Anyone else use a cheaper boat?

[KYRANGERMAN]

I don't know if very many of us start with a to of the line fully rigged bass boat.  I know I didn't.

 

1) In 1989 I started with a 1979 16' Tracker with a 40HP Mercury.  It did the job until I could upgrade.  I fished a bass club with many guys running new Stratos, Vision, etc. boats and I longed for one of those but my little Tracker didn't keep me from fishing.  I then moved on to;

 

2) In 1991 I purchased a 1987 Vision 180.  I didn't catch anymore fish but at least I was able to fish lakes like KY Lake more safely.  Then;

 

3) In 1996 I purchased my first new boat, a Javelin 379 DC.  My wife loved the second console.  Lastly;

 

4) in 2000 I purchased my current boat, a Ranger R83.  It's served me well and is in pristine condition so I see no need to upgrade to the latest greatest boat.

 

As long as it gets you on the water and is safe then I don't think it matters whether it's a "cheaper boat" or one that requires a second mortgage on the house.  And my biggest fish ever . . . out of the Tracker.

[Randy Price]

My pictures disappeared after the website update.

[Glenn]

1 hour ago, Randy Price said:

My pictures disappeared after the website update.

Yep, known issue. I'm working on restoring them.

[Randy Price]

6 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Yep, known issue. I'm working on restoring them.

Thanks @Glenn.  Actually I just "reposted" them so you do not have to.  Thanks, Randy

[Elkins45]

Between 1998 and 2000 the only boat I owned was a 14ft Sears jon boat. In 2000 I bought a Lowe 1648 and mounted a 15hp Sea King that my uncle gave me. I fished from that until 2017. Other than being scary on rough water I considered myself perfectly happy with it.

[Glenn]

Pictures are fixed now.

[Hook2Jaw]

13 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Pictures are fixed now.

I came here to see your cheap boat and you're doing useful stuff.  Bah!

[DitchPanda]

I've owned 1 true boat in my life and I only had it a few years...most places I fish are small. I now fish out of the cheapest rig there is...my feet on the bank. Have been looking long and hard at a kayak or canoe for several years..that will happen at some point.

[GaryH]

We used to take my old john boat and my friends old john boat and run two 2x4's across both and c clamp them together around 2' apart. We thought that boat was the baddest thing on the Juniata river. They were the days

[DaubsNU1]

Picked up this 1960 Rich Line with 1974 Merc 20HP with trailer for $650.  That was back in 2000. 

 

I've added the seats, front casting deck, and trolling motor. Great one or two man fishing outfit. If I bump in to trees or rock, I don't sweat it.

 

[Junk Fisherman]

I had a 17' semi-deep V Lowe for 15 years and fished the hell out of that thing.  Caught so many fish out of that boat.  After I had some initial motor problems that thing ran flawlessly for years.  It was beat up and old and I never cared about scratching it or tying up to a dock or hitting a laydown.  When I finally I got a house with a garage big enough, I analyzed and fixated on boats for a couple years before I got my X-190 in 2016 which was the ideal boat for the way I fish.  I am always worrying about scratching it.  Makes me wonder if I would be happier with a tin boat that I wouldn't care if I beat on.  But then I get on that Basscat site and start playing around with a build-a-boat feature.  That Caracal is calling my name.....

[padon]

no way im spending the kind of money they are asking for fully rigged bass boats.so i fish our local electric only reservoirs.now these are decent sized lakes. like 3k acres not mud puddles.they only have one ramp so sometimes you gotta be able to run some distance. because of that we use specialized electric motors that can cost over 10 k by the time they are rigged to go. some gguys have 2 on a boat. they have elecric rigs that cost 50k. not going that route either. bought a used tracker 1654 grizzly, got a used torqueedo 4.0 decent trolling motor 2 good depthfinders. (fairly clear deep lakes we gotta fish off shore in summer) had a place callled reservoir boat works put extended decks rod box and dry storage for me . so i probably have 12k or so in it not cheap but not 75k. i did it piece by piece as i could afford it and it took total about 5 years and i fished out of it between upgrades. i love fishing of all sorts but theres no way im spending 75k for a boat to catch fish and throw them back even though i could probably afford it.

[fishindad]

Yup, I’ve been fishing from a 2002 Alumacraft multi species rig and have boated my fair share of big smallies and largemouth bass. There’s not many times I wish I had a bigger rig because when it gets too rough for me the bass boats also get off the water. I’ve upgraded the trailer, TM and electronics since and have no desire to bigger, heavier setup since I mostly fish solo. I’m looking to get a used kayak to fish the many small rivers here in the mitten state.

[kjfishman]

On 11/2/2020 at 2:22 PM, Randy Price said:

I dream of owning a much nicer boat in the future but with two kids in private college this has to work for a while.  I bought this Lund WC-16 back in '07 and put a flat floor in it.  It is rated for a 25hp motor but could only afford a 15hp.  I've enjoyed it and it has been economical.

 

 

 

Looks like a great boat and  being a Lund should last for ever. 

[lo n slo]

i own two boats now, a Javelin for the bigger lakes and a little 14’ johnny with an 85 Johnson 15 hp tiller for a smaller lake near the house. guess which one i spend the most time in?

 

[DanielG]

I don't dream of upgrading. I got hold of an old Solcat sailing catamaran, configured it with two electric motors, sunbrulla retractable canopy, swivel boat seats, cooler for storage, a console with electronics and a garmin and I'm happy. Of course it's stationed where I live so it doesn't travel on a trailer unless I'm taking it out/in for the season. Trolls great and is quiet. Not great on a windy day though. Electronic steering via a linear actuator. Two 100 amp agm batteries go all day.  Strange I know, but I'd rather be on something I've made. Just thought I'd share it here.

[Jason Penn]

i feel very fortunate to own the boat i currently have, a 2013 tracker pt175tf w/75hp.  i friend of mine sold it to me at an absolutely stupid price when he got a new ranger rt198p a few years ago.  i had gone 4 or 5 years without fishing at the time due to financial reasons.

 

i look at all the newer boats coming out, and love the way they're set up.  avid just added the 18xb to their line up, and it really looks like the perfect boat for me.  i fun fish, and i always fish alone.  i don't need anything more than that.

 

the problem for comes when it's time to write the check.  the boat i have is pretty stable, gets me to the fish, and doesn't have a payment attached to it.  it functions well for me, so i'm not sure i will upgrade until i have no choice.

[Alex from GA]

When we bought a winter trailer in FL I bought a 14' old glass flatbottom boat with a 25 hp engine, for  $800, to keep there.  I've fished all over the Manatee River from where the bass are to the Gulf of Mexico when the weather is good.  When we moved to near Inverness I used it in the rivers, lakes and inshore there also.  I don't know how many bass, trout, redfish, snook it's caught but it's a bunch.

[Ratherbefishing75]

I think we can all Agreed that we would love to have the big fancy bass boats but when reality sets in and our budgets remind us that we can’t do that so we fish with what we have and we like it lol

[billmac]

Most of my float fishing has been from a canoe.  I recently bought a 32 year old Cajun bass boat.  I love it even though the motor has proved troublesome.

 

I have 5 young grandchildren.  I would like to get a Pelican style boat to take them fishing on smaller waters that I can't take the bass boat on.  A little too hard in a canoe.

[moguy1973]

If I didn't have a family to haul around I'd have a 15 or 16' jet boat.  Would be all I need to get to the spots I need to get to to fish for some smallmouth in our rivers.

 

When we were in Canada we fished out of 16' Lunds pretty much like yours, just not as fancy.  Did the job.  Fish weren't going anywhere, didn't need to get there fast.

[GreenPig]

She used to be a affordable boat until I put the electronics on her and greatly increased her value. It's my Happy Place. 

[wis bang]

Mine was a driveway queen long enough to end up on Google Earth. Sat for a good 6 years, carpet became a chia pet of various fungi. anything added that was plastic was UV exposed to to death but I liked the wide beam and saw good 'bones'.

 

I was the first to respond within minutes of it appearing on Face Book marketplace and immediately put a Benjamin down, mush to the disappointment of the horde that followed.

 

Stripped it, sanded and re-primed, re-painted and installed new carpet, rejuvenated the lights w/ new lenses and LED inserts and more and added a 3.5 Tohatsu too.

 

 

[Linewinder]

On 11/3/2020 at 9:28 PM, slonezp said:

So he could dangle his tootsies

Maybe this?

[Last_Cast]

Wait, you guys are lucky enough to have a boat? Lol