Boat Reccomendations
Contributors to this thread:Bowfishing
From: TurkeyBowMaster
28-Apr-14
I need a boat for hunting, fishing, and bowfishing. Will be used in a river with yot and barge traffic but will try to avoid those if at all possible. Would like to have live well but might can get by without that. Any recommendation of what to look for and prices. Looking to go used.
From: Brotsky
28-Apr-14
I'd say you were looking for something with a flat bottom, rugged, and able to handle some water like a War Eagle. However I'm not sure an Alabama guy could in good conscience hunt out of something with "war eagle" on the side of it.
From: Pyrannah
28-Apr-14
i would think all welded aluminium is a must.. You looking for jet or prop?
I have a 18' crestliner bass boat with carpet and wish i would have gone a different route..
What kind of depth of water would you be fishing in? Is it a rocky area? Does the water get rough and choppy?
good luck in your search but i think once you narrow down what you are looking for then, start looking at mfr..
good luck
From: Buffalo1
28-Apr-14
15-17' all welded aluminum hull front and rear casting decks console steering live well 25-50 hp outboard/ electric start electric trolling motor
tilt style trailer
Hulls brands I would look at are G5, War Eagle and Ranger This set up can handle small ponds, reservoirs and Tenn/Tom Waterway barge traffic. Rig offers fuel economy, safety and trailering economy.
From: TODDY
28-Apr-14
Alumacraft Waterfowler 16. I had the 15 and it worked great for all things you mentioned except the bowfishing. The 16 is a lot more stable and has the rails to put carriage bolts in so you can make a removable platform to mount a bowfishing platform.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
28-Apr-14
Water is choppy most fo the time and yaht traffic produces some 3,foot swells. I might have to wait for a dream boat like Buffalo1 mentioned but who knows, I might run across one cheap. The kids want to bowfish and I do too. There is lots of boat access hunting and unlike what I am use to hunting some of these areas produce some 150 class animals. I need to sell one of my junk vehicles and buy a scooter to go to work on and I can save enough $ to pay for the boat.
From: ElkCrazy
28-Apr-14
I have a tri hull style deck boat that does pretty good in choppy water as the tri hull stays more stable than the v hull. The flat deck top is great for bowfishing, kind of like a pontoon would be but much faster. They are more expensive than the above mentioned but can haul a heck of a load. All in what you are looking to spend.
From: TODDY
28-Apr-14
Look up Mille Lacs lake in MN. Took the Alumacraft 15 out on it in 3-4 footers many times. You need to be smart about boat control no matter what boat you are in. For strickly bowfishing only you can't get much better than a trihull like Elkcrazy mentioned.
From: Jbow
28-Apr-14
Sea ark jon boats are hard to beat. Mine is 18 foot with a 8 foot beam. Also deep with a flat bottom. Sits up high in the water, so it gets into some real shallow areas. Awesome duck hunting, carp shooting boat. It's also nice for fishing. I can shoot 4 guys off the deck I put on the front. Lots of room!
From: APauls
28-Apr-14
You're wasting your money. I heard there are no 150's in Alabama. But good luck in your search for a boat.
From: Candor
28-Apr-14
check out some of the used boats on the duck hunting forums (like www.refugeforums.com) in late January/February when all the duck guys are selling their rigs to get a new one. I've duck hunted on some rivers with barges and didn't really have a problem with the wake of a barge even with a flat bottom as long as I approached it correctly. That said I think a semi-v might be nearly as good as a flat for shallows and give you a bit more of a break in the chop...ie it's a very good compromise point. I'm hard on boats...but that said I don't think very many people actually truly need all the benefits of some of the tougher Al boats (aluminum not Alabama). Excel, G3, Duracraft or even some of the mudboats (GT, GD...).
I like a tiller steering but if I was doing much fishing I might want that rear deck.
Like deerstands ...there is no one perfect one. You need to buy 2 boats. Then a third.
From: Bill in MI
28-Apr-14
I have a 16 foot tracker modified v, jon boat with a 50 horse merc on it. I run miles and miles on the main and side channels of the Mississippi. Between silted in log jammed channels, barely sub-surface wing dams, and giant barge traffic, I'd say it gets the job done (4 guys, stands, and gear for a day).
From: WapitiBob
28-Apr-14
I've got a 10' Avon....
From: bb
29-Apr-14
I have a Lund Alaskan, It can take some surprisingly rough water, I use it in salt water, is very stable, light enough to tow easily behind a 1/2 ton truck or similar type vehicle.
From: Pintail
29-Apr-14
I agree that the 16-18 ft Jon boats are really nice but, trying to find one used for a good price is pretty tough. I have hunted,fished and shot tons of carp from a 16ft deep "v" with a 25hp for years in all types of water and weather conditions. The older starcraft, mirrowcraft, alumacraft, Lund and Grummond are pretty easy to find and sometimes you come across one that can be a good deal.(1,000 or less) 25hp outboards are the same, a lot out there for a good deal(older models 1200+ newer expect 1800 and up. If you can find boat, motor and trailer for under 3000 think real hard) Riveted vs. welded if the price is right who cares? One thing about riveted boats, if you get in the habit of removing the motor from the boat and transport in the back of the truck your boat will remain leak free for years. Even with a support rod off the trailer, riveted boats will leak around the transom/keel area after a while.
From: StrutNut
29-Apr-14
I sold a 16 foot Crestliner Jon that I wish I still had. That would be a great budget boat as even new they are like 2k. Live well is an option I didnt have on mine. I ran a 20 horse on it and it moved out well, road shallow, and handled descent waves from barges on Lake Pepin to nice waves on Lake Osakis in MN, Lake Oahe in SD and I even had it on Mille Lacs. I bow fished out of it, duck hunted and fished out of it. Traded it on a 16 foot Lund Pike and regret that decision. Although it did slice through the waves better it wasnt nrear as good for everything else. The one I had was riveted but never had any issues including cutting ice with it. I had the 1648MT without the console. http://www.crestliner.com/cr-jons/1600-CR-Jon-Series/
From: wild1
29-Apr-14
Sounds like some very cool boats, BUT, I'd enjoy this thread a lot more with PICTURES!!!
From: Buffalo1
29-Apr-14
Here is a great example of the style boat that I am referring to. This boat has a 25 hp OB and runs 27MPH with one average size person.
From: Bigdan
30-Apr-14
Mine is a 15 ft Alaskan with a 40 hp Yamaha 4 stroke Jet with a tiller on it.
From: Pyrannah
30-Apr-14
big dan.. that is awesome!
how do you ever back that thing up?? lol
From: FullCryHounds
30-Apr-14
Got a great boat for sale, extremely reasonable. 21' Lund Pro V, 250 HP Merc. Comes with all kinds of extras. $22,000. Way below book value.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
30-Apr-14
Big Dan is set up right.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
30-Apr-14
$2900 ???
From: Joey Ward
30-Apr-14
The boat, trailer, and trolling motor may be worth $900.
That means there must be a hellova nice outboard on the back.
??
:-)
From: TurkeyBowMaster
30-Apr-14
Sorry...I thought I got it all. It had a yahama 25 and it looked brand new. The prop didn't have a scratch on it. Still?? Not what I want
From: Buffalo1
30-Apr-14
What year is hull, trlr, troll mtr, OB?
Where has boat been operatered - fresh or salt water?
Is hull riveted or all welded?
Live well- rod boxes?
OB tow bar? Bearing buddies?
Size of gas tank.
Mix fuel or auto oil mixer ?
Trolling motor- brand, shaft length, 11 or 24 volt system?
Just a few questions that come to mind.
From: Buffalo1
30-Apr-14
What gauge is the hull?
From: Joey Ward
30-Apr-14
Lets put it this way, I'd take your daddy's Kubota before I'd plunk down $2900 on that watercraft. :-)
Seriously, if you're really considering that, I'd offer $1700 for the whole kit and kaboodle. But may go as high as $2000 if the Yamaha is in excellent condition.
No more than that, though.
From: LBshooter
30-Apr-14
Alumaweld makes a tough boat. All aluminium is what you want with as wide of a beam as you can find. Hit craigslist in your area,molts of boats on there and too d deals too.
From: Joey Ward
30-Apr-14
Dan doesn't go through BK with all that.
He parks in the Wal-Mart lot, unloads the UTV, then drives IT through the drivethru.
Where he orders 2 #3's, a #6, and an extra order of onions rings. Large.
:-)
From: TEmbry
30-Apr-14
Up until I had to sell it last year, I had a 2072 SeaArk with a custom welded aluminum front deck elevated 18" off the gunnels and 6 150 HPS lights ran off a small genny.
Literally the best setup possible for bow fishing. Had a 90 HP Merc, only thing that would have made it better would be a 120-150HP engine to help it get up on plane a little better. The 90 would still push it 25-30 mph depending on water conditions though.
From: DC
01-May-14
DC's Link
Best Fishing Boat Ever!
From: Buffalo1
01-May-14
So where are we on TBM's boat purchase?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
01-May-14
Add some of that electro fishing to bowfishing, hunting, and regular fishing...I could fill a freezer quick like that.
From: JD
26-May-14
JD's Link
Couple of my friends have these. They are flat out bullet proof.
From: bigbear2
26-May-14
Every time I look at Dan's rig setup I smile....now that's a man on a mission.....also, I remember when I had a huge truck camper on a very lifted F250 and tore the awning off of a steak and shake drive thru....the awning crashed to the ground with glass breaking, bulbs blowing up and people screeching....
From: Genesis
27-May-14
Pondtoon Boat......Boatsandfishing.com out of Geneva Alabama
They are just finishing my levee for my 14 acre pond and this will be what I get
From: Heat
27-May-14
I have a older Sea Nymph 16 ft that is a great boat. I'm the second owner and this thing has never leaked a drop of water. Paid $1500 for boat, motor, and trailer. Everything is from the 80's but in working condition. My motor is a outboard 28 HP Johnson SPL. I think would have a tough time finding a deal like this again.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
27-May-14
Just what I am looking fot heat...too far to go to get it though.
From: NY Bowman
29-May-14
I have a 2070 Tracker Grizzly with a 115 Mercury 4 Stroke. I used it for bowfishing, striper fishing, duck hunting, and gator hunting. Pulls the kids on skis and tubes and I can run across some big waves. I use it often on the Hudson River in NY.
From: NY Bowman
29-May-14
Picture of boat.
From: NY Bowman
29-May-14
Picture of inside of boat on a recent gator trip!
From: 12yards
30-May-14
If you want an amazing custom built rig, check out Clark Boats in Bellevue, IA. They will make whatever you want and they are built like tanks.
