Jump to content

Amish Boards -vs- Otter Boards


Recommended Posts

This last weekend we pulled 10 colors leadcore +one surface line with stickbait at a 150 foot distance one lure line with a 1 ounce dive bomb on port and 400 feet of copper with a lure line with a 2 ounce bomb on starboard. We did this with double keeled otterboats. In the end the only difference between amish and otter is the storage room they take up. We keep the otter boats in the cooler till we need them, which is usually right at the start of trolling because when fishing ,they provide a lot stabilizing action when steering is difficult because of fish or wave action.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I run Amish boards. Last week I ran a 2, 5 and 7 color core and in the past I've run a 5, 7 and 10 color cores with no issues. Had Otter boats years ago before the double keel and never liked them.

Total Chaos

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you invest in the extra keel (which sounds cheaper), make sure that you read Yankee's post on where to tie off. You probably already know that the board are sensitive to where you tie the loop and make a connection. However, once it's done right, they are sweet indeed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last weekend we ran a 3, 5, and 10 color on starboard and a 4 and 6 color with 300' copper on port. Amish boards didn't put up any fuss and ran well as always. I was actually surprised there was no lag. Those boards are awesome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FYI....much cheaper to make your own

 

think I have $4.80 invested in mine

 

 

Mine ended up being about $30 but ya a lot cheaper than both. The plans are right under the Tackle and techniques sub forum.

Edited by Chas0218
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Double keel and you will have no issues. Pulled a 400 copper a 300 copper and a 3 color on 1 side. You already have the otters, mine as well just improve them. All around better performance with 2nd keel. They stay tight at any speed.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Edited by sammyslayer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Otters. Double keel. Take a look at 95% of the charter boats. Almost ALL run the otters.

That doesn't mean they are the best...I see a lot of "professional bass fisherman" running Nitro bass boats, and they aren't anywhere near the best boat out there.

 

I'm not trying to bash any one brand, I just hate seeing someone spend money that they may not need too.

 

For the price of the otters I could have 2 complete copper setups.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That doesn't mean they are the best...I see a lot of "professional bass fisherman" running Nitro bass boats, and they aren't anywhere near the best boat out there.

I'm not trying to bash any one brand, I just hate seeing someone spend money that they may not need too.

For the price of the otters I could have 2 complete copper setups.

Yep. I may take em and run if they were free too. Do ppl not realize what sponsorship is? Ha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That doesn't mean they are the best...I see a lot of "professional bass fisherman" running Nitro bass boats, and they aren't anywhere near the best boat out there.

I'm not trying to bash any one brand, I just hate seeing someone spend money that they may not need too.

For the price of the otters I could have 2 complete copper setups.

He ALREADY has otters so he would be spending WAY less putting another set of keels on. The reason most of the charter fleet uses them are because the Amish boards WILL flip in some rough conditions. The otters WON'T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a personal note, I have run a set of Rivera boards, Canon boards and a homemade pair I made about 6 years ago using Bob's plans from this website. All three were junk in my opinion (my own pair sat too low in the water, the Canons and Riveras didn't pull right) so I bought a pair of Otters about 5 years ago. Yes, I have had to modify them with the second keel, but they run great and I have them out from April til September. They are tremendous. I did buy a factory blemish pair directly from Big Jon and to this day I have no idea what the blemish is.

 

I cannot comment on Amish boards, but the website indicates that they pull hard and it's recommended to put your boat in neutral when retrieving them.

 

Thus, the pros and cons of Amish vs. Otters:

 

Amish cons: based on their website, you have to retrieve while in neutral as they pull like a mo fo

Amish pros: cheaper than Otters, seem to be very well built

 

Otter pros: wont flip, track great, good BJ customer service, can get blemish pairs cheaper

Otter cons: need the extra keel for coppers and heavier lines, learning curve to get the top rope on the board just right, aren't collapsible

 

Good luck - I have no professional or financial ties to either product.

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had one of our boards flip at the begining of walleye season. We manages to get all 8 lines in without a single tangle. You should have seen the chinese fire drill. I dont think I have ever reeled in 200' of line so fast.

Sent from my thinking car!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had one of our boards flip at the begining of walleye season. We manages to get all 8 lines in without a single tangle. You should have seen the chinese fire drill. I dont think I have ever reeled in 200' of line so fast.

Sent from my thinking car!

And that right there is enough of a reason to not run then. Flipped boards have the potential to turn into a dangerous situation if things are not handled quickly enough.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I was a charter I'd go with Otters because I don't care about deck space, storage space and a flip would be a huge problem with an unknown crew to handle it.

Because I am a small boater I go with Amish. Easy to work, easy to stow, and if I FU and flip one, my bad....

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it is more lake specific. I don't recall ever seeing a set of Otter boards on the western & central end of lake Erie, even on charters. I've seen lots of big boards though, even bigger than the Amish ones. Especially in the central basin, the charters will run 4-6 lines per side so you need lots of pull.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...