We bought a boat recently, and while we love it, we realize that we didn’t ask enough questions before buying the boat. There were so many things we didn’t think about. Now, personally, I think the broker should have shared more information before we spent our hard-earned cash, but I realize as the consumer, it’s always buyer beware. I need to know my stuff before I commit. Same for you, know before you go – buy the boat that serves your needs.
Let’s talk fishing boats.
There are so many ways to fish, from the shore, from the bay, in the water, in your kayak, in your boat, in your buddy’s boat. What, you don’t have a boat yet? We can fix that by helping you decide which boat you need.
The first question to answer – where are you fishing? Stream, river, lake, bay, ocean. Each one has a different need – size mostly. The bigger the body of water, the larger you may want your boat. That doesn’t mean the draft is bigger, but taking a raft that belongs on a lake seems like a bad idea on the ocean. Bigger for big’s sake is not recommended; get what you need and no more.
Next question – what are you fishing for? The size of fish matters here, same as the body of water; you don’t want to be sport fishing in a raft; you’ll get swamped. Is it lake trout you’re looking for or catfish? Is it bass (better think sparkles), or is it Red Snapper? Not every boat supports every fish; you want to have the right setup – not overkill, you’re not taking a deep water boat designed for sport fishing on the lake, but you don’t want a shallow water bay boat in fast water either.
How many people are going with you? Two common causes of drowning in recreational waters are boat crashes and too many people on the boat. If your boat is less than 20 feet, it will have a Capacity Plate that shows the allowable persons or weight. Consider that in your purchase.
Boat manufacturers recommend you determine your minimum length for your use and then add 2 or 3 feet to give you a little comfort. Fishing is supposed to be fun; make sure you’ve got the right gear.
Lake boats are a good general-purpose boat with a great design and compact enough size to be easily trailered to wherever you want to fish. These boats typically have taller sides with seating for more than two people, outboard engines and sometimes a windshield with a closed or open fore-deck. Lake boats are designed with a broader range of possible boating activities in mind. Bass boats are specialty lake boats designed for a single purpose; typically, they will have a larger, flatter deck design and limited seating; they are not intended to take a party out fishing.
Bay Boats are boats designed for shallow expanses of water, allowing fishing in the shallows found typically in or along coastal zones where the freshwater mixes with the saltwater creating a great habitat for a wide variety of fish species. Low or shallow drafts allow these boats to get into areas that might be just inches deep. They have outboard engines with either an angled propeller shaft or a mounting system that enables the operator to raise or lower the engines, depending on the depth of the water. Bay boats typically are flat decked or have very little side height above the deck surface. This allows more space for those fishing to move about on a smaller, overall boat. Commonly, you’ll find bay boats used on calmer water areas. These boats are often equipped with pole sticks or stick anchors, which is an arm that can be lowered into the mud below the water surface to hold the boat in place while fishing the shallows.
Coastal boats: This style of boat is commonly found in a twin-hull or catamaran hull and is designed for deeper bays or coastal waters where rougher seas are common. Often with multiple outboard engines, these boats can be found with a center console design, which allows for more fishing room. Commonly found with a deeper hull as they are designed for bigger seas or rougher water conditions.
Deep water boats; we’re getting wider and longer here. These are the big water sportfishing boats. You’ll find they come in two primary designs, the first with a cabin area, large fishing deck rear of the cabin, and a flying helm or bridge. This area allows the captain to pilot the boat from a higher sightline, an advantage when fighting the big game fish in very deep waters. Having a cabin area also allows the boat to stay out on the fish for more extended periods, as they come equipped with bedrooms and a galley for cooking meals. The second design would be the big center console deep water fishing boats. They are found with multiple hull configurations and multiple large horsepower outboard engines that allow the boats to move out to the big fish areas quickly.
Before you jump on what you think might be a great deal on any boat, make sure it’s going to fit your needs. Ask the right questions so you can do with your boat what you plan to. The old saying that the two best days owning a boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it can be true, if the boat does not meet your needs.
