ckrb2007

Here's my vicious Victorian Bulldog "Ozzy. LOL He does get mistaken for a pitbull because he has the "blockhead" look.

In his breed he does have Staff. Terrier and bullmastiff. He's a super friendly dog and very active. Loves to swim and fetch sticks. Poor thing is having a tough go this week though.......he just got "the boys" cut off. lol

You may think a 17' with a 115 or something similar is all you need but 100% likely you would end up wishing you bought bigger. Storage,rough water ride,fishability and speed or lack of all of the above is why you would regret it. Anything over 19' and not under powered should keep you happy.

So what would the best motor size for a 18' or 19' boat?

Thanks for the great replies thus far guys! Making a huge checklist as to what to look for.

Colin

Ya, def dont let a "cosmetic" issue with two boats turn you off a brand name. Nothing a wrap cant fix

 

 

I like the opti, but my personal preference would be to move to a Yamaha (SHO is by far the best engine available, IMO).

I had a 4-stroke Yamaha on my Ranger, and loved it! I'd highly recommend looking at them if possible.

I had a Ford Taurus SHO when I was younger.....that thing hauled ass too!! hahaha

They're telling you to stay away because of paint bubbling?????

I guess they're just pi$$ed off about it happening to their boats. lol I can look beyond that for sure. I've also heard nothing but good things about the Opti.

With a $20,000 budget, you'll be able to get a much bigger and more powerful boat than your buddy.

(I just bought a 20' Nitro with a 225 Opti for that price)

 

Whoever said to stay away from Nitro.... clearly doesnt know what they're talking about as they are def one of the top brands available (hence why KVD still runs one)

 

Ranger, Nitro, Skeeter, Triton are all very similar but it all depends on personal preference and what you're looking for.

 

 

Jack plate, hotfoot, electronics are all personal preference and everyone will have their own opinions.

 

My boat came with a Jack Plate and hotfoot and love them both but they def aren't a "must have".

I've always used Lowrance units, but this boat came with two Humminbirds (which I love now), so again... all personal preference.

 

 

Major things to look for:

- any visible damage to the hull, especially the transom. If you see ANY cracking in the transom... WALK AWAY.

- deep scratches that are through the clear coat and into the fibreglass are a red flag for sure.

- also, if you can get some diagnostics done on the engine DO IT. Those show you the stats and aren't just an educated guess from the owner because chances are they are taking off a "few hrs".

Thanks for the input Stoty.......I'm just going by what people told me about Nitro. 2 guys have them where I camp and both of them said the paint or something is bubbling on the hull. I'll have to find out exactly what they are talking about.

So much more bang for your buck if you shop stateside. I'd personally try to buy in the fall as well, much better deals to be had.

How does that work Bill?? In regards to bringing it back over? Taxes, duties..etc.

Hey guys. I'm in the market for a new or new to me boat (probably a used one due to my budget). I'm looking to buy in the spring but I'm shopping around and learning what I can now before I start to agressively look. My budget is $20,000 max. I have thought long and hard about the type of boat I want and I've decided to go with a bass boat since the majority of my fishing will be done in the Kawarthas, for bass. I'm thinking I want over 90hp on it....just not sure whether to go with 2 or 4-stroke. I also know Id rather a cable steer then a power steer trolling motor.

This will be my first boat purchase so I want to make sure I cover all the basics. What should I look for in regards to wear and tear? What make...boat and motor? I was told to stay away from Nitro boats. Electronics? Batteries/chargers? Hot-foot or not? Jack plate or no Jack plate? My buddy has a triton 175 with a 90hp merc optimax on it and it gets to about 45mph with 2 of us in it and our gear.

I'm sure I'll think of more questions to ask when the responses start rolling in.

Thanks for your input guy/gals.

Colin

There's also a little motel right at the turn off from hwy 28 to apsley. Never been there but I have seen bass boats parked in there from time to time.

By the way, I'll be fishing there all weekend in either a white triton bass boat w/ 115 optimax or a Princecraft 176 w/ 115 merc 4-stroke.

Try Jack Lake Lodge or Millers Timbersands. Yes, I know the greek orthodox church bought it but they are keeping it open as a trailer park and cabins(just not sure if the cabins are open yet). All the cabins have brand new appliances and mattresses,etc. I know this because I have a trailer at Jack Lake Trailer Park....been camping there for all of my 40yrs and will be heading up there tomorrow for 2 weeks!!! heehee

There's also a little motel right at the turn off from hwy 28 to apsley. Never been there but I have seen bass boats parked in there from time to time.

Try Jack Lake Lodge or Millers Timbersands. Yes, I know the greek orthodox church bought it but they are keeping it open as a trailer park and cabins(just not sure if the cabins are open yet). All the cabins have brand new appliances and mattresses,etc. I know this because I have a trailer at Jack Lake Trailer Park....been camping there for all of my 40yrs and will be heading up there tomorrow for 2 weeks!!! heehee

I swear by those Thermocells. I use 2 of them when camping and I found they do a great job......in a windy situation you just need to "play the wind".

...or if you want a nicer but longer drive, go up and around Lake Simcoe. Turn left at Beaverton and start heading towards Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Buckhorn. You'll end up at Hwy 36 & Hwy 28 which is right near Burleigh Falls. So many options!

Congrats on the new addition!!

I'll be tryin' my luck on Jack Lake in Apsley. The weather doesn't look toooooo bad. A couple showers here and there but nothing us men can't handle.....right?!?! lol

I spent a summer when I was 17 in the junior ranger program. We were stationed around Fort Frances (Cuttle Lake) and we always had ticks on us at the end of the work day. We used toothpaste to get them out. Apply a nice sized blob on the ticks and they back out.

10yrs ago I grabbed a lawnmower off the side of the road with a note the said "FREE...needs a new wheel". I brought it home, put a new set of wheels on it an it's the best mower I've ever had. I use regular gas, never used stabilizer in it, haven't change a plug since finding it, and never added oil. The thing is a beast and it starts every time on the 3rd pull. lol It's now my "up north trailer mower" and I used it this weekend after sitting in my shed over the winter since november.......3 pulls and away she went.

Definitely picking apart weed beds, lily pads, logs, structure while flippin'/ pitchin' and topwater fishing for buckets. That brings dad and me together every Saturday and Sunday. My 14yr old loves topwater fishing with me as well.

Second on my list is ice fishing for lakers and whities on Simcoe.

I picked about a pound for the wife this morning around an un-named creek near Barrie while "trying" to chase resident browns. I caught 4 but I'm sure their combined weight was less then the pound of fiddleheads.

Fibre Optic Splicing

The "things" you see working nights in downtown Toronto.

..but seriously, I'd like to see a show about the road from being a weekend fisherman to top tournament angler.

Great work! I'm still thinking up things to put on my first tat(s). Definitely want my kids name/b-days on one, something about fishing on another and my fav band "RUSH" on another.

Thanks for the ideas thus far guys. Another option that the wife and I are thinking about was going even farther....say Pennsylvania or Ohio. We don't have to pick my son up until next Tuesday night and we're thinking about heading down Sunday morning. Are the shopping options better in those areas?

Hi guys. I will be picking up my oldest son and his girlfriend from their trip to Costa Rica at the Niagara Falls, NY airport next Tuesday and was thinking about spending a few days cross border with the wife and other son. We'll be doing some shopping while we're down there. Does anyone know of any good outdoors stores within and hour or so of Niagara Falls,NY?

Thanks,

Colin

I had a leaky shower tap as well and it was fixed by replacing the cartridge inside the handle of the tap. Is it a single tap which controls the hot/cold?? If so, just get the make and model and grab a new cartridge and it'll fix your problem. I also fixed my leaky bathroom faucet this way.

Cheers,

Colin

I have an '07 FJ Cruiser and absolutely love it.....would buy another in a heartbeat. It's built on a Tacoma chassis with the same 4.0l V6 in it as well. I pull my dads 18ft Princecraft around with no problems. Prior to the FJ I was in an '07 Dodge Durango with the Hemi in it. The wife wrote it off (not her fault) so with the insurance $$ we got the FJ. HUGE difference in the rides. I also use the FJ for back lake fishing trips as it's a super capable off-roader right out of the box. Yes, you'll pay more, but you might as well get exactly what you want when you purchasing a vehicle.