ROTOMOLDED SOLOSKIFF

[TDD]

I know you do your best, but could the molded in cooler be made just a little larger?
A slot redfish in Texas is 20" to 28", and the limit is 3 fish. Imagine how large of a cooler you would want for a 20 pound bag of ice, a limit of reds, and a couple of trout.

Yep ... sure seems like 8-10" more taken out of the bow giving us a 28-30" long fish cooler would be way more useful .... certainly easier to play armchair ..

You mean armchair quarterback? Yeah, I guess.

But to be honest, that is pretty close to a deal breaker. A fishing machine with no place to keep fish is hard to justify.

I was calling both of us "arm-chair-QB since we're both just trying to make it fit our usage better .. not trying to be derogative to anyone. On those rare Full Limit days an extra soft side cooler in the center console should work fine to fill the overflow gap .... and truth-be-told I hardly ever keep more than a couple of fish at a time either ...... I would imagine that the mold is already done and thus any major changes at this point would probably just slow down delivery and raise the cost ... in a couple of years they might consider some updates to the mold would be my guess. I'm interested ... wondering what colors are being considered

[Milkjug]

Step 1: Admit to being too much of a wimp to paddle anymore.

Step 2: Stop by nearest pharmacy to purchase a tube of this...



Step 3: Purchase one of these...



Step 4: Begin posting on http://www.texaspowerboatfisherman.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SKIFFGUY]

Guys , many things went into the thought / design process of the new Solo Skiff...nothing happened by accident. Everything you do in a kayak or boat design has an effect somewhere else. The second thing to remember is we design things in hopes of pleasing as many people as possible all the while making things that are functional / useful / appealing and that we are able to make work.
The cooler is a great example. I was not designing a flat out fish box, I knew some would store water/sandwiches there- I knew some would throw an occasional fish there...I knew some may use it as a small livewell... So I designed to be a balance. There were many issues to consider when designing it believe me, and what we ended up with is the balance I thought would work best overall. I know a lot of guys would like to see it larger, but this effects a lot more things than you may first think... The cooler is large enough to hold a 27" redfish...so I was happy with that... We have to design with the masses in mind, as well as safety among other things, not to mention practicality.... so again I did my best to make it as functional as possible...

Thanks for all your positive thoughts and input guys...

just remember - kayaks / boats evolve... as will the Solo Skiff

[Jeffrey]

Step 1: Admit to being too much of a wimp to paddle anymore.

Step 2: Stop by nearest pharmacy to purchase a tube of this...



Step 3: Purchase one of these...



Step 4: Begin posting on http://www.texaspowerboatfisherman.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That really puts things in perspective. It ties back into the thread about old school kayaks, and the simplicity that got a lot of people into kayak fishing in the first place. When you start adding stuff, where do you draw the line before you just get a boat?

[Jeffrey]

Guys , many things went into the thought / design process of the new Solo Skiff...nothing happened by accident. Everything you do in a kayak or boat design has an effect somewhere else. The second thing to remember is we design things in hopes of pleasing as many people as possible all the while making things that are functional / useful / appealing and that we are able to make work.
The cooler is a great example. I was not designing a flat out fish box, I knew some would store water/sandwiches there- I knew some would throw an occasional fish there...I knew some may use it as a small livewell... So I designed to be a balance. There were many issues to consider when designing it believe me, and what we ended up with is the balance I thought would work best overall. I know a lot of guys would like to see it larger, but this effects a lot more things than you may first think... The cooler is large enough to hold a 27" redfish...so I was happy with that... We have to design with the masses in mind, as well as safety among other things, not to mention practicality.... so again I did my best to make it as functional as possible...

Thanks for all your positive thoughts and input guys...

just remember - kayaks / boats evolve... as will the Solo Skiff

BUT....

If a guy was going to straddle the fence between a kayak and a boat (hypocritical, I know) it is worth thinking about where to keep fish. The only place I see to put a fish bag is across the bow. It would ruin the sleek look of it, but strategically placed tie down points around the bow would at least facilitate a fish bag.

[SKIFFGUY]

Jeffrey

Good point... There is a beauty to the kayak, and paddle, without a doubt the Solo Skiff is not for everyone. I was once a die hard kayak user before the Mitzi Skiff days but still enjoy a paddle. I designed Solo as an option to what was available based on my experiences fishing. The funny thing is I came up with the concept from going BTB (with an outrigger canoe) years ago... I have a Polaroid picture of a scale model on my drafting table that is very close to the Solo skiff in design. When I first came up with the concept ,I called it the 'surf canoe' lol... The Solo isnt a kayak... its not a full fledged 'boat' its a hybrid design, that being said, no line need be drawn, some people will like it, some will not... it has proven it's worth as a fishing vessel, so we moved forward with it.

[SKIFFGUY]

The only place I see to put a fish bag is across the bow. It would ruin the sleek look of it, but strategically placed tie down points around the bow would at least facilitate a fish bag.

You can easily use the cooler lid bungee to hold down a bag... you can also place a bag in the hull... there is a LOT of room in the hull when you open the hatch...more than it looks especially in the new Solo....

As far as the sleek look of the Solo, thanks for the compliment...however- I dont think someone will be worried about the looks as they are strapping down a big fish

[Forever Fishing]

LOL MJ!

There are so many options available to fisherman that will cost effectively get you out on the water with no lines or boundary's needed. Plastic, fiberglass, aluminum are all good options for enjoying a wonderful outdoor sport. Each of us has the freedom to decide the best method for themselves. Putting others down or trying to embarrass them is funny but ineffective for influencing real men and tends to reflect our own insecurities.

The Solo Skiff is just another cost effective option on the table that brings the ability to cover more water in less time. For kayak purists who truly enjoy paddling their vessel it's probably not the right choice. It's a technical poling skiff, a micro skiff not necessarily designed to paddle but designed to drift and motor. Good for me because I find paddling boring and time consuming but, necessary in my personal quest of chasing multiple species of fish. This vessel fits that bill nicely.

I've enjoyed bringing the Solo Skiff to Texas. I was the first one to recognize how effective and versatile it could be and have proven it so. Love the boat and I'm totally looking forward to checking out the new rotomolded version.

Tom Mitzlaff has been designing skiffs for many years and this thing is an awesome design. Let's put it to the test and just go fishing! Any takers out there?

[tmanbuckhunter]

I'm a "die hard" paddling type of guy, but there are some days on the upper Texas coast (let's try everyday) where the winds will not lay down or co-operate and it turns a decent trip bad, and a bad trip to a terrible trip. I'll probably be picking one of these up just to open up my options a little more. I will still have my Kayak for fishing small lakes and bay areas that have no motor rules of course. Winds are not really an issue here in the Tallahassee area and we'll have several nice days out of a month with "light and variable" winds which makes for great paddling/fishing. I like the idea of a rotomolded skiff.

[Coachsmills]

Let's put it to the test and just go fishing! Any takers out there?

Brice, I'll let you run me around the bay right before the first LSKS so I can prefish about 10 spots in one day. lol

[jlyoung08]

........ One thing for sure it seems to be the first one to market and you know it'll it be popular in Texas. Perfect boat for our area.

Love that live well/ice chest/storage box on the bow. Plus it's going to have a rowing option. I can see that being really useful BTB!

Is it, how so?

I really want to like the soloskiff, but I just can't see how it would work very well in the flats with our higher winds. Poling in the wind sucks, and while they have the option to paddle, I can't see how it would be very efficient.

In calm conditions, I can see that thing being great. Wish we had weather more like Florida.

I'd hate to be BTB in that thing and the outboard go wrong and try to paddle that skiff 3 miles back in.

Man they are cool looking though and on those calm days I bet would be a treat on the flats. Any idea how shallow it drafts loaded down?

.

So far the prototype rotomolded SK has performed "just like" the fiberglass SK according to Tom Metzlaff in his limited testing. So the information below is based on my personal experience using the fiberglass version for the past two years. Until my demo boat arrives I can only hope it's even better than the fiberglass. It sure would be nice to NOT have to worry about scratching the gel coat on my cool little fishing machine in all the oyster shell ridden shallows I love to fish. Right now the weight and length are almost identical but the prototype could change and who knows what it will end up being.

It's perfect in that's it's designed to easily reach flats that your kayak can't. 25 miles a day is easy on the SK but tough on my kayak. Set up a drift (drift socks and drag chains work great) stand and cast or hop over board and wade. We have miles and miles of shallow flats from Trinity Bay to Baffin Bay and beyond. If you have winds that are over the tolerance of a skiff then you are correct in that it's not a great solution for you but neither is a kayak in those same conditions. I've found it to be perfect for the Galveston Bay complex as well as many of the fresh water opportunities around here. It also stores like a kayak (a big one) as it fits in your garage or hang it from the rafters like I do.

The rowing option becomes even more appealing when you mention BTB/off shore. I consider anything under 2 miles from shore BTB and anything over 2 miles off shore. Two miles with a failed motor wouldn't necessarily be a huge problem under the previous mentioned conditions. But having an alternate/better propulsion method (like rowing capabilities) and 3 - 5 miles doesn't seem too bad at all in an emergency. Plus rowing through the surf would prove to be much easier as well as compared to paddling. To my knowledge it (rowing) hasn't been done yet but even on my fiberglass SK it's very appealing and I'm looking at some rigging options to give it try.

The fiberglass SK drafts in 3" easily with outboard and gear. I'm hoping the rotomolded SK does as well but we won't know until the prototype is fully tested. I've also heard rumors of a trolling motor mount for the bow so you can have your regular engine and a trolling motor. Who needs a pole anyway?

I've spent many hours on my skiff and I would love for you to make the trek down from Austin so you can verify what I'm saying. Come fish the flats down here, demo this thing and you'll see what I mean. PM me for more information.

id be game on with a solo skiff adventure. been looking into them and debating on one eventually

[richg99]

I've owned over 25 boats during the last 40 or so years.

One thing I learned, and I think we all know...is that EVERY boat is a trade-off. No one boat can cover all conditions, just like no one boat can please every fisherman's needs and desires.

The SoloSkiff is one more arrow in our quiver.
richg99

[Kingz]

...Step 4: Begin posting on http://www.texaspowerboatfisherman.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yep

[lurejunkee]

Cant wait to see'm

[Jeffrey]

The only place I see to put a fish bag is across the bow. It would ruin the sleek look of it, but strategically placed tie down points around the bow would at least facilitate a fish bag.

You can easily use the cooler lid bungee to hold down a bag... you can also place a bag in the hull... there is a LOT of room in the hull when you open the hatch...more than it looks especially in the new Solo....

As far as the sleek look of the Solo, thanks for the compliment...however- I dont think someone will be worried about the looks as they are strapping down a big fish

If you open the center hatch, what are the inside dimensions of the opening? Instead of a fish bag, might could put a soft sided cooler in there.

[SKIFFGUY]

The hatch opening is 14" X 17"

[Jeffrey]

The hatch opening is 14" X 17"

If you put a fish bag inside the hatch you woukd want to be able to hose out the inside of the hull. Is there a drain plug?

[richg99]

You probably still want to hose the hull out, but if you first put the fish bag into a large plastic garbage bag, it will cut down on the leakage and smell.

Just another reason that I rarely take fish....Of course...the real reason is ...........that I rarely CATCH fish! Ha Ha Rich

[Roger S]

Well I wad just looking for a little info on the Solo and wound.up with a lot more than I bargained for. I'll.look forward to.when these boats are at the.dealer.

Thanks for all the input.

Roger

[Jeffrey]

Well I wad just looking for a little info on the Solo and wound.up with a lot more than I bargained for. I'll.look forward to.when these boats are at the.dealer.

Thanks for all the input.

Roger

You have caused a lot of trouble. Stay off of the forum for three days.

[richg99]

Ha Ha Ha....

[WantToFish]

Gear tracks along the left and right side of the SK would be a great idea. You can mount rod holders and paddle holders on the gear tracks.

Wonder how this would work on fresh water lakes like Fork and Toledo Bend for bass fishing?

[Forever Fishing]

I've caught a lot of bass on this skiff and love it with the trolling motor especially. In fact as I think I've said before I prefer using it with the trolling motor. Once I decide on a mount for a trolling motor and the gas motor this thing is going to be even more awesome.

In fact here's the first LMB ever caught from a Solo Skiff. And a few others just for fun.

[Heatstroke]

So when is the rotomolded one going to be rolling out and where in Tx would I have to go to get it? I'll make an extra stop on the way back to pick up my Vagisil.

[touttail2001]

I will be the first to admit I am a fisherman not a kayaker that likes to fish. I love the idea of your boat and what it does. I would be very interested in one. You asked for ideas and received a lot. Let me add my 2 cents worth. I am a larger man and I would wish it to be slightly wider and maybe a little longer for the added weight allowed. And to have a pedestal seat installed.