Bait boats are probably one of the most divisive pieces of equipment in modern carp fishing.
Some anglers see them as just another tool. Others think they remove too much of the skill from fishing.
There is no doubt they can make certain jobs easier.
They allow anglers to place a rig extremely accurately, deliver bait into awkward areas and fish spots that might otherwise be difficult to reach cleanly. On some waters, particularly snaggy or heavily featured lakes, they can be genuinely useful.
The criticism is that they can also reduce the need for casting accuracy, feature finding and traditional baiting skills.
Years ago, putting a rig tight to an island or getting a bait under an overhanging tree took practice. Today, an angler can potentially load a boat, drive it to the spot and drop everything exactly where they want it.
That changes the game.
The bigger issue is what happens when bait boats become the default rather than a tool used for specific situations.
If someone is fishing open water at sixty yards on a clean bottom, does a bait boat really add anything other than convenience?
There is also the problem of range.
Some anglers use boats to fish distances they could never realistically cast to, sometimes putting lines across huge areas of water. On busy lakes, that can cause problems for everyone else.
None of this means bait boats should be banned.
Used sensibly, they can be useful, accurate and even improve fish safety in certain situations.
But there is a legitimate question over whether modern technology is gradually replacing some of the basic skills that used to define carp fishing.
The boat itself is not the problem.
How it is used probably matters far more.