first boat

[clayton86]

what would you recomend for a first boat i wont be buying it till 2012 maybe 13 cuz im deploying to afganistan in november of 11 and will return dec of 12. im looking now to see whats out there and get some ideas cuz its gonna take now till then to convince my wife i need some thing other then a 12ft jon boat. i pretty much only fish for bass and want to get into tournaments. i live on lake ontario but my honey holes are the smaller man made lakes near by so im not concerned with taking on big waters. im thinking 10k price range maybe more prolie less if its up to my wife.

[Hot Rod]

First and foremost, Thanks for serving and Godspeed to you!

You should be able to get a decent used 17' or 18' glass bass boat for that price.  Those are the types of waters I fish too, including tournaments.  I have an 18' with a 150, its great for tournaments on smaller waters.   I even use it some to fun fish in HP restricted lakes by just running the TM.

Now if you are running lakes with hp restrictions you would probably want to go with an aluminum boat with a size hull and motor dependent on size of water and HP restrictions.  I'd stick with 17 -18' though, unless the HP restriction is less than say 20 hp then I'd look at a 16' bass style aluminum.

JMHO but Hope that helps.

[GrundleLove]

First and foremost, Thanks for serving and Godspeed to you!

You should be able to get a decent used 17' or 18' glass bass boat for that price. Those are the types of waters I fish too, including tournaments. I have an 18' with a 150, its great for tournaments on smaller waters. I even use it some to fun fish in HP restricted lakes by just running the TM.

Now if you are running lakes with hp restrictions you would probably want to go with an aluminum boat with a size hull and motor dependent on size of water and HP restrictions. I'd stick with 17 -18' though, unless the HP restriction is less than say 20 hp then I'd look at a 16' bass style aluminum.

JMHO but Hope that helps.

x2. well put Hot Rod

[clayton86]

as far as i know theres no restrictions cuz i see speed boats out there all the time. the only thing im worried about with an older used one is reliabilty my dad always haunts me with the saying " ya know what boat stands for Break Out Another Thousand" now im pretty good mechanicly wise but thats cars and trucks im a diesel tech teacher in a tech school when not drilling with the guard. but i dont want a boat i gotta fix every other outing thats what im primarily worried about

[Go Time]

You should be able to find a very solid used boat for $10k. Most boat owners baby their rides. You obviously have a strong technical background so spotting a boat that has been beat up shouldn't be a problem. Avoid used boats stored outside. And a compression check on the motor should tell you it's general condition. As with used cars, there is always the risk of buying a lemon but you may land a gem. IMO with your price range, I think you will find that buying used is the best way to get what you want.

If you insist on buying new you will be forced to buy an aluminum, which depending on the water you fish, you may or may not be satisfied with in the long run.

Best of luck!

And thank you for serving our country!

[Carrington]

You should be able to find a very solid used boat for $10k. Most boat owners baby their rides. You obviously have a strong technical background so spotting a boat that has been beat up shouldn't be a problem. Avoid used boats stored outside. And a compression check on the motor should tell you it's general condition. As with used cars, there is always the risk of buying a lemon but you may land a gem. IMO with your price range, I think you will find that buying used is the best way to get what you want.

If you insist on buying new you will be forced to buy an aluminum, which depending on the water you fish, you may or may not be satisfied with in the long run.

Best of luck!

And thank you for serving our country!

great post, if the boat is outside then make sure it has a nice cover.  My boat is a 1996 and looks the same as the day it left the show room floor and it was stored outside so dont think that the boats are junk if they are stored outside.

[Go Time]

great post, if the boat is outside then make sure it has a nice cover. My boat is a 1996 and looks the same as the day it left the show room floor and it was stored outside so dont think that the boats are junk if they are stored outside.

I definitely agree with you. But I do think you should be a little more particular with a boat that was stored outside.

[Hot Rod]

great post, if the boat is outside then make sure it has a nice cover. My boat is a 1996 and looks the same as the day it left the show room floor and it was stored outside so dont think that the boats are junk if they are stored outside.

I definitely agree with you. But I do think you should be a little more particular with a boat that was stored outside.

Yes I agree, especially if it is in a northern climate where it was stored for long periods. Winterization and off season maintenance also have a impact on this as well of course.

One owner, stored inside is best if you can locate and buy one like that.

[clayton86]

iv been looking on ebay and another site cant remeber the name ill prolie buy a out of state boat when the time comes cuz new york sucks for buying anything in the trailer would prolie be rotted out. iv been looking at the tracker pro team 175 series brand new its over my price range but maybe a used one will be where i need it or my wife will feel generous and let me spend more

[NBR]

Thank you for serving us and may god protect you.

Many years ago I wanted to upgrade from a 14ft tinnie. I bought a used as I remember 6 or 7 years old glass boat, TM, 115hp, live wells etc. I did spend a little on it fixing up a few things and a lot of elbow grease and sold it in 7 years for $100 less than I paid.

If I lived on Ontario I'd look for a used glass boat 19 feet or more because sooner or later you will want to fish the big lake or atriler to bigger waters.

God bless!