# Noob question on cataraft.



## Avatard (Apr 29, 2011)

as a noob you need to do nothing more than to watch a couple of Dave Scadden videos and you will soon be running some class V gnarl ...


I've only seen it on oversized tubes on a small frame. Like a 16' cat on a 6' frame. I think it helps stabilize the tubes or some shit. 

I don't think you should be overly concerned ...


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## kengore (May 29, 2008)

I use one on my small 1 person cataraft. I lets me stand and wade fish w/o the boat floating off. Also doubles as a short rope to tie the boat off.


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## kengore (May 29, 2008)

Some tips on fishing from a small cat, based on my 1 person 9' Water Skeeter 'River Tamer' and my 2-3 person 15' Aire Panther....

1. If you are planning on fishing solo while rowing you might consider fins. Fins let you steer the boat while your hands are busy fishing. The 'Force Fin' style that are specialized for pontoons work better for me. Note: I said 'steer' not paddle or push. They are good at rotating the boat so it points where needed and can produce some force going backward, useless for forward. Might not work on a really big boat, mine is 9' with 16" dia. tubes.

2. Some boats have the ability to stand and fish off a casting platform, some even have a retractable thigh brace. On my 9' 1 person boat I fish from a sitting position. On the 2-3 person 15' cat I have a casting platform and big U shaped NRS brace in front, just a tractor seat in the back (not often used). 

3. A small waist belt stripping basket seems to help with the clutter, make sure it works sitting and standing AND doesn't interfere with your PFD.

4. Rods not in holders have a short life span. Figure out some way to stow the rods.

5. I have not found an anchor to be that useful, so I no longer carry one. On the little boat it was often just as easy to tie off and wade fish or stand between the tubes. Anchoring in current wasn't that useful, or that stable. 

On the big boat the size of anchor needed to stop in swift water was bigger than I wanted to carry, certainly bigger than I liked to lift on a single pulley system. I tried a grapple style but it just kept getting stuck. Note: most of the water I have access to has some good currents.

In contrast in my drift boat an anchor is essential, however the hard hull slides over the water and is easy to park in current.

6. You will be surprised on how many ways you can wrap a line around a cataraft. The fewer obstacles the better, wrapping a piece of netting or small tarp over over the dunnage pile covers a lot of buckles, cams and loops that would otherwise snag your line.

7. You will need a long handled net to reach out over the tubes and oars, get one that is adjustable or small enough you can wade fish with it.

8. Oar tethers are a good idea. I made mine out of para-cord, strong enough to retrieve a dropped oar but breakable if I hit something hard. It's easy to drop an oar while trying to fish.

While I agree that Dave Scaddon's salesman ship is *way* over the top, some of his boat designs were innovative and made good fishing platforms for class I-II waters. The Skyomish model pontoon has the best retractable fishing platform I've seen. Too bad a good product gets tainted by unsupportable promises.


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## Osseous (Jan 13, 2012)

It is not a good product- it is one step above a pool toy

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## chiapet74 (Apr 13, 2014)

kengore said:


> I use one on my small 1 person cataraft. I lets me stand and wade fish w/o the boat floating off. Also doubles as a short rope to tie the boat off.


Exactly

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