If you’re new to fishing, or having a change in the type of fishing you do, you may not have heard of a bait boat. So, what is a bait boat?
Basically, a bait boat is a radio-controlled (RC) boat that has been adapted to carry quantities of fishing bait and deposit it at a location on a lake decided by the angler. Although it is possible to use a bait boat on a river, and I have even seen a sea-going version, bait boats are usually associated with lake fishing for carp and, occasionally, pike.
Bait boats range in sophistication, and therefore price, from the basic home-made adapt a kid’s toy RC boat type affair, right through to four-figure catamarans with fishfinders, ‘return to shore’ features, multi-bait carrying ‘hoppers’, night time navigational lights and more. A good bait boat will also have a dedicated system for carrying and depositing your baited hook rig, too, ensuring that you are fishing your bait exactly on top of your loose feed, or to the side if you so wish.
As they run on batteries, many modern day bait boats are compatible with solar chargers. Although these often come at an additional cost, many anglers would see them as a worthwhile investment. A £1000 bait boat with no batteries is useless your catapult is more valuable to you in that situation!
If you decide that you need a bait boat for fishing, and the waters you fish allow them, then your choice should be thoroughly thought through. A bait boat could well be the most expensive piece of fishing equipment you buy, so buy well!
