BPS Pond Prowler Review (Bass Raider Review)
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- čas přidán 2. 12. 2018
- I explore and review my Bass Pro Shops Pond Prowler mini bass boat, give pros and cons to it, and explain why you should or should not get one of these small watercraft.
Bass Pro Shops Pond Prowler: www.basspro.com/shop/en/Bass-...
=Boat:
Bass Pro Shops Pond Prowler 2
Minn-Kota Enduramax 55
Minn-Kota Battery Power Station
Camera: GoPro Hero 3 Black
Broll: Samsung Galaxy Note S9
Memory: Sandisk Ultra 64gb
Chest Mount: Zoukfox Chest Mount
Microphone: Pannovo
Tripod: Bontend Flexible Tripod - Sport
Love the way you delivered it. Bought mine at a yardsale, and looked up the hull#, its 20 years old and still floating great. Amazing rig for a 1 man operation
Great review of the Pond Prowler. I just ordered mine today. Have to wait about a week until it arrives. Looking forward to many fishing trips.
This is exactly what I need. I'm fishing from a jonboat now. Appreciate you being open and honest about your thoughts on it (both good and bad). Much needed.
For sure, hit me up if you have any other questions.
Does the jon boat also get thrown around in the wind, as the person in the video claims the prowler to do?
I agree
I'm thinking about getting one of these boats and this was useful info, thanks.
Thinking about investing in one of these, your video is definably a big help, thanks for the info!
makes a great gift for ! I like the pontoon float design .Can't wait to see the grandsons bass fishing.
Great video and great catch.
Great video! I'm in the market to get a Pond Prowler 10. Thanks for the Pros and Cons.
Thought about a drift sock out the back? Should resist a lot of the wind affects your getting.
I picked up one of these from BPS a few weeks ago. Been on it a couple times to get a feel for mods I want to make before Spring Fishing time. It is pretty stable and zips right along w a trolling motor. You pretty much nailed it here, including all the micro-adjusting for position. They make a product called a Big Foot pedal that wires into the trolling motor and allows you to control whether or not the TM has power via your foot. Look it up. I'm considering this option. Also, a little dolly can be made for rolling it around without it dragging. Look forward to more vids!
Great info, I might look into that. Ultimately life would be way better with a proper trolling motor for sure. Have fun with yours, some of my upgrade vids are coming soon.
This video and CZcamsfishing video bass raider review were the two most informative videos about the pros and cons of this boat category
Thanks man.
Just need two small mushroom anchors and your set. Also could use the gripper and rope to tie off to stump or branch.
Great video and answered my question about the wiring running to the front. I'm looking at one like-new used for $500. I had bought a fishing kayak and grew tired of it, just a little small and unstable for me.
I've got a brand new bass raider for 579.
title and registration.
This is an excellent review! Thorough without any fluff, you got straight to it. Did a great job of showing everything and going over the pro's and con's of it too. I've been wanting to get a boat like this for awhile now, but I'm at a point where I wouldn't be able to use it as often as I'd like to justify the cost. I keep my eye out for good deals on used ones though, I know a few people that got lucky and found insanely good deals on these.
Also, that red decal on the boat is awesome. Possibly the greatest decal one could own. Not biased or anything. lmao!
Thanks brother. It's good for what it's designed for - smaller water, getting places big boats can't, and being convenient. It's not good at the things it's not designed for - go figure.
I found an excellent buy on Facebook marketplace. Didn’t even know that existed until my wife suggested I look for a boat there. There are also lots of 15-20 year old pelicans and sun dolphins and pond prowlers. I suggest holding out until a really good deal pops up. I was going to wait until next spring because didn’t see anything worthwhile until Sunday morning something popped up and ended up driving 2 hours Sunday night to make the purchase. There are some good deals now and then.
Thanks for the review. I just bought this yesterday. How has it held up over the years?
Thanks for the great info.!
Thanks for the review. Looking to get one of these because my 14 ft jon is to big for some of the smaller rivers with kayak slips in my area. Thinking this might be the ticket.
How shallow of water do you think it would float in? Looking at maybe using one of these for waterfowl hunting. You can hit some shallow areas getting to different areas.
Bought one last year. Great boat!
great video.....if you want to keep your rod and reels, get a 12-14 inch peice of pipe insulation that you get from a big box store and zip tie it to your pole above your reel and if your pole falls over board, the pipe insulation will make your pole FLOAT!!! Excellent investment bro....TRUST ME!!!
Great review!!..for sure more handy than a kayak for a big guy!
Hey joel very late comment on this video but if you sit lower on the boat with a different seat it really helps with the wind and secondly if you fill the boat with floatation foam through the rod holder holes itll give it weight and stiffness both helping with that wind drift. Low weight floatation foam adds like 10-20 lbs and is still manageable weight wise
Definitely the best boat style budget solution to fishing. I had a Bass Hunter for years until I fished it to death. With that said, it could have lasted me a life time if I fished the number of times in a year most people do. I would suggest you consider flipping your head around on trolling motor and use it forward which will help you fight the wind and reduce collisions with obstructions.
I just have one question, where do we put the beer?
I just recently got pretty much the same set up. Same motor and battery box but I got the 8.5' Sundolphin Sportsman. What battery are you using for the fish finder and how long does it last? Can't wait to see more mods
Amazon for SLA1079 or HSL1079. I charge them every 2-3 days on the water
To be legal in Pennsylvania to take to small state lakes do I need registration,pfd,etc? I have a small ford ranger.I would like to use it to avoid paying trailer registration.good video Informative!
Thanks Dude Nice Video ~
quality review, nice job. Thinking of getting one since my 12 year old and I cant seem to catch anything on the shore. What kind of anchor would you suggest?
I got a 3-claw kayak anchor. I definitely recommend a claw type - other folks I talked to with similar boats used to have trouble with regular weighted anchors.
15 lb an or works great
I'm saving up for this boat! I was stuck between this or a fishing kayak? Because I have to car top it on my 4 door sadan?
quality review bru. way to throw my name in there hahah
Ok, as we are big men we need to think so let me show you. A motor is needed, a gas/Electric boat is viewed in a bass/pontoon boat. You can launch your pontoon boat at regular dock have an automatic trolling motor installed when you drop it you drop it down in the water and you maneuver it to the dock and Stephania and be on your way. You can start fishing around the docks give away from the wake and used motor on longer trips saving your battery just make sure you have some extra gas to refill if you want an app but as long as your battery is fully charged you always have it so you have a back-up plan with Gas and Electric.
Do you think this is just as stable on the water as a 12 Alum jon boat?
Mine is real similar. Called a Bass Stalker. Pontoon as well, super stable and I have 3 kayaks and i must say my back feels better at the end of the day. Not to mention more bass! Better visuals standing 👍🎣
Better visuals, better casts! It's so hard to effectively flip and set hooks and such in a kayak. I love kayaks for a *lot* of reasons, but the overall utility, specifically for bass, is far superior on these lil' rafts. Thanks for the look and feedback!
Grampa,says,"don't stand up in the boat!"
Thanks for the info...I thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these. There's tons on content on you tube about the 8' version and almost nothing on this 10 footer. I'm not sure who actually makes them, but it looks like the BPS Pond Prowler II, the Sun Dolphin Sportsman 10, and the Field & Stream Angler 10 are all the same boat.
I want to say it's pelican that makes the pond prowler but it could be sun dolphin. I do believe the three are the same aside from color.
Great review! Thanks! Now the question haha I noticed that I have two small holes in the very front nose of the boat (black bottom half). Are those supposed to be plugged? Do you have those also?
I have two what I *think* are holes with rubber plugs in them. I'd have to go look again though - you're talking under the front on the pontoon part?
@@JoelFishes yes!!! Ok I thought I bought a faulty product haha mine didn't come with plugs though. Does yours have plugs?
@@leonardpineflower2333 I'll have to dig it out in the garage tomorrow and look - it's got what look like plugs but I've never pulled them out. They're almost like little bumpers.
@@JoelFishes ok great! I'm just trying confirm with another owner. I'm Calling Bass Pro Shop tomorrow to see if they can send me some. Thanks for the quick reply! Lines tight and keep on hookin! 🎣
@@leonardpineflower2333 Cheers man, thanks for taking a look!
do you have the 36" or 42" shaft trolling motor?
I know you posted this a long time ago but do u think it would be okay with a 30 or 40 trolling motor ?
Nice 👍
Way to make me want to junk the Janky and go buy one of these my man
I have one. I feel like it is not that stable to stand up in. How is your balance standing? Ever have that dropping stomach moment that your going to tip? Also the pre-wiring in the boat came with a freaking in line 2 amp fuse....waaaaay too small for any trolling motor. You will need to get a larger one if you want to put the battery in the front, or bypass and get a breaker.
Honestly, the stability is one of the few things I really like about this boat. I rarely feel even a bit nervous, in normal fishing conditions. I have mediocre sea legs so that's saying something.
I'm looking at getting this in the 10' for me and my buddy. We usually go in a canoe, I also work at Cabelas so i get these for a decent price. I'm just curious if you think they are worth the money and if you've fished 2 out of it?
Also I feel you with the wind situation. In the canoe some days I'm doing more steering than fishing.
For sure - it's very stable, and handles two people decently well, it's just even slower with extra weight. The stability and ability to stand make it much better than a canoe imo
@@JoelFishes Great! Thanks man!
Are these boats built about the same ? Or which one is better made ?
Great review, I ended up with the bass raider…yeah putting the motor on the front allows you way better control…I too like standing while fishing so built a casting deck and it made a world of difference…you can store all your stuff under it allowing for even more space on the 10footer….great job man, do you still have it or did you get something new?
I debated a casting deck a LOT, but ultimately space concerns and my safety (VERY mediocre sea legs) trumped that desire. I sold the Pond Prowler during covid, less than a year after I was unable to keep making videos actively, and do wading, bank beating and some small craft (kayak/float) stuff now.
I have a kayak and I’m tired of feeling exhausted at the end of the day and having a sore back from sitting too much. I’m really thinking of one of these. Does anyone know if this is a better quality than the sun dophin or are they about the same?
I believe it's essentially the same boat as the Sun Dolphin Sportsman 10, in a different color.
It is exactly the same boat. As the sun dolphin they make it
Can you tell us how you know about the 2 boats. You had said many times "I Think" Can you elaborate? Did you own the Bass Raider? It's 250 dollars more for the Raider. So I'm wondering what is the difference.
2 anchors a must have
I'm going to be replacing a 25+ yr old Sun Dolphin 110 with this. Even though it was light and drifted in the wind, I would fish with the drift. Then just use the trolling motor get back to the starting spot again. The foam, I'm not the first owner, in it has gotten so soaked it weighs a ton now even with the water drained. It came with a trailer, so I will be using that. Also, I'm going to get a 3 1/2hp gas motor for it and replace the battery I got with it from the previous owner.
A little gas motor would make life so much easier in one of these little dudes
I have a similar boat unbranded but very similar. and I have rigged a small deck to go into the rail system for the seats and that goes in the boat really easy and then I have a 45pound trust and a 5 horse Honda kicker and standing in the front with a buddy and my motor and other gear in the back including battery and it balances out really well but if you were to make a small deck buy a attachment for your trolling motor called the troll king it turns any hand control trolling motor into a foot control very easily, I bought it and there are review on CZcams but I think you should look into buying one because of the problem with the wind. I bought mine over a year ago and it still goes very strong it retails for 124$ and I think that is a very fair price considering it controls speed too.
Dude thanks for that info, I'm gonna look into that
My neighbor has same boat but has a trailer so he keeps entire gear and setup, including the battery, on board in a garage. Thinking about getting a boat, but not sure if I could get away with not having a trailer. Really well done review!
I've considered this but my garage space is too limited
JoelFishes mine also. Probably could only put in if I lay sideways. Just not sure if I would get tired of loading and unloading trolling motor, battery and boat itself. Very tempting.
@@patrickfahie8671 it takes me maybe 5 mins to take it all out, plug the battery in, etc. I rotate the boat as I take it out of my truck, etc. It would be much easier on a trailer for sure, unfortunately real estate prices don't allow for that in Oregon 🤣🤣
JoelFishes completely understood. I’m in the same situation
I just got a 10' one. It's a sun dolphin sportsman, pretty much exactly the same from what I see. I shoved it into the back of my 96' 4runner. It fits, not ideal though. Hangs out of the back a couple feet. Took some work trying to get it in there.
Looked at those racks with the winch where you can load a boat on the top of your vehicle. They look cool but, eh. I haven't even priced those. Thinking of just going with an 8' utility trailer and rigging up a dolly. Shooting for the least amount of work as possible and avoiding the marina.. And people haha.
I put a 6hp Evinrude in mines works great I have a pelican Bass Raider 10e
You can put a foot controlled trolling motor on it.
How did u get the boat with a trolling motor for under 1000?
Can it stay in water and the sun all day everyday without the sun hurting it?
How fast does your motor go on the boat?
man I got the answer I just haven't bought a boat yet. But you need a spot lock I pilot. Build a small deck up front just big enough to place the trolling motor and bam you take care of drift.
If I could afford that I wouldn't be in a Pond Prowler lol
Just visited cabellas. They have these about a hundred bucks more then the pelican bass raider. Almost the same boat.
Ever try the micro powerpoles?
Little more money than I've been willing/able to spend, but they've always intrigued me.
I know this might sound funny but if you want to fix your balance go by a Sundolphin Journey 10ss and paddle that thing for awhile you will be able to pass a field sobriety test no matter how drunk you are
I could probably use the practice lol
The internal structure of a standard car battery does not lend itself well to this application.
I highly recommend Walmart marine/deep cycle batteries, or any other marine or deep cycle battery that has been turned over by Johnson Controls.
If you get bored on CZcams sometime you should look up the internal differences between a cranking battery and a deep cycle battery, they really are two totally different batteries for two totally different uses.
I'm going to get one of these boats soon.
My back starts to kill me after a couple hours in my kayak, and like you mentioned at the beginning of the video I'm going to end up spending as much on a more comfortable kayak as one of these.
I noticed some people were complaining that the hull was thin and cracked easy, have you had any experience with that?
Zero. I beat the tar out of my boat and it had zero structural issues.
Hey Joel, what state and city is this?
Oregon coast
This better be good Joel
Seeing more of you than the boat.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Can this be used with 30lbs thrust trolling motor
Yep!
You forgot the Bass Hunter XL from Sportsmanguide.
Did it come with 2 seats??
It does, yes.
Is this a pond prowler, or a bass raider?
Do you still have this?
So... have you ever made it to the lake and realized that your battery was dead? Oh wait... all of them were dead? Did you have to have some one tow you back to the ramp? Just curious...
Does that happen? LOOOOOL jokes aside, it's died on me on the water 3-4 times, when it died on the Willy last month it took over an hour to paddle legit 1/8 mile into the current.
I know 2 KILLER destinations for that thing in the spring...
@@rodfather_bass_fishing well if you want to wedge onto the miniboat we can head out! Lol
Hey really like your boat. One suggestion about the wind. You should buy a drift chute. I had a small one on my 14ft kayak. Its great. Just don't throw it in current. Check it out. I think it would be perfect for your application on those windy days.
I've been told this and definitely going to consider it sooner than later, especially on the windy coast
How much is the boat not including trolling motor?
Retail is $769 now, was $699 last year when I bought it. You can usually find these or Bass Raiders used on Craigslist locally.
Alright thx
How big is the battery?
I use a group 24, the battery box I have makes carrying it relatively easy. It's not light, but I've only got to carry it 10 feet each way.
Question,if u we're to fall out of it,is it stable enough to pull yourself back in??
I believe so. I might do an "on the water rocking demonstration", but I believe it would be doable to climb back in without it flipping.
Ok tyvm for the feed back
@@chrisbaker7311 Update: I fell out of it and was able to get back in lol
Flip your pfd around. The backside is smoother.
How easy & quickly to detach the motor & seat?
The seats aren't attached, they just sit in grooves. The motor is two little hand screws and it comes right off - takes ten seconds.
@@JoelFishes Awesom! Did you see the display at the store 1st? 1 last ? How long to recharge battery?
@@dwaynejones1555 I did a ton of research before buying, but also went to stores in person to see the various similar boats before deciding on the pond prowler specifically.
I believe u said the bsttery last 5hrs approx. But how long to recharge?
@@dwaynejones1555 I've never actually tested how long it takes - I just put it on the charger after a day of fishing. It generally will be charged again before the next morning, or even later that night.
Could you get a foot control?
You can - it would take some modifying, and in my case would potentially cause transport issues.
JoelFishes thanks Joel for getting back to me so quick love your channel
@@billymitchem5256 thanks for the support. Took some time off but looking to be back to video making this spring
That intro song almost sounds like it's from a band called Polyphia.
Mostly cause it is lol
I've been fishing out of these boats for 30 years and have had four of them .But I would tell you to stop sliding it around because it will put a hole in it . If your going to keep sliding the boat invest in some plastic bars and epoxy them to the bottom . Tight lines .
Thanks - I've been considering some options, as unfortunately I have to drag it around basically always. Some wear bars is a pretty good idea, actually, I'll look into some options there.
It fits in my honda odyssey. Lol
Leave it in your truck over night during a rainstorm. The cavity will fill with water, good luck getting it dry
You didn't just tip it over?
My neighbor bought one that was literally on the water for 7 years. At times it was full of water while sitting in water. He bought it 5 or 6 years ago and still runs like a champ.
173 pounds
It's listed at 138 per Bass Pro website. Feels like more than that though.
Doesn’t look like a bass raider. Looks like a pond prowler.
He said it was a pond Prowler
@@beckytwister01 title says both