Fish n ski boats

[Bigs]

So I already have a 16.5 foot aluminum sea nymph with a 45hp merc on it which is decent but Im thinkin I want a fish ski boat now just for the versatility. Plus my boat is a very rough ride and Im not crazy about it .I want something more stable that doesnt tip so easy either. I weigh 230+ pounds and all my friends are big too. Im lookin at a 96 astro that I really like for 5800 bux. All it needs is GPS. How good is something like a 17 foot fish ski with a 115hp outboard gonna be on big water? Im gonna be using it for the potomac and james river as well as Lake Anna and a few other lakes in virginia. I wanna be able to fish for largemouth , striper and cats, an occasional tournament in addition to pulling a tube from time to time or just watching some pretty girls lay out half naked. So some feedback would be nice.

[dmac14]

I have a very similar boat. A little older, but its an 18 foot astro f/s with 115. IMO, In rough water it is not very good, I fish on lake Ontario and I was out with 3-4 foot waves and i would not recommend it. If you plan to constantly fish rough water maybe a walleye style boat would be best

[cart7t]

Fish and ski's are something of a compromise when running rougher water. With the driver passenger seating pushed forward like it is, you've distributed (230lbs for you, 200lbs for a buddy?) approx 430 lbs forward. Bow lift becomes an issue and if you can't keep the nose up easily you're going to be in for a bouncy ride. They make great ski/tube boats though. The nose stays low on takeoff and the driver position allows for better visibilty. For fishing? Those smaller Fish and ski's suck. They really lack any sort of storage and front and back deck areas are like fishing off of postage stamps. When it comes to a fish and ski, I always suggest going as big as possible.  19 1/2 feet minimum.  

[Bigs]

Ok Im cool with the casting decks on this boat Im thinkin bout but the ride is most important. So I guess I will continue with my search for what I originally wanted which was a 20 foot fish n ski. Its hard to find a nice one tho made after the mid 90's with at least a 115 on it and in great condition. Whenever I find one the person wants 8-9 grand for a late 90's f/s which I think is highway robbery , that is unless its outfitted with some big boy electronics and a ton of add ons.

I'll keep looking, my bass boat will suffice for now. Plus I lost 6 pounds in the first 2 weeks of my new diet so far. So hopefully my fat behind wont be weighing me down for much longer. Thanks so far for the feedback. If anyone can suggest a great all around used boat for less then 7 grand thats gonna suit all my needs then please chime in.

[Jig Man]

Fish and ski's are something of a compromise when running rougher water. With the driver passenger seating pushed forward like it is, you've distributed (230lbs for you, 200lbs for a buddy?) approx 430 lbs forward. Bow lift becomes an issue and if you can't keep the nose up easily you're going to be in for a bouncy ride. They make great ski/tube boats though. The nose stays low on takeoff and the driver position allows for better visibilty. For fishing? Those smaller Fish and ski's suck. They really lack any sort of storage and front and back deck areas are like fishing off of postage stamps. When it comes to a fish and ski, I always suggest going as big as possible. 19 1/2 feet minimum.

X2

Even a 20' F&S has very little room for storage and almost no front deck.

[dmac14]

Yeah I have no storage what so ever on my boat, like two compartments that can maybe hold 6 370's and a few plastics. the back deck is barely enough to stand on and rods end up all over the place.

[cart7t]

Ok Im cool with the casting decks on this boat Im thinkin bout but the ride is most important. So I guess I will continue with my search for what I originally wanted which was a 20 foot fish n ski. Its hard to find a nice one tho made after the mid 90's with at least a 115 on it and in great condition. Whenever I find one the person wants 8-9 grand for a late 90's f/s which I think is highway robbery , that is unless its outfitted with some big boy electronics and a ton of add ons.

I'll keep looking, my bass boat will suffice for now. Plus I lost 6 pounds in the first 2 weeks of my new diet so far. So hopefully my fat behind wont be weighing me down for much longer. Thanks so far for the feedback. If anyone can suggest a great all around used boat for less then 7 grand thats gonna suit all my needs then please chime in.

A brand you might want to keep an eye out for is Cajun.  They built the first Fish and Ski boat back in the mid-late 70's and became the king of that type of bass boat style.  They came up with some rather inventive spins on the fish and ski with some interesting layouts.  They were put out of business when Genmar bought them out around 8 years or so ago but they built a very solid, reliable boat.

[simplejoe]

I have an 84 glasstream F&S it's nice when you want to hang out with the kids. The platform in the back isn't too big and no storage, I use the livewell for storage on days we go to the river for the whole day. When we on the BR Roadtrip on KY lake it didn't ride that bad on them waves I've been in touney boats that ride worst then that.

                                     joe

[Dad_Golf_Fish]

A brand you might want to keep an eye out for is Cajun. They built the first Fish and Ski boat back in the mid-late 70's and became the king of that type of bass boat style. They came up with some rather inventive spins on the fish and ski with some interesting layouts. They were put out of business when Genmar bought them out around 8 years or so ago but they built a very solid, reliable boat.

As a proud owner of a Cajun F/S, I thought I would weigh in here. My Cajun is only 16', but it only needs to carry one lardo, my wife, and one kid. They are solid boats, but they suffer storage issues as well. The left side seat holds the rods well, and I can easily fit 7' rods since the well goes all the way to the bow. The right side well is almost useless and half of the under seat access is the front livewell. The rear deck compartments are very roomy even with a battery in each one. For 24v systems, you'll lose a bit of space.

I use soft tackle bags and coolers which fit very well under the drivers console. That space is so deep I am actually going to add Plano box storage under there. The rear deck is roomy enough, and the only other person who used it had no complaints about space, but if he was carry more than two rods, it might have been an issue (remember that this is only 16' though).

The front deck is very small once you account for the TM foot control and my front finder mounted on the deck. If just sitting or using a butt seat it is comfortable enough, but no real room for moving around. I am going to extend the front deck back to the consoles though for additional room and more storage.

The other issue with a F/S is the wrap around windshield. They restrict access to the water on the sides, so you need to bring your catch all the way to the front or rear to lip/net.

There are certainly pluses as well, depending on your specific needs. If anchored, I can fish off the back deck while the girls sun in the front lounge seats. I like the swim ladder as the girls like to swim in the coves. Since it sounds like you have specific reasons for a fish and ski, go with what works best for your situation. They are not the best "bass boat" and not the best "ski boat", but they are a pretty good compromise.

Finally, the last of the Cajuns were built in the mid-late nineties. I see 18' models listed around 4-5k, so I would expect 20' models for around 7k or so.

[Bigs]

wow lots of good advice. I found a 1998 17 foot mirro craft that could have some potential altho is a bit overpriced at 6 grand. It looks like a fish ski but also kinda looks like a walleye boat. When I talked to the owner he didnt seem to know much about it so who knows. Now I been checking out CC boats intended for salt water cuz they seem so stable in rough water and offer lots of room so no more tripping over rods and almost falling in the river. I just got back from a weekend fishing excursion with some buddies at my lake anna cabin and my boat did nothing but tick me off due to the lack of storage and how unstable it is. These wakeboard boaters are killin me. Every time I work myself into a nice spot and get set up, they fly by at 45 mph and send me driftin in their huge wakes. So walleye boats and C/C's are lookin better and better to me at this point. I might just have to buy a bigger bass boat and keep it at the lake and also get another boat for the river and occasional salt water action.

[GLADES]

I have a procraft 1984 Procraft 1750V fish and ski with a 150 HP merc.

Procraft makes a well thought out F&S.

I agree with the other comments about the lack of bow lift.

It will handle 2-3 ft chop rather well, and smoothly while on plane. At rest , it seems to roll OK with the waves with an occaisional splash over the rear deck. If you run or sit in 3+ higher chop, you better have your rain coat or a bathing suit on.

Regarding storage, I have a ski locker in the floor and compartments and cooler under the front deck. Rod storage is non existant unless you use the ski locker. It is sufficent for my uses.

I like to travel light, and keep the boat light. It is amazing how much junk that can accumulate if you have excessive storage.

I really dont like fishng in rough water anyway, so my F&S is Ok with me.