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In reply to Post #1
Lots of people modify them with a length of narrow gutter pipe or conduit, running parallel to the handle from the top of the rear hopper. That way you can put the lead in the hopper and lay longer rigs straight, extending them into the ‘gutter’.
The Actor is a great boat, I’ve had one around a year and had zero issues with it.
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In reply to Post #1
I use one on a winter day ticket lake - great little boats and prefer to use the rear hopper for longer/stiffer rigs . . .the central hopper can barely take a 5oz lead so I tend to load this with crumb/micro pellet/liquids and drop it separately to the rig . . .
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In reply to Post #5
Never had a line snag in the propellers. Use the plastic guards that come supplied, and just take care to get the line well centered between the props. I use an old landing net handle with a hook glued into the end to put the boat in/out the water, and use it to prod the boat first in the right direction, to get the line tight and centered, before engaging the motor.
Also, I submerge the rod tip and this keeps the line down and under mild tension when sending the boat out. Means that the line is already tight and submerged when you drop the bait, and easier to feel the lead down.
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In reply to Post #5
I use a leader and naked line with mine and never had a problem.
I even dropped a zig out once (just to see if it would work) and it was fine.
I generally run the boat out using the remote in one hand and run the line through my fingers in the other rather than letting the boat just pull the line out, when it gets to the spot I want I’ll increase the pressure on the line just enough to pull the boat a little then empty the hopper.
I will say I only bought the boat as an aid to my dodgy shoulder (completely f**ked up my rotator a few years ago) and only use it when my shoulder is giving a lot of hassle. I try to rely on casting the actual rig rather than use the boat 100% of the time
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Thanks guys I'm now swaying towards one based purely on the price. I do use a stiff hinge rig a lot during the winter months and wondered if I would be able to use one with the centre hopper being so small.
I use a lead clip set up with it. Would you advise using tungsten tubing with this to prevent the risk of a naked line getting sucked into the propellers?
Also are rigs better dropped from a tight line or a slack one?
Thanks
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Although the centre hopper is small, you can gently curve the boom around (without putting any permanent kink or bend in it) and finally lay the hooklink on top of the bait in the hopper. As suggested, you can use a pva nugget to reduce the risk of the hook catching, or even scraping down the hopper side wall when released. I’ve never had any issues using a stiff boom with ronnie or stiff hinge. Decent boat, basic (as the name says) but it does the essential with no frills. Do get the larger 10 amp battery.
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In reply to Post #2
I’ve got the Actor Mk4i and tested with a stiff hinge rig before casting out, I loaded the rig and lead through the bottom, added a bit of bait, held the rig up and filled with bait with the hook and hook bait resting on top. If you worried about the hook catching, bang a pva nugget on it.
The lead falls, rig follows and then hinge resets as it supposed too, when it hits the deck, no different to casting one out.
The Mk4i is a great little boat, easy to control and holds enough bait in the central hopper for my fishing. And as you mentioned cheap.
I’ve added metal props to it as the places I fish are quite weedy and some prop guards.
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Have the actor plus so cannot really comment on the actor hopper size. Never really understood the concern about laying out a rig flat in a bait boat. As soon as you open the doors the lead will drop through the water column towing the rig in a straight line down. The hinge should reset on the bottom due to the stiff boom. Same with casting. Happy to be proved wrong but I would put money on the rig falling through the water exactly the same way from a small hopper or a large one with the rig laid out flat.
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Considering buying one of these but unsure if they would handle a stiff hinge rig with the central hopper being so small.
Does anyone use a stiff hinge in one of these boats?
Would love to buy the Actor Plus with the large hopper but money's a bit tight now I've retired.
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