I read the articles on using electric Zig Zags,etc. to haul out a line and snag your boat,reel it in etc. I can see how this might work with some small 20 size nitro boat but doesen't seen very effective on a large heavy gas boat??? would be very interseting to hear about the various methods you guys use??? I know different ones use everthing from a tennis ball&rod and reel to a full size jon boat with outboard motor.At present I have a heavy duty game/fisher quality inflatable raft with a small trolling motor,but it is such a hassel to inflate and deflate! Anyone using a lightweight canoe? 10-12 foot jon boat?homebuilt small jon boat,dingy,etc....How do they work for you????and what would be the ideal rig, very lightweight so as one man could load and unload it,and something that wouldn't break the bank!LOL.....I am looking at a 10ft Alum. jon boat or a wide square stearn lightweight canoe up to 14ft maybe?

The ZigZag works just fine on gas boats. We have used it many times down here in Georgia with mono's and cat's.

When i run at the lake by my house...i use an inflatable 2 man raft with some oars.

We use the Aquacraft Hammer boat, we have 5 or 6 of these in our club and they are used every time we are at the lake. The radio box needs some attention as it isnt very waterproof, but with a few mods they work fine. I even have a spektrum system in mine. we put a pool noodle across the stern to give extra flotation as the boat tends to take on water when reeling the line, I also drilled a hole in the nose to drain any water that gets in between retrieves. I use a deep sea bait casting reel with 600 yards of kevlar line on it.
The Zig Zag some of the guys use as well, they all get some water in the electronics eventually so the Hammer boat is easier to waterproof and is a bit faster so we went that route.
These are a lifesaver for us older guys and usually faster than a john boat especially if you have a balky outboard.... At the end of the day we have a retriever race to cycle the batteries, thats fun as well!

mike sr

Speaking of older guys I am one too!And I really don't like the jon boat idea or inflatable raft all that great either..... I will have to look into the Hammer electric boat set up as this may be the way to go . What pound test line you recommend and which reel???Is there enough radio range on the Hammer???( I have an electric outboard bass boat from AquaCraft ,same as the Hammer manufacture but range is very very limited! low quality receiver I was told from other owners of this boat....

I like the Hammer boat as the prop is under the hull, that keeps the line in the prop to a minimum. the radio box needs some waterproofing, it needs more flotation, I use a foam pad on the transom to give some extra flotation in the rear. The radio has pretty decent range, I took it out and put in my old spektrum system. I drilled a hole in the nose to drain water out after retrieving. I also cut slots in the top of the radio box and tape them up so I can see if I have any water in there during the day, also put a few paper towls in there to soak it up, if i see condensation on the tape I know to open it up and change the towels.
I use a saltwater type bait cast reel from walmart it holds a lot of line and doesnt hang up like the spinning reels reel is about 35 dollars.

This setup works flawless, is used every week without hassle but the water has to be kept out of the radio box.

I use the kevlar line so I can ge a thousand yards or so of 20# test on the reel, our lake is 300 yards wide and I can break line for a few years before it gets too short.

The bait cast reel is a must for tangle free operation.

My setup isnt cheap but it works without hassle

mike sr

Thanks Mike for the great info!....I was thinking of sorta just scratch building a retrieval boat and using a electric motor etc. from another boat....I thought maybe a square type hull,flat bottom much like a jon boat,build in a good waterproof radio box of my own design.I figure a flat square design would would snag and reel in easier?basically a barge looking configuration ,does not have to be fast at all.Build from good plywood reinforced.say 30\" x 14\" or so, lined with foam for flotation and rubber around the outer edges for rub rails,and prop under hull as you said as well as a rudder?....One other question,I am not sure what the bait cast reel you speak of looks like???? Sounds like the way to go if it is tangle free!any chance of posting a pix sometime as I would love to see your set up.....

i

use a sportyack 2 44 lbs and a island hopper weed wacker trolling motor 18 lbs
both can be hauled by car or van.

What you speak of would work very well indeed. I will see if I can get some pics of the setup and post here.
the reel is one of 2 that that Walmart carries in this area, looks like a regular bait cast reel but is much bigger and holds lots of line, 35 dollars or so. The aquacraft tends to drop down in the rear end when pulling in a boat so we added flotation and a foam bumper on the transom to keep it above water, I rarely get water in the boat this way. the line will catch on the rudder or prop and is a snap to use, it is a problem when the boat is upside down and takes a bit to snag it sometimes but all in all it works good.
I used to do the rubber raft and aluminum boat thing but I am too old and full of arthritis for that now.

mike sr

Same here Mike! arthritis and too old!LOL do you have to use anything(floats) to keep the line from sinking when sending the retrieval way out???it seems the further you go out, the more drag and reduced speed you would encounter???any problems there? and seems like the line would sink as you troll out???(unless you use some floats attached every so often?)