Famous Monster Bass Boat

[Thumper]

Hey Kassie! Thanks for the feedback. Haha, no, no need to impress anymore. Might consider the shaggy pile incase I ever get booted out the tent haha.
Pretty excited. Still pretty new to bassing but loving it so far and with a boat I am pretty sure ones chances of catching increase somewhat than fishing off the bank.
Have you had any problem with drainage in the boat?
How tough is the pontoon material itself, think it would cost quite a bit to repair one if punctured..
and also, I hear the boat is pretty lite, so that motor of yours must be quite lekker on it of hoe?

[Kassie]

Drainage...well...I've used my monster quite a bit (that's what she said) and touch wood (that's what she said) I have had no drainage problems.

Its never filled up like a kiddies pool if that's what you're worried about.

Sure it gets water in. But most of it lies under between the boat bottom and the wooden floor and you only really notice it when you move from front to back etc.

At the end of the day, i take the boat off the water and turn it upside down. Water gone.

The material is properly tough stuff. BTW, have you contacted Martin and chatted to him about the boat? He is really helpful and doesn't talk crap. He's always responded to any emails I've sent him and when I've phoned him. The Monster is not a toy!

With regards to weight, it is light. 46 kgs for the boat and floor combined. I don't need anyone to help me lift and move it around or set it up and take it down.

[Thumper]

hahahaha :blue-lol:
well played sir!

no have not yet contacted him, that might be a good idea.

But the boat in question is pretty much new..

haha, still laughing, luckily my mrs is pretty excited to spend time handling the monster :blue-razz:

[Kassie]

haha, still laughing, luckily my mrs is pretty excited to spend time handling the monster :blue-razz:

Well... With a nickname like Thumper...I'm not surprised! Hey! This is a family show. Keep it clean!

Back to the boat...
I tie my anchor rope to the bolts Martin gives you for the trolling motor attachment.
I prefer to fish off the front deck because of the size of the pontoons - you can't pitch over them without eventually hooking something lying on the deck, which causes foul words to exit from the mouth area!
I have 2 long seat-belts that i use to tie the boat up like a swiss-roll so that it doesn't come undone and flop around (that's what she said). They're very useful when it comes to picking the thing up...
You need to get one of those electric pumps you'd use to inflate a mattress. They REALLY do work and will save you in terms of sweat. Then you need a double action pump to put some pressure into the pontoons when the electric pump has done its job.

[Thumper]

Kassie, is there a chance of snagging a pontoon on the side with a trebble or something when retrieving your line?
Also. what is the bottom of the boat like without the floor boards?
Does it also inflate? Is it nice thick on the bottom? and when the floor boards are in place, do they move around at all? i wonder if eventually they will come up with a opslaan dakkie for the back section for when you sitting and having a break.

[Kassie]

I suppose there is always the chance... just be careful!
I have had times where I wasn't concentrating 100% whilst fishing a lipless crank and it hit the pontoon quite hard. Nothing has happened....

With the floorboard out, its just a sheet of pontoon material. But this is raised significantly off the water, which reduces drag. Basically, the boat rides on the pontoons. Only the pontoons inflate. There are 3 separate pontoons with their own valve.

The floorboard definitely does NOT move around once in position. There is extra material that reinforces the spots where the wooden floorboard sits.

A piece of advice with the wooden floor and setting up...
Open the boat on the grass/spot where you're going to inflate it.
Pump a small amount of air into each pontoon so that they just start to get some shape.
Then put the floorboard in.
Continue inflating.
Once fully inflated, get inside the boat and lightly walk around so that the board locks into place in each corner.
You won't get the board in if you pump it up full first...

As for your afdak wish, I don't think it's gonna happen...

[Thumper]

Thanks for the tip. Probably would have made that mistake!
I think the biggest think bugging me is how durable the boat is! I dont want to be constantly stressing when I drift into reeds run over branch and such.
The pictures just make it look like the material used is pretty thin?? :blue-confused:
And also the seems of the grab handle, is this where one would attach the anchor?
Wouldn't these seems take quite a pounding then?

[Kassie]

From what Martin has told me previously, the material used is from a German company called Valmex and it apparently has the highest tensile strength currently available on the market.

I think that if you use common sense, and don't park it in a submerged thorn tree or drag it over broken glass that nothing's going to happen to it. Reeds are not going to damage it for sure.
As an anchor point, I don't use the grab handles, preferring the bolts that go into the front deck for the trolling motor attachment.

I should actually get commission for all this blatant free advertising!

[Thumper]

Thanks for the help kassie, if i ever meet Martin I will put in a good word for you!
Think my mind is made up!

[Stef]

Hi guys any one use the smaller boat from Famous Boats?