Looking for some insight on what (used)boat to buy

[Guest buick14]

Hi there,

 

I value everybodies opinion on this forum as I have never been steered wrong...

 

heres my dilema

 

in the spring, I plan on buying a boat (this will be my third)

 

I want a nice aluminum boat 16-17 ft, or was thinking of a bass boat, which seems to be priced the same or less in some cases...

I fish the kawarthas a lot, but mainly fish the muskoka lakes.........I noticed with my older 14.5 ft fiberglass I got the S%$t kicked out of me quite a few times........

I would like a boat that I would be able to take on Lake Ontario (in the harbour) and possibly the lower niagara river, and I dont want to buy a boat which will rule that out (I also dont want the boat to crack in half either! lol)

 

I am mainly a bass/esox fisherman, but would like to know I could take my boat to ALMOST any location without ruling it out if I wanted......

 

Would a bass boat be a good choice when the wind kicks up in the toronto harbour, or would it be able to do a safe job in the lower niagara..?? Or would I have to buy a deep and wide V aluminum? I do often like to go into skinny water, but nothing shallower than 4ft in unfamiliar water..

 

Would a bass boat be able to perform when its windy, or should I just stick to a deep aluminum ...??

 

any and all responses are appreciated!

 

thank you!

-Mark

[hirk]

Hummm... different ways of seeing things but I would look at it this way.Consider the type of fishing you do the most ie. do you pitch/flip LM? Shoals for smallies?Multi-specie decks are not well suited to LM fishing due to being low in the boat with high gunnels so you catch alot of free board wind and don't have nearly as good of a vantage point to fish from.Once you decide the type of boat for how you like to fish then look at where/type of water.A glass boat will run chop smoother and be more stable to fish from than tin and a 20' glass boat will be better on fuel due to better hydrodymanics and handle most any rough water you actually would want to fish w/ a TM or drift through.

[Fang]

Well here's my 2 cents

 

I looked at many different makes and models and had very much the same intent. I had previously owned a 16ft Lund w/25 and then had a 18ft Fisher Bass boat w/115. Wanted a Kawarthas, Lake Ontario, bass, muskie, salmon, Lake Temagami, flipping, trolling, jiggin, downrigging, casting boat. Now with that said I also had 2 small kids and a wife that occasionally would like to go for boat rides and we also like to do some tubing, water skiing.

 

I fianlly found what I feel is that all round boat. I bought a 1750 Crestliner Fish Hawk and have been very happy.

 

I really like the new Triton as well. Very similar boat at a little less $. If I had to do it over I might have held out for an 1850. For me I do too much front desck fishing to go with a full windshield.

 

Good Luck in your search

[Guest buick14]

I fish shoals for smallies, topwater/spinnerbait senko etc for largemouth; dont do much pitchin though

a 20 footer is a little to large, I would prolly go 18 ft tops for a bass boat, but prolly a smaller 16.5-17.5

probably would want no more than a 70 hp for an aluminum

I dont do tubing etc. it would strictly be a fishing boat for me and a partner/a lot of gear

I do 95% of my fishing at front deck as well, why would a full windshield get in the way Fang?

 

What is the allure to large tiller boats other than idle boat control and a little more space..? Doesnt the front stay high until plain? Would it feel less "safe" in windy weather in the event my gear wasn't proportioned around the boat properly..?

[HUKDONFAWNIX]

This is a great topic. Does anyone have any other insights?

[OhioFisherman]

Depends on what you mean by bass boat? The fiberglass ones like the ranger are hard to beat as a fishing platform, heavy, stable, and not affected as much by wind as the higher sided aluminum ones that are lighter.

 

Aluminum ones like the 1750 fish hawk are more general purpose fishing boats, I have no problem with them, mine is similar and old smokercraft. Lew`s is also and also a crestliner, I don`t think he has any complaints.

 

I used mine on Lake Erie a lot, I do feel more comfortable on rougher water with higher sides and decks a little deeper in the boat.

 

More of a matter of what you are comfortable spending, a 19 foot fiberglass bassboat will run you 25 grand plus? here in the states, and most come with at least a 150 hp.

 

You can get a 1750 fishhawk for less and it doesn`t need a 150 hp motor to get you around well, 90 or 115 will do. Gas prices have dropped a lot here, less than 1.70 a gallon, I wouldn`t bet on them staying that low.

 

Take some time shop around, news here states that 20% of the population of Michigan is on some sort of public assistance, maybe more to follow, might be some deals there if you are close by.

[Rich]

Will a bass boat get you there in harsh conditions safely? Yep. Provided you know how to drive it properly, you'll get there just fine.

 

Will it be comfortable? NO! Not in the slightest. Don't listen to what anyone says! I've ridden in 21ft bass boats on Lake Erie on a rough day, there's no such thing as comfort! If you value your spine, go with something that has a deep hull.

[Bob Devine]

As much as I like going fast in a bass boat, the deep V's are more practical. You doesn't sound like you are going to be fishing in the slop so you don't need the shallow draft of a bass boat. With a 17-19' deep V you can fish most anywhere. Simcoe shoals, the Kawartha lakes and even the great lakes. Rig it properly you can troll for musky or walleye, downrig for salmon/trout and drift for bass.

I prefer glass myself and choose to buy a Ranger 621 for all the big water and have it rigged for all species and techniques.

 

You have all winter to choose and with the economy the way it is, I am sure you will find what you want at your price.

[hirk]

I will say it again,the boat you choose should be based primarily on "how you fish".Tin or glass? well both have pro's/cons,glass is more $ and prone to getting dinged up,tin can develop leaks whether welded or rivited.It was stated to avoid a glass bass boat due to rough ride,well this is dependant on the driver and the model/hull design,some ride much smoother than others in waves but because of the ability to custom form glass that can't be done with aluminum a tin boat can't touch a glass boat (one of the smooth running one's,some makes are bad in chop) for ride quality.When comparing fuel consuption base it on MPG because glass is more efficent in water a bigger engine say 150 may not use hardly anymore gas than a 115 on tin.The walk through boats are poor fishing choices as they have small decks and are a pain to walk through,good consoles offer decent wind protection.If your on the trolling motor alot high side's are a big negative,a draw back to multi-spiecie boats.

[bigbuck]

Go with a multi-species boat, you'll have more flexiblility, you won't be able to get in nice and tight for the slop but you'll be dry in the waves if you're fishing bigger water.

It all depends on how much you want to spend.