Boat Suggestions?

[mikecatt13]

Hey all,

Kind of figured I would see if I could get a "collaboration" thread of sorts going here. Have glanced through several good threads showing lots of setups in this section but thought I would ask a couple questions and see what those of you more experienced than I have to say. Don't worry, I'm not going to ask the which brand to buy question, will try to keep it more constructive

1) New or used? I always buy my trucks etc used obviously it saves a lot of coin but those of you that have gone either route or preferably both which would you do again? Save some money but invest the time looking for a used boat or buy new, order exactly what you want, and have all new gear (we all know what boat stands for lol..break out another thousand)

2) What layout/features have you all discovered that you like, don't like, or are must haves? It seems to me that a bench style seat or several individual seats in the middle of the boat would be ideal for hunting with a group...am I missing something here?

3) What are the pros/cons of outboard versus surface drive/longtail/etc mud motors?

4) What about a pontoon versus a flat bottom?

Any input is greatly appreciated whether its related to those questions or not. I continue to search and research but this is a large purchase so I also wanted to post more specific questions in one place.

Thanks!

[NuffDaddy]

Can't really answer your questions without knowing a little about your style of hunting.
Small marsh? Open water? Big water shoreline? Inland lakes? Shallow or deep water? How many hunters? Big loads of gear?
And most importantly, what's your budget?

[mikecatt13]

I will do my best to answer with my very limited knowledge of where I am going to hunt specifically (need to research local-ish public hunting spots as well as secure private permissions) To start, I don't have a dog yet so I intend to hunt shallower water whenever possible so I can retrieve in waders without having to use the boat. Divers intrigue me so I may do some open water stuff eventually but most likely marshes, small ponds or lakes (on any private property I may get, although in these cases I doubt I would use a boat depending on size and depth), and maybe big water shoreline.

Probably between 1 and 4 guys, most commonly 1-2 ish. Not a ton of gear as I am starting with none and have to build my spread etc.

As far as budget goes if I end up looking used it would depend on whether I can finance it or not. I live right by Cabela's and for example they have a brand new $20k boat for under $200 a month financed which is something I could live with. If I'm buying outright cash by budget is significantly lower. I could tell you about a truck/car but never having financed a boat I'm unsure how it works with used as far as age etc. Either which way I will be setting aside enough spare coin to get a blind and kind of add the personal touches to make it how I want.

Hope that helps, at this point on my search and getting back into the sport (beginning!) that's about the best I can do with the locations.

[NuffDaddy]

That's a pretty broad range of hunting areas.
Based on what you've said, Id find an 1860 mod-v Jon boat with an outboard. This will hunt open water fine but will be tight in shallow stuff.
For marshes I think you'd be better off with a canoe with a small outboard. Only can hunt 2 guys with that though. Might have to talk one of your buddies into getting a second.
I have a 1648 that I hunt out of on the saginaw bay. It is a tight hunt, but doable with 3 guys. And I have to be carful on where I go and what the weather is like. Keep an eye on Craigslist and you may be able to find a decent rig already setup come springtime.

[mikecatt13]

Thanks, I appreciate the good info with the limited specifics from me. I'm sure next season I would be able to give a whole lot better info but I'm rather excited about getting back into this and am trying to learn as much as I can starting now.

[team216]

Having bought both new and used boats, I would say yeah buy a used boat but a new motor, unless you know a lot about the type of motor your buying used you can easily have your boat sitting in the shop for all of early season (last year)

I bought new before this season, I love my open floor plan with fore and aft decks, I use my boat all year round so decks are nice for fishing an gives the dog a better vantage point for making marks. I have a seat mounted on both decks, and if I'm packing light on decoys I can fit 2 on hunter seats in the open part of the boat. It hunts 3 comfortably 4 is a little snug but not too bad.

Motor wise, you can't really go wrong with an outboard motor. But everyone has their own opinion on it.

Type or hull, I ran a flat bottom last year and it didn't do to well if there was any wake or waves, I run a mod v now. It makes running long trips up and down the river a little smoother and I can still get up into the shallows and drag it over sand bars pretty easy. If your hunting wide open big water a deep v might be better for you.

Everyone has their own style and their own set up. It's all about being creative and turning a plain ole boat into your own duck rig. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with



M

[Flightstopper]

For not knowing exactly what you will be hunting and the water you plan to hunt I would keep it simple for now. I would look for a used 16' tiller steer that you can really learn the in's and out's with and really familiarize yourself with the boat to find what works and what you would like to have. A boat like this is invaluable in the learing curve of what is needed and can easily be sold for what you bought it for in a year or two. For a blind run down to the hardware store and throw together sometihng out of conduit and hunt the hell out of it. In the time being save up some cash save up some cash for the boat you WANT with what you learned from this first boat in what you like.