Many fishing experts and enthusiasts alike love the Waverunner Shuttle bait boat. The Shuttle is favoured over other models, particularly for anyone who has had little to no experience using bait boats, thanks to the level of accuracy the controls offer. Once you understand the basics, you can drop the bait in the very same spot repeatedly without any issues. Along with this, its lightweight and compact design make it incredibly popular.
A bait boat, even a high-quality one like the Shuttle, is only effective when it actually works properly. The good news is that because it is such a popular fishing accessory, you will likely be able to find a solution to any Waverunner Shuttle problems you may be having.
Common Waverunner Shuttle Problems
If you type Waverunner Shuttle Problems into Google, you are reassuringly met with results featuring posts and posts and comments by other anglers that have had issues and helpful solutions. Let’s look at some of these.
Hoppers Not Opening
The hoppers are obviously an essential part of the bait boat and when they stop working, you’ve got nothing more than an RC boat. Although it may be best to take it along to an expert to have it repaired, one suggestion we came across was to check the batteries.
Bait boats in general, and it seems the Shuttle specifically, can be very fickle things. If you have used the bait boat before and it was fine, it may be time to replace the battery, recharge it or simply make sure you have slotted it into place properly.
As the hoppers are magnetic, it may be worth cleaning them if you haven’t done so yet or in a while. Even the smallest and most insignificant bit of debris, dirt, dust or water could be interfering with the magnets.
Sunk and No Longer Working (apart from the LED lights)
While it’s true that bait boats are designed to be submersible, at least in part anyway, if your Waverunner Shuttle has sunk, you may run into several problems, like it won’t run properly or respond to the handset controller.
Before you decide to throw it out and buy a new one, all is not lost. Simply take it apart as much as you can, drain any collected water away and then leave it to dry. When it’s bone dry and there is no trace of water, anyway, try it again. It could just be that the water was interfering with the electronics.
Scrambled Controls
The last thing you want when using a bait boat is for it to stop responding to the handset controls. A common issue with the Shuttle and bait boats, in general, is that if other boats are being used nearby on the same frequency, the signal gets interrupted, and the controls can even scramble.
This is why it is always a good idea, when possible, to only use your bait boat in an area where there are no other anglers around. If that can’t be avoided, try to ensure that you use a different frequency.
Mike has over 30 years of fishing experience in carp fishing and general coarse fishing. He is always looking for the latest fishing kit to try out and talk about and needs a bigger shed due to all the fishing tackle he owns. You can read more about him here.