Sharing:Own a fishing boat.

[LuckyLittleFisher]

The world is always uncertain, and many things don’t happen as we originally imagined, but they just happened.

Maybe this is fate.

Can you share your experience, What gave you the inspiration or opportunity to buy your own fishing boat?

[WRB]

I can’t remember a time I didn’t want my own fishing boat. I had the family boat to use and waited until finished college, had a good job, married and rented a house with a garage before fulfilling my desire to own my own bass boat in 1968 Astroglass.

Tom

[GreenPig]

  Freedom, I'am never more free than when I'm on the water. I've always been drawn to the water, in it or on it, I'm good either way.

[MediumMouthBass]

I hated bank fishing (at first, still kinda do). Snakes all over, skinny trails stepping over who knows what. Poison ivy everywhere, lots of very nice PA people (highest amount of sarcasm) throwing rocks, starting fires at the boat launch, screaming, fighting etc, although these werent fisherman.... Not to mention the extreme amount of pressure our smaller lakes have since more people fish the bank than on a kayak or boat (near me atleast). Then theres the biggest issue, the lack of open space to cast from. About 1/4 of the bank had access to fish. And you are limited to as far as you could possibly cast.... But ill still do it, since it keeps bringing in bass.

 

So we got a 1040 Lowe, threw a Minn Kota on the back and that was it. Eventually added a 2.5hp Suzuki for getting to and from spots. This little boat has helped me get some really great catches and memories too! Although i am now 100% a kayak angler instead since it fits my needs better, the boat still has a special place in my heart and yard. If you can afford it (within reason) go for it.

 

[billm6767]

I grew up fishing from the bank on a medium size creek.  Twenty years ago we started going to a summer cottage on a lake that was owned by my wife's parents.  We bought a used 20 foot Wellcraft bow rider to take the kids tubing on the lake.  As the kids got older we sold the Wellcraft and I bought a 14 foot jon boat with a 9.9 outboard so that I could fish on the lake.  I was going out on the Susquehanna from time to time but felt really limited in the jon boat on the Susquehanna.  Last year I had the opportunity by a larger boat and found my current, a 17 foot Crestliner with a mercury jet.  I had been wanting to buy a bigger boat for many years...but it worked out that I could do it last year.

[Catt]

10 hours ago, LuckyLittleFisher said:

Can you share your experience, What gave you the opportunity to buy your own fishing boat?

 

Having a job 😉

 

14' Ouachita flat bottom jon with a 7 1/2 Evinrude Fleetwin bought with my own money.

[scaleface]

When I was a kid "Flipper" was a favorite TV show. Bud, who was my age, had his own boat, I was envious. My dad had a boat just like Buds. We would go catfishing in the Mississippi river. Dad sold that boat. When I turned 16 I bought a boat  . Had to get a car first.

[Jar11591]

Loved fishing, hated being stuck on the bank. Somebody local was selling a little boat and motor and I already had a truck so it was an easy decision. 

[osummerer23]

It was a cheap enough. Boats are inexpensive as a start. A $500 14' deep V and, $200 trolling motor and $100 battery. For under $1000 it opened so many doors, or bodies of water. 

Made fishing 10x better being able to access more of the lake. Then we upgraded with a $100 garmin striker 4 fish finder after his 1980 humminbird unit couldn't read bottom in 100 feet of water.

 

That was all it took to get a whole new experience. 

[DogBone_384]

I connected with @Fishing Rhino after joining this family in 2013 when I got back into fishing. He was retired and I had a work schedule that allowed me to fish. Tom was very generous offered his Nitro’s back seat and taught me a lot.

 

I ran across a good deal on a Ranger RT178 in 2020 so I bought it. I still use my kayak more, but having a boat is good because now I can take people without a boat fishing.

[Jigfishn10]

It's a great question if you live up north. The boat spends 1/2 the time out of the water than in the water.

 

BUT....there is something that is very calming to me about being on the water and drift jigging along. The stresses in life professionally just go away. Especially when you get that sweet tugging feeling on the end of your line, on a jig you made over the winter. It's worth all the stresses professionally that you have to allow you to make such a dumb investment in the first place   

[Swamp Girl]

6 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Having a job 😉

 

14' Ouachita flat bottom jon with a 7 1/2 Evinrude Fleetwin bought with my own money.

 

Catt, you remind me of @WRB, with your rich history of fishing.

[T-Billy]

17 hours ago, LuckyLittleFisher said:

What gave you the inspiration or opportunity to buy your own fishing boat?

I grew up on the water. I don't remember a time I wasn't fishing, swimming, skiing... I worked summers at the marina my uncle managed starting at age 12. I paid cash for both my first boat and a new Honda moped the summer I turned 14. Hard work, and saving provided the opportunity. I think I was born with a desire to fish.

[A-Jay]

17 hours ago, LuckyLittleFisher said:

 What gave you the inspiration or opportunity to buy your own fishing boat?

A True and deep seeded passion.

Which lead directly to a career on the water.

Which required Determination and Sacrifice.

Then a well laid out plan.

Which required more Determination and Sacrifice.

And then Bliss . . . . . 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/175465-got-a-new-boat-~/

 

So in my case, NONE of it 'just happened'.

A-Jay

 

 

[woolleyfooley]

Sharing is caring. Anyone wanna take me out on their boat? 😁

[TOXIC]

I had boats most of my life but my first true bass boat, a 2000 929 NITRO with a 225 efi, was me entering the guide game.  

[steve carpenter]

First bass boat was a skeeter hawk with stick steering and 50 hp envinrude. Rough water beat me up being up front. Was a tough boat

[Susky River Rat]

Once I started really getting into fishing I wanted a boat. Pulled the trigger in 2019 than  2023 bought a different one more suited for what I want. 

[crypt]

First boat was a 12 foot v-hull that I bought at Montgomery Wards when I was 11. Mowed lawns all summer to pay for it. Dad would put in the back of the van we had and drop me off at the lake,river,creek or wherever I wanted to fish. Had a MinnKota trolling motor,3 rods and a life vest. When it started to get dark Dad would show up and load up and go home and eat dinner. That started my love of being on the water that has never faded but has gotten stronger as I get older. My wife says I'm more at home on the water than dry land. She's right.

[LuckyLittleFisher]

12 hours ago, A-Jay said:

A True and deep seeded passion.

Which lead directly to a career on the water.

Which required Determination and Sacrifice.

Then a well laid out plan.

Which required more Determination and Sacrifice.

And then Bliss . . . . . 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/175465-got-a-new-boat-~/

 

So in my case, NONE of it 'just happened'.

A-Jay

 

 

👍👍👍 Great effort and congratulations to your gain

10 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Once I started really getting into fishing I wanted a boat. Pulled the trigger in 2019 than  2023 bought a different one more suited for what I want. 

What's different about the new boat?

[DinkDonkey30]

I grew up fishing with my uncle and younger brother from a boat. I stopped fishing around the time I started racing in high school. I started again after college with a high school buddy. He ended up buying a bowfishing boat we did a bunch of tournaments and stuff. I bought my own bowfishing boat and did a bunch of regular fishing. I decided I wanted to get a bass boat sold my race car stuff and here we are.

[gim]

I often dreamed about the day I could own my own boat when I was younger.  The limiting factors were space, towing, and of course the cost/finances.  I was able to make those all work in 2015 when I bought my own boat.

 

I wish I knew more people who owned their own boat.  Its a real treat for me when I can go fishing in someone else's boat and I don't have to do any of the work required.

 

BTW, Minnesota has more boat owners per capita than any other state in the country.  And most sit unused for about 5-6 months of the year.

[Bazoo]

When I was a kid I dreamed about having my own boat. Now I have a 2 boats and it isn't as elustrious as I'd imagined. I'm not sure that the hassle is worth it for me.

 

The one boat is a 16' aluminum V hull, so not really a bass boat. It's got an excellent hull, but is rotten and rusted everywhere else with a motor that needs attention. So, it's a project, but not a project that will suit my style of fishing when refurbished.

 

The better boat is a plastic 2 man bass buster. It has water logged foam, among other minor issues. Maybe it'd be different if I hadn't bought a used one, but I didn't like the features of the newer ones either. So I'd be trading a bit of headache for other headache including seats that won't hold my obese rump and sidewalls that won't keep my rods from going overboard.

 

I love the concept of throwing the small boat in the back of the truck and going with a friend. Except I don't have a truck. I 'threw' it on top of my mini van when it was running, now it'd be my Tracker. I might trailer it at some point. But that sorta defeats the idea too.

 

I also don't have a friend that's down to deal with the boat either it seems. So... I have hopes that the boat won't be such a pain by the time my 5 year old becomes my fishing buddy and we're able to enjoy a few hours on the water together.

[Gera]

On 1/14/2025 at 9:52 PM, LuckyLittleFisher said:

The world is always uncertain, and many things don’t happen as we originally imagined, but they just happened.

Maybe this is fate.

Can you share your experience, What gave you the inspiration or opportunity to buy your own fishing boat?

 

It was just another impulse purchase, there was really nothing personal to it. 

[Craig P]

When my wife and I built a home about 12 years ago, she refused to put her car in the garage. I kept kidding that if she doesn’t use it, I’m going to put a boat in there. I gave her 3 years. I win.