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| hey all,
sometime between now and open water season i'm planning on buying my first boat. my goal is to try to find something under $7k, top to bottom. nothing fancy, just a utility fishing boat that will mostly be kept in medium-sized WI and MN lakes for musky fishing with the occasional multi-species day. if you were me, what would you be looking at / looking for???
thanks!
-m
also, any direction on places to shop would be valuable, too. |
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Posts: 3870
| "my goal is to try to find something under $7k, top to bottom. nothing fancy, just a utility fishing boat that will mostly be kept in medium-sized WI and MN lakes for musky fishing with the occasional multi-species day"
You'll not get many responses from the regulars on the board, me thinks, because they all have much more costly boats. Why, Sworrall's prop alone costs close to $7,000, but then he runs a Merc 2,000hp SuperturboOptimax with nitros oxide so he can cruise at 190mph.
But maybe I can give you some ideas, as I have a poor but proud approach...
This is what I did on a very tight budget:
*started with a solid mid-70's 14' boat, 3 bench seats, alum semi-deep V with a OLD 18hp evinrude motor, OLD trolling motor and a decent trailer. cost = $2,000 and that was a bargin
*primed, painted the trailer, plus replaced the trailer bearings and tires
* pulled the middle and front seats, trimmed the front seat and mounted it toward where the front seat use to be.
*added a marine grade 3/4" plywood floor between the two seats and in the bow, no carpet
*rivited 10X10" 1/4" sheets of alum to the bench seats and added pedestals and padded, fold-down seats
*mounted a BPS battery box on the floor in front of the front seat
*built a fused switch box (bought the small panel from Cabellas, the housing box at a hardware store)
*added lights to front and rear of boat, wired into the switch box
*mounted a Humminbird 300TX (400TX is better, it has a bigger screen) on the left side of the rear bench seat, plus added the temp and speed sensor, an extra feature for that unit. also wired finder power into the fuse box
*upgraded the motor to a newer 15hp merc
*upgraded the old trolling motor to a 35# Minnkota Maxxum, then later to a 55# Maxxum (I can make a wake with my 55#Maxxum, amazing how little juice that unit pulls from the battery)
All of this was done over a number of years, of course, but the boat was water-ready the day I bought it. Looking back, I wish I had started with a "tall" 16'er as my 14' with a low transome is mighty small/scary when the winds come up. On windy days I'm limited to smaller lakes, but usually just head to rivers. Oh, an obvious benefit of a smaller boat is that you can sleuth around to find small lakes with unimproved landings - these are often unpressured waters that the big boys can't access. I have a 4X4 truck, used to have a Jeep Cherokee, and I can get that little boat into places where a larger rig can't begin to venture.
I fish by my losesome most of the time, thus the battery in the front of the boat, but the boat fits two musky hunters just fine when needed. By myself, with the wind at my back, I can reach 24mph with that 15hp motor. I dumped the 5gal gas tank for a 3gal to save additional weight, I just top it off with a 5gal can of premix (I keep in the truck) every time I'm heading out for a day's fishing.
The powerful but efficient 55# Maxxum is a GREAT feature, I use a simple MinnKota handle extension to manuever the boat as I stand and cast. Helps me greatly as the wind trys to push my little boat around.
Hope those ideas help! |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I think Ranger is right, go with a used boat. There are several rigs new you may be able to get for under that price, but they won't be much. However, I was just looking through a local trade paper and found a couple lunds and one older ranger all under 7000. Of course you have to be carefull going used, especially with something like the Ranger with its big motor, repairs can eat away more then you saved buy getting that boat.. Check if the motor runs good, the hull is solid, no cracks or dents, floors are not rotted. Electronics all work(lights, bilge, livewell pump, depth finder or trolling motor...etc.. I went used myself, '83 Tuffy Rampage, got it with a 25hp motor, upgraded the motor after a year and bought a used 40hp motor. Boat cost 2000 with the 25, the 40 cost another 2500, 4500 total boat-motor-trailer. I of course did not know about the advice I gave you and failed to check the deck and floor for rot, new front deck cost around $800 or so.. I also had to rebuild the bunks on the trailer, fairly easy thing, especially if you can keep the boat in the water while you do it.. Plus it was cheap to do. Boat was a hassle to load and launch before the rebuild, now it works as good as any drive on trailer I have seen. Hope this helps |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Boat = a hole in the water you pour money into.
BOAT - Break Out Another Thousand!
What was the question? m |
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Posts: 7049
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | A few things to remember when boat buying:
a. Boat envy - as soon as you get your new boat, you'll want a bigger and better one. Not to worry, EVERYONE gets this, from guys with 14fters to 22ft. bass and muskie rockets. The less you get now, the sooner you will be wanting something new.
b. You DO get what you pay for - boats aren't like cars! Boats demand alot more care and tinkering, and the older your boat the more you are going to be working on it. Be it re-wiring your electronics, having your motor serviced, or working on upholstery and decking, the older the boat, the more time you will be putting into it to keep it how you want it.
c. What makes YOUR muskie (or other species) fishing enjoyable? Do you need comfort, or do you just want to be able to cast like a crazy person at an incredible rate? Make sure that your boat fits what you want! If you are a troller, make sure that your boat will seat people comfortably while waiting for rods to go off. If you're a caster, make sure the boat is stable enough for you and another person to stand up all day.
d. Rigging is key to fishing effectively! At least for me, the boat platform is important, but the electronics and trolling motor are what I depend on. Yes you can fish without a locator, but I've gotten pretty dependant on it and when it goes haywire, I'm in trouble. The big motor is important, but unless you troll alot, the trolling motor is what you are going to be using most often. Make sure it is big enough to push the boat around all day, and make sure its going to be able to make it at least as long as you need to save up to get a new one (trolling motors ARE very problematic, regardless of the make).
Just a few thoughts |
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Posts: 544
Location: Alsip, Il | First of all what size waters. I would check ebay, there are alot of nice used boats. Go under ebay motors than watercraft and then fishing boats. If you are not in a hurry take your time, you maybe able to find a later model, for example a nice tiller 16 ft. or 17 ft. with a 40 hp., that maybe just want you need. Once in awhile I see some smokercrafts and even lunds in your price range. |
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| For 7k a guy can buy a very nice boat!You should be able to pick up a quality 16 ft with 40hp or so with some goodies!Just take your time and test drive the boats.Try different brands so you get a chance to feel how each handles in the conditions you will be using it in. This in my opinion is very important factor.When I upgraded from a 16ft lund to 19ft yarcraft I lost my easy handling in tight edges of rivers and bouncy off stumps in northern wisc lakes but gained the ability to go where ever I wanted on the bay of Gb and winnabago"in a hurry"!Good luck on your search! |
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| thanks for your thoughts and input, guys. very helpful in refining my search and getting some ideas on possible ways to go. right now i'm leaning towards getting a new boat so as to get a motor with a warranty...are they problematic enough to justify this thinking, or do they generally purr along, making getting a used one a safe bet??? |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | First word of advice:
When shopping for boats, LOOK EVERYWHERE! I know you want to buy a boat as soon as possible, and the itch gets worse and worse everyday, but search your butt off. You will find a good boat for $7000.
There are plenty of guys that bought a boat a few years back, hardly ever use it and finally realize they should sell it rather than have it sit at their house all the time, or the wife finally puts her foot down and makes him sell it.
You should be able to find a 17-18 foot boat, in the late 90's (97,98) with electronics, trolling motor, etc.. for the right price.
Also, don't be afraid to look at places away from your hometown. When I was boat shopping I looked in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, and I live in Ohio.
Check out iboats.com as well.
Hope this helps.
Slamr is also right when saying, as soon as you get a boat you want another one that is bigger, faster, wider, ect....
Mike Hulbert
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Look at lots of boats. Check out Boat Trader Online, Auto RV.com. Bass Boat Central, and your local traders too. I looked for 3 years before buying mine. Patience really paid off too. I'm so thrilled with my 1994 deep-vee. Not as impressive as a lot of newer boats but I could go on any body of water in any condition because of the freeboard and horsepower I have. Watch out for older bass boats with bigger engines. Especially if you suspect they've been used in tournaments. Most have been rode hard and put up wet. Stay away from dime store outboards too. Look at the overall floorplan of the used boat and imagine how it could be modified with minimal work. Rod holder locations, tackle storage, room for tools and oil, raingear, food storage, all these things will eventually be a part of your days on the water as a boat owner. Things that would be difficult and costly to change (rod locker length and trolling motor power and design for example) are important to note. I can put at least 15 rods with bags on the reels in my 8.5' locker. It also had a MinnKota Auto Pilot already on it. That caught my eye right away when I saw the floorplan. I've added 2 Rod Savers, 6 Attwood flush mounts, 2 DownEast holders, a removable 2-piece rear casting deck which I built, 2 additional seat bases, a custom made tarp, and lots of misc. things that make it perfect for the family and me. A final note...I'd recomend that whatever brand and style of boat you buy get as much horsepower as you feel comfortable with. This will enable you to handle bigger rougher water more safely and you can run the outboard at about %75 throttle most of the time and actually save fuel as opposed to running a smaller one wide open throttle most of the time. Good luck and keep us posted......
Edited by stephendawg 1/27/2004 10:51 PM
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | A friend wrote this and is right on the $!!
Boats—For Better or Worse
We get a lot of phone calls asking what size boat works best for Spoonplugging. Therefore it is a subject worthy of talking about. We have yet to find the perfect boat but our thinking should be based first on CONTROL followed by safety. We would all do a great job with our control having a 14 to 15 foot long jon-boat with a 9.9 to 15hp outboard. However, if we spend a lot of time on the great lakes or other large bodies of water, then the jon-boat would not be the first choice for obvious safety reasons. Where we do most of our fishing would be the biggest concern on what type and how big or small you would want to go.
We cannot control the weather or the water conditions but our choice of what boat we decide to fish from can make the difference between our success or failure. It is of the utmost importance that our choice of boats allows us to control our depths and speeds from the shallows to the deep. If we must fish out of something that will not allow us to do just that, then our fishing will surely suffer. If you are afraid to troll the shallows because we might damage a prop and the fish are in the shallows then we just missed out. If our boat does not allow us to contour troll the shallows, then we are missing out on one of the most important parts of the learning process. If you are a beginning Spoonplugger, a large boat and motor will not allow you to learn to troll the shallows which is the first step in becoming a good Spoonplugger. A boat, motor and trailer is quite an investment these days. You would surely want to take some time in choosing what is best for you as well as keeping control of lures in mind.
There is a world of difference between how a 14 foot boat responds when you turn the tiller handle compared to a 16 foot boat of the same width. The difference could be compared to parallel parking a Volkswagen versus a1972 Cadillac. An accomplished Spoonplugger could make a straight line pass with an ocean liner to hit a spot using markers and shoreline sightings but may not be able to interpret that spot as being productive with such a rig.
The longer and wider a boat is, the less response you get when moving the tiller. A steering wheel is not as responsive as a tiller driven model, causing a lack of control and slowing the learning process. Here are some goods and bads in deciding what may be best for you.
SMALLER BOATS; somewhere in the 14 to 15 foot and 62 to 70 inches wide. This may include tri-hulls, flat bottom and V hulls. The size motors could range from a 9.9 to a 25 horsepower. These size boats would handle anything from a small lake to a couple of thousand acres, depending how rough the conditions, and would offer the fisherman good control of lures at all depths.
Any time we go longer than 15 feet or wider than 70 inches we begin to lose some control. The mechanics of trolling become more difficult. The boat’s response time is slower due to the added length, width, and weight. Anchoring becomes more difficult, not just what weight is needed to hold the boat in position but just getting into that position. Interpretation of a fishing situation because of a lack of control becomes more difficult. The whole ball of wax gets worse as we go bigger in our choice of boats.
The worse mistake a fisherman can make is buying a boat that causes him or her to never be able to reach a point that they can't get better in their fishing.
Good Spoonplugging,
John Bales
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Posts: 1438
| Lambeau email me direct. I was searching the other day and found 1 or 2 that may fit your bill. If I was buying I'd at least give these a look.
Scott
Disregard, I just sent you an email directly.
Edited by theedz155 1/28/2004 5:23 AM
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Posts: 328
Location: MN | Lambeau: I would personally not go used unless you know the buyer or a friend knows the buyer. This way, you would know the boat has been taken care of...I bought my first boat 2 yrs ago. I bought a 16 ft Crestliner and it has served me well. Now, as everyone says, go as big as possible. I couldnot afforda 18-19 footer at the time, this was my first rig, so I wanted to learn all about boating, trailer, etc...Here is what I need in a boat today: More storage, I prefer the full windshield (some weather can be nasty), more horsepower, more room...Most important, comfort and safety for the family! Keep all of these factors in mind....
I thought I was just going to fish smaller waters, but....my love turned to the biger waters like Tonka, Mille Lacs, etc....Bigger water,bigger fish is my theory....
Just my 2 cents...Good Luck...It is a huge investment and if you can only afford $7K today, thn hat is all you can afford...If, If....You can manages $10K, you can get some great deals on 16ft Crestliners and others that are out there...
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Posts: 1046
| I would rather buy a used boat then a used vehicle.I would bet if you take your time and look around you will not even use 7K and be able to buy some new upgrades for your new(used) ship. Here is the last boat I just sold(sorry too!) 1987 Almancraft 16` backtroller,25 merc long 1998,1998 roller trailer,x-65 and a couple other little tid-bits and I got $2,950.00 and I still made money on the deal.When you go looking at boats bring those suction cups that hook to a hose and run the motor the rest is mostly visual.You will know when you find the right boat, its like finding the right woman! Good luck! |
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| hello all and thanks again.
i found a boat, and will pick it up this weekend.
1989 Ranger 680T with a 60hp Evinrude, 67lb Motorguide, and Eagle finder.
paid him $5k, which i'm comfortable with...assuming the motor works when i get it on the water this spring. in the meanwhile, it'll give me something to play with on weekends!
Theedz put me on to it - thanks again!
i'd also like to thank Greg Morse for trying to put me in a boat (ok, he IS a salesman...). he had one come in on trade and lined up for me and i was ready to drive up and buy it, but then after they checked it out he found some problems with the motor and the keel. he could have said nothing and sold it to me easy. honest guy - highly recommend you talk to him, i know where i'll go in a couple years when i'm in the market for a new boat. (something about "boat envy" right? especially after checking out the new Tuffy line at the milwaukee expo...)
i'll try and see if i can figure out how to post the pics...
Attachments
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 MVC-037S.JPG (33KB - 1513 downloads)
MVC-040S.JPG (31KB - 764 downloads)
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Posts: 184
Location: Rockford Il 61108 | I seen a starcraft 16ft aluminum, rated for a 40hp, but had a price of 6,700 with a 25 merc. Nice boat. Had decent livewell, and three seats. This is about all your going to get for under 7000. I would go with a used boat maybe four or five years old. Alumacraft is hard to beat.
Go for it! |
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Posts: 2089
| The original Muskydr rides again! Steve |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | In my opinion, you got one of THE BEST MUSKY BOATS EVER MADE!
Congrats on the new boat! May many muskies get photographed in your musky machine!
Mike Hulbert
www.mikehulbert.com
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| lol - now i REALLY regret not stopping to chat with you at the musky expo on saturday, steve. i was walking past with a buddy and noticed your name tag and thought, "hey, that's steve from muskiefirst..." doh! little did i know i could have heard some good war-stories of my soon-to-be toy!
...so what's the significance of "muskydr"...?
Edited by lambeau 2/10/2004 5:32 PM
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Posts: 1189
Location: Bagley,MN 56621 | Congrats on the boat!! That will surely be a nice rig.....won't have to worray about what lake you want to go to. She's big enough to handle all of them.
Thx for the kudos on the boat deal.We ended up wholesaling that one.....she was just a little too tired in more ways than one. The last 16 years have been harsh on her lol.
Look forward to working with you in the future, thx much. |
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Posts: 2089
| Mike,
My brother Dave's name on the boards is Muskydr(dr as in Doctor).Same as the licence plate on his truck.I don't believe the last owner was a muskie fisherman so it's kinda cool to see that rig in the hands of a muskie man again.There's been a lot of "Blood,Sweat and Slime " in that boat .Handled well on The Woods also.Congrats! Steve |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Lambeau, Nice boat! You'll be very happy with the "wide open" floor plan. That's one thing that attracted me to the Magna 19 I bought. Very flexible so if you want to modify things a bit you can. It'll be a great trolling rig too. Keep the pictures coming as you "make it your own." |
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| well, now that it's sitting in the driveway, i've got a couple months to "tinker."
first order of business is replacing the onboard charger. it's got a 3-bank charger on it, but only two of the banks work (1 of the 2 trolling and the 1 for the starter). so...any advice on what to look for in an on-board charger???
i'm also thinking of replacing the carpet - does anyone have any experience doing that? how costly to have it done? how difficult to do it yourself? |
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Posts: 686
Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | Congrats Lambeau on the nice rig!! I put many many greenfish in that boat from when I bought it in 96 to when I sold it this time last year. You are the fifth owner of this boat. I put on all of the accessories such as the charger to the Wave Wackers and the pedestals. The charger has been that way since the first year I had the boat, stay the hell away from guest in my opinion! I sold the boat for 4800 and from the way it sounded he rebuilt the motor, put on a few guages, does it still have the Eagle Ultra up front? If you have questions or need help feel free to shoot me an email [email protected]. For the money you paid you will be set for a long time, that boat is a classic!! Dave J |
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| he was real meticulous about keeping track of his receipts, etc.
in the past year since he bought it, he put ~$4700 into the it. mostly having the motor completely rebuilt, but also had work done with the onboard electronics, and had the trailer bunks rebuilt and totally rewired. so...he took a hit, basically reselling it for what he paid a year ago minus everything he had done to it. apparently he's moving and needs the cash bad.
nice custom cover and wavewackers you had done, by the way. he even had the receipts from those. too bad i didn't get the brand new lowrance gps/sounder that he had on it! it's still got the eagle classic on the bow, i'll need to get something for by the tiller.
the on-board charger is working on two banks, so i think i'll give that to my brother-in-law who only needs the two for his boat. any suggestions on a brand other than Guest to replace it with?
i'm also going to tackle re-carpeting it. there seems to be some pretty good kits available out there for doing it yourself, and the layout of this boat lends itself to an easy job - mostly straight lines and the lids aren't in the middle of the floor or anything fancy like that. with a new carpet job and some elbow grease rubbing some fiberglass restorer in, it'll be looking new in no time! |
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Posts: 686
Location: Tomahawk, Wisconsin | Wow!!! When I sold him the boat, no problems, but when I called him shortly after he bought it while mounting the 320 or whatever he put on he drilled a hole into the gas tank spewing 10 gallons of gas out the back end. Sounds to me like you got one heck of a deal! I think that recarpeting the boat will not be that much of an issue for ya. Best of luck and come up to Tomahawk and we'll get out after them greenfish!! Dave J |
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Posts: 364
Location: in the white boat | Landau, congrats on the rig! There's a '99 Ranger 681T in my garage, which I bought last summer. Before that one I had an '87 680T. Needless to say, I love the boat, and I'm sure you will too.
One thing that I can add though, is that Ranger packaged that rig with an insufficient trailer (which you apparently have noticed) in my opinion. My '87 swayed pretty badly if not weighted just right, and even worse if driving in a strong cross wind. Of course, given the performance of this rig on the water, I was more than willing to put up with a little sway on the Interstate.
Here's to many slimers in your rig!! |
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