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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.
When Keith Williams from Viper Bait Boats agreed to demonstrate to UKMatchAngler.com how bait boats can be used to increase catch rates as well as keep anglers watercraft skills, we jumped at the chance to try to put the debate to bed once and for all.
This article is more of an editorial on the range of Viper bait boats, rather than a user’s review, mainly because there is only so much that can be written about a boat, but we are sure that if you are looking to purchase a bait boat, you will find this article very interesting with regards to some of the features that the boat range includes.
The Viper Icon
The Icon is the lowest price boat in the range from Viper, but it is packed with loads of features that other boats in similar, or even higher, price ranges lack. When you buy an Icon, you receive a 12v battery and charger, a fully featured handset (with batteries!) and also a high quality rucksack/carry bag that houses everything in transit (other than the main boat battery so not to risk damage to the boat itself or your back!).
The Icon is also the smallest in the range, which makes it ideal for use on short sessions, as well as on smaller waters. One nice touch is that the boat has a blue LED on the rear and a green LED on the front. This makes it easy to see which way the boat is facing in low light conditions. These can be switched off for use during the day so not to waste battery life. Another superb little touch is the inclusion of an accurate battery meter built into the boat to tell you exactly how much juice the battery has remaining.
I can think of nothing worse than to have powered the boat out 100m+ only to find that when you get to the spot, drop the rig & bait, only to find that the battery dies on the way back! Unlike some other smaller boats available, the boat battery is changeable so that the battery can be replaced with a fully charged spare on the bank.
The Icon also has a very impressive 1Kg “payload” capacity, which is probably the largest for a boat of its size. The large hopper also eliminates splash into it due to it’s high sides, which will keep a PVA bag dry from waves splashing over. There is also a hopper cover available that protects your bait against birdlife and the elements.
The manoeuvrability of the Icon is supreme amongst bait boats, in that it can literally turn on a sixpence due to its compact size and twin jet pump propulsion system. The propulsion system is unique to Viper and is used on all of the boats in the range. It requires no priming so the boat can be put on the water and used instantly. The fully enclosed propulsion system also protects against getting tangled in weed or from damage caused by collision with the bottom or snags.
The size of the Icon is 590mm x 330mm x 210mm.
All in all, the Icon has all the main functions of a larger boat, but at a much lower cost. Unless you require a larger payload or a fishfinder facility, the Icon is ideal for all anglers wanting a boat with minimum outlay.
Viper Mk3
Without any shadow of a doubt the Viper Mk3 is one of the most recommended bait boats on the market, due to its superb reliability, first class aftersales service (if needed) and the standard package that is supplied with the boat.
The Mk3 has the same main features of the Icon, but also is fitted with a solar charging point, a recess for fitting a fish finder transducer, a front LED cluster for night time use (which can be turned on or off via the Handset) , as well as an impressive 2.5Kg payload capacity.
As with the Icon, the twin engine propulsion system allows for supreme manoeuvrability on the water for precise bait placement. The Mk3 comes into its own with the stability in the water. Due to the hull design the Mk3 is virtually impossible to capsize.
The Mk3 dimensions are 700mm x 300mm x 200mm.
The package supplied with the Mk3 is the boat itself, a built-in battery meter, carry bag, navigation lights, main boat battery, Futaba handset (including batteries), handset charger, 5W Solar panel boat charger, hopper cover and boat battery charger. Truly an impressive package to accompany a very impressive boat.
 Viper Storm
Now we get down to complete awesomeness!
The Viper Storm stands out from the rest of the crowd with its many unique features. The same basic features from the Icon and Mk3 are included as you would expect, but where the Storm stands out is the massive payload capacity of 6Kg! Obviously with the larger capacity, the Storm requires much more power to move it around on the water with the same efficiency as the Mk3 and Icon.
 To cater for this, the engines have been upgraded to more powerful motors, and they are in turn powered by 2 x 12v 9amp/hour batteries instead of the standard single battery of the Icon & Mk3. The larger motors also make the Storm the best bet for the larger expanses of water such as continental reservoirs that can be susceptible to heavy swell and the worse that the elements can throw at you.
The increased payload capacity is spread over two separate hoppers – both of which are out of the water allowing for easy use of PVA bags within them.
The Storm has an awesome operating range of up to 600m!!! There are not many waters in the UK where the far margin is 600m away, so this makes it the only choice for those fishing the large waters.
Obviously with the higher capacity and stability on the Storm, the dimensions make this the largest boat in the range at 780mm x 415mm x 300mm.
The Storm is supplied with the standard built-in battery meter, a carry bag, boat mounted navigation lights, large 13w double solar panel charger, 4 x heavy duty 9a 12v boat batteries, hopper cover, handset charger, boat battery charger and a Futaba handset (including batteries).
To say that the Viper bait boat range impressed us greatly is an understatement, and our eyes were opened impressively with the demonstration given by Keith Williams. With the UKMatchAngler.com team coming from predominantly match angling backgrounds, the obvious negativity towards bait boats was in the mind, but these were soon dismissed and afterwards, we all could see the advantages to using one in a correct manner.
All we can suggest now is to visit your local Viper boat stockist and check them out. Be prepared to be very impressed, and don’t forget to take the plastic with you as you will want to come away with one! |
