Finally have enough saved to get a small boat. I’ll use it to fish inshore for specks and reds around HHI/Beaufort, and I’ll be fishing alone 90% of the time. I also like to just boat-ride and explore. I had decided that I’d look for a small flats skiff-type boat, hoping to find one that had a small amount of v in the transom just to make the ride more comfortable. Or possibly a small center console like a 17’ Key West for example. But I keep thinking about all the oyster reefs and my lack of knowledge of the waters around there. I wouldn’t just go tearing across unknown water without at least checking some charts, but I realize that there is no substitute for experience.
I’ve been fishing around HHI/Beaufort from my kayak for about 3 years; mainly around Pinckney on HHI and Station Creek in Beaufort. So I haven’t had to worry about hitting oyster reefs. So I was thinking maybe I should start with an aluminum jon boat for a season, then move up. I’m not crazy about jon boats, but I grew up fishing out of one so I know it’s a viable option. So what’s your opinion? Would you tell me:
Go ahead and buy a fiberglass “nicer” boat, stick to the main channels, explore slowly at low tide and mark some routes on a GPS to use later. In other words, be patient and methodical and slowly learn the waters?
OR
It doesn’t matter how careful you are, if you don’t know the waters that well you are going to hit oysters. Buy a beater jon boat to learn the waters first.
I think I can pull off #1 above but I don’t want to fool myself.
Thanks for any input offered.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
The first time you bang the aluminum jon boat in front of schooling redfish, you will wish you “went for it”, the first time you scratch a new boat, you will wish you didn’t. Life is too short, go for it!! Just drive where you know until you are comfortable exploring new hot spots.
Fiberglass boats are a good bit easier (and probably cheaper) to repair than aluminum. Just go fiberglass.
Remember, in terms of fishing, the only things that generally happen very quickly are very, very bad things. So just take it slow and learn no matter what you get.
A 17’ Key West is a dang fine fishing boat for inshore.
I’m not going to buy a new boat. I don’t even buy new cars. Will try to find something that’s been taken care of properly, and would love to find a recently restored boat at a good price.
I also was thinking that a good way to explore new places is to just follow the wake path of a slightly larger boat (from a good distance). Hopefully they would know where they are going .
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
SurfFishlife, I have a 2001 one key west 1520 explorer with a 2010 75 hp E-tec on it with around one hundred hours on the motor. The boat is in excellent condition for a 2001 model. Great boat if fishing alone most of the time. Message me for more details if you are interested.
I’m new to the area and learning/exploring 2 to 3 days a week. GPS/BOTTOM FINDER electronics is a MUST HAVE item.
You will be able to MOSTLY keep from hitting the bottom and find countless places you didn’t even know existed.
Even with a bottom/fish finder you’ll be amazed how quickly a bar can sneak up on you. It looks like clear sailing
but it’s not.
By all means…go fiberglass. Much less maintenance, much quieter as pointed out. By all means buy used if on a budget…you can save BIG $$$. Get someone qualified to check it out if apprehensive…motor and electrical. I can help here with electrical or there are many others who know what to look for…you just don’t want a boat that has been sunk, etc. Routine electrical issues are to be expected and are easy/cheap to repair. (If I do it! )
Good luck. Now is time to buy before another false spring…
I think they are about equal in maintenance, but FG is harder to damage and easier to repair if damaged. I personally dislike aluminum boats, they are noisy, hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Did we mention noisy:question:
Yeah, if I was going to buy new and had several thousand more $$$ to spend, I’d have Cracker Larry build me a skiff. Ranger, thanks for letting me know about that. Right now, I’m leaning more toward a 17 Sportsman if I buy a KW. Wildlife, if I buy a boat that needs a rewire, you are going to be my man!
Thank y’all for talking me into the FG. I really didn’t want a jon boat, mainly because of the heat.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
I do rewiring too, but Wildlifesc has a great reputation and is closer to you, and he called first dibs on the wiring anyway
quote:if ..... I'd have Cracker Larry build me a skiff.
You wouldn’t have to worry about hitting oysters anymore, my boats are not scared of oysters Park right on top of them, it’s OK
With the economy like it is, there are a lot of folks hurting and selling their boats at rock bottom right now. Just keep an eye on Craigslist, I can’t believe some of the deals I’ve been seeing lately.
Get a good brand 2 or 3 years old, let someone else take the depreciation and pay $.30 on the dollar.
As to the maintenance of fiberglass vs. aluminum, I always vote for fiberglass in the salt. No galvanic action issues, dissimilar metals plating and corroding, etc. Aluminum boats are fine…not wanting to dispute that. Just my experience in 20 odd years of working around saltwater corrosion issues.
We all spend countless hours cleaning up our fiberglass boats…usually immediately after a trip in the salt. Truth be told…today’s boats are almost corrosion proof when it comes to the glass and SS hardware. Too often however, not enough attention paid to what UNDER the hatches and behind the compartment doors, not to mention engine and trailer flushing.
Surf, buy the biggest boat you can afford and get a good trolling motor. I started down here with an alum boat and it was real noisy and blew all over the place. Not easy to fish that way. Also, stop worring about bottoming out. We all do it and its no big deal to get stuck exploring a new place or chasing a pushing school. You’ll learn to read the water and get that local knowledge. Wildlifesc can show you how to make a short push pole for cheap…we’ve used it many a time to push out of the mud.
I never really thought getting stuck would be all that awful. The tide will come back in. Of course, if it’s getting dark, or you don’t have enough water, or weather is approaching, etc. I guess that would be a problem. Otherwise, just keep fishing!
Larry, I still wish I’d jumped on Joel Shine’s skiff he sold a couple of months ago. I’d like to find something like that again. Something bigger would be nice, but I could be happy with a boat like that for quite a while I think.
Jig, that’s kinda what I am thinking. Buy the biggest boat that I can fish somewhat shallow in, and have no problem launching by myself. I’m thinking a small-to-large flats boat or small-to-medium bay boat. If I had the money right now, I’d probably get a 22ft Pathfinder or similar. But my budget isn’t that high (yet).
I highly recommend a Scout boat, I have a 98’ 155 model with a 70 Yamaha…to me its perfect, has a trolling motor, you can fish 3 with no issues, great on gas, cruises 30mph, gets into skinny water, needs about 1 ft or so, even if you forget to put the plug in it, it won’t sink, did that once and never even knew it was out until I decided to run the bilge pump for the heck of it, when alot of water pumped out the light bulb in my brain went on and I realized I forgot the plug. Three were in the boat and we could not tell that it had water in it. I bought it about 4 yrs ago for about $6500, I don’t think I’ll ever sell it…by the way a GPS is a must around here, helps keep you off the low areas. Good Luck.
Bought my first in about '07, it was a '97 proline bay boat and I put a brand new yamaha 115 on it and loved it. I made lots of improvements on it, rod holders, t top/e box, hydraulic steering, stereo, etc. It just got better over time and I learned a lot about a lot of things. I never put a trolling motor on it and that was a mistake. With these ipolot trolling motors, I think it would change your life to have one, a buddy raves about his. I have my second boat now which is a bigger sea hunt and is better for offshore than inshore. My dad has my proline but it is kind of always for sale if you want pics or info, holla.
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Park right on top of them, it’s OK