Imgonnamissher

I posted a few hours ago about an ad on craigslist. Based on the replies here, I got to thinking, what exactly are the pros and cons of going with a used boat from a dealer vs. a used boat on craigslist. Part of the problem here is that I know relatively little about boats, but I gotta start somewhere. The way I figure it so far is as follows: Dealer (assuming a reputable dealer): Pay more Some sort of warranty, either factory or dealer Payment system (still really want to avoid that though) Package deals where everything has been checked out already Paperwork completed more easily for titles and whatnot. Craigslist: Lower prices Could piece a boat together over time No guarantee on the boat or the person selling it No warranty In some cases, person may not know much about the boat Obviously, the lower prices from craigslist are the best part about the private seller type sources, but would the extra information and possible warranty be worth the extra money from a dealer? As an aside, which aluminum boat brands tend to have the best warrantees?

Well, no title and a long drive equal no boat. Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated.

I've seen a few people ask for advice about a boat ad on here before, so heregoes... http://easternshore.craigslist.org/boa/1636220813.html The guy said the boat has no hull damage that he knows of, and that the boat was obtained in a barter and he has no use for it. The boat looks solid, but I know you can tell only so much from pictures. I am thinking that for the price, even if only the hull is in good shape, its still a good deal for 800 bucks. Problem is no one will be there on Saturday if I go to look at it, and the guy doesn't seem to have much more to say about the boat. It's a bit of a drive away as well, but if it's one of those awesome deals, I'd hate to let it slip away...what do you guys think, is this worth a look, or should I hold off?

Yep, definitely not looking for a lot of bells and whistles on this craft. In fact, the idea of a 16 footer with any kind of gas motor is a step up from my original thoughts of a small jon boat with only an electric. A large part of the reason I wanted to go a bit bigger was because of the safety factor (just welcomed our first into the world, and if he is even a fraction as klutzy as his mother, we'd need a cruise ship sized deck to keep him dry). Also, since this would be my first boat, I'm more concerned with getting the handling basics down first, then adding other items or steps in after. I just figured that sixteen feet would be a good size boat to start with and "grow in to" as a beginning boater. As an aside, for a sixteen footer, with regards to the myriad electric only locations, how much power do I need from the motor, and how long could I expect it to last as long as I'm not running all over the lake?

First off, hello all. Been a member for a while but don't post much. The wealth of information is fantastic though, and I owe a lot of my angling success last year to this site, so sincere thanks is an order. As for my boat question, I am having a hard time deciding what type of craft and motor I should be looking at getting for the area I will be living in and the types of fishing I will be doing. Couple this with my complete inexperience with boating aside from personal watercraft, and I am not even sure where to begin. Soon, my wife and I will be moving to the area between Hanover and York PA. I looked at many of the lakes in the area, and most are electric only. Lake Marburg seems to be the only major lake nearby that allows gas motors, with a 20 hp limit. Nearby is the Susquehanna, which I would hope to fish as far upstream as possible, all the way down to the flats by Havre De Grace. Furthermore, my parents live in Southern Maryland, and while I understand that whatever boat I end up with will most definitely not be good for the open waters of the bay, I am hoping to find something that I can simply tow down there and fish the more sheltered areas of the bay, as well as portions of the Patuxent (especially near the Benedict Bridge down to Solomons Island) and the Potomac (upstream from Point Lookout). Now, due to my inexperience, I am not sure if there is a type of craft that would fit the bill for all of the above situations. Obviously, pushed to choose, I would want a boat that I can use more often closer to home (the lakes and Susquehanna). My main concerns will be safety, ease of handling, and room enough for two people to stand comfortably and cast or three people to sit and fish together. In my mind, I am picturing a 16 foot Deep V or Mod V with at least a 15 horse motor and a 55 lb. thrust trolling motor. I will have roughly 2500 to 3000 grand to spend up front, and of course, money here and there down the line for modifications (but want to avoid making monthly payments). I certainly want aluminum, and for the price, used is my only option. So, in closing, am I on the right track for the type of boat, or do I still have no idea what I am talking about? Also, should I bother looking at used boat dealers, or should I just go through craigslist or other similar sources (if there are any you recommend, please let me know). I have looked through the information through this site, and as I said, I love reading through, but advice for my location and with my limitations in mind would be very helpful.

Glad to hear you're getting into fly fishing. I'm assuming that since you posted in this forum you'd be going after trout with that outfit, but don't neglect the warm water species; bass are my favorite species to fly fish for. As for advice, I'm far from an authority, but if I may tell you a few things I wish I had really known (or listened to when someone told me) when I started... -Don't get caught up in the "match the hatch" mentality early on. It'll drive you crazy, and it develops overtime. Google "Searching patterns for fly fishing" or something along those lines. The flies that come up are great because they catch some fish most of the time. -Searching patterns: woolly buggers and their variations (olive works great, black is excellent too), the Adams and Elk Hair Caddis dry flies, Hare's Ear and pheasant tail nymphs, a beetle or ant pattern, and a popper for bass and you can fish in a lot of places. -Practice casting. I would guess that a vast majority of the fish I catch are keying in on the fact that the fly was presented the right way at the right time (i.e. a reaction strike by casting a dry fly right under an overhanging bush, or ripping a streamer past a stump) instead of "matching the hatch". -Finally, get a mentor who can help you out on the stream for a little while. I learned almost entirely on my own, and it seemed like forever before I felt confident in my ability to catch fish. A good mentor could cut that time by 2/3 if not more. -Lastly, practice everything on sunfish. They're a hell of a lot more forgiving than trout, and you can get plenty of experiences with line management, hook setting on dry flies, nymphs, and streamers, and, quite frankly, a slab of a bluegill on a four or five weight is one of my favorite fly fishing experiences. I hope this helps. Fly fishing seems more complicated that it really is by far.

I've looked on the PFBC site for stocking reports or surveys, but could not find what I was looking for. I know the Susquehanna is only an hour away, but I was wondering if there were any areas in Adams that would be worth checking for catfish for times when a few hours is all I got and don't have the time to do much traveling.

Excellent...I'd make a mother in law joke here but that might not be in good taste... ;D However, it finally occurred to me to check the specs on my vehicle, and it says that it has a 1000 pound towing capacity. Five or six hundred pounds doesn't seem like much of a stretch at all then.

Total boat newb here. I have two four cylinder cars at my disposal, one of which has a thule rack. Works great for the canoe and the kayak, but if the stars align here in the next few months, I could be looking at getting a small aluminum boat when we move into Pennsylvania. I could get a ten foot jon and car top it, but after looking at the weights of the riveted jons on the tracker website, I wonder if a four cylinder could handle towing a 12-14' (125-160#) jon on a trailer with a battery (or two), and a trolling motor. I realize this is not ideal, but I have no intentions of heading down I-95 at 75 mph with a rig like this. I am looking more at towing it on country roads to area lakes and parks. Is this possible, or should I just get a car topper and wait until I have something more powerful to tow a rig like the one described?

I don't have a boat (yet), but in line with the Thule and Yakima fans, in addition, they have something they call their "canoe carrier" attachments. All they are are brackets ( for lack of a better word) for the purpose of keeping the canoe from moving side to side. Works like a charm for me, and I expect they will work fine for a light aluminum soon. That said, four tie down points and a quick check every few miles should do the trick.

Can anyone tell me the approximate times a canoe float trip would take from the Greenbush launch to the Costigan launch, and/or Greenbush to the Old Town launch off of 43 by Indian island? Any advice, tips, warnings? Gonna try it on the holiday weekend with the wife and camera and then again solo with the fly and spinning gear. There will be fishing done on both trips, but I would be anchoring and a little more thorough on the second trip.

Just got back from the Spring Break vacation visiting the In Laws. We checked out Gettysburg and Harrisburg and my wife got a job offer at a facility half an hour west of Gettysburg after an interview. Fishing-wise, it would seem that (within a half hour radius) the Harrisburg area offered more warm water options, whereas Gettysburg will be offering more small stream and trout fishing, however, I would think that once I did some searching, there is probably plenty of bass water nearby that I'll learn about once we're there. One thing I like about Gettysburg is how close it is to the Maryland line and the fishing in Carroll and Frederick county. Thanks again to all who added their two cents.

The river is not a huge priority, especially since I'll still be less than an hour from it. My first priority is going to be finding the nearest place I can catch a few sunfish without access trouble or too far away from my residence. No super secret location stuff, just the easiest fishing I can find for when I want to kill an hour after work or something. Where I'm at now, I have a couple of spots close by where I can expect to catch a few sunnies no matter what. Definitely needed as a stress reliever. After I find those spots, then I worry about branching out and finding the better waters. As for visiting, we have not visited the area yet, but everyone I have talked to has had very positive things to say about Gettysburg, and my wife has a lot of family in the Hanover area, so we're not too worried. Still going to do some serious scouting in all the areas I mentioned earlier though just in case.

I'm with you on this one, the bass are here stay, and they bring in money for guiding, tackle sales, etc., but how much money gets thrown back at them to improve the fisheries further or conduct any research on them? Maine is a (the) great brook trout state, but how many people out there think of the smallmouth fishing first? I would think as many licenses if not more are sold for bass over trout up here. As for the pike...one question I have always had was...haven't pike and trout or salmon co-existed for eons? I mean, the wild fish don't seem to have problems getting along. I would guess that the pike eat the dumb stocked fish and people just get irritated that some pike would have the audacity to eat "their" fish. Please pardon the rant...but in a few more years, how many people will be paying for guides to put them on some pike?

Do you mind me asking what your ice-out tactics are? I don't usually end up catching any bass at all until mid May...I was hoping to put an end to that this year.

I'm of the same mindset as you man. I gotta stick with the flies and lures I'm not good at and be more patient. Goals: Get better with soft plastics in general, but especially the shaky head and Texas rig, become more proficient with Clouser minnows, better casting with conventional and fly tackle, and the most important is finding the fish and being confident in my choices. I feel like I either fished way too much vacant water this year, or I passed over good numbers of fish because I didn't stay long enough to figure them out. Less realistic goals: Get a boat, get my wife to enjoy fishing enough to spend some time out on the water without dying of boredom, and get my neurotic psychopath dogs, Belle and Tucker, to calm down enough to fish with me (one at a time of course...both at once would scare every fish up to three lakes over).

It took me a couple of weeks once I moved to Maine to realize that a "sewer trout" was the nickname for bass. I actually ended up in a job interview position where I mentioned I "enjoy" fishing (I try to downplay how much I love it, I don't want any potential employers to wonder if I would actually call in sick to go fishing...I would). Anyway, I'm really trying to get this job, because of budget cuts, and the interviewer mentioned the time he threw a four pounder into the brushes on the banks of one of the Machias lakes to die. I said as tactfully as I could that I would never do that to a fish I wasn't going to eat, and left it at that. I'm glad I let it go after that because I got the job, and thankfully I didn't have to work with the schmuck after that instance. Regarding pike, I figure they're here to stay, so I have no intentions of killing anything I catch unless I'm going to eat it. Personally, I'd rather toss the bucket biologists that introduced them into the water before I threw the fish onto the bank.

Will do! We're going to be moving this summer. I can't wait to go after the bass with my fly gear. Up here in Maine we have a ton of smallies, but I'm looking forward to going after the bucketmouths too. Gotta tie up some mouse and frog patterns.

Thanks for the reply! Out of the three areas, I would want to live closer to Harrisburg is possible. Interestingly enough, it looks like Gettysburg has been pushed to the forefront because of a potential job opening for my wife. Even though it's farther from the Susquehanna, I gotta say that I think I would prefer teaching in a rural school over a city school based on my experiences.

I am not sure if this is the right forum, but I was wondering what people had to say about living in the Harrisburg, Lancaster, York triangle with regards to crime, traffic, and other personal feelings on the topic. I know I can search for stats online, but I am more curious on what people think from their own experiences. My wife and I are still extremely excited to be moving closer to home, but even though the in laws are right over the MD line, we don't know the PA area particularly well. Maine has spoiled us I suppose, but before that we lived in Hyattsville MD and Takoma Park, so I suppose you could say we're used to extremes either way. Incidentally, we have no intention of living in the cities themselves, but rather in the suburban or rural areas nearest to whatever jobs we land, so any comments on the smaller towns within commuting distance would be greatly appreciated. Also, on a somewhat related note, many people are saying the Susquehanna is a shadow of its former self. I am wondering if this means all the big fish are gone and you could still expect to catch a few smaller bass, or if the entire population of bass is truly dwindling. I don't mind a day of catching smaller bass, but as a relative newb listening to people who have competed in tournaments, I sometimes wonder if what is acceptable fishing for a good time for me (catching ANYthing) is skewed from what the more experienced anglers consider a good time or a quality fishery.

Honestly, the fly rod is great at putting pressure on the fish using light line. I asked a guide once about catching larger fish on fly rods, and he said that because of the extra length you can turn the fish easily, and protect lighter tippets. Incidentally, the next day, the guide's client hooked a sizable tiger muskie (maybe 40 inches) on the Potomac with a six weight (bass fishing with a fly rod generally calls for a 7-8 weight) and the guy was able to land the fish in less than 15 minutes. He had the picture on the website for a while. He might still. All in all though, I generally don't feel too comfortable fighting a fish for extended periods of time. I've never felt like that was an issue with the fly rod.

Greetings all. Just joined up after a week's worth of lurking. Thus far I like that people are willing to help others out from what I've read. A lot of boards have a bit too much ego running around, but this is a great place to learn. About me: started fishing in Maryland from the banks of the Chesapeake and any pond I could get access to. Moved to Alaska, caught a few salmon, then to Maine where I have really gotten into fly fishing (trout are great, but gimme a smallie any day). While fly fishing is my chosen method, I really do enjoy any method of fishing, and I believe what I learn in one method can help me improve in all areas eventually. Now, as a result of budget cuts, the wife and I are looking at moving to South Central/East Pennsylvania (Lancaster/Harrisburg...maybe York but it's a little close to the mother in law). It's happening this summer but I'm going nuts thinking about the Susquehanna, the Juniata, and the sheer number of waters there are to enjoy, not to mention the Gunpowder just over the line by the in-laws and the fact my my parents are still right by the bay in Calvert MD. Furthermore, once I get established in PA, one thing I am very interested in is getting more involved in clubs and organizations, especially ones that spend some or all of their focus on education and youth programs (I'm a science teacher). Alright, enough rambling, I'm glad to be a part of this board. Thanks all! -Chris