What would you do? (Boat decision)

[Fat Boy]

Here’s my dilemma, but it’s a good dilemma I guess.  I live in Maryland and am blessed to have some really good fisheries all within fishing distance for me.  I’m trying to decide what kind of boat to buy.  I’m not getting any younger and with a recent injury, I’ve been unable to fish the way that I’ve been doing it for most of my life (from shore, wading, etc.).  A boat would help me get on the water more and not have to wait for my injury to heal to enjoy my favorite hobby.  I used to have a Bass Tracker TX 17 with a 70 horse and loved it, but had to sell it after I was married to keep up with my bills.  Since then, any boating that I did was limited as a passenger on my friends boats.  I’m tired of being in that role all the time and since invites have nearly ceased (for one reason or another), I figured it’s time for me to start looking for my own boat.  This is a life changing decision for me and my wife is very supportive as long as I can afford it.  There is no “one boat” for all situations, and I doubt that I can afford to buy or maintain 2 boats.  Anyway, here are my fishing while power boating options:

Shallow rocky rivers where jet boats roam (Potomac, Susquehanna, Juniata, Shenandoah, James, and Rappahannock Rivers) where smallmouth, walleyes and muskie fishing is good.

Reservoirs (Little Seneca Lake; Tridelphia, Rocky Gorge, Liberty, etc. and a few other lakes) for electric motors only with a wide variety of species.

Tidal fresh/brackish river fishing:  bigger water where full size bass boats are the norm (and v-hull fishing boats) with tidal species such as stripers, largemouth bass, channel catfish, yellow and white perch, crappies, and chain pickerel are found.  (Lower Potomac, Eastern Shore rivers, Patuxent, Upper Chesapeake Bay)

Chesapeake Bay:  brackish to salt water fishing, big water with large boats dominating the fishing scene.  V-hull fishing boats are common too.  Stripers, blues, croaker, founder and other salt water species

Eastern Shore:  pond hopping and other tidal rivers/creeks where bass boats are common, some ponds are car toppers only lakes and there are HP restrictions.

Deep Creek:  nice size lake no limits on outboards, good variety of fresh water species and good fishing.

I’ve been trying to decide whether or not to buy an aluminum jet boat, aluminum V hull fishing boat, or a full size bass boat.  The V hull and bass boats are OK for the bigger waters, but not good on our shallow rocky rivers.  All of them would be OK on the electric only lakes and some of the ponds.  I live closer to the rocky shallow rivers and an electric only lake near me, so I’d probably spend most of my time there, but the Lower Potomac is also a place that I’d spend a lot of time.  I’m thinking the jet boat would be my best choice because I can use it on almost all of the places that I like to fish.  It isn’t the best choice for big water though.  When it gets rough you get soaked in a jet.  I’m ruling out aluminum bass boats with props because they have the same limitations as the jet on the bigger waters.  I guess if I bought the bigger boats I could also invest in a car topper type of boat for the smaller waters.  I don’t want to kayak either although I’ve toyed with the idea.  What would you do?

[Jim P]

You are right to observe one boat will not do everything well. I would proceed as follows.

set your budget; the answer to your overall question varies greatly with the answer to this question. Do you have $2000 to spend or $20000?

quantify your fishing time.  in other words, where will you likely spend the most time, where will you spend the least.

Select the boat type will best suit your majority of fishing situations and get the best one available for the budget you have.

If you provide more info I would be glad to assist you through the decision process but ultimately you have to make the decision and live with the boat you buy.

Good luck!

[Thor]

Kevin,

I don't have a good answer for you, and I am not the most experienced boater around.  However, I've been intrigued by some of the boat offerings that are available on the West Coast and Alaska, that we on the East Coast don't see very often, or hear about.  For example, consider this description from Duckworth Boats that I found on their website:

"The Ultra Magnum is supremely capable of navigating everything from intimidating whitewater rapids to extremely shallow riffles and wide open lakes. Its styling is unmistakable on the water, highway, and driveway. The craftsmanship is detailed to the point of absolute perfection. It's no wonder the Ultra Magnum is the flagship of the Duckworth line."

This is just one company that I thought of off the top of my head, but I know there are plenty more West Coast manufacturers that offer boats with designs that I don't see much around here in PA.  They are described as being designed to handle fast-flowing rivers, bays, deep water, etc.  From these descriptions, it sounds like just what you may be looking for.  I have no idea what they cost or whether they are even sold around here, though.  Maybe you could find a new or used one and have it shipped back east.

[Raquettedacker]

Those things are nice..
   http://www.duckworthboats.com/model-ultra_magnum_inboard_jet.html   

[Thor]

They sure are nice.  There are many others as well, such as Hewes Marine from Washington State, Wolf Boats from Canada, Boulton, Klamath etc.  It's funny because some of these boats look fantastic, but I've never seen any of them here in PA.

Here is a quote from Weldcraft Marine located in Washington state on their Angler SE 17:

"The Angler offers the best of both worlds in one boat. With the same outboard powerhead, run a prop all summer long for lake and river play. When the fish return in the fall, switch to a jet pump and chase them upriver as far as they go with the shallow water capability of the Angler's 10° hull."

There are some pretty cool boats being made that I know nothing about.

[Huck Finn]

Here's something to think about. A jet boat with a 40 hp. (60 hp powerhead, yes... you get the performance of a 40 hp motor with the gas consumption of a 60hp motor) will only get you 25 mph with only you and your gear in it. It will only be rated for 3 people max. or about 500 lbs.

A Deep V 17' is rated for 7 persons or 965 lbs., and with a 50 hp 4 stroke will get you 35 mph and will be much safer than a wimpy jet boat.

Yes, those west coast river boats are sexy... but guess why you don't see them on the east coast? Because the shipping/destination charges add $3000-$4000, you could drive to the west coast and pick one up yourself... but guess how much that is going to cost with todays gas prices, not to mention food and lodging!

Forget the ultra skinny water! There are plenty of fish in the deeper waters, and they're there year 'round!

Real men aren't afraid of the deep water and take lots of gear and friends with them when they go fishin'!

[Thor]

Good point, but does it really cost that much for shipping?  If so, wouldn't Lund, Alumacraft, etc. cost much more here on the east coast than they do, not to mention cars and ATVs that are made in plants around the U.S. and Canada?  I can buy a brand new basic Alumacraft in PA for less than what you are implying that shipping should cost if you figure that Minnesota is nearly halfway to Washington or Oregon.

I was under the impression that shipping a vehicle by common carrier was only a few hundred bucks (before fuel prices went crazy lately), for, say, a New Englander to ship a car back and forth from a Florida winter home, for example.

[Fat Boy]

Thanks for your input everyone, much appreciated.

quantify your fishing time.  in other words, where will you likely spend the most time, where will you spend the least.

Basically, it's seasonal.  My fishing time may look like this on an average season: 
Winter/Early spring:  shallow rocky rivers close to home for walleyes, muskies, bass.  I may make a trip to the Eastern shore tidal rivers or ponds, and a few trips to the tidal Potomac. 

Spring:  fishing is great, anywhere goes, but I'd have to hit the tidal Potomac for the striper run a few times.

Summer:  rocky rivers are low, the only boating on them may be with a jet, and when they're really low there's only a few places to go.  Still, those places can be very good.  I'd fish anywhere I could put the boat in.  Fishing on all of the other waters is still a good option.

Fall:  again, similar to summer, but without the temps and the fish are much more active everywhere.

Wow, really, what jumps out at me is that my first thoughts on each season are the spots closer to home, the shallow rocky river with all of the other spots as a back up except the spring striper run.  That's why I'm leaning jet I guess.  I could buy a larger boat and rely on my friends for the spots that I can't take that boat, but, that's the situation that I want to avoid and it seems to be when I'd want to fish most.  I have other friends with the larger boats (for the bay, eg.) and will get invited on those trips.

Thor, I did look at those western jets along with Riverpro and others.  What separates the Eastern boats from them is the draft of the boat during drifting.  Most of the jets can get from location to location on a plane, it's the fishing time where you're not on a plane that requires a different need.  The power of some of those jets is pretty impressive, like the Riverpro having 200 hp...very vast boats.  I haven't ruled anything out.  Thoughts of the Targa and full size bass boats that I can put in on Erie keep my mind occupied.  The boat that most interests me is this one:

(click on Rhino Boat Specifications)
www.jamesriverjets.com

Right now I'm saving my money.  Another consideration is storage space, so probably one boat for me, but ya never know.

Thanks again everyone.  What's your perfect boat?

[Lake Raker]

If I were you I'd be looking at something like a Lund 17-18'. You would have to keep an eye on the weather if you take it out on the big water, but it would do most of what you want and handle moderate waves.

[Jim P]

I looked at the jet drive outboards when I was narrowing down what I was going to get and I finally decided it would be nice for the few days I wanted to run the river but it would have been the wrong move for the other 95% of the time. I decided on a regular Yamaha outboard. 4 stroke.

You loose tons of efficiency with the jet drive. Burn more gas. more repairs.

You sound like you fish like I do mostly. I decided on a 16.5 ft alumacraft with a 75 HP Yamaha. I can convert the boat from a salmon trolling rig into a bass style boat in minutes buy removing my downriggers and moving a few seats around. And honestly you could live with a 60 HP motor to save a few bucks if you didn't care about going 45+.

[maineman]

I'm 65 and I  would grab a small Whaler with a 25 hp or soand enjoy most of what your area has to offer.. BIG water ? No, but their light( a must at my age), easy to handle alone. Upkeep is next to nothing and good used ones are all over eBay for decent money. I have a Wahoo which is pretty much the same as a Whaler and love it. Not too many places I won't go.
Example http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-14ft-Boston-Whaler-/190511236244?pt=Power_Motorboats&hash=item2c5b5ac494

[pocono]

I have had a lot of boats over the years and find that anything over 16 feet might be a restriction for me.  I just bought a smokercraft 168 and used a 14 foot most of my life.  As I get older I keep in mind that I need something that i can handle and use on the smaller lakes in my area (some of the launchs are poor).  Any thing in fiberglass is out because of the weight.  I need a engione that I can lift so 20hp seems to be the max because there are 20hp limits on some lakes and I like to remove the motor when I fish the smaller lakes.  The four stroke engiones are great because you can troll at a slow speed all day and are very quiet but a bit heaver.  You can get great deals on used boats in the 14 to 16 foot range and if you buy right you would not loose any money if you change to something else, 12 foot is to small for most people when fishing with a friend.

[Fat Boy]

Well, I think that I've narrowed it down some to give me the most flexibility.  Either a jet, or an aluminum V.

There are two jet options that I'm looking at, both have plenty of horsepower, 200 inboard jet with speeds up to 50 mph., both have durable hulls and draft very little water for drifting those Susquehanna or Potomac ledges, and get on a plane quickly and easily move through 3" of water at full speed if one has the "you know whats".  Both of these boats have much of the qualities of the Western style jets, namely the horsepower, but are perfect for our style rocky rivers.  And, they have large decks, good amount of storage, and both builders will customize somewhat.  As far as running on big water they might be OK on situations like a full size bass boat could take (especially the LoPro), but honestly if it's that bad out I'd find sheltered water to fish anyway.  My biggest obstacle right now is the financial aspect of these...rully rigged you're looking at $30K new, and there aren't many used ones out there.  I probably will have some money to work with, but the question right now is how much...and if it's not enough, saving for my "dream" boat or just getting something to get me on the water.  It will probably be the latter.

They are:

Rockproof Boats River Rocket (check out the vid on this boat on www.rockproofboats.com)


Or the Riverpro LoPro (you can see more info at http://www.riverpro-boats.com, there are lots of videos on youtube showing this boat)


I haven't ruled out an outboard jet if finances dictate, but if I can come up with the money then the above would be my goal, one or the other.

The other option is an aluminum V, probably a 17 foot boat with a 90, rigged to bass/walleye fish.  Tracker boats are reasonably priced new, and there are lot's of other options, and if money is an issue there are a lot more boats in this category for sale for a reasonable price.  I'd have to do my homework and be thorough checking out the boat before bying though.

Anyway, that's where I stand right now.   Pretty exciting!  Thanks for taking the time to respond.  Your suggestions have come in very handy in my research!

[Thor]

I'm jealous!  Interestingly, I just saw that same picture of the RiverPro on the "Backwoods Angler" website.  I check their site once in a while for fishing reports  The Backwoods Angler is a PA Guide service offering trips on the Delaware, Susky, and Schuylkill Rivers.  They just replaced their older boats with two of the RiverPro boats in your picture.

Maybe you can give them a call and ask how they like the boat, or, I'm sure they would love to give you an 8-hour demo for $325.

Here is their link:

http://www.backwoodsangler.com/Fishing%20Reports.htm

[Fat Boy]

That's a great idea Thor!  Thanks!