History Of Fishing Boats

The sport of fishing is popular around the world with the history of fishing boats dating back to the early 1800’s. The earliest fishing boats were simply made with natural materials like tree bark, reeds, tree logs and tar, sometimes even a dugout tree trunk. Before engines were added to the fishing boats, they were operated by only sail and oars. Ten of them in the history of boats are listed below.

1. Raft . The most basic types of the fishing boats were made with a simple design that has no hull. By placing several logs or bamboo next to each other and securing them together, the raft was either rowed or punted along with a long push pole.
2. Canoe. Among the oldest boats in history of fishing were the canoes and were mainly dug out from some type of coniferous tree log. Canoes have been traced by an archeological excavation to almost 9000 years ago in the Neolithic Period.
3. Pontoon. The type of boat with a flat bottom that is supported by two cylinders and creates a floating platform for fishing and cruising is called a pontoon. It was first invented by Ambrose Weeres in Minnesota and is very popular today with avid recreational fishermen.
4. Coracle. Coracles are within the early history of fishing boats and are very light boats that are shaped round like a bowl. They are typically constructed with reeds, woven grass, tree bark or animal hides. Coracles have been used by Julius Caesar and also have been depicted in Assyrian palaces on sculptured panels.
5. Jangada. The Jangada is an ancient Greek discovery that is still used by fishermen in northern Brazil waters. This type of elegant planked boat has a triangular sail called lateen. The fluid dynamics allow the boat to sail effectively against the wind and use the pressure difference for an advantage.
6. Reed boat. Reed boats are made from reeds and are made to be watertight for extended fishing and hunting. They date back to around 7000 years ago with the earliest one located in Kuwait. In Bolivia and Peru, they actually have floating houses that are held up by islands made of reeds and tar.
7. Sailboat. After the fishing boat development began to surface, the earliest of navigators began to use woven fabrics or animal skins for sails. By affixing them to an upright pole, the sails caught the wind and allowed an even bigger range for exploration voyage for the fisherman.
8. Rowboat. Many fishing boats today are basic row boats. These types of boats are primarily powered by the use of paddles by one or two passengers. The paddlers sit facing forward and use either a single blade or a double blade paddle to move themselves to their fishing destination.
9. Pirogue. The flat bottom design of this small boat comes from Louisiana. It has a lightweight advantage that allows it to be carried effortlessly onto land, punted in the shallow waters, turned for draining water and easily moved through marshy areas.
10. Bass boat. This fiberglass or aluminum boat is one of the best in the history of fishing boats because of the ability to handle better and to house outboard motors. The modern invention of the bass boat allows fishing from swivel chairs for better casting, built in storage bins for tackle and live wells to store and keep your catch alive.