Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | If you are planning on running big water with riggers and boards you need room to move around in the boat for you and your passengers. A 16 foot boat doesn't give you that room. You will be crawling over each other trying to get at riggers/net/board rods and trying to keep your balance in the waves on typical days. A 16 footer is great on calm days, I had one for 11 seasons so I should know. But on bigger water you don't get that many calm days and then you have to really have it down to a science to fish effectively from a smaller boat.
I'd look around with an open mind, knowing you aren't going to have a top of the line rig for the money you have to spend, but you might be able to find a great deal on a used boat that will fish comfortably and give you much more than you could get from a new 16 footer. On the great lakes, I'd opt for an 18 footer with a smaller front deck and a big cockpit area. Alumacraft Competitors were super in that regards. It was like having a dance hall in the back, and that's what you need for running riggers and other specialized equipment.
The last thing you want for trolling is a big front deck which is pretty much just wasted space. Now if you were into more casting, then it is great to have the room in front. I got rid of my Alumacraft when I gave up trout/salmon fishing a few years ago. I went to a boat with the big front deck because I was doing more casting on smaller waters. It's still OK for trolling but the Alumacraft was so much better in the bigger waves and for spreading out your rod holders. You have to be sure whether you are going to target big waters or just visit them ocassionally, as that has the biggest bearing on what type boat you will be most happy with. |
