On the hunt for the ultimate small fishing boat

[Night goat]

I am on the hunt for the ultimate small fishing boat

My current set up is a 10 foot hard bottom zodiac with a 8hp tohatsu, and it does pretty well, however it’s a solo set up at best, 2 and an electric trolling motor does fair on a calm lake, however it has its limits for sure. The pros for the zodiac are that it goes on the roof of my jeep, and I don’t need a trailer, and it is stupid stable, two adults can stand up and fly cast and feel safe, but I’d like something bigger.

My next boat to try out is a 10 foot center console Livingston, however that will need a trailer- which I have.... could a Livingston also be used as a drift/river boat? That would be cool....

I used to have a 14 foot valco aluminum up in Alaska and it was great, did everything and went to everywhere, however if you ever let the tide go out and had to drag that thing 100 feet to the waters edge, well, it was an asskicking...

I want to build the ultimate small fishing boat for several reasons, and it also has to fill several roles....

The reason for wanting a small boat is that it has to serve as a tender/dinghy to my sailboat (27ft), and I want something light weight and easy enough to haul over the mountains and up to lakes for fly fishing and camping.... too heavy of a boat can’t be out on deck of the sailboat, requires being towed which cuts down on top end speed which in return makes for longer days

My dream small boat is a 12 foot Hilker, but too expensive and heavy to be a good tender,

I’m really considering a larger zodiac 12 or 14 foot as I absolutely love mine

Anybody have experience with the portaboat or folbot? Folding boats?

The idea is that I can take my sailboat wherever I want, anchor it, and then fish from a smaller boat close to base camp. Why not fish from the sailboat? Sure I probably will however there is lots of stuff on a sailboat that gets in the way of fishing like a mast and stays and rigging and such...

I’d love to hear ideas thoughts and inpu

[GWP]

I have a 12' PortaBote. Made roll up floorboards for it and a set of wheels that clamp to the sides so I can roll it around fully loaded. Can hit around 15-16 mph with a 6 hp two stroke Evinrude. Also have a 1.5 hp that moves it along fine. Awesome boat. You can drag it over rocks and hit stuff with no worries about the hull. Takes a little time to put together and take apart, and you have to store the parts 'somewhere'. I bought a 'BigFoot' bag to pack everything in and it works for everything but the transom. My transm does not fold up.
I had three Livingston's, 8, 10 and 12, I put it on the rooftop with a roller boat carrier, but the weight got to be more than I wanted to fight putting it up there. Really stable though, as you stated. Hauled butt with an 18 hp on it! 
I put swivel up wheels on the back of two of them for moving around. One also had the wheel on the front. When I bowfished I would stand on the center console and the gunnel and lean over the side it was so stable and solid.

[fly-by]

I have a 12' PortaBote. Made roll up floorboards for it and a set of wheels that clamp to the sides so I can roll it around fully loaded. Can hit around 15-16 mph with a 6 hp two stroke Evinrude. Also have a 1.5 hp that moves it along fine. Awesome boat. You can drag it over rocks and hit stuff with no worries about the hull. Takes a little time to put together and take apart, and you have to store the parts 'somewhere'. I bought a 'BigFoot' bag to pack everything in and it works for everything but the transom. My transm does not fold up.
I had three Livingston's, 8, 10 and 12, I put it on the rooftop with a roller boat carrier, but the weight got to be more than I wanted to fight putting it up there. Really stable though, as you stated. Hauled butt with an 18 hp on it! 
I put swivel up wheels on the back of two of them for moving around. One also had the wheel on the front. When I bowfished I would stand on the center console and the gunnel and lean over the side it was so stable and solid.

A larger Porta Bote sounds ideal for the OP. I had a 10 footer I foolishly sold a few years ago. Extremely versatile.   

[OutHouse]

Is a boston whaler to heavy to be on the boat deck? My buddy has a 13 ft whaler that sits low to the water. I think its from the 1980s. That thing is awesome he has a 30 HP on it and she flies.

[Westside88]

check out 12' Duroboat's. They are lightweight and stable. I'd probably get one on a trailer, they could go in a pickup as well. I'm not sure how a metal boat works on top of a sailboat, but I'm sure they're much lighter than a Livingston

[Jake Dogfish]

I’m also in the market for a small boat.  I think I will go with a zodiac.  I think a larger one would work for you.  The “kaboat” is interesting.

[Night goat]

Yeah a Boston whaler or most aluminums would probably be too heavy gotta figure it’s
Gotta get lifted 6 feet out of the water up and over the railing via a halyard or something to get it onboard

The folding boats interest me but seem rather delicate? Maybe I’m wrong but I have zero experience with them

Forgot to say the nice thing about a zodiac style RIB is that you can ram the sailboat full speed and just bounce off, no fiberglass damage if you get what I mean, they bounce off things

[Kola16]

My next boat to try out is a 10 foot center console Livingston, however that will need a trailer- which I have.... could a Livingston also be used as a drift/river boat? That would be cool....

No a Livingston would not work as a drift boat very well. It would spin like you are being flushed down a toilet They are great for what they are meant for, but a drift boat is not what it is meant for. I am not sure how the hull would hold up either, and they are a little on the heavier side IMO if a "Hi-laker?" is too heavy. Not sure what a "Hilker" is...

Anybody have experience with the portaboat or folbot? Folding boats?

My buddy has one. He loves it, but I despise it and will never own own or fish out of one for what that's worth Not enough feature inside the boat since it is gutless due to the fact it has to be portable.

My would be to go with the bigger Zodiac or other RIBs that are popular like an Avon. People modify them to be very fishable out of all the time and the bigger models like the ones you are looking at can take some decent waves and remain very stable. You can put a big motor on them too and they will absolutely fly! And like you said they won't mark up your sailboat like an aluminum for sure would.

Is a boston whaler to heavy to be on the boat deck? My buddy has a 13 ft whaler that sits low to the water. I think its from the 1980s. That thing is awesome he has a 30 HP on it and she flies.

WAY to heavy

[Special T]

Livingstons are awesome bay boats and we had one as a tender as a kid. They are heavy and usually attach to the back deck then are pulled up and secured. Not sure how you could do that on a sail boat.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[GWP]

My next boat to try out is a 10 foot center console Livingston, however that will need a trailer- which I have.... could a Livingston also be used as a drift/river boat? That would be cool....

No a Livingston would not work as a drift boat very well. It would spin like you are being flushed down a toilet They are great for what they are meant for, but a drift boat is not what it is meant for. I am not sure how the hull would hold up either, and they are a little on the heavier side IMO if a "Hi-laker?" is too heavy. Not sure what a "Hilker" is...

Anybody have experience with the portaboat or folbot? Folding boats?

My buddy has one. He loves it, but I despise it and will never own own or fish out of one for what that's worth Not enough feature inside the boat since it is gutless due to the fact it has to be portable.

My would be to go with the bigger Zodiac or other RIBs that are popular like an Avon. People modify them to be very fishable out of all the time and the bigger models like the ones you are looking at can take some decent waves and remain very stable. You can put a big motor on them too and they will absolutely fly! And like you said they won't mark up your sailboat like an aluminum for sure would.

Is a boston whaler to heavy to be on the boat deck? My buddy has a 13 ft whaler that sits low to the water. I think its from the 1980s. That thing is awesome he has a 30 HP on it and she flies.

WAY to heavy

Not sure what your buddy is running but the PortaBote’s generally go 3-5 mph faster than comparable boats with the same engine. The hull ‘conforms’ to the waves/wake which make them slicker. Plus they are slippery in the water because of the plastic material. The DO take some getting used to as the hull feels soft under the feet and ‘gives’. That was why I made the floorboards for mine. Livingston’s, for the heavy version, are about 280 lbs.  12’ PortaBote is 70 lbs.

[Alchase]

I used a ten foot Livingston center console for years as a salmon spying machine out of Point No Point.
Before that I hauled it on the roof of my Chevy S10 pickup (without the c get console. I had it down to a science how to get I up on my truck rack buy myself. Dry weight is 210 lbs.
Sorenson is so simular to the Livingston they got sued over it. Neither would make a great River boa. And both are prone to get pushed by the wind.

My sister has a 13’ Boston Whaler,  it bout for fishing lakes or a skiff.
Not that great for the salt fishing. The freeboard is to low, and prone to take waves over the stern. Only takes once for that to happen and you will never want it again.

I would look for a deep semi-V aluminum boat in 13 -14 foot range.

Unless you are still looking for a car topper, the. I would go Livingston/Sorenson, in the 10-12’range.

High Lakers are very good lake boats.  It on the sly they too are prone towav s over the stern.
Great boats though.

[Night goat]

Huh....

My buddy said he’d trade my 10ft zodiac for a 10ft center console Livingston but if I have to tow that behind my sailboat (which is slow as is comparatively speaking) the difference between 8knots and 6 knots is a big deal, especially if it’s 200+Lbs....

There are many inflatables on the market however many are made with a chopper gun and the typical yacht inflatable tender is a total pig, which is why you will see 50hp on a 12 foot boat, not all are created equal

[Night goat]

I sure miss the days when a 7 foot plywood pram was all I ever needed

[GWP]

I also have a 12’ Rendova ‘yacht tender’ pontoon.  Heavy built, center console, railings. 40 hp Honda 4 stroke. Ain’t going to be no pulling that one up on a deck! 😄
Hauls butt. Working on building a platform for a salt water bow mount trolling motor on it. The thing is like a little cork in the waves. Fun and scary all at the same time!

[Ghost Hunter]

I just refurbished a 45 y/o 8' Livingston I got for free off CL.  It had been used as a tender and was in great condition.  Haven't been on a maiden voyage yet, but figured it's a good car-topper for the small and remote lakes I like to fish.  I've got a 16' canoe I use, but find it's difficult to control by myself when the wind is blowing.  Doesn't leave time for fishing.