Brett's_daddy

I'll try to find a 14 - 15ft. boat. I don't want a jon boat...I'd rather fish from shore. If I'm getting a boat it';s going to have decks, side console and a livewell...I'll just try to find something smaller.

The largest boat I'm looking at would ben 16ft. aluminum. Like i said, that Lowe I'm looking at lists at a dry weight of 484lbs. and I can't expect a 35hp older motor would weigh more than 150lbs. so you're looking at 634lbs. with boat and motor and I'm guessing the trailer probably isn't more than 350lbs. so all totaled that's 984lbs. Am I guesstimating this correctly?

I'm talking bass boats. I think I've been persuaded against fiberglass as there's just too much of a risk of expensive repair on the older fiberglass boats as compared to the aluminum ones that my budget can afford.

Dully noted! Thanks for the input. I really do appreciate all of you lending me a hand in the decision making process!!!

How about this boat... http://newlondon.craigslist.org/boa/5493051930.html The guy who owns it says the whole thing, boat, trailer and motor only weight about 800lbs. or so...says he can easily move it around his yard by hand if he has to. I know it's fiberglass and while I'm not really looking for that it does look like a nice boat. Here's what he said in an email to me: Hello, The boat is in great condition. All the decking is fiberglass with no soft spots throughout the boat. The seats are all in good condition with no noticeable cuts, rips, or tears. The boat does have a live well with an aerator that is hooked up to the driving seat controls. The boat is set up for bass fishing and has two pedestal seats as well as an interchangeble leaning post for the bow of the boat. There are also pole holders mounted throughout the boat. There is no trolling motor included however there is a spot in the bow to install one with full electricity wires through the boat. The motor is the real seller in this deal. The boat motor and trailer were a package deal all made and installed in 1988. The motor is projected to have less then 100 hours on it and has never seen salt water. Engine also has stabilizers over the prop to help the boat plane off. Also waterpump was just replaced this previous season and runs very strong. The outboard alone was recently valued at over 4K. The package also includes two gas tanks as well. The trailer is in pristine condition, with new tires all around and working lights. There is also a custom cover for the boat as well. The reason I am selling is that I bought the boat for my business and I now need a bigger vessel, which is also why I am pricing the boat at less than it is worth to ensure a speedy sale, however I am very firm at the 3k price. If you are interested more I can send you more pics as well as a video of the motor running. Thanks -Bob

What about this boat... http://newlondon.craigslist.org/boa/5493051930.html

I looked it up and according to NADA the boat itself weighs 484lbs. plus a 35hp Johnson motor and trailer...what do you think we're looking at total? I have a guy trying to sell me a 14ft. Glasstream fiberglass boat with a 40hp Johnson motor and trailer and he says he thinks the whol package weighs around 800lbs., said that he can easily pick it up and move it by hand in his yard.

Does 700lbs. sound right to you for a 1986 Lowe 16ft. aluminum boat with a 40hp motor and trailer? That's what the guy selling it says it weighs. I looked on Bass Trackers web site and the smallest boat they sell is the Pro Team 160 and that with trailer and 20hp motor lists at 1450lbs.

Well, the biggest boats I'm looking at are 16ft. aluminum boats like Trackers, Lund, Lowe etc. My CR-V is all-wheel drive and not sure if that would help or not?

Nice to know, thanks!!!

Okay, since I know nothing about boats I would really appreciate some help determining which boats are good and which boats i should stay away from so I'm just going to list some names of the boats I've been looking at and if anyone could weigh in on whether they are good or bad that would really help me sift through all the boats for sale (keep in mind due to my budget we're probably talking about mid to late 80's or early 90's. Lund Tracker Lowe Sea Nymph Fisher Grumman Glasstream Gemini Mirocraft Smokercraft Skeeter Ebbtide ...there are probably others but those are the ones i can remember off the top of my head. If you know of other kinds good or bad feel free to list them. Thanks!!!

I have a 2014 Honda CR-V and it's rated for a max towing capacity of 1500lbs. I just wondered if other people out there are towing their boats with smaller SUV's like CR-V's and Rav4's etc.? Do you have any problems with it?

How about Glasstreams...are they any good?

How about Lund and Lowe...are they good too?

I'm glad it sold too. It seemed like a great boat but the seller was an ass. I had a bunch of questions for him regarding the boat...I'm a boat beginner so naturally I have a lot of questions and with my budget being what it is I can't afford to make a mistake...this guy after he told me the boat was sold said I should stop asking questions and instead go look at a boat. Do you believe that! I replied back and said I have this thing called a job...I can't just drop everything to go look at a boat and I said are you seriously telling a boat beginner to stop asking questions? He never replied back but I am so glad I didn't buy his boat...lol.

I'm in the market for a small bass boat and have a limited budget of about $3000. I've seen a couple of ads for aluminum boats in the mid - late 80's that say stuff like everything new last year, electrical, decks, bilge pump, flooring, seats, new paint, motor redone by a professional boat mechanic etc., etc. Are these boats worth $2500 - $3000?

Yeah, where I live in Vermont the biggest body of water is Lake Champlain and I don't plan on going out there any time soon. I'll mostly stick to small lakes/ponds where shore is always within site .

I was looking at 16ft. Ebbtide Dyna Trak but it sold :(. What I'm looking for is a small 14 - 17ft. boat with front and rear decks and side console. It doesn't need to be too fancy but a trolling motor and fish finder would be nice...it really just needs to be a solid and dependable boat that I can have fun on with my son and wife. I do have a very tight budget of about $2500 - $3000 dollars. I know that limits me but it is what it is.

That would be the local Honda dealer. I did get tipped off about U-haul and called...$344 installed with a lifetime warranty.

so is that a good or bad thing?

I'm looking for something with an interior, front/rear decks and side console. That's it, I'm on a very tight budget. This is my first boat...I just want something that me and my son (and wife) can have a fun day of fishing on. We mostly just fish small lakes/ponds and most likely wouldn't be going on really big bodies of water. My budget was small to begin with but shrunk even more when I found out it's going to cost $800 to get my vehicle set up for towing (hitch and wiring harness) so I'm most likely looking at about $2500 - $2700 max boat budget.

I have been looking almost exclusively at aluminum hulls but have recently stumbled across a nice looking deal on a small fiberglass boat and am not sure of the advantages or disadvantages of fiberglass vs. aluminum.

If you're only fishing on small lakes and ponds will you really see the benefit of a v-hull?

What are the pros/cons of a flat bottom boat vs. a v-hull boat? We're talking smaller craft in the 12ft. - 17ft. range. Also what are the pros/cons of a welded hull vs. a riveted hull?

I contacted the guy this afternoon and he said the boat sold this morning...d**n it...lol.