Boat soon to be history!

[DadofJolly]

Gentlemen,
I have solemnly agreed to sell my beautiful Skeeter this year. What my wife does not know is that the price is set ridiculously high as long as we are in the pre-spawn, spawn months. BUT, after that I will have to get serious about my boat-ectomy. (sniff….sniff). Why? One name: "Dave Ramsey." If you don't know who that is Google him and you'll understand. Anyway, my little Hitler…I mean wife, has reluctantly agreed to let me borrow my testicles for a short time and purchase a small, inexpensive used fishing boat after my painful separation from the Skeeter. You guys that have or do fish from an aluminum Jon-boat type boat, what is absolutely too small, too narrow, or too slow to effectively bass fish from? I'm going cheap but I still want to be able to effectively fish and hopefully not drown. In other words: Is 12ft or 14ft just too small to get-r-done? Do I want like a 20 hp. minimum? Are there any brands of aluminum boats or smaller outboards to avoid? My home lake is not huge but there are times when I will have to make a 4 or 5 mile run to a creek.
Thanks.

[JB]

I had to do the same in mid 90's to send the kids to college, I would not get anything less than a 16 ft tri haul if you're going aluminum. 40 horse minimum

[DadofJolly]

Why V hull? I thought they were "tippy".
Thanks for the response.

[adamchasejones]

We fish these small lakes in arkansas (mudholes) with a fourteen foot lowe with wood casting decks covered in astroturf. Its really a great boat if you are not looking to fish HUGE water. We have a forty on ours and it scoots. Ours is not vhull. I think 14 by 48 is the exact dimensions. I have upgraded since but still aluminum. But i really do love that boat still.

[bassbooger]

My wife tried making me sell my boat one time when we got into some of the same type of trouble. The only problem I had with it was that my boat is paid for. I finally got her to understand that it isn't costing us a dime and isn't effecting anything since it is paid for. She finally understood and stopped with the nagging.

[HOG Ranger]

I will say it is going to be very difficult going from a Skeeter to a lesser boat. You can try to justify it in your mind but you will be miserable. Trust me, have been that route.

[lizardsrule]

Just get Jolly to buy it, and you'll still be fishing out of her rotfl. I have a 15' Fisher Marine Flat bottom aluminum boat. It is just horrible on bigger waters. It only has a 15hp rude on it, and it takes me a long time to go any distances at all. I pretty much only put her in lakes/rivers where I don't need to run over 1-2 miles max. My max speed is 12-13mph with the wind behind me. Now on the plus side I can go places no man has gone before LOL. It's fairly narrow and doesn't really allow much in the way of standing when fishing, unless it's just me, and then it still can be pretty unstable. The wind affects me a lot, and on open water even a little breeze makes it very, very difficult to deal with any kinda of waves. Definately need something with a bigger motor, and a v-style of anykind would be better than my narrow flat bottom.

Lizards

[bassinbob]

I have a 14' semi-v. with a 6 hp merc. I stand in it to fish but it isn't very comfortable. I really don't fish big water in it so it's safe. I would suggest you get something you can stand in safely.

Bob

[Wishing2BFishing]

I am not sure how much you are willing to scale down, but if you must stay on the cheap side, you might want to take a look a plain aluminum tracker "utility" boat. I got a 16'. It doesn't have a casting deck. Instead, it has three bench seats. But I gotta' tell ya', the thing is sturdy and stable.

[HOG Ranger]

I sold my Nitro of my own free will a few years back and thought I would buy a 15 foot Lund and live happily ever after with the extra cash in the bank. The Lund was a very nice boat and had a 20 HP tiller on it. It ran excellent and handled the rough water decent but the darn wind would blow that thing all over the lake. I had a terrible time with boat control compared to the glass boat.

I couldn't deal with it anymore and bought my Ranger. Have never regretted it for a minute. Hey, if you have to downscale you have to but you might want to look at other alternatives.

As others have posted, the toughest thing to get used to is standing while casting. On some smaller boats this simply is not possible. On the other hand, any boat is better than no boat and I caught a bunch of fish from my first boat, a 14ft Jon.

[pig n jig]

I went from a 20 ft. Nitro with a 225hp Evinrude to a 18 ft aluminum with a 150hp merc to a 16 ft aluminum with a 60hp Johnson to a 14 ft aluminum with a 25 hp Merc. I just picked up another 14 ft aluminum with a 5 hp Evinrude for the 10 hp and under lakes.I have no intention of getting a bigger boat than a 14 foot aluminum vee hull, I fish it every where except outside the barriers on Lake Ontario without much problem.I put a 56 # trolling motor on both aluminum boats. the only real problem is 2 people is cramped with alot of extra rods on board.Check for a Mirrocraft dealer near you.I like them the best of any aluminum brand so far.The D.E.C. and Sheriff dept use Mirrocraft aluminum boats here as well. P N J

[zooker]

lowes double wide -much more stable platform to fish from. and trust me i have been out 20 miles in the alantic with mine..-till it was stolen-

zooker

[Bob60]

I fish out of a 10' bass wagon by Splash Marine. I use a 30# thrust trolling motor. Pros: I can unload it about anywhere on the small (77 acre) lake I fish. She carrys me, 5 rods , monster tackle box, cooler,etc. She also can get into some of the tightest, shallowest places(creeks etc.) that you can imagine. Cons: WIND and all that goes with it. Standing is very difficult. All in all though I'm happy with her. $800.00 boat price did not hurt much either. I've only caught one 7lber out of her but this is a new year. Luck to all. Bob

[HOG Ranger]

Originally Posted by Bob60

I fish out of a 10' bass wagon by Splash Marine. I use a 30# thrust trolling motor.

I would like to have something like that because I have some electric carry on boat only lakes close to my home. They get very little pressure because of the "carry on" stipulation.

My problem is I don't have anywhere to store it. I already have my boat in the garage and I doubt the wife will give up her spot for another toy of mine.

[Mac1]

Just sold my 14 Alumacraft V hull with a 15 hp Yamaha 4 stroke. Would get up and run on plane at a quarter throttle......very easy to handle and quiet running on the approach to specific spots. In order to save weight, I used a 30 lb thrust trolling motor on the transom. For me, it was very stable, but then again, I'm only 5'4". I weighted the front end when alone and the boat worked very well overall. I got a bigger boat in part so my two buddies can go along and have a little more room....just a bit crowded with three. If you should consider Alumacraft, go with the 55 gauge.....the 50 I found to be a little too light.....concerning motor vibration at higher speeds.

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by DadofJolly

Gentlemen,
I have solemnly agreed to sell my beautiful Skeeter this year. What my wife does not know is that the price is set ridiculously high as long as we are in the pre-spawn, spawn months. BUT, after that I will have to get serious about my boat-ectomy. (sniff….sniff). Why? One name: "Dave Ramsey." If you don't know who that is Google him and you'll understand. Anyway, my little Hitler…I mean wife, has reluctantly agreed to let me borrow my testicles for a short time and purchase a small, inexpensive used fishing boat after my painful separation from the Skeeter. You guys that have or do fish from an aluminum Jon-boat type boat, what is absolutely too small, too narrow, or too slow to effectively bass fish from? I'm going cheap but I still want to be able to effectively fish and hopefully not drown. In other words: Is 12ft or 14ft just too small to get-r-done? Do I want like a 20 hp. minimum? Are there any brands of aluminum boats or smaller outboards to avoid? My home lake is not huge but there are times when I will have to make a 4 or 5 mile run to a creek.
Thanks.

Allow me a moment of "Devil's Advocacy" here.
Dave Ramsey is all-too-willing to tell you how great HE is and how you should manage your life and finances. He is right much of the time, not because he is a genius but because he often states the obvious, but there is one thing missing. He fails, in my opinion, to consider "Quality of Life'.
Now, if the boat is such a financial drain as to prevent you from meeting obligations to family, then perhaps you should, indeed, sell it. Before you do, however, examine what life will be like thereafter. Will your resentment (and it will be there, believe me,) cause a rift, or widen an existing one, between you and your wife?
Are there other corners that can be cut? Are you willing, for example, to spend less on other pleasures? If you fish less than you do now, will the savings in fuel, oil, maintenance, etc, for boat and tow vehicle be enough to warrant keeping the boat and using it sparingly until things improve?
Is there an extra vehicle that could be disposed of instead of the boat?
Does giving up the boat mean that the missus can keep HER special interests at current level?...Hmmmmm. Maybe a little give and take.
No one knows your situation better than you. Not Dave, not me...you.
So, I'm just offering some ideas...not telling you how to manage. God knows I'm no role model in this area.
Good luck, and remember...Family is Job One!

FR

[DadofJolly]

Flyrod,
Nah, it’s really not like that. I brought the whole D. Ramsey thing into our house. I wanted to be debt free – period. If I have to fish from a lesser boat for a few years to accomplish it, than so be it. It will be worth it. We are almost there. The boat will be the last big thing. But, thanks for the insight Man.

[HOG Ranger]

Originally Posted by FlyRod

Allow me a moment of "Devil's Advocacy" here.
Dave Ramsey is all-too-willing to tell you how great HE is and how you should manage your life and finances. He is right much of the time, not because he is a genius but because he often states the obvious, but there is one thing missing. He fails, in my opinion, to consider "Quality of Life'.

I agree 100% with Flyrod but only you know your needs and finances DOJ. I believe everyone should have a retirement savings and a nest egg put away because you never know.

I could be saving more money than I am but then that term "quality of life" pops up again. You are only here on Earth a short time and that money is not going to do me any good when I am in a hole. If it is for family, college or retirement they are all valid and important things. To do things just to be "debt free" doesn't mean much to me but everyone has to make their own choices.

My grandmother saved every penny she had and died at 57 years old and never enjoyed anything other than reading her financial account. Not for me but everyone has to decide for themselves.

[links_man2]

Just have Jolly get a day and night job and he can give up fishing to help Dad along.

On the serious side, I had an uncle (lived in Lubbock) that never wanted anything but a 16' deep V with about a 50HP. He had a manual trolling motor on the back. He and my aunt caught tons of bass fishing Falcon and Amistad. The deep V let him handle big water safely. The 50 Hp would let him travel plenty fast and far---not 60-70 mph but fast enough. It would get you all over AH safely and economically. Plus it tows much cheaper.

[ken kinser]

I have a 16' lowe jon boat with plywood deck on it, pedestal seats on deck and rear seat, plywood floor between seats, cut 2 plywood slabs 10" wide for rod holders put on both sides between seats with rod savers attached the cheap green carpet 25 4stroke on the back 37lb motorguide on the front hummingbird dept finder everything was new on 04 and it was 4,790 fishes good for me might want to try,

[DadofJolly]

Thanks everyone for the replies. So everyone would agree that a V-hull handles rough water better than a flat bottom? It gets windy as *^$#@! on Alan Henry at times. Sounds like the consensus is at least a 16 footer, V hull. By the way, Jolly, my son is way too busy with school (and too spoiled) right now to get his own boat and take his old man fishing. If I get rid of mine it might light a fire under his a_ _ though. I'm pretty much the only guy he fishes with. And THAT is what I would miss, not the fiish.
Thanks again.

[Captmikestarrett]

I have three boats now.. She asked when I was going to sell one yesterday? I told her as soon as I can find the title.. Make take a month or more to find it.


Capt Mike

[links_man2]

You might want to check out www.boattraderonline.com. That was where I found mine and have been very happy with the deal and the boat. BTW have you considered an older/smaller bass boat rather than latest and greatest? I got a '98 18' Triton with 150 Merc at a good price I have been happy with. Have had to do some maint like changing bilge, airator pumps, etc. Had to drive 150 miles to get it, but was worth the drive. But was able to keep it at a price the wife would agree to.

[fun2fish]

I have a 10' jon boat that I fish a small pond with. It's only 3' wide but it can fit 3 people and is reasonably stable. It's probably too small for a lake but it works good for small ponds.

[DEbass'n]

with aluminum boats the most important thing is width. I fish out of three different boats, 10 ft. by 3ft, 12 ft. by 4 ft, and 14 ft. by 36 in.; all are flat bottom. The 12 ft is the most comfortable because it is the most stable and can easily fit 2 people and gear and standing up is not a problem.