MICROCAT
The Microcat is the newest member to the Angling Techincs fleet of baitboats. Much bigger and more expensive than its ‘sister’ (The Baitboat) this truly is a piece of gear aimed at all you tackle tarts out there!
Some good points are the bait capacity – Thanks to its long hoppers the boat is able to take a massive load of bait. With a payload capacity of up to 6kg of bait you are unlikely to fill it on most of your sessions. Design – One of the biggest improvements from the previous boat is the new design. Based on the catamaran design this boat sits very low in the water. This eliminates vertically any possibility of the boat turning over once in use, but more importantly makes steering easier as a crosswind affects it less. This is a major boost for Carpers using it on big continental waters. Bait Application – Using the Microcat gives the best way of presenting your hook bait and freebies. You have 99% confidence that your rig is sitting perfectly with your freebies. Also, using the boat you are able to apply your bait where people can’t cast. Whether it be under an overhanging tree in the margin or 200 yards out, you are likely to be fishing un-touched, sometimes un-fished, spots. With its lights you can use the boat in the dark. (well sort of, see Bad Points). Another big plus is the fact that the lights turn off for a couple of seconds to indicate the hoppers have opened. Range – The boat is able to travel up to a massive 600m. It is extremely unlikely that you would lose the boat on your local lake with these capabilities!! Fun – OK, so this won’t help your catch rate but it’s quite simply great fun to use. The video (which come free with the boat) shows some great ways of using the boat. Whether it be spinning for pike or using its marker float system its all great fun to have a go at. Extras – There are loads of extra bits you can add to your boat to make it custom for your needs. There’s an echo sounder for checking water depths, solar panel for charging, battery meters, bank side chargers, torches etc the list is massive. With the video camera (no joke!) coming out soon the boat can keep on being improved.
Some bad pints are the lights – The lights on the boats are a good idea with different colours on each side to indicate where the boat is facing. But, it’s the lights themselves that disappoint me most about the Microcat. The two backlights are a very bright blue colour while the front lights are a much dimmer white. You end up with the blue lights shining in your eyes at night and you aren’t able to see whether you are going to hit something! (e.g. reeds, islands) Also the white lights are so dim you can’t see them until the boat is very close to the bank. Hopper Indication – Unlike the Baitboat there is no visual indication, apart from the lights, to tell you went the hoppers have opened. When using the boat in the day the lights cannot be seen and are therefore no help. Bans – Because of some peoples feelings towards using boats a few venues have started banning the use of boats. Thankfully my club hasn’t followed suit but please check you can use a baitboat on your water before you dig into your pocket and buy one!
****
4/5 STARS
By Dave Woollven