Hey, my dad and I are thinking about getting our first boat in a few months! But neither of us know all that much about it. We were thinking of a 14' Jon boat with a 25hp mercury 4-stroke, but is that too much power? and all of that plus a trailer and insurance... how much are we expecting to spend? We just want something low maitnense and can be used for freshwater AND saltwater. Please feel free to help us make the right decisions.

Getting your first boat is certainly one of life's more exciting purchases. The first thing I would probably do is determine what the budget is for the purchase. Next I would think about what type of fishing the boat would be primarily used for and the number of people that would usually be fishing from it. Another thing to at least keep in mind is making sure your vehicle is capable of towing whatever you end up buying. Someone once said that your boat is only as good as your trailer so don't skimp there, and the bigger the tires, the better. As far as size and features go, I think a 14 footer might be a bit short to have two guys casting but would certainly work if your fishing is more trolling oriented. For what it's worth I consider my trolling motor to be the feature I could simply not live without. I'm getting ready to upgrade my boat situation and have read almost every post in the Bass Boating section here on the forum. I'd take advantage of the next few months to learn, shop and compare. Once you have decided on what you are looking for be patient and make a smart deal. Good luck!

You will probably also want to get a trolling motor. For a handheld you can find them for as little as $100 or you can use a foot control which can be a little expensive, $250+.

Alright thanks, well let me fill in some of the blanks for you: the budget, we don't really know but something relatively on the cheaper side of the market. i'd like to be able to use the boat both for freshwater lakes and some saltwater rivers or inshore fishing and as for the people i think 3 as a maximum would be nice. we already have the vehicle situation figuered out, we just need to get a hitch.

make sure you buy a deep v style boat especially if you want to use it for salt also. and you will want to put a salt water trolling motor on it like the minn kota riptide, you can get into a transom mount riptide for about 200 buck's

good luck I will always remember mine

it was a 12 footer with an 8 horse chrysler

and a shakespeare sigma trolling motor.

aaahhhhhh the day's were a 6 gallon tank lasted two days 8)

at least 16' especially for 3 people, wide transom 48" preferably for stability. if using in saltwater get a saltwater type trolling motor or salt will eat ur investment. at least 25 h.p. kicker u can go lower h.p. but w/ 3 people in rough water u will wish u had at least 25h.p. the 1st. boat i fished out of for both fresh / salt was a fiberglass 16' tri-hull w/ 40h.p. and t.m , f.f. paid $2,000. like new. we even went out in ocean with it,( on calm days).

Salt water and aluminum don't make a good combination.  Slightly brackish ain't as bad but if planning on salt water, figure on a fiberglass boat.

1448 will do ok with three people (not three big adults though) but a larger boat would be much safer and more user friendly.  

From what you're describing, something like a 16 ft Carolina Skiff, with about a 50 hp saltwater motor would be closer to fitting your needs.  You should also get a galvanized trailer.

Alright thanks

Please heed that advice!

a 14 ft jon is no place for saltwater, I used to mess around tight inshore in a 16 tapered v and even that put me in a pinch often enough to not use it in salt anymore.  Flat bottom aluminum boats have no place in saltwater.

Jaime, I see from your profile that you live in Fla. When you say saltwater are you talking about inter-coastal fishing for Reds and Trout? If so, you might be able to get away with a 16' jon. Here in the Jacksonville area their are all sorts of good deals on used boats set up for both salt and fresh water, I'm sure it's pretty much the same where ever you live. Just make sure it's set up like all the other folks mentioned here so you can still fish for bass and bream (trolling motor).

Hope you and your Dad find what you're looking for.

Well the only main saltwater fishing I would be doing would be around Venice or Vero Beach