Bait Boats - love them or hate them, they play a part in today’s specimen angling environment and it is not going to change. Unfortunately, you will get a minority that will use the boats for purposes that could put the fish at risk, such as dropping baits right into snags or encroaching into other anglers areas, as well as having the purists state that the use of them takes any skill out of angling, and with both of these elements having numerous supporters, the arguments of whether the use of them should be allowed will go on for many years without resolution.

Having said that, to use any bait boat to it’s maximum efficiency you must use all the watercraft knowledge that is at your disposal.

When anglers think of bait boats, one company immediately come to mind – Angling Technics. Since the inception of the remote controlled boat to the angling market, Phil Fry and Angling Technics have been at the forefront of the bait boat market from day one. Angling Technics have been established 17 years ago in 1992, and from memory, were the first company to market a dedicated bait boat to the angling market. Since 1992, Angling Technics have expanded their range from one boat through to four boats that fit into every serious angler’s budgets and requirements. In this feature, UKMA are going to go through the various options of bait boats from Angling Technics with a description of the boats and features, but UKMA are not going to say which boat you should buy, if you are in the market for one, as each boat will suit different anglers in different ways.

The “Baitboat”

The Angling Technics “Baitboat” is the original boat design from the early 90’s but has been enhanced as technology has become available. Probably the most recognisable of any bait boat on the market, the iconic design of it has stood the test of time, and proof of this is that anglers keep on buying this boat year in, year out.

The “Baitboat” has a dimensional footprint of 57cm x 30cm x 26cm, which does not make it a small item to carry, but is far from the realms of being wieldy when in transit or storage. If the boat was made smaller, the bait payload capacity and stability in the water would be compromised, and lead to mishaps such as capsizing when out on the water.

Rather than using a traditional propeller type system, the “Baitboat” uses a Jet Propulsion system to power itself across the water. Weighing in at a reasonable 4.2KG in weight including the batteries, the “Baitboat” is remarkably stable in choppy conditions where lighter boats could be blown off course or find it hard to travel in a head wind.

The dual hopper system of the “Baitboat” carries a very impressive 2.5KG of bait (split across the two hoppers), but also allows multiple rods to be taken out at the same time rather than having to keep bringing the boat in to reload with the rig and bait each time. The hoppers can be opened individually or both together, if you wish a larger payload to be deposited in one area, from the handset. The “Baitboat” can also be fitted with a remote Echo Sounder, which in today’s world of technology, is an absolute must to make the most out of the boat for most anglers.

The “Baitboat” has a running time of between 45 and 60 minutes between charges, which may not sound a lot, but when you consider that rods can be delivered out to 100m and returned back to the bank in a few minutes, there is sufficient power to do this multiple times before recharging is required (although bankside charging kits, including solar panels, are also available for every boat in the Angling Technics range).

There is also a full range of accessories available for the “Baitboat” that will give the most ardent of anglers fulfilment of every requirement from a bait boat.

The standard “Baitboat” has a SSP of £470.00 and a SSP of £1065 with the factory fitted graphical echo sounder.

The Microcat MkII

Based on the super stable and aqua dynamic twin hull catamaran style of hull design, the “Microcat MkII” is probably the most popular boat in the range. As per the original “Baitboat”, the “Microcat MkII” also has a twin hopper design that are independently or dual activated from the handset. Because of the twin hull design, the “Microcat MkII” sits lower in the water than the original “Baitboat” and is the perfect choice for the angler that fishes larger, more wind swept waters. Again, the “Microcat MkII” is powered by a jet propulsion system for virtually problem free use.

The “Microcat MkII” has a larger bait capacity than the “Baitboat”, and has a payload of 4KG! Because of the lower profile of the hull design, the “Microcat MkII” footprint is slightly larger than the “Baitboat” at 69cm x 37cm x 17cm.

The “Microcat MkII” also has the option of using either standard batteries supplied or additional heavy duty lead acid batteries for additional running time. Weight of the “Microcat MkII” with the standard batteries is an impressive 7KG, with the weight peaking at 9KG when the heavy duty batteries are installed. The “Microcat MkII” also has the capacity for fitting an echo sounder, and a run time of between 45 and 60 minutes with the standard batteries.

The standard “Microcat MkII” has a SSP of £699 and a SSP of £1294 with the graphical echo sounder factory fitted.

With the “Microcat MkII” being one of the most popular bait boats on the market place, the reliability and functionality speak for themselves.

The “Procat MkII”

With the credit crunch well and truly upon us, Angling Technics have thought about the market place and with anglers tightening the purse strings for luxury items (and some anglers class bait boats as a luxury rather than a necessity for some reason!), Phil Fry has “launched” (excuse the pun!) a boat that offers most of the functions of the more expensive boats, but has a lower price point. Based upon the super stable twin hull catamaran design, the “Procat MkII” maintains superb stability when on the water in rough conditions.

Where the “Procat MkII” differs from the “Microcat MkII” is that a single bait hopper is fitted to the hull, which has a reduced payload capacity of 0.75KG (more than enough for a single rod baiting situation). The “Procat MkII” also differs in that it is powered by a propeller rather than the jet propulsion system. Although a propeller based system can also jam up with weed (even on enclosed propellers), but this type of problem is very rare indeed but has to be pointed out.

The “Procat MkII” has an increased running time over the “Microcat” and the “Baitboat” with a 90 minute run time from a single charge.

The “Procat MkII” does not have the capacity for an echo sounder to be fitted, but if you are after a no-thrills boat to take bait and rigs out to areas you may wish to fish, then this is a superb choice and superb value for money.

With dimensions of 62cm x 28cm x 13.5cm, and with a weight of 2.75KG with the batteries fitted, the “Proat MkII” is perfect for the angler that wishes to travel light, yet still have the functions of a bait boat.

The ProCat MkII has a SSP of £389.

The “Technicat”

The “Technicat” is the latest boat design from Angling Technics. With it’s large single hopper, that can carry a payload of 3KG, 90 minute runtime off a single charge, and with a large multi LED spotlight at the front of the boat, this offers the angler that might want to put large beds of bait out, but may not be able to stretch to the “Microcat MkII” in price.

The “Technicat” also can accept a echo sounder, and is perfect for use on large windswept waters. Like the “Procat”, the “Technicat” is propelled using a propeller based system.

The “Technicat” weighs in at a very reasonable 6KG with the standard batteries & when fitted with the heavy duty batteries, comes in at 7.5KG.

Dimensions of the “Technicat” are 64cm x 40cm x 22cm.

The standard “Technicat” has a SSP of £599 and a SSP of £1194 with the graphical echo sounder factory fitted.

for more info visit the Angling Technics Website