My OSG Stealth Pro Experience - Ten Years and Counting

Over ten years ago I sold my frame style pontoon boat and sold my fishing kayak, took the money and invested in a OSG Stealth Pro and never looked back. Today I could overwhelm anyone with the countless stories of the great, fun times I've had and shared with this frameless, inflatable boat. I have friends from west coast to east coast who have also shared in this venture and our topic of conversations always involve where have you floated recently and what are our future plans. So what has made this experience so great?

That Guy in the background with a frame boat now owns a Fish Cat Scout, a great economical option!

My first thought that comes to mind is freedom!

Find a piece of river or stream five to ten miles long and suddenly it becomes all yours for the day. Explore the water in ways that are next to impossible on foot, learn the currents and how fish use them, set the schedule that works for you and quit looking at the time. Soon you realize nature has its own time and it rarely syncs to your watch. I found no better way to leave behind daily frustrations. Just float away from them!

Freezing winters or hot summers, Stealth Pro doesn't mind the weather

Find your own Water

How many times have you arrived at your favorite run and find another angler already beat you to it. When you float streams this no longer becomes a concern. Yeah, you would have liked to fish that run but just float on. Soon you will find the run that no one wants to hike to. It'll pay off, trust me.

Body Anchoring

What is that you ask! Very little talk out there about the benefits of the open cockpit design. Let's say you come up on a shallow gravel bar with a great bucket in front of you. Just put your feet down and hold there. Maybe stand up if you see fit. You'll have the boat around your body and the foot bar will keep you within your boat. No anchor needed. Walk around and your Stealth Pro stays with you. Let's see you do that with a kayak!

It really is different

I see guys out there in the older style frame pontoons and they think it's mostly the same thing and their frame boats more secure and stable. I had one of those too. Stealth Pro is low to the water and the center of gravity is considerably better. 

A word about Safety

No matter what style pontoon boat you choose rivers can be dangerous, period. These are not toys! They are watercraft. Rowing boats and reading water takes experience! Know your water and KNOW your experience level. Always assess your dangers and when in doubt portage. If you have no experience I recommend a starting point to be stillwater. And always wear a PFD. 

Adventure

On a three day trip with a friend on the Devil's River, Texas we had to lower our Stealth Pro's by rope straight off a 25 foot cliff to avoid an impassible waterfall. We tied to the back d-ring and lowered our boats with gear still strapped in and I'm happy to say both boats entered the water below completely upright. I'm glad I had help in doing this but after said and done I learned I could have done it by myself if I was alone. A great feature of the Stealth Pro is how light they are and easy to portage. 

The Stealth Pro in this picture is my first and original orange Stealth Pro that has since been updated to green. Other than color no other changes were made to the current green model. This Orange Stealth Pro is now over ten years old and still in use today without any problems.

Portaging

Here is another good reason to go Stealth Pro. Some river obstacles should just be portaged no matter what boat you have. Making a portage with a Stealth Pro is just plain easy. They are so lightweight. On each side of the seating area are grab handles carefully placed to balance the boat. Just remove your gear and pick up and carry where you need to go. Re-stow your gear and continue on. If you're with a buddy you can leave the gear in the boat and do your portage one boat at a time.

Ten Year Old Stealth Pro Still Going Strong

Can you really do a multi-day float with a Stealth Pro?

I've done more than I can count. With that said you really do need to be minimalistic. There is a generous load limit of 450 lbs but I would tell you stay away from that limit as much as possible. Not just because of safety but also because the more you load it the slower it rows. But if you have done any multi-day hiking trips all the same rules apply. I use a lightweight backpack style tent, jet boil for my meal needs, etc. Just don't bring your cook stove and kitchen sink and you'll be just fine. 

Four day trip on the Buffalo River in the Arkansas Ozarks

Portability

I've always had a truck and never thought much about space for my Stealth Pro. Strap it down in the bed and go wherever. A couple of my float buddies have smaller crossover type vehicles and they always deflate and fold up there Stealth's for transport. Recently we performed our own shuttle with three Stealth Pros. We deflated and rolled up all three of them to fit into a crossover hatchback. Amazing, we still had plenty of room for all of our gear too. 

Buy Here

With the Outcast Frameless Boat Bag you could travel with your stealth on airlines with just the cost of an extra bag. I haven't done this, YET! But there has been talk about it. 

TIP:

K-Pump Mini

To inflate when launching I use an electric pump like the Outcast Hurricane 12 Volt Pump, but when doing multi-day trips you will want a hand pump option to top up on those cool mornings. The K-Pump Mini will just fit in the Stealth Pro Frameless Cargo Pocket.

Multi-Purpose

Personally I use my Stealth Pro for mostly river and stream floats. I have used it on stillwater a couple of times and it functions really well, much like a float tube. I have used kick fins and it gets around like that quite well too. 

The Experience

While I live to fish, doing your own river floating brings your fishing experience to a whole new level. No matter what the quality of the fishing is I always get great joy in drifting a river, taking in the scenery and just letting go of time and leaving the busy world behind me. 

Greg Darling

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Attention Outcast Clearwater Owners - New OSG Expandable Boat Bag

One of the many great features of Outcast OSG Frameless boats such as the Stealth Pro, Commander and Clearwater is that they can easily be packed up for travel in planes, trains, and automobiles. 

While the original OSG Frameless Boat Bag is perfect for Stealth Pro and Commander Boats it was a hard squeeze to fit a Clearwater. Solution is here; New OSG Expandable Boat Bag fills the need. 

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Boats / Float Tubes - Get Yours NOW for Spring

I know here at the shop we’re constantly thinking about our next fishing adventure and subsequently getting things together long before we know we’ll need them. This wasn’t always the case but with supply chain shortages becoming the norm in fly fishing as well as other areas of our lives it’s time to start planning accordingly. So if you’re dreaming about kicking around your favorite lake in a float tube this spring, or planning day trips on local rivers NOW is the time to buy while we have BOATS IN STOCK! 

Why is ordering ahead important? Well, if you’ve tried to get a boat or float tube in the last year or two you may have encountered a few roadblocks. Containers sitting on ships for months just waiting to get unloaded, certain materials not available, or just that production can’t keep up with demand. This isn’t limited to just boats. 

I know I’ve said it over 100 times, along with all of my co-workers, “Unfortunately ______ item is out of stock and I’m not sure when we’ll see it come in, fingers crossed it’s sometime soon.” I’m sure to say it again this coming year for everything from reels, to boots, boats, and saltwater gear in general but WE HAVE STOCK NOW and are ready to ship. 

If you know you’ll be in the market for something that floats in the future it would be a good idea to get it on order while supplies last. We worked hard and planned ahead to have solid inventory coming into 2023 and currently have more boats in stock than ever before but with inventory changing quickly it’s best to not miss your chance to own one today. Give us a call and let us know what you’re looking for, we’d be happy to get you set up.

Amber

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Outcast OSG Stealth Pro Inflatable - Benefits of Frameless Boats

On a chilly morning... 

Two anglers prepare to launch on a "do it yourself" trout float trip. The open cockpit, inflatable design of the OSG Stealth Pro makes this float as enjoyable as it is successful with benefits that go farther than the eye can see. 

I've been float fishing in my Stealth Pro for over 10 years. My first one, the old orange trimmed model pictured behind the newer green trimmed model, is still going strong with no signs of giving up anytime soon. The green boat is going on about 5 years of use and is as good as the day it was new. 

My buddy with the old frame pontoon now sports a new Fish Cat Scout. Took him about an hour to figure out our frameless design boats had worthy advantages over his old school frame design.

My Stealth Pro's have been on big rivers like the Columbia and streams smaller than the John Day. It has floated dead of winter with icicles hanging from it and floated warmwater streams in the sweltering heat of summer. They have performed countless day trips as well as many overnight floats, packed full of gear. 

The obvious:

Floating a river in your own personal watercraft provides an element that goes beyond walk / wade / drift trips. Becoming part of the rivers current gives a feeling of life in motion. Life, in a setting of serenity takes a fly fishing experience to new levels not found in wade or guide boat settings. 

Access:

Become familiar with a river by floating and you will soon realize new water that is not being fished or fished very little. You'll learn to read the currents and soon realize you are a better angler because you learned to read the currents. The wade angler is restricted in how far he can go and how accessible parts of the river are. Floating a river can open up new opportunities even when you encounter crowds. You'll soon find yourself fishing water that has been previously inaccessible.

Due to the open front design some will argue you get wetter as opposed to a wrap around style boat. This may be true and also part of the fun. If you want to stay dry go through rapids sideways. 

Lightweight:

At a dry weight of 35 lb Stealth Pro is easy to pick up and carry around obstacles or to and from launch sites. Portages and shallow water are no problem to navigate in Stealth Pro. If water becomes too shallow to float over just stand up, pick up the frameless boat from the foot rest bar and walk yourself to deeper water. 

Stable and Rugged:

I have purposely not been gentle with my Stealth's. I have dragged them across rocks and down river paths. I've dragged them across river bars and even lowered one over a 20' waterfall by rope from the rear D-ring while it was loaded with gear. Push, pull, drag or carry, whatever the situation calls for Stealth Pro will tackle it. 

All this and the most stable river boat I've experienced. Stealth Pro never feels tippy. You can lean as far as you can to one side and never be concerned of tipping. You would fall overboard long before this boat would flip. In all my experience I've never seen one flipped over and have never felt like I was ever close to being ejected. 

Lowered by rope with gear strapped in. I was curious in this setting if the Stealth Pro would right itself from total vertical drop. Both boats came down right side up. This adventure was a 3 day float on the Devil's River, TX

Gear:

The Stealth Pro packs a good amount of gear. With room for more than one rod, unlimited flies and your lunch you can go farther and search more water. With creative packing you can plan to overnight and be on the water at first light and still have enough room for your all important, morning coffee dope kit. 

Stealth:

Stealth Pro really spells it out in the first word "Stealth". An angler can move along quietly in shallow water without hardly even putting off a wake. You sit low in a stealth helping one stay out of site from cautious trout. In stillwater situations you can fin kick a stealth. 

Seams to be a lot of internet chatter about sitting low versus sitting high. Many want to sit high and stay dry. A great boat for this is the OSG Clearwater. 

Stealth Pro sits low, very low and this sets up a big advantage for some anglers in particular those who fin kick. Other advantages of being low are stealth, low center of gravity, and using your feet as a shallow water anchor. 

Yes, you might get some splash in rapids but I'm always in waders and if the rapids will allow it you can turn your Stealth sideways and avoid the splash through the open front. 

I can't find a way to stress enough here that the big advantage of a Stealth Pro Frameless boat is this ability to shallow water anchor with your feet. This feature alone has opened up a boat load of opportunity for my fishing adventures. 

Stealth Pro is more than just transportation. Stealth Pro is a fishing system that can open up new water and new opportunities that adds versatility in your approach to coldwater trout as well as warmwater smallmouth.  

The BIG Benefit:

What most don't see in an open cockpit inflatable frameless pontoon is the ability to put your feet down. One feature I've come to love about this design is the ability to sit in shallow water with feet on river bottom. Who needs an anchor!

On shorelines and gravel bars one can put their feet down and just stop. Hold yourself in place while you fish out to the holding water. If you need to stand to make a cast than just stand up. The Stealth Pro will stay between your legs and can't get away from you. When you fished the spot just sit down and float on! Sometimes I just walk with my feet while sitting down just to move along 10-20 feet and start casting again. Great way to cover water. 

Want to fish a spot again? With the power of oars on this lightweight inflatable one can go back up stream pretty easy even in moderate currents. 

I hesitate to even try and spell this out to fellow anglers. It has become one of my greatest Stealth Pro secrets that I have remained discreet about for years. It is one of the biggest advantages I have realized in the 10+ years of floating in this frameless inflatable. I have fished from kayaks and framed pontoons / rafts and none of them compete with the Stealth because they all lack this open cockpit feature. I didn't know this would be such an advantage when I first floated in my Stealth, now I can't live without it. 

This feature has changed the way I approach a day of float fishing and has changed the way I view a river. I now look for those areas that others just ignore or are inaccessible on foot.

So while your read all the internet blogs about the 5 best frameless inflatable boats to buy keep an eye out for this feature to pop up. It won't! Few recognize this advantage and those few that do, if they are like me, have kept this feature tucked quietly under their rod wraps. 

In the modern day when it seems like there are no secrets remaining to discover, look outside your fly rods and fly reels and fifty thousand flies you've collected and think about how you approach fishy water. Are you Stealth-y? I am!

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Just In - Aire Frameless Kayak / Boat Bag

Same as the Outcast Frameless Boat Bag which has been selling really well and we are having trouble keeping in stock. The Aire version is exactly the same aside from brand and color. Aire is the parent company of Outcast and Fish Cat. 

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Outcast Clearwater Tested by Travis on the Deschutes

I have been patiently waiting for the last year and a half, but I finally got my new Outcast Clearwater boat. The Clearwater is a hot item right now and is very hard to get. The Clearwater is just under 10 feet in length and is only 35 lbs, but has 450 lb capacity. This is all achieved without giving up durability or performance. It has the same urethane bladder system that made the rest of the Outcast boats famous for lasting a long time. Best of all this boat was designed to use real 7' pontoon boat oars, not the light duty oars that normally come with frameless boats. 

We just got enough boats to fill all of our customers' orders and have some extras in inventory. So I grabbed one for me and planned a couple day float on the Deschutes River to test out the boat. 

I decided it would be best to put the boat together at home in my shop to install some of the extras I bought for it. I unboxed the boat and inflated it. Then added a cargo pocket to one side, rod holder to the other and an anchor lock to the rear. At first glance it looks like it has lots of cargo space. 

I then started to load the boat to see where I would put everything once I hit the river. I easily fit a mid sized cooler in front of the foot rest bar. My Fishpond boat bag mounted in front of that. In the back I easily fit two dry bags, chair and a backpack. You could load a lot more gear in the back, but you have to keep the anchor lock accessible. The other nice thing with the Clearwater is it has lots of D-rings and loops to tie gear down. This makes packing for overnight trips much easier. 

After it was loaded I wanted to figure out how to stow some extra rods rigged and ready to go. I had some strips of stick on velcro that looked like it would do the trick. I stuck a strip about ten inches long in the front and back of the boat on the left side. 

I then loaded the boat in the back of my truck and to the river I went. The river was running high and off color, but did not care. I needed a break. Besides I know that the off color water makes for great streamer fishing. There would also be very few anglers fishing in these conditions. 

Once I got to the river I quickly loaded my boat and pushed off. I was pleased with how nimble the Clearwater felt with such a load on it. Having a small boat like this balanced with the weight evenly distributed front to rear is very important. Keeping the boat balanced helps with stability and control. 

The float that I picked had several small rapids testing the Clearwaters control and stability. I hit the first small rapid and the Clearwater handled it with ease. Having real 7’ oars really makes this boat easier to row. I was hesitant on how the oar stands/lock would work without a frame like my PAC1000 pontoon boat. They worked great and stayed very stable. 

Stopping at several spots to fish the Clearwater would slide through very shallow water with little effort. The anchor lock held the boat well and operated a lot easier than I expected. I quickly realized that with the open floor raft design of the Clearwater it is much easier to get in and out in shoal water. I was wearing studs in my boots so I did not want to step on the seat or side of the raft which would make getting in and out easier. 

I spent the rest of the trip floating and stopping to fish at every good spot I could find. I spent a lot of time looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the Clearwater compared to a framed pontoon. The biggest advantage of the Clearwater is that it only weighs 35 lbs and packs up much smaller than my pontoon. This makes the Clearwater much better for packing in my RV with limited space. A pontoon boat would be a little easier to get in and out of. The Clearwater seat is low enough that you could use flippers in a lake for more control while fishing, this is tough to do in a pontoon. 

My final thoughts are that the Clearwater is an excellent choice for such a light and compact package. Especially if you travel a lot with your boat, the Clearwater would be much easier to check on an airline. I would not say it will replace my PAC1000, but since it is more packable I will probably use it more. 

Oh yeah, this was not a fishing story, but I thought I would mention fishing was really good!

Trav
 

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Outcast OSG Clearwater - IN STOCK

Update: We just got News a bunch of OSG Clearwater's In Stock. Order Here

New for 2021, the OSG Clearwater is ready for big water and lots of gear. 

Using the open oarlock system, perfected on some of our multi-person rafts, it can accommodate longer/stronger oars for conditions when you need to put more oomph into your stroke. 

The Clearwater has a trampoline style cargo space in front and back for securing lots of gear. It has a 450lbs load capacity but weighs in at just under 35lbs. 

The high-back seat rests on inflatable thwart so the rower has great visibility and making it great for longer days on the water and even short expedition trips. 

Bonus, no trailer is needed and will fit in the bed of pick-up or can be car-topped for easy transport to your next fishing spot.

Specs:

• Length 9' 4"
• Width 54"
• Weight 35 lbs
• Tube Diameter 16"
• Valve Type Summit II
• Base Fabric Denier 1000
• Material Weight, Oz. per Sq. Yard 20 oz.
• AIREcell Material Urethane
• Number of Chambers 3
• Load Capacity 450 lbs
• Warranty OSG 5 Year Limited Warranty
• Frameless Oars 7' 2-piece
• Color Gray

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OSG Outcast Commander - In-Stock

Imagine an inflatable boat that can take you down stream or around lakes with an open cockpit that you can stand up while maintaining contact with the boat. It has room for enough gear for daytrips and capable of loading for overnight excursions. 

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Outcast Just in - Fishcat 4 LCS Float Tube - In Stock

We have over 100K of inflatable boats and float tubes on order for the 2022 season. Just in, is the Fishcat model 4 LCS. Search our boat category for all models. Order early even if we don't have in stock the boat you want. It would be better to get your favorite boat on order for future delivery as we expect most of these to sell out before they arrive. 

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Outcast Sporting Goods Inflatables

If you tried to buy an Outcast Boat this past year then you know demand has way outpaced supply. We believe this trend will continue on through next year. In preparation for this increased demand we have chosen to pre-order a much better inventory for the 2022 season.

If you are in the market for a new Outcast Boat there are a few things you should know.

First, Pre-order your boat from us. Reason is most of our boats are already pre-sold before we ever see them. If you wait for one to come into stock you likely will never get one.

Second, Order early and the main reason we encourage this is because we, nor Outcast can accurately predict when the shipment will arrive, get unloaded and checked into port. If you are hoping to buy a boat in spring 2022 I would order it today.

Third, When you place your order with us it guarantees your purchase and your spot in line. We fill backorders according to chronological order. We will not hold any boats without a confirmed order paid in full.

Whatever your choice of boat is check our site and see what we have in stock. If we have it in our warehouse it will say "In-Stock" in the item title.

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Outcast Fish Cat 5 Max in Stock

If you are looking for a float tube, good luck! Sales on inflatables have exceeded supply. Not much to find out there. We were lucky to score a couple of the Fish Cat 5 Max in the New 2021 color. They wont last long.

Fish Cat 5 Max is designed for big and/or tall anglers. It's 20% larger than the Fish Cat 4. It also sports a larger load capacity.

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Fish Cat Cruzer

New for 2020

The Fish Cat Cruzer comes equipped with two- piece oars and integrated oar locks for convenient and quick navigation.

Design based on the popular Fish Cat 4 Float tube.

Above water seating helps you stay warm and dry. New adjustable magnetic fly line apron attachment creates and easy to operate convenience feature.

Hand Strap and D-rings for optional Backpack Straps

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Outcast OSG IK Angler 11

Built for comfort, the adjustable seat will have you sitting above the water to make casting a breeze. It also provides support for your lower back. It’s lightweight, compact and includes a removable fin for superior tracking. Lash down your gear using its interior cargo loops, and use the Integrated Gear System (IGS) to attach cargo pockets, rod holders, and anchor mounts.

Specs

• Length 10' 11"
• Width 37"
• Weight 32 lbs.
• Tube Diameter 9"
• Bow Rise 7"
• Stern Rise 4"
• 2" Waterline 108"
• Valve Type Summit II
• Base Fabric Denier 1000
• Material Weight, Oz. per Sq. Yard 23 oz.
• AIREcell Material Urethane
• Number of Chambers 3
• Number of Handles 2
• Self Bailing Yes
• Load Capacity 300 lbs.
• Warranty Tributary 5 Year Limited
• Color Teal

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Outcast Fish Cat Rise

The Rise is a great float tube for those just getting into the sport and for the backwoods backpacker. The U-boat design allows for easy maneuvering through lakes and ponds. 

Comes complete with inflatable backrest, mesh seat, and two pockets with drink holders. 

Specs 

• Length 43" 
• Width 43" 
• Weight 8 lbs. 
• Tube Diameter 12" 
• Valve Type Boston 
• AIRE cell Material - Vinyl 
• Number of Chambers 2 Load Capacity 250 lbs.

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