Sea Eagle 285fpb Inflatable Fishing Boat Reviews

Love it. Much better than a kayak. Still use. my canoe in some spots, but the 285 is like fishing in an easy chair. Easy to handle with my 55 trolling motor, also.

I love my Sea Eagle boat. I rate it 5 stars. It's everything that I wanted in a rowboat. It's easy to assemble, easy to use, dependable, safe, etc. I've added a 1 1/2 lb anchor and a boat rope but that's all. I love rowing the boat since it's so easy and I'm not bothered mounting the motor mount or having to carry a trolling motor & battery in my van.

Finally got the chance to try out my sea eagle 285. Quality of the boat itself is great, light weight and easy to transport. It handled very well in the wind and surpriseinly easy to oar in choppy water. The only complaint I have is how the oars are mounted on the boat. I found that I kept hitting my knees when I used the oars, there should some way of adjusting the length of the oar handles.

I unpacked the boat in Grayling, MI to use on the Au Sable and Manistee Rivers. The boat was easy to assemble and set-up; just follow the instructions. The front of the boat tends to rise at more than minimal thrust with my 2.3 HP Honda.

On the plus side:

The 285fpb seems to be durable so far, and set up is reasonably quick. It's easy to launch and get in and out.

On the other hand:

Carrying in the pack is cumbersome, I tried to get the straps over my shoulders to pack on my back and tore one off.

I've only used my Sea Eagle four times, since I purchased, last fall. My thoughts:

1) Should have purchased the package deal that included the motor & battery. Would have saved a few dollars. 2) The craft is easy to maneuver. When using the motor, need to keep you hand on the throttle, or it will veer. 3) A little challenging using the oars, if your knees are bent. Have to keep my legs stretched out so the oars don't hit (I'm 5'9") 4) The oars should be a few inches shorter, as the ends come very close together when rowing. 5) As I feared, the boat registration stickers do not stay on due to the inflating/deflating of the boat. Luckily my state DNR said it's ok to attach to a piece of plastic and hang on the pontoons. 6) I've received a few comments: "That's a sweet set-up"; "Has to be a lot more comfortable than sitting in this kayak for 5 hours"; "I need one of those" 7) So far, not comfortable standing but just as easy to sit and catch 8) Overall, love my Sea Eagle. Would highly recommend.

Great fishing boat. I full time RV and I can not tow a boat behind a 5th wheel. This inflatable fits my needs. I am a big man and retired. The 285 pontoon boat works well for me.

Easy to inflate, easy to assemble. The floor board was a bit difficult to install but got it in. I use the oars, Using the oars effectively required a learning curve. Rowing forward with short strokes worked well for me on the Umpqua River show full review ▼ in Oregon.

As far as the boat itself goes, I couldn't be happier. The quality seems excellent and it has performed as advertised. One suggestion I have is to offer the option of getting rod holders for fly rods not just spinning reels and somewhere to tie a anchor. I have not used my electric motor on it yet but expect that one will need to be careful because the boat floats easily while rowing and I am expecting that it will react quickly to application of electric power. We will see.

I received my 285fpb in mid May of 2017; during the remainder of the fishing year I used it roughly 25 times,mainly on inland lakes in northeastern Ohio. My purchase included the electric air pump that won’t over-inflate in addition to the Pro Package. At first I had an under-inflation problem,but that was solved when Sea Eagle sent me another pump, mine was faulty. After the initial assembly I was eventually able to get the boat from the car to the water in about twenty-five minutes. By this I mean my entire set-up and inflation time, with all my gear,battery, electronics and electric motor in place and operating. My overall opinion of the boat is that it is an outstanding value, and I’m already looking to hit the waters now that the ice is clearing. To cut down drift speed I got a small sea anchor. Oar lock placement and rod holders needs to be more forward. Motor mount would be better offset rather than centered. Having a rudder mechanism available would stabilize steerage if attached to mount.

Really love the performance of the craft. Very easy to set-up and breakdown. The only change in design would be for some clip-like assembly for the baseboard when inflating the boat. The rubber baseboard holders can be challenging during inflation. Small inconvenience to deal with but the boat itself performs great. Caught the biggest catfish I’ve ever caught while fishing in the craft. Great product and makes it fun on the water!