JoeyBatts125 Posted December 1, 2015 Posted December 1, 2015 Hello i am new to the whole boat thing and i want to know what would be best for me. I want to be able to bring 1, maybe 2 people with me max. i Would like it light enough to put in the bed of a truck and being able to put a trolling motor on it would be good too. I am not set on a jon boat it can be a canoe or anything that you guys will think that will fit my needs. I am also not looking to spend 2000 bucks either. Thanks and tight lines!! Joey B <ºj))))>< Quote
ClackerBuzz Posted December 1, 2015 Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) sounds like a 14' V hull or semi V jon boat. a flat bottom will work too since you aren't using a big motor flying across 2-3 waves. the benefit of a V hull is they are more stable with multiple people in the boat and they cut thru waves vs bounce. with boats the wider the better: 1236=12' long x 36" wide. this would be the smallest i'd go w/ 2 people. 1442, 1448 would be far better. 1654 is great but probably too long for the bed of ur truck Edited December 3, 2015 by ClackerBuzz Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted December 1, 2015 Super User Posted December 1, 2015 In a boat that size, two is a crowd, three would be a zoo. Three can fish out of a 20 foot bass boat, but you really have to pay attention when casting. Being new to a boat, limit yourself to two people, max. And you still have to pay careful attention to what the other fisherman is doing. Getting snagged with a hook can ruin your day. It happened on my boat on the road trip to Kentucky Lake. Everything was going smoothly until a breeze made a billow in one fisherman's line just as the other was casting. It pulled the hook deep into the first fisherman's thumb. We loaded up and headed for a nearby clinic. After a half hour's wait the hooked fisherman was seen. The clinic told us to take him to the hospital so he could have x rays before the procedure to remove the hook. Lucky it was a thumb and not an eye. We were all experienced fishermen, but it could not have happened without someone fishing from the middle of the boat. Quote
WPCfishing Posted December 1, 2015 Posted December 1, 2015 Hello i am new to the whole boat thing and i want to know what would be best for me. I want to be able to bring 1, maybe 2 people with me max. i Would like it light enough to put in the bed of a truck and being able to put a trolling motor on it would be good too. I am not set on a jon boat it can be a canoe or anything that you guys will think that will fit my needs. I am also not looking to spend 2000 bucks either. Thanks and tight lines!! Joey B <ºj))))>< What is your boat budget? Quote
Super User fishnkamp Posted December 2, 2015 Super User Posted December 2, 2015 My wife and I have owned 11 boats. Everything from a 12 foot jon boat to a twenty foot fiberglass hull powered by a 200 hp outboard. Let me ask a few questions that will help. What type of water do you intend to fish most often. If the answer is small rivers, streams or ponds then a jon boat or canoe is fine. If you have some small lakes or horsepower restricted lakes then the same 12 to 14 foot jon or vee hull would be your best choice. Both of those would be safe in the water conditions you would encounter. Both would fit in the "able to be moved in the back of a pick up truck as well as have a friend with you". I fished a reservoir in MD. with the 12 footer and two electric trolling motor. It was a great little package for a bigger body of water that allowed no big fast boats to make boating unsafe. I also fished from a 15 foot trailered bass boat in a larger body of water, but it had a 20 hp restriction. Both of those boats would have been fine when I fished smaller tidal creeks on the Chesapeake Bay. I hope these thoughts will help you decide what to look at. Also if you decide you want to fish alone there are some newly designed kayaks on the market that fish pretty nice. As for price a 12 to14 foot john or vee bottom will be your cheapest option. Quote
JoeyBatts125 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Posted December 3, 2015 My wife and I have owned 11 boats. Everything from a 12 foot jon boat to a twenty foot fiberglass hull powered by a 200 hp outboard. Let me ask a few questions that will help. What type of water do you intend to fish most often. If the answer is small rivers, streams or ponds then a jon boat or canoe is fine. If you have some small lakes or horsepower restricted lakes then the same 12 to 14 foot jon or vee hull would be your best choice. Both of those would be safe in the water conditions you would encounter. Both would fit in the "able to be moved in the back of a pick up truck as well as have a friend with you". I fished a reservoir in MD. with the 12 footer and two electric trolling motor. It was a great little package for a bigger body of water that allowed no big fast boats to make boating unsafe. I also fished from a 15 foot trailered bass boat in a larger body of water, but it had a 20 hp restriction. Both of those boats would have been fine when I fished smaller tidal creeks on the Chesapeake Bay. I hope these thoughts will help you decide what to look at. Also if you decide you want to fish alone there are some newly designed kayaks on the market that fish pretty nice. As for price a 12 to14 foot john or vee bottom will be your cheapest option. Thanks and yes i would be fishing smaller lakes mostly so a jon boat is my best bet? Quote
JoeyBatts125 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Posted December 3, 2015 What is your boat budget? probably 300 bucks Quote
JoeyBatts125 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Posted December 3, 2015 In a boat that size, two is a crowd, three would be a zoo. Three can fish out of a 20 foot bass boat, but you really have to pay attention when casting. Being new to a boat, limit yourself to two people, max. And you still have to pay careful attention to what the other fisherman is doing. Getting snagged with a hook can ruin your day. It happened on my boat on the road trip to Kentucky Lake. Everything was going smoothly until a breeze made a billow in one fisherman's line just as the other was casting. It pulled the hook deep into the first fisherman's thumb. We loaded up and headed for a nearby clinic. After a half hour's wait the hooked fisherman was seen. The clinic told us to take him to the hospital so he could have x rays before the procedure to remove the hook. Lucky it was a thumb and not an eye. We were all experienced fishermen, but it could not have happened without someone fishing from the middle of the boat. Yeah i can see how that could ruin you day... I have been looking on craigslist and found some jon boats are there any other places that you know where i could buy one? Quote
JoeyBatts125 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Posted December 3, 2015 sounds like a 14' V hull or semi V jon boat. a flat bottom will work too since you aren't using a big motor flying across 2-3 waves. the benefit of a V hull is they are more stable with multiple people in the boat. with boats the wider the better: 1236=12' long x 36" wide. this would be the smallest i'd go w/ 2 people. 1442, 1448 would be far better. 1654 is probably too long for the bed of ur truck Thank you!!! Quote
zachb34 Posted December 4, 2015 Posted December 4, 2015 $300, 2-3 anglers, and no trailer. You're going to have to give up one of those things. Really a 42-48" wide jon would suit you pretty well, but they'll be too heavy without a trailer. Especially the 48 wide models since they're usually thicker and welded. for a first boat, I'd suggest a Bass raider. 8' will do, but the 10' will be better if you want to bring a friend. For safety and legal reasons, 3 people will also be a no for those boats. The bass raiders are really safe, durable, and easy to use. In my opinion, they're a great first boat. For what it's worth, I own a 1542 jon boat. No way on this earth would I fish 3 people out of it. The only way I'd take 3 is if it's just for a ride. Quote
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