Post
by swb69 » Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:16 pm
You need to decide what the boat will be used for. Will it be just for fishing or do you need more of a family boat. Also where you plan to fish will matter. Are you planning to stick to small lakes or largers ones or maybe river fishing. I had a 17' ranger that worked well for most situations, but it was not a good rough water or family boat. If you are looking for a good all around boat(family/fishing/fun) I would suggest an open bow boat that has livewells and is set up similar to a bass boat(casting seat, bow mount trolling motor, depth/fish finder, ect.). I believe open bows are about the most versatile boat out there. As for size I would personally not go less than 16' for rivers or large lakes, and it will also let you get in on most small lakes. Also an open bow with a kicker motor will still let you troll for salmon/steelhead/trout, if you want.
Craigslist is a great way to find out what you can get for your money. I would also look at local boat shops and marinas. Do a lot of looking, and if you have some friends with boats see if they will take you out so you can get a feel for what different types of boats are like. Again, do a lot of looking and figure out what you want to do with this boat. There is nothing more frustrating than buying a boat and then realizing it is not going to work for you, I have been through this before. Hope this helps.
Any time fishing is time well spent.