-2005, 03:27 PM

Thats right FP!

Slingah · 07-19-2005, 04:02 PM

recon steath Larry cobra.........come in
desperate times call for desperate measures

BigFish · 07-19-2005, 05:23 PM

Breaker....ahhhhhh bring that one back Slingah....ahhhhhh I got ma ears own!

Raider Ronnie · 07-19-2005, 06:17 PM

A 40 horse on a Zodiac!!!
I don't think so!!!
Anything from a 5 - 10 horse is more than enough!!!
40 would be a death trap !!!

BigFish · 07-19-2005, 07:02 PM

Pretty sure its at least 25....like I said Ron not sure.

zacs · 07-19-2005, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

A 40 horse on a Zodiac!!!
I don't think so!!!
Anything from a 5 - 10 horse is more than enough!!!
40 would be a death trap !!!

um, i don't think so.
depends on what size zodiac man.

on the large tender size (13'), 30-40HP is recomended HP.

Then of course you have the bad boys like theese...

Bass Babe · 07-19-2005, 11:38 PM

I used a 13'-ish Zodiac with a 30 HP outboard while working on a tall ship in South Jersey. Ripped thru the river, even with strong current, and was great in the Delaware Bay, even in the middle. You can screw eyehooks into the decking and attach any bags or items you have with caribiners (sp?) to protect them from bouncing out. The only time I was fearing capsization and decapitation via motor was when I was tending in the Delware River and a tug blew by and left a HUGE wake. Didn't have time to angle in. I kissed the dock when I got back. But yeh, they're real stable, and you can fit 6 people easy in an empty boat. Never found a good way to apply the registration numbers, as they would scrape off while tending and docking. They are way easy to launch, especially if you get a hard bottom (I'm not sure if they come soft, but I feel like I've heard of those before). 30HP should suffice for a motor. With it, I've even towed much larger boats filled with silly tourists that ran out of gas with no problem. $60 for us, and none for Sea Tow.

I would highly recommend that you get your mitts on one.

fishsmith · 07-20-2005, 06:42 AM

paying short money could make it worth it, but your a big dude for a 13ft boat, add a crew and it might be too cramped. Plus for the beaches I'd look for a flats style boat. Watching the boats get beached on the race is very cool.

likwid · 07-20-2005, 10:43 AM

hard bottom is the way to go.
100x more stable and the ride is smooooth

Raider: maybe you haven't noticed the ones that the CG runs with the enormous turbo diesel in em?

Fishpart · 07-20-2005, 02:27 PM

Soft bottoms with floorboards and an inflatable keel actually work quite well. No worries at all pulling up on a soft beach...Now Brenton Point is a different story...

NaCl H2O · 07-20-2005, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

My buddy has one laying around I am thinking of making him an offer on it.....comes with motor. Any thoughts on these boats for fishing coastal areas, launching from the Race?

Thanks!

He doesn't happen to live in Bellingham by any chance?

likwid · 07-20-2005, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishpart

Soft bottoms with floorboards and an inflatable keel actually work quite well. No worries at all pulling up on a soft beach...Now Brenton Point is a different story...

Fish: my parents have one of the Avon high pressure floor models.
Too much trouble with trebles and fish in there so my father threw a small sheet of plywood in the back about 45" long and full width. That way you can pin a fish against the transom NP.

Also conveinent for the dog to stand on and not have her freak out about the moving floor.

Iwannakeeper · 07-20-2005, 03:31 PM

I don't remember the web page, but someone posted a sharking from shore web-site. The run the bait out into the water with the zodiac (ala the bomba brothers kayak).

Check out what a zodiac can do from shore. Those guys are insane.

-IWK

BigFish · 07-20-2005, 03:39 PM

Its got the hard floor......and a 40 horse. He is thinking about selling it! Keeping my fingers crossed!