What is the most versatile fishing boat you've had?

[Jethro]

Many of you have been fishing longer than me and probably had a lot of fishing boats. I'm wondering what is the most versatile boat you've ever had? Not like I can afford anything right now unless I sell a bunch of stuff (which may happen) but I often find myself daydreaming about boats. I've come to the conclusion that my ideal situation would require 6 or 7 boats which is really depressing because I can barely see myself being able to afford one. On one hand I want a big 24' center console offshore boat to chase tuna. But then I want a small, light, easy to tow flats boat for striper fishing. Some days a kayak would be the ideal vessel for quick after work solo missions. Sometimes I want a 19' aluminum dual console for salmon and trout fishing the big inland lakes- but even there I am torn because a glass boat like a Trophy would be ideal for coldwater trolling, but not for beaching when I remote camp. Other times I want a true bass boat and some times I would like a really nice pontoon boat to take the family out for a day of BBQ and swimming. I love being on the water, period.

So what do people do? Seems there is no one boat to rule them all- or is there? How can I fish tuna on Jefferies one day then go camping on Aziscohos fishing for brookies the next? Do people just sacrifice and decide they are going to focus on one thing and then in a few years sell and move on to the next?

Maybe I should just get myself addicted to fly fishing so I don't have to covet all these stupid boats.

[JDK]

A 16 foot deep aluminum boat with a 20 hp tiller (25 hp).  Flat floors and some storage.  I troll the big lakes, fish saltwater, trailer to small ponds and don't break the bank running it.  Yes, I can't fish all days in all places and I can't chase tuna but for 95% of what I want to do it is great.

[stripernut]

I have had the pleasure (most of the time) of fishing out a lot of different style craft as I guide on my clients boats. From 30ft Formula too 14ft tin and even canoes, from trout to Tuna. In the end if I could pick any boat I would go with Quintrex 18' CC, but they are very hard to find in the US... In short a 18ft Aluminum is what I like best, still light to tow, but big enough for anything.

[Mac Attack]

I've had everything from canoes up to a 26' Sportcraft Hard Top.
They have all been the most versatile.
Because I modified each one to the way I wanted it.

This question is tough to answer
If you have a 16' boat you can't fish in the ocean or the Great Lakes when it's rough.
And you certainly can't use my old Sportcraft easily in a small lake or pond and fish the shallows for bass or gills.

My current rig is a 16.5' Lund
It does what I need it to do.
For now.
In 5 years I'll move to Florida and my needs will require a pontoon.

[fishlessman]

i need a roof and ive been standing in my 20 foot eastern since 1991 its been in swamps to maybe 40 miles out, i mount a canoe on the roof of the eastern for brookie fishing and camping. if theres 14 inces of water depth im good to go. now like most i have other boats, float tube, canoe, 12 foot dub tub, 14 foot dub tub, my kicker fits the dub tubs, dont spend much on those boats, i might have 1200 dollars in all those smaller boats plus the kicker

[Nomis]

I haven't owned a lot of boats, but I've had a 16 foot Lund Rebel in everything from small ponds to 6 foot waters on Ontario. Even the charters stayed off the water that day.

[boondox]

instead of buying one huge boat and having to store it till you use it like my brother did finally sold his 26 foot Carolina classic in February of this year the kids got in the way of him using it and he finally sold it good reddens to some thing that was costing him more to store then use...  any how back on subject what about chartering the use of a boat with some one else at the helm like for tuna   or off shore fishing it cheaper then owning a boat if you ask me then buy a small boat  either a bay boat like you were saying or a garbage can like we got now also know as a aluminum boat like a lund,  lowe , or mirror craft or tracker, etc... etc ... my dads best friend just frond out he get sea sick  on lake erie after just buying his new boat probably 15-20k lighter in the pockets and he get sea sick so does my dad in four foot rollers with a 16.5 foot lowe pro fishing machine ... a  16.5 foot vessel  may not be the best  or worst ways to go  if you ask me or him reason being he can still get in to smaller and bigger lakes with it but on rougher days you can still afford that charter on a big boat. that boat that cost 200k then have to pay storage in the winter and dock fees to store it all like my brother did... i think he was paying 3000 a year for dock-age at ludington city marina then another 5-6k for the winter time storage/ weatherization.... ..this is all because it is a 26 foot long boat they know he has money cause he had to have his captain license cause it is a twin screw boat etc..etc.. but ya    $9k will put some nice trips under your belt every year for owning some thing like a 16.5 to a 20 foot lund would be perfect if you ask me... more the 20 footer if you really ask me lol's..  you can use those lunds for bay fishing beach them on sand and gravel etc etc.. just pic one with a thicker then average haul if beaching them i have own canoe kayaks etc your better off fishing on the shore then fishing form them to much wake on the medium lakes... and for a quick solo mission the shoe leather express can't be beat...   to the fishing spots  you always get that guy that want to swamp your canoe doing 50 mph in his lund lol's...  any how weight the cost of party boats etc.. etc... and storage fee etc gas or diesel etc fees captains licences etc...   all them you can figure will impact it's use and see if owning that lund in your garage and taking trips  is better then buying a 32 foot long Grady white or similar boat for tuna then having to sell it cause you can afford to keep it stored all year round when not there... this is why  i find the lund type boat to be more versatile then any other boat or any kind of deep vee will be just as good...   

[Jimmy]

14ft Aluminum Starcraft, for sure...

Especially with two motors (a 30hp for cruising, a 6hp for trolling).  My little boat drafts only a few inches, which allows it to rock across the treacherous flats of the Florida Everglades.  Yet the tall gunwales and modified V can handle the Gulf of Mexico in most winds under 25mph.  (unless the winds are coming from the west, then I'm screwed).

I've trailered my boat (and fished out of it ) from Florida to Alaska, and New York to California.   

It seems happy fishing everywhere.

And operation is cheap, and trailering it long distances with a small truck doesn't break the bank.

Pretty darn versatile boat, really.

[Knot there yet]

Had 16ft Starcraft 15hp and 30 hp upgraded to Lund 150hp 18 ft I was bait fishing with the Tuna fleet just the other day. Half as many trip as old boat. Twice the wash &wipe down time.
"the best boat is always your next boat" you get over the last boat quick. Weather your a speed freak or gadget guy all boats all the time always need something :the rub of the green they call it. Throw green($$) at it and it goes away. Bought both used but the cost went up according. Time is really the question what do have time to fish. Quality or quantity , chicken or egg.
 Bass
 Pike
 Striper
MA,NH. ME. Vt

 

[Jethro]

14ft Aluminum Starcraft, for sure...

Especially with two motors (a 30hp for cruising, a 6hp for trolling). 

That's what I have and it's great, but I suffer greatly from 2-footitis (or 4 footitis as I want an 18'). I tried to mount my 3hp that I use on the flatback canoe but it's impossible without a kicker plate, which I guess I can certainly do, just seems kinda foolish on this size. Plus I can't access the stern with the deck that's there so using a tiller kicker isn't going to work. And every time I think that the size is fine, just need to doctor the layout, I realize that I'd be better off getting something else instead of spending a bunch of time and money on this boat. I likely won't be doing anything for a while anyway as this boat does the trick, but was curious what fishermen consider the most versatile kind of boat.

This is the vessel:

[boondox]

that is a nice boat but i see your concerns on the wave height. check out lowe boats and even alumacraft  when you go to up grade to your next baot i like the alumacraft  they make a great boat we got a sea nymph in the garage that 17.5 foot long the company that produce those boats now is lowe boats from what i heard  and gathered from shows ...  i think lowe has a life time haul warranty too  just a head up at least they did last year lol's...i think it the v or t model 16/20 alumacraft i  liked   it was 17 foot long approx..any how when ever your ready please post pictures of what you got!

[hunts2long]

Had  a new 1981 16' StarCraft Fishmaster with a 60hp Johnson. Also had a 6hp kicker on it. Used it until 2002 when I gave it to my nephew. He put a new floor and transom in it about 2010. Two years ago he sold it. I still see it on the water and it still catches fish. In 2002 I got a new 18' with 90 4s with a 8hp 4s kicker but I am looking to down size back to something in the 16' range....h2l

[Rugburn]

We've been searching for the "Perfect Boat" to fit all needs, for years. You know what? They haven't made it yet. Figure out where you want to compromise. I agree with above posts stating stay away from the big boys due to associated costs, unless that is your primary focus. The tow vehicle becomes a factor too. Share a charter with your buds, the Captains could use some coin.

[Jimmy]

That's what I have and it's great, but I suffer greatly from 2-footitis (or 4 footitis as I want an 18'). I tried to mount my 3hp that I use on the flatback canoe but it's impossible without a kicker plate, which I guess I can certainly do, just seems kinda foolish on this size. Plus I can't access the stern with the deck that's there so using a tiller kicker isn't going to work. And every time I think that the size is fine, just need to doctor the layout, I realize that I'd be better off getting something else instead of spending a bunch of time and money on this boat.

That's funny, my boat is EXACTLTY the same model, haha (SF 14 LW).  It's been repainted a few times over the decades.

I took the opposite approach, and over the course of 15 years of ownership I have altered it completely (three different times) as my wishes and uses and place of residence have changed.  I had no problems mounting a longhsaft 30hp outboard (transom is 20", the boat can handle some very real water), as well as a short-shaft 6hp way out on the end of the transom.   Zero problems, weight is not an issue (boat does 30mph), and I can troll like a sewing machine with the 6hp (as slow as 1mph if needed).  Your 3hp should have no troubles mounting right to the transom, and the boat will draw like 4" with the short shaft, haha.   Boat won't plane out with a 3hp, so you're fine:



I installed a console at one point for a few years.  Then stripped the boat all the way down and redid the decking and added a forward casting deck and storage.   Added some weight, but the boat actually rides a lot NICER now in a 2-3ft chop:



People always tell me "you can't run an aluminum boat in the Florida Everglades, it will dissolve away"...  Well, I use it at least three times a week, fifty-two weeks a year, and it's been bulletproof.  And I beat the snot out of it, in harsh conditions.

The real beauty is the cost of operation.  $20 in gas on a Saturday is a BIG day of fishing.  My buddies ripping around in flats boats with 150s and 200s are burning over $150 to access the same places.  And truth is, those 18-20ft flats boats still can't get into the creeks and out-of-the-way places that the Everglades have so much of.  Seems like sometimes, if you really want the "perfect boat" for your needs, you sort of have to build it yourself, haha.  And tin boats are GREAT for that.

[rgfixit]

I've had everything from canoes up to a 26' Sportcraft Hard Top.
They have all been the most versatile.
Because I modified each one to the way I wanted it.

This question is tough to answer
If you have a 16' boat you can't fish in the ocean or the Great Lakes when it's rough.
And you certainly can't use my old Sportcraft easily in a small lake or pond and fish the shallows for bass or gills.

My current rig is a 16.5' Lund
It does what I need it to do.
For now.
In 5 years I'll move to Florida and my needs will require a pontoon.

A big pontoon....with a bar........and plenty of room for friends

Rg