Submitted: 01-08-2007 by Catch
After demo testing a wide range of SOTs to use mostly for fishing, finally chose the Caper about a year ago. What sold me was the combination of good tracking and excellent stability, yet short and light enough to carry to hard-to-reach launch areas. The runnerup was a Tarpon 140, and during timed testing, I found the T140 only marginally faster. Not enough to overcome the Caper's advantages of much lighter weight, excellent stability and manuverability. A bonus, although not a factor in my decision, was that the Caper is one of the best bargains among SOTs.
The boat has been mainly used for fly fishing. I followed many of PlasticNavy's rigging techniques, including using a 12qt Igloo in lieu of milk crate. There've been several occasions where the manuverability of the Caper has paid off, both fishing and non-fishing related. For example, on one occasion a large manatee snuck behind my boat, and with one sweeping paddlestroke I was able to turn 180 degrees and capture him on camera!
A couple of negatives. 1) the footrests and beverage holder collect and retain water, and 2) there is some wave slap due to the almost sponson-like hull. |