How did most of you start?

[skekoam]

Every time my son and I fish, we just gawk at the guys on the water in their boats, float tubes, kayaks, etc.

 

I'm just curious how most of you guys started on the water?  Did you start small and slowly graduate towards larger vessels?  My son wants me to get a small boat that is easy to launch, safe, and requires very little maintenance but not sure we are ready for that yet.  

[MN Fisher]

25 years ago, got some money when my grandmother died. Was just enough to purchase an old 14' Runabout with a 40hp motor. Cut to 10 years ago...money issues so sold the boat. 3 years ago, purchased a canoe and have done mods to it every winter since to turn it into a 'fishing machine' (Thanks to @Fishing Rhino and @Goose52) for the inspiration.

[Scott F]

I bought my first boat in 1988 when I was 33. A 17ft Ranger.  I just turned 65 and I still have the same boat. Of course I now own a second, and 2 personal pontoons.

[J Francho]

Been around boats my whole life.  The first boat I was allowed to captain alone was a 16' rowboat.   Then, a canoe.  Later, I had a small O/B strapped on that rowboat.  After that, I could take the 17' Penn Yan woody out in the big lake for smallies.  There have been open bow I/O runabouts, and jet skis on and off.  Since then, I've had a couple deep-V tillers, aluminum and glass bass boats, including a "go fast" Bullet.  I have had a canoe and kayaks all along.  My next boat I'm looking at is a 25' bay boat.  It will probably be my last boat.

[HookInMouth]

Bought a 24' Pontoon boat years ago rigged up for fishing. Liked it, but eventually got tired of the maintenance and trouble with docking, storing, and launching. So I sold it. Got out of fishing for a little bit. Son started asking to go when he was about 12 and so we started beating the banks. Which lead to me wanting to get back out on the water. Looked at pontoon boats again. Looked at bass boats. Almost pulled the trigger a few times but always backed off because of the upkeep and hassle. 

 

Started looking into kayak fishing as a low maintenance option and well, took the plunge about a year ago. Haven't looked back since. I'm obsessed with the shallow rivers in PA. Wouldn't trade fishing those on a yak for anything. 

[Tizi]

Started with a 12 foot jon boat, bought a 17.5 foot bass boat (Challenger), now I have a 12 foot smokercraft with 7.5 Honda outboard and 2 kayaks (1 pedal, 1 paddle).

 

Man, I loved that bass boat.  It was super fast and stable in rough water.  I miss that boat.  We are in the market for a pontoon boat for the lakehouse (casual fishing, tubing, and cruising).

[skekoam]

44 minutes ago, HookInMouth said:

Bought a 24' Pontoon boat years ago rigged up for fishing. Liked it, but eventually got tired of the maintenance and trouble with docking, storing, and launching. So I sold it. Got out of fishing for a little bit. Son started asking to go when he was about 12 and so we started beating the banks. Which lead to me wanting to get back out on the water. Looked at pontoon boats again. Looked at bass boats. Almost pulled the trigger a few times but always backed off because of the upkeep and hassle. 

 

Started looking into kayak fishing as a low maintenance option and well, took the plunge about a year ago. Haven't looked back since. I'm obsessed with the shallow rivers in PA. Wouldn't trade fishing those on a yak for anything. 

How safe are those kayaks and do both of you share one or each have your own?  Unless you are fishing a very small lake/pond, the kayaks look sketchy with almost no room to maneuver.  I've never been on one yet

[FishinBuck07]

I started with a float tube, and still fish from it.  It is awesome to fish from, light weight, and peaceful in it.  Now I have a Bass Tracker with a 9.9 on it, but still fish from the tube here and there.

[Jig Man]

I started with a 12’ styrofoam canoe.  Then a 16’ richline aluminum with a 9 horse Merc.

[J Francho]

7 minutes ago, skekoam said:

I've never been on one yet

Clearly

 

I fish Lake Ontario and Erie in a kayak.  Depends on the kayak and a the kayaker as in hull design and skill level for fishing certain waters like big lakes or fast current.

[Log Catcher]

I bought my first boat in 1982 or 83 from a fellow I worked with for $350. It was a 14' aluminum V hull with a 12HP outboard. When my BIL had quit fishing he gave me an 18HP outboard for it. I had also bought a better trailer for it. 

 

Coming home from a fishing trip in Sept.1999 I got rear ended while sitting at a stop light about 3 miles from home. Boat, motor, and trailer were all damaged pretty bad as well as some damage to the truck I had at the time.

 

After everything was settled with the insurance company I started looking for a new boat. In January 2000 I bought a 1998 Bass Tracker 175 with a 40 HP outboard. 

 

In 2002 I blew the outboard and replaced it with another 40 HP and I still have it.

 

 

[slonezp]

Row boats and rented boats, first real boat I owned was a used ski boat. On my 2nd real fishing boat now.  I still have a little row boat which I will be handing over to my son this spring. 

[HookInMouth]

24 minutes ago, skekoam said:

How safe are those kayaks and do both of you share one or each have your own?  Unless you are fishing a very small lake/pond, the kayaks look sketchy with almost no room to maneuver.  I've never been on one yet

I mean, there are risks involved. But I don't feel unsafe at all. I did my homework, figured out how to do things the right way, and so far so good. Mind safe on-water practices and always have your PFD on and you're golden. 

 

We have three kayaks right now because my wife has fallen in love with it as well. We have two Kaku Voodoo (my son and I) and an SS127 for the wife. Also adding two more soon for my girls (14 and 16). Just haven't decided what we want to add for them. 

 

These things are almost 3' wide. I dunno. I dont' feel cramped at all. 

[Catt]

Actually at 5-6 yrs old I was deathly afraid of boats.

 

That didn't last long by 8 yrs old I was push poling a pirogue in marshes.

 

Moved from pirogues to a Sears jon boat & outboard.

 

 

 

[Ratherbfishing]

When I was about 28 I bought a little 14 foot aluminum semi V with a 10 horse Johnson motor for about 200 bucks.  (I still have the motor).  About ten years ago, I purchased a 17 foot jon with a 25 horse Evinrude motor.  It won't win any races and it's not great on big water but it does about everything I ask of it-including getting me onto some lakes that are horsepower restricted.  I also have a Bass Raider which I used quite often on small lakes and trolling-motor only lakes. Unless something drastically changes, I'll just keep what I have until it breaks, sinks, or I can't fish anymore. 

[kjfishman]

First boat was 10 or 12 foot aluminum deep V powered by oars. Next boat was a Spectrum 14 ft deep V 15 HP and added an Old Town Loon 138 and kayaked fish before it was a big thing.  In 2002 went to a  Fisher Marine Marsh Hawk 165 Deep V 50 HP Mercury, still have that one. Upgraded the old Loon 138 Kayak to a Loon 126 couple years ago. Spend more time in the Loon than I do the Marsh Hawk 165.

[skekoam]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Actually at 5-6 yrs old I was deathly afraid of boats.

 

That didn't last long by 8 yrs old I was push poling a pirogue in marshes.

 

Moved from pirogues to a Sears jon boat & outboard.

 

 

 

What?  you bought that rig for about $340?  I'm floored.  Thats cheaper than a driver my son plays.  I better not show him this lol

[Shimano_1]

I started with a 15ft job with a 9.9. Then bought a 16ft stratus with a 90. Then a 20 ft stratos with a 200. Then a 18ft stratos with a 150. Followed by a 21 ft triton with a 250. Traded it in last year for a 19ft aluminum Triton with a 115 4 stroke. So far I've been more than satisfied with each decision.  I've tried the kayaks and honestly have zero desire to own one. Each to their own tho

[N Florida Mike]

First “ boat “ I had was a inflatable rubber raft. It was hard to fish from let me tell you. It would spin around - very hard to control. It wasn’t long before I hooked it. I paddle frantically to shore and made it just as it sank. 
Patch kits don’t work too well. Neither does duck tape.

I used my friends Jon boat for years.

Got a used bass boat when I was 24. Can’t remember what kind- I don’t remember ever seeing another one like it - probably because it was a piece of crap , definitely one of a kind . I could take half an hour or more to tell you all the stories of breakdowns, boat splitting  open on lake George, etc.

Finally sold it, went out and bought a j. Boat with a little kicker and T. Motor. Have caught thousands of fish out of it.

I later added a neighbors old kayak and bought a used bass hunter from a friend to complete my fleet.
 

[slonezp]

4 hours ago, Catt said:

Actually at 5-6 yrs old I was deathly afraid of boats.

 

That didn't last long by 8 yrs old I was push poling a pirogue in marshes.

 

Moved from pirogues to a Sears jon boat & outboard.

 

 

 

What is a pirogue? In Chicago it's a polish dumpling (pierogi)

[12poundbass]

I’ve been around boats since I was about 7. I bought my first boat a 14’ flat bottom with a 15hp tiller when I was 19 or 20. I got another 14’ flat bottom a few years back, then a year and a half ago I finally upgraded to a 17.5’ G3. 
 

Just now, slonezp said:

What is a pirogue? In Chicago it's a polish dumpling (pierogi)

Take a big branch from a tree and carve it out into a canoe. 

[Patrick Reif]

I started off wading the rivers a few decades ago.  My back doesn't allow as much of that as I wish it would.  Next was kayaking about 15 years ago. My shoulder is giving me troubles right now so kayaking is limited as well.

 

  I now have a 16' tiller steer jon boat.

I like fishing out of it and can run shallower rivers than guys with fiberglass boats, but it is neither wading or kayaking.

 

The one thing I can say about having a motor boat is that it has allowed me to explore more of the lake systems and I'm learning new ways to fish.

 

Still, I wish my back and shoulder would quit making me feel like an old man so I could float and wade the rivers more

[Catt]

23 minutes ago, slonezp said:

What is a pirogue? In Chicago it's a polish dumpling (pierogi)

 

I know what pierogies are my mother-in-law was a Wisnowsky

[Way north bass guy]

As a kid we always fished from one of dads aluminum boats, or older fibreglass runabouts. Also used a canoe a fair bit. One of my dads work boats we used as teenagers was a 14’ steel flat bottom with a 18 horse Nissan, caught a ton of fish out of it but it was sure loud if you dropped something on the bottom ?. 
When I was 18, I bought my first bass boat, brand new 1998 Triton 17’ with a 130 Yamaha. It was the first year they were sold in Canada and I got the 12th one ever sold here. After a few years of fishing tournaments, I upsized to a Lund Pro-V with a 200 Optimax, and continued tournaments and did some guiding. After a few years I “retired” from guiding and sold the Lund, and a few years ago got another big deep-v Smokercraft. I also still have a canoe, and a 12’ tinny that I use on smaller lakes with my son. 

[Elkins45]

My grandfather had a 14ft Sears Jon boat and he took my brother and I fishing a few times before his health failed. When he died I ended up with his boat and I rigged up a bumper hitch on my 71 Dodge Dart so I could tow it to some local ponds. I rigged up a transom reinforcement and managed to get it to accept an 18hp outboard that belonged to my dad. I had a lot of fun in that boat for a lot of years, and in fact I caught my personal best bass and muskie out of it.

 

I still have that boat, although I haven’t had it on the water in probably 20 years and probably never will again. I still pay the $3 property tax every year.