I Need A Boat

[jason41987]

im tired of all the good lakes near me, and all the good fishing spots being only accessible by boat.. i need some way of getting me out into the lake for fishing.. i do not have much money either so im looking for options.. i dont need a fancy bass boat, i dont even need anything with a motor, what are my options?.. are there any inexpensive ways to get myself out into the water?.. id prefer a 1 person craft small enough to load a couple up into a truck or trailor, or one inexpensive to design and build 14 foot boat

 

i have the tools, and woodworking skills to work with wood and composites, so its not impossible for me to shape a mould to make a one off fiberglass hull, or make a canoe or kayak.. but im just looking for options for something thats inexpensive and simple to make to get me what i need because i really need a boat of some sort

[Fishes in trees]

  My first response to your post title is, "don't we all?"  Or in my case, I could use a better one.  For me it is a matter of allocation of resources and I've currently allocated enough resources to my boat issue.  To upgrade my boat currently would be really stupid and fiscally unsound.

 

How old are you?  If you are over 18, my advice would be to get a job and save your money and sooner or later a boat could happen.  Allow me to suggest some options.

 

Plan A - There are lots of different schematics for different boats out there on the internet.  Do your research and find one that meets your needs.   If you've got the tools & skills, you're all set.  Get to work building your boat.  Along time ago Noah built a boat.  In more recent times, numerous people have constructed home made boats.  It is your turn now to build a boat.

 

Plan B - There is probably some geezer in your neighborhood who owns a boat and doesn't go fishing as often as he would like to because of any number of reasons:  Doesn't drive at night - Loading & unloading the boat is a pain (physically & mentally) - launching/loading the boat on to the trailer can be a chore for one person - and you can probably think of dozens of other reasons.

 

Maybe you could find out who that guy is and find a way to have him want to take you fishing using mostly his gear.

 

Plan C -  Somewhere in your neighborhood there is probably some widow, whose husband used to to own a boat and now the hub is no longer around, but the boat still is.  Perhaps you could work out some sweat equity deal - I don't know.

 

Plan D -  If the lakes around you are "good lakes" like you say, there are bank fishing opportunities there.  You may want to refine/upgrade your bank fishing skills.  Maybe target a different species - I don't know your exact situation.

 

Here's what I'm saying - If you like to fish, but you don't have a boat, and don't have the disposable income to immediately acquire a boat, it becomes and IQ/ingenuity test.

 

It is a pass/fail test.  Either you will figure it out or you won't.

[Tony L.]

Two thoughts:

1) go to a non-mainstream sporting goods or farm and fleet store and look into getting either a pond prowler or a canoe/kayak. In my area, for instance, you can find entry level kayaks at places like Big R and K-mart for a very good price. If you have a Dunham's sporting goods nearby, I have seen off-brand fishing kayaks for as little as $150, if I am not mistaken.

2) if you have the vehicle to tow it, take to craigslist and buy a small, used aluminum boat and trailer. A small 10-14 footer that has seen some love can be really cheap. It doesn't matter how old it is because the baseline, featureless boats with bench seats have been exactly the same for decades. They have them on craigslist and in the classifieds all the time-even with trolling motors or 5-10 horse outboards. They go cheaper in the winter months, and I have seen them under $500.

Both of these are on my list of things to do once we close on a house in the next few months and I have a place to store a fishing vessel. Until then, I too am a shorebound angler unless I buddy up with a friend or family member. I understand your frustration, but they are certainly still catchable from the shore. It is a disadvantage, but it is not a dealbreaker.

When I can't buddy up with a boater, I sometimes only have access to 2-3 good looking bass locations on any large body of water. If I fish them thouroughly and have no success I switch it up and catch some bluegill or some catfish for the frying pan. It's still fun. In the meantime, try looking for some ponds where boat access is uneccessary.

[jason41987]

i have seen some small aluminum boats go for under $100 here.. i may pick one up if i find no other alternative, my preferred option would be something easier to carry without a trailer, that could either fit in the back of a truck or on top of an SUV, something that would be much easier to launch

[joefish]

Where you live? Your profile gives no Info about location, age ,etc. Who knows might be some guy around who has a boat and is looking for a fishing partner. I have been looking for one.

[jason41987]

  On 7/14/2014 at 12:05 AM, joefish said:

Where you live? Your profile gives no Info about location, age ,etc. Who knows might be some guy around who has a boat and is looking for a fishing partner. I have been looking for one.

im in wisconsin, i usually fish with my dad, so i wouldnt mind going with a kayak or the small little pontoons you sit between for the ability to fish separate parts of the lake at the same time since we never target the same fish or do the same type of fishing

[Way2slow]

Small, one person, easy to load a couple in a truck, is the definition of a kayak. Never had a desire for one of those so don't have a clue on prices and availability of used ones.

Next option is an older, aluminum Jon. Old 10ft Jon's show up quite frequently at very reasonable prices $100 or so. I recently bought an old 1232 to use in south texas for $150. Both of those are easy enough for one person to drag around and load in a pickup.

As for building a fiberglass one, at today's prices for everything needed, that's fairly expensive.

If you build one out of plywood, they get pretty darn heavy and the proper wood is expensive.

Forgot about those small pontoon things, never tried one so can't speak about those

[jason41987]

  On 7/14/2014 at 1:11 AM, Way2slow said:

Small, one person, easy to load a couple in a truck, is the definition of a kayak. Never had a desire for one of those so don't have a clue on prices and availability of used ones.

Next option is an older, aluminum Jon. Old 10ft Jon's show up quite frequently at very reasonable prices $100 or so. I recently bought an old 1232 to use in south texas for $150. Both of those are easy enough for one person to drag around and load in a pickup.

As for building a fiberglass one, at today's prices for everything needed, that's fairly expensive.

If you build one out of plywood, they get pretty darn heavy and the proper wood is expensive.

Forgot about those small pontoon things, never tried one so can't speak about those

my only concern with the pontoon things is how vicious the pike are here, ive seen them leap out of the water and bite someones hand hanging over the side of the boat and with those pontoon things theres nothing between those vicious pike and your "junk"

[jason41987]

i think ill fabricate a pontoon myself.. i have this idea of taking some kind of plastic material, making a bag in the shape of the pontoon out of it, place it inside a piece of canvas sewn into the same shape, inflate the bag ,then brush resin onto the canvas to harden it into a shell.. then layer it with a could more layers of fabric to make a water proof resin shell for pontoons

 

i could do the same thing to make my own inflatable boat that i could harden into a solid hollowed structure

 

what if i make something like my own hollow inflatable kayak, do the same thing i mentioned above to make it rigid, give it a flat bottom combined with the hollow tubes would make it extra stable for fishing, could design a transom on the back of it to use with a small trolling motor or a really small outboard.. could even section off the areas where my body isnt occupying for tackle storage, maybe some rod holders on the side of the now rigid tube structures, maybe even something to hook a stringer on for any fish i want to keep

 

however, if i make the pontoons which would be so much easier i could design them to have a flat top on them i can lay a solid platform across, mount a swivel chair on top of this with enough of a platform to stand up on, pontoons would make it stable enough to stand up, fight fish.. something like in the photo below which will be light enough to take out of a truck and place in the water, so i can gain access to the lake without even needing a boat ramp, and i could carry two in the back of a pickup truck.. a simple calculation of the volume of the pontoons will allow me to determine buoyancy and the maximum payload.. question is, how well could these handle being out in the middle of a big lake, like green lake, wisconsin or even winnebago?

 

[B@ssCrzy]

My question is....do you really want to go through the hastle of making something from scratch?  All the time, effort and cost that it makes to build something you could buy a used boat already made.  On top of making it then you have to register it if you put any type of motor on it and then pay for taxes, renewal, etc.?  My suggestion is to just get a kayak.  Then if you want a motor boat of some sort you can begin to save your money to buy something you will be happy with. Kayaks are very easy to transport, require no maintenance, work on multiple types of water, and can be found for anywhere from $100-$3000.  My first kayak was $100 and I sold it 2 months later for $150 and bought the yak I will keep for years to come.  If you get a good deal and you ever want to sell it you will probably be able to get your money back out of it as kayaks have good re-sale value.  Look on craigslist and you will find some great deals especially starting in August and September.  People start to sell them off and you can find some great deals from private sellers as well as dealers that are unloading their demo models.  As the summer has started to heat up I have noticed more and more yaks being posted to craigslist so be patient and you can find something nice that fits your needs.  Just my 2 cents. 

[jason41987]

i like doing the work, i also like the ability to custom tailor something to my own needs, i also enjoy experimenting with new techniques and ideas, so it gives me some ideas for testing some composites and shapes

 

what do you guys think would be better? something like the boat i posted above with a swivel chair you can sit on top of, or something more the side of a kayak, still made from floating tubes but would be much easier to propel with kayak oars vs needing a motor and would also keep the center of gravity lower

[jhoffman]

I bought my first boat a 1979 terry flat bottom on a feb day 4 hours away when it was below freezing, couldnt even hear it run. It came with an air cooled briggs 5hp motor, 1 seat, rear mount 30 trolling motor, trailer and no battery for $600. The motor was almost new. I decked it, carpet, switch box, battery and ran lights on it. Replaced the trailer bearings and went fishing. It got so many complements on the water it was unreal. OH, I did replace the wooden internal transom which was a nightmare also. People could not believe a 14' boat could be that nice, I mean it got compliments daily. When I was done I broke even with what I had in it materials wise not counting my work at about $1800. The decking/carpet and the transom took me a combined 60 hours. I fished it for two years and kept it covered when not fishing, the day I sold it, looking at it you wouldve thought I just finished it. I didnt even use marine plywood because of the treatment in it with fear of it causing corrosion on alumnium. I just decked it with normal plywood and put about 8 coats of thompson water seal on it before carpet. The transom obviously was just treated. Once it dried I coated it in a thin layer of epoxy. I wish I could see what it looks like now ten years later, I bet if the person maintained it, it probably still looks excellent. 

[jason41987]

ive thought about getting a good 14' aluminum hull boat to take the time to clean up, restore, and put a full deck on top with carpeting, including tackle and rod storage compartments, maybe even a livewell for fish i catch, but id need to find the right boat for a donor for that project.. maybe an aluminum jon boat

[kikstand454]

Go rent a proper fishing kayak from a local vendor. Take it out for a days fishing.

All your concerns will be addressed and you will realize that this is the answer. Rent as many as you can. Then decide what features you like the most.

Then.... ask that vendor, and all the other rental companies in tour area when they are selling last years fleet. There you will find perfectly fine, pro fishing kayaks 50-75% off or sometimes. ....they auction them.

Problem solved.

Good luck!