I’ve finally talked the wife into buying my first boat!!! I figure I want something between 17-21 feet, and I’ll use it almost exclusively inshore. Here are a few questions I’ve been pondering:
Should I just start with a jon boat that I can beat up as I gain experience, or should I go ahead and look at v-hull’s/center consoles? I’d like to be able to get out to the jetties and then the nearshore reefs as I gain experience. Is this possible on good days with a jon boat?
How old is too old for a first boat (in regard to upkeep and maintenance)?
What are some specific things I need to be looking for when inspecting a boat for purchase? What are some red flags I need to be aware of?
What kind of price limit should I set?
PLEASE get back to me with as much ■■■■■■■■ as possible. As usual, thank y’all in advance for all your help.
Bart, lets face it, none of us is getting any younger. The older we get, the less we want to work on a boat! If you only want to use it near shore, I would get a Bay Boat. Small enought to trailor and handle and not as much cost and upkeep. The larger you go the larger the bills! It’s a trade off! I really think a man needs 2 boats! 1 for inshore and 1 for offshore. If you can’t afford both you have to compromise. Get a friend that likes to fish and talk him into getting the larger boat and you save some money! Not only is your boat easier to handle and take care of but offshore tackle and gear cost a hell of a lot of money! Take that offshore friend, inshore, on the days you can’t get past the jetties. There will be lots of them. Ask Knot@Work! I think he had a SEAPRO Bay when he started out and I know he won a King tournament with it.
If you get a bay boat,get a big one.I have two boats now and I should have asked the same questions before I spent a dime on either one.
You should also take your wife offshore with a friend and see how she likes it before you dump a load of money on a boat she won’t ride in past the rocks.
Since you said “exclusively inshore”, what are you going to do inshore? how many people on average?
Jon boats range from small tiller drives, to large center consoles. Maintaining a Jon boat is much easier than others, but there are drawbacks. they are light and not that great at taking waves. they get hot in summer time.
Fishb8 (Fish Bait)
23 Sea Hunt “My Last Boat V”
If you can’t stand behind our soldiers, try standing in front of them.
Ok here are some questions back to better understand your needs.
Thanks for the ■■■■■■■■. Cobia, in response to your questions:
How much experience do you have with boats?
I’ve been on boats a good part of my life, but little experience as the captain. My concerns would be with docking and the skills that can come only from experience.</font id=“red”>
What is your budget?
I would say up to $12,000. I’ve been looking for months and think I should be able to get a good first boat for no more than this. (Please confirm)</font id=“red”>
Do you plan to keep the boat in the water or trailer it? If trailer what type of vehicle do you plan to use?
I’d trailer the boat. I live in Charlotte but have a couple of places where I can store it. I’d pull it with my '07 2500HD.</font id=“red”>
If you get a bay boat,get a big one.I have two boats now and I should have asked the same questions before I spent a dime on either one.
You should also take your wife offshore with a friend and see how she likes it before you dump a load of money on a boat she won’t ride in past the rocks.
Just sayin.
I’m getting the boat to get away from the wife…
Just kidding. I have no intention of buying an offshore boat. It’d be foolish with my lack of experience, I don’t have “offshore money”, and I have a couple of buddies with big boats.
I looked very closely at a Key West 1720cc. I thought it was perfect for my needs, but I’m not gonna blindly drop that kind of money on a boat without consulting with y’all first.
Since you said “exclusively inshore”, what are you going to do inshore? how many people on average?
Jon boats range from small tiller drives, to large center consoles. Maintaining a Jon boat is much easier than others, but there are drawbacks. they are light and not that great at taking waves. they get hot in summer time.
Fishb8 (Fish Bait)
23 Sea Hunt “My Last Boat V”
If you can’t stand behind our soldiers, try standing in front of them.
I’d target reds, trout and flounder. I’m guessing I’d usually fish with one other person, two at the most. I figure I’d be ok with a jon boat if I stay mostly in the creeks, but I’m not sure. That’s why I’m asking y’all. Your thoughts?
Bart I fish a 19’ Sea Pro bay boat. I traded down from a 21’ Sea Pro deep vee. I went with the 19 bay because it’s easier to launch and retrieve solo than the larger 21 deep vee. It’s doable, but a pain in the keister to retrieve solo in a current. That being said, I woud say get the biggest bay boat you can handle (operate, launch and retrieve (in current) comfortably. I looked hard at the 1720 Key West boats before I pulled the trigger on my 19’er. The truth is…that add in a few friends and a 17’ boat can get crowded quick. I can fish 4 comfortably on a 19’ boat. I can and have cruised with 8 adults in the boat. If you will be fishing solo 99% of the time a 17’ boat will work just fine. But the 2 or 3 times a year that the family is in town and wants to fish or cruise, you will appreciate the 1 or 2 extra foot of boat. A lot of this depends on the layout of the boat as well. If the boat is layed out really well, it will feel bigger. I was recently on a buddy’s 17’ Carolina Skiff and it had plenty of room. When you go look at a boat, try to visualize getting to everything with people on the boat and see how a small crowd can/will effect movement around the boat. I have a lot of friends that have minimal experience on boats, so I have to do 99% of the work while boating/fishing. I want to be able to get to the anchor quickly and back to the console. The extra 6"-8" of width on each side make a lot of difference. And a bay boat will only draft about 8-10" and can get into fairly skinny water and has a pretty dry ride. You are welcome to take a ride in mine and then see about a ride in a 17’. I also have a 14’ skiff (jon boat tpye hull). 2 fishermen on a jon boat is about max. I have had 3 on mine and it was very crowded. Hairball has a 16’ Sea Hunt and it is laid out really well. He and I can fish comfortably with one of our kids in his boat. But 3 is about max to be able to fish (cast and fight a fish to the boat without tripping all over gear and each other). But we are experienced bo
Personally I’d get a flats boat, called a technical poling skiff. Because if you got a boat for exclusively inshore like the 17’ key wet then you could fish jetties on a good day, make it back through harbor in a rough day, take a couple people, rife the boat wake and you could fish rocks and docks and med sized creeks. On a flats boat especially one with a poling platform you can still do all the stuff inshore and then you could flats fish, you’ll be hooked on that! Vinman recently got a Carolina skiff and now he’s hooked. And you can fish flats, get good winter redfishing, everything else inshore, harbor on a better day(which tour wait for a good day in a key west also). If you got one without a platform like a Carolina skiff get an 18’ or 19’ with the best trolling motor you can afford. Or I’d you get one with a platform I’d go 17’ for the comprise between wait on poling and for fishing room. Hells bay makes that nice tip of the line technical poling skiff for us to drool over! Mitzi, maverick, hewes, I like scouts skiff and yellowfin! But if you want a boat to get out to the reef and for kings a bay boat should do, like a 23’. But whatever you get, spend the money on a power pole(any boat) a push pole(for poling skiffs) or the best trolling motor you can get for a skiff without a platform but get a tm no matter what, but it doesn’t have to be the nicest
I’m a high class redneck.
Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in pfgs and buffs.
Bart I fish a 19’ Sea Pro bay boat. I traded down from a 21’ Sea Pro deep vee. I went with the 19 bay because it’s easier to launch and retrieve solo than the larger 21 deep vee. It’s doable, but a pain in the keister to retrieve solo in a current. That being said, I woud say get the biggest bay boat you can handle (operate, launch and retrieve (in current) comfortably. I looked hard at the 1720 Key West boats before I pulled the trigger on my 19’er. The truth is…that add in a few friends and a 17’ boat can get crowded quick. I can fish 4 comfortably on a 19’ boat. I can and have cruised with 8 adults in the boat. If you will be fishing solo 99% of the time a 17’ boat will work just fine. But the 2 or 3 times a year that the family is in town and wants to fish or cruise, you will appreciate the 1 or 2 extra foot of boat. A lot of this depends on the layout of the boat as well. If the boat is layed out really well, it will feel bigger. I was recently on a buddy’s 17’ Carolina Skiff and it had plenty of room. When you go look at a boat, try to visualize getting to everything with people on the boat and see how a small crowd can/will effect movement around the boat. I have a lot of friends that have minimal experience on boats, so I have to do 99% of the work while boating/fishing. I want to be able to get to the anchor quickly and back to the console. The extra 6"-8" of width on each side make a lot of difference. And a bay boat will only draft about 8-10" and can get into fairly skinny water and has a pretty dry ride. You are welcome to take a ride in mine and then see about a ride in a 17’. I also have a 14’ skiff (jon boat tpye hull). 2 fishermen on a jon boat is about max. I have had 3 on mine and it was very crowded. Hairball has a 16’ Sea Hunt and it is laid out really well. He and I can fish comfortably with one of our
Personally I’d get a flats boat, called a technical poling skiff. Because if you got a boat for exclusively inshore like the 17’ key wet then you could fish jetties on a good day, make it back through harbor in a rough day, take a couple people, rife the boat wake and you could fish rocks and docks and med sized creeks. On a flats boat especially one with a poling platform you can still do all the stuff inshore and then you could flats fish, you’ll be hooked on that! Vinman recently got a Carolina skiff and now he’s hooked. And you can fish flats, get good winter redfishing, everything else inshore, harbor on a better day(which tour wait for a good day in a key west also). If you got one without a platform like a Carolina skiff get an 18’ or 19’ with the best trolling motor you can afford. Or I’d you get one with a platform I’d go 17’ for the comprise between wait on poling and for fishing room. Hells bay makes that nice tip of the line technical poling skiff for us to drool over! Mitzi, maverick, hewes, I like scouts skiff and yellowfin! But if you want a boat to get out to the reef and for kings a bay boat should do, like a 23’. But whatever you get, spend the money on a power pole(any boat) a push pole(for poling skiffs) or the best trolling motor you can get for a skiff without a platform but get a tm no matter what, but it doesn’t have to be the nicest
I’m a high class redneck.
Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in pfgs and buffs.
A “technical poling skiff” will limit what you can do on the 95% of the days you want to fish, but it’s not flat ass calm. A Bay boat is a much better choice for all around inshore/nearshore fishing in the coastal SC region. The 1720 Key West is a great inshore boat, locally made, and have a strong following in the
Personally I’d get a flats boat, called a technical poling skiff. Because if you got a boat for exclusively inshore like the 17’ key wet then you could fish jetties on a good day, make it back through harbor in a rough day, take a couple people, rife the boat wake and you could fish rocks and docks and med sized creeks. On a flats boat especially one with a poling platform you can still do all the stuff inshore and then you could flats fish, you’ll be hooked on that! Vinman recently got a Carolina skiff and now he’s hooked. And you can fish flats, get good winter redfishing, everything else inshore, harbor on a better day(which tour wait for a good day in a key west also). If you got one without a platform like a Carolina skiff get an 18’ or 19’ with the best trolling motor you can afford. Or I’d you get one with a platform I’d go 17’ for the comprise between wait on poling and for fishing room. Hells bay makes that nice tip of the line technical poling skiff for us to drool over! Mitzi, maverick, hewes, I like scouts skiff and yellowfin! But if you want a boat to get out to the reef and for kings a bay boat should do, like a 23’. But whatever you get, spend the money on a power pole(any boat) a push pole(for poling skiffs) or the best trolling motor you can get for a skiff without a platform but get a tm no matter what, but it doesn’t have to be the nicest
I’m a high class redneck.
Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in pfgs and buffs.
A “technical poling skiff” will limit what you can do on the 95% of the days you want to fish, but it’s not flat ass calm. A Bay boat is a much bette
Stono I feel you are completely wrong here. Or maybe I’m just too simple of a man, but I have a 22’ Key West that I paid $12000 dollars for. Now it is a 2000 model and has a 2 stroke, but I am completely happy with it. Not everyone can start at the top! It floats, it propels through the water, I can work on it myself, and it even catches fish. I smile every time I get to get in my cheap boat and get on the water.
