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My first boat was a 10 foot double hull Livingston that I turned into a bass boat (old shop teacher here), then I moved to a 12 foot flat bottomed boat that I also converted into a bass boat, and now I have a 17 Lund.
The first boat could only go to the tiny local lakes - was heavy, but at least I got to fish.
The 2nd boat (flat bottomed) took me to larger lakes on nice days. But let me tell you, nice days can change into windy days in a hurry! I had some harrowing trips back to the ramps of Lake Washington after whitecaps showed up out of nowhere! I almost lost the boat on Lake Roosevelt - limping into a safe bay with everything floating in 8 inches of water!
The Lund is V-hulled, stable, handles anything Lake Washingto can dish out, but it's wider than most flatbottom boats. Even though it is V-hulled, I have yet to find water so shallow that I could not fish it!
I would recommend this:
1) Determine the water you really want to fish - make a list of the lakes and ask the old timers in the club how the wind affects them, and how high the waves can get.
2) Research the cost of the basic (empty) flat bottom and V-hulled boats, and estimate the cost of building materials to turn it into a bass boat. (Don't use any fasteners that can rust! And remember - lumber is heavy, and unless you plan on attaching floatation foam, take a look at the boat's "carrying capacity" stamped on the hull and subtract the weight of the lumber - to discover if you are about to become illegal when you add your equipment and fishing partner to the amount!)
3) Compare that cost of building to a good used boat. (unless you enjoy building - I suspect the used boat will suddenly look more attractive and worth saving the extra schekles to buy it.)
4) Buy as wide and long a boat as you can afford, regardless of the hull style, paying attention to how you plan to tow it (in back of pickup or on a trailer), the thinkness of the aluminum (the cheapest boats can be half the thickness of others), how wide and deep is the garage you thought it would fit it (the extra length of a trailer tongue has frustrated a lot of anglers who brought their new boats home to find it now had to stay outside because the garage was not wide enough or deep enough for the trailer).
5) Remember, boats that fit into the bed of your pickup have to stay light in order to lift them out. There are back wheels that you can attach to the transom that fold down (they work good), but they aren't cheap either. And every trip then requires 15 minutes of loading gear, attaching the motor, etc.. (Reverse this when unloading). A trailer allows you to "launch and go" since all the gear is already in it!
6) If you decide to build (transform an empty shell) remember: it's buying the accessories that will kill you! By the time I bought flares, nets, seats, an anchor, ropes, oars, etc... I was amazed at how it all added up! A used boat usually comes with all the do-dads you'll need. True, when you buy a used boat, you buy the previous problems that went with it, but that's true of used cars too, right?
My 17 foot V-hull has taken me everywhere and allowed me to fish any body of water that a fancy bass boat can. Obviously I don't go as fast, but the fish don't seem to care about the speed at which I arrived.
It all boils down to a balancing act between cost (what you can afford), and the type of lakes you want to be able to fish, (and hence the water conditions you will face).
In most cases you get what you pay for. The biggest factor in this decision is your personality. And this has to do with your ability wait for what you really want! The desire for "instant gratification" is handled differently in all of us, depending on our personality. If you canl't wait to save up for the ideal boat - then you will settle for what you can get NOW!
EX: If the ideal used boat is $3,500, and you only have $800 dollars, you have to decide, "Do I settle for the bare basic and get limited to what lakes I can fish, or do I save and fish where I want." In my earlier years, saving was not a possibility so I took what I could and settled! At least I was fishing! But if you have the ability to keep putting some money away each month - you might want to wait and get the next step up. Each individual is different, and their economic situation is different. We can't help you with a boat buying decision other than to share our experiences and let you "cut-n-paste" the applicable parts to your unique lifestyle and personality.
I will say this: research is cheap, and will never disappoint you! Gathering all the data, like you are doing now, will pay off bigtime. Rushing will bring you regrets! (That goes for dealing with women too!) Put what you learn down on paper, reflect hard on it, the answer will come!
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Jon Boat Vs Conventional Aluminum Boat ? (Read 10736 times)
