At times I ponder getting a small fishing boat with a small motor. Friends have warned me about boats though saying it means Break Out Another Thousand. How much would a small fishing boat cost? Any advice?
At times I ponder getting a small fishing boat with a small motor. Friends have warned me about boats though saying it means Break Out Another Thousand. How much would a small fishing boat cost? Any advice?
Find a jon boat that already leaks and get a trolling motor for it after you fix the leaks. Should be cheap.
If you want more than that, you can tell yourself "it'll probably be a waste of money and nobody will want to give me anything for it when I decide to sell it".
Yep, there's an old saying that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.
Another one is that there are two happy days in the life of a boat owner - the day you buy it and the day you sell it.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
YOU forgot to mention the body of water that your boat will be on, small lakes or ponds will handle a paddle boat or kayak and maybe you can spent less than 5 hundred
I have a lot of experience with boats, having owned several and for most of my life. Before anyone can advise you on what kind of boat you might consider and how much it might cost, you need to tell us where you will be using it. Some of the places I go are safe enough with a 12 foot rowboat. A couple of nearby lakes I have boated on are several miles wide and require a much more seaworthy vessel. Length and even weight capacity are not good indicators of safety on large bodies of water.
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Did someone mention boats???
This my signature on Iboats...
As you can see, I don't know much about that 2nd happiest day, I usually just keep 'em!
As for small fishing boats, seriously-- they're not that big a hole to throw money into!
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Kev, before your post, I was going running the opposite direction of any boat. Thanks.
You're either a boat person or you're not a boat person.
If you aren't a boat person, make friends with one.
If you are a boat person, get ready for a few new friends!
If you want to be the world's next billionaire, the best way to do it is to invent a set of boat trailer lights that work......
On your first venture out in the Spring, get ready to spend it trying to get the trailer lights to work in the pre dawn darkness, then well into the morning instead fo spending that time on the water fishing. That's a given each and every year.
I don't care how much time and effort you put in the day before making sure the lights work, they are guaranteed to not work @ 4:30am the first morning you actually want to take the boat to a launch ramp.
Speaking of launch ramps...
I'm of the opinion that murder should be a legal activity at public launch ramps.
You should be able to buy a permit and have a daily bag limit of two idiots.
Fishing boat eh?
I had one. I used to love fishing. It was a passion of mine.
Then I got a fishing boat. The first season was heaven.
Then, after the first Spring experience of getting the boat ready for the season - and the trailer - and the light, things went downhill.
I felt obligated to take the boat out each and every time I went fishing.
Instead of just tossing a pole in the trunk, hitting a small pond for a couple of hours , I felt obligated to struggle with the trailer lights for a few hours - usually in the pitch dark & more than a few times in the pitch dark on the side of a highway - and take the boat out...
Now I have a friend that has a boat.
I arrange to meet him just before sunrise @ the launch ramp.
A lot of times, I get the pleasure of fishing the shore by the ramp for a couple of hours, watching the mayhem and laughing at the goof balls,,,,,,while HE struggles with the non working tailor lights... .
Oh yeah - someone else here said it far better than I ever could...
If it flies, floats or fools around - rent it!
My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...
Us airplane people sit around talking about boat people, and we say to ourselves, "Now THOSE guys must be really crazy!" Think about that for a second.
+1 on the jon boat or an old wooden 12-14 footer. With a 10 horse motor, you can fish a lot on the lake of your choice.
I never found the maintenance/cost of either to be onerous.
Edit: I didnt have problems with trailer lights. YMMV.
Fred
Last edited by Frederick Skelly; 04-23-2014 at 7:01 AM.
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Boat
definition:
A hole in the water where you throw your money into.
2 Best days of a boat owners life.
The day you buy it and the day you sell it.
They are fun though.
I think the bad boat feedback comes from out of whack expectations. It's a machine, they all take maintenence, they all cost money, and they all break down when you least want them too. BUT, some of my happiest days have been spent chasing bass with my girls, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.
Where are you fishing and what for? That answers the boat question. I fish smaller shallow lakes for panfish and bass generally, but we get clobbered by storms regularly that can make even smaller lakes quite rough. I picked an 18' aluminum boat with a pretty big motor and tall sides so it won't get swamped easily and can get off the water quickly if needed.
Brand new boats depreciate stupidly fast, if you don't plan on keeping it for a long time, by used. Inversely, a new boat set up how you want it can be a great long term investment in quality of life. This is why I bought a new one, and wouldn't trade it for anything: