First boat advice

[Triple droptine]

I have traditionally only ice fished but my 13 year old is taking a real interest in fishing so I would like to have the option to take him out in the summer when we have some free time. We have done some shore fishing but that is tough.

Have been thinking of getting a smaller aluminim fishing boat that is easy to get around in. I have found a number of 14' boats online with motors from 9.9 to 20 HP in a reasonable price range ($2000-$4000). Suspect we will only be using it a few times a year so not looking to go too crazy. Will be 4 people at most, probably 2 most of the time.

I have spent very little time in a boat so I what should I be looking for as far as boats, motors, trailers, etc? Any advice is appreciated. Thx.

[Kurt505]

I would spend the $4k on a 14’ Lund with a 25hp motor. I had a Lund 14’ deluxe and it was an awesome boat with a carpeted floor, livewell and rod locker with a 25hp Suzuki 2-stroke. I fished all over the place with that boat, it was deep and wide for its length. The deluxe might run you closer to $5k used but it is a great boat.

Stay away from shallow tinners, I had one, it was 14’ but felt like I was trying to ride a surf board. Riding the waves was like a life or death situation.

[Frank_NK28]

Buy yourself a deep 14' with a 25hp. Perfect size and power for your needs and with occasionally having 4 people you'll appreciate a deeper hull and enough power to get on plane.

[Drewski Canuck]

X3 on more HP. Kids grow, and bring friends.

Get as deep a boat as you can handle. Nothing worse than a shallow boat in heavy waves.

Most 15 HP are not enough with 3 adults to get on plane.

It works better with at least a 20 HP and they still idle down pretty good for trolling.

Also, it helps to get some proper boat seats. The kids may be OK but your back will thank you if you have a folding boat seat.

[jungleboy]

Yep 14 ft deep and wide is the way to go . Your kid will want to bring a friend and room to move disappears fast in a 12 ft boat

[Stinky Buffalo]

Agreed with all of the above!

Also, if you don't have a truck to tow it with, or if you camp with a trailer and still want to have a boat along, take a good look at the inflatables.

I used a cheap Intex Mariner with a trolling motor up until this year (two or three of us at a time). We outgrew it now, though, and now have a small runabout.

[TROLLER]

if IT IS possible make sure the trailer is a bunk model not rollers. Rollers in the wind are the worst.

You can switch over to bunks for not a lot, Bass sells them.

[Garlicmarshmellow]

Stay within your budget for your first boat. I was in the same situation a while ago. I had a 14 foot sea nymph with a 20 hp and it was good for a few years until the kids got bigger and upgraded to a 16' tinner. Save some money to afford to buy and install drop in seats. Those clamp on seats are alright but tend to loosen up unless you install angle brackets to hold them in place. If you ae new to boating stay closer to the launch until you are comfortable handling the boat especially in waves. Bring a friend that has boating experience with you at some point to get a better handle on what or how to operate your boat better and safer. Get a fish finder, I bought mine for less than 300 bucks and its a key component to finding structure and fish. Practice, practice backing up the trailer. Nothing more stressful than trying to back down a launch and the folks are staring at you and the more stress the more things go sideways. Research size, dimensions, and reviews of the boats you are considering. Doesn't have to be a lund but its a good place to start your comparisons to other boats specs. Someone asked me the other day how I liked my boat and I said it changed my life. Love my days on the boat and has provided numerous new adventures that I didn't have without one. PM me if you want. I now have a 16' alumacraft v16 nd love it. Start with a tiller too. Consoles take up a lot of useable space and can increase trouble shooting if something goes wrong. With a tiller, the only problem is at one point, the engine

[SamSteele]

A flat floor adds weight but makes the boat a lot nicer to move around in. Some brands have removable floors as an option or you can make one. It helps keep things from rolling into the middle, keeps stuff out of any water that might get in the boat (rain, splashing when hitting waves, etc) and you are less likely to stumble.

One thing I didn’t see is what bodies of water you want to fish? If you want to do the smaller trout ponds a 12’ with an electric will do fine. If you are wanting to fish bigger lakes the size of boat and motor will change.

Most smaller tin boats are riveted hulls. If you are looking used you want to check the rivets to make sure they look tight. Loose rivets can be fixed pretty easily but it’s an indication that the boat may have been used heavily or the aluminum could be a lower grade.

[Triple droptine]

Thanks for all the great advice guys, much appreciated. I am looking at smaller lakes but bigger than trout ponds. A 14' with a 25 HP sounds like a great size and I have adjusted my searches to rule out those with a smaller motor (9.9 seems popular). Found one good one but I was working and it went quickly.

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by Triple droptine

Thanks for all the great advice guys, much appreciated. I am looking at smaller lakes but bigger than trout ponds. A 14' with a 25 HP sounds like a great size and I have adjusted my searches to rule out those with a smaller motor (9.9 seems popular). Found one good one but I was working and it went quickly.

The reason 9.9s are popular is that some smaller lakes have a max of 10 hp. That’s why decal kits are popular. Guys buy 15 hp and decal them as if they are 9.9s.

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

The reason 9.9s are popular is that some smaller lakes have a max of 10 hp. That’s why decal kits are popular. Guys buy 15 hp and decal them as if they are 9.9s.

I thought you had to register anything 10hp and up so guys get 9.9hp and don’t have to register?

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

I thought you had to register anything 10hp and up so guys get 9.9hp and don’t have to register?

There is that too. But if a 15 hp has 9.9 decals I’m guessing it isn’t registered either.

[freshtinov]

Most 9.9 and 15 four stroke engines are the same dimensions and weight. Same motor cover etc you’d never know unless you look at the VIN number