Hey guys!!! I am in the market to purchase my first boat. I have only 1 problem. What boat should i get????!!! I am not a tournament angler but Im not opposed to fishing in 1. Mostly your average weekend angler. I just have no idea what I need vs what I want. Any input would be greatly appreciated!!!

Specifics would help...

price range, glass or tin, etc

What's your budget? Where do you fish? What are you going to pull it with? Do you have a place to store it? What else do you fish for? Do you have any experience owning or running a boat?

 

Lets see if I can give you some easy questions to answer and those answers will help us make some informed suggestions.  Let me say I have owned 11 boats in 40 years, so I am asking these in order to give you an answers from hard learned lessons.. My boats  have included canoes, aluminum jon boats, aluminum bass boats, and 2 fiberglass rocket ships. I have changed boats mostly as the demands of the bodies of water I fish have changed.

1 Look at the bodies of water you would fish with it. Are they small ponds, small lakes, small creeks and small rivers, larger deeper rivers, big lakes or big tidal bodies like the Chesapeake Bay or California Delta?

2 Are you looking for a boat to fish a body of water that will have a horsepower restriction? Perhaps electric only?

3 What is your budget?

What area do you live in?  Scott F was right to include species of fish and yes what will you tow it with or would you just load it in the back of or on top of a pickup?  

Species of fish matters because if you want to fish a species that trolling will be a technique then certain type hulls lend themselves to doing that.  Anyway answer these please and I will try to help you. Also I am sending you an article my friend wrote. It will cover lots of details on buying a used  boat. Get yourself a glass of your favorite beverage, find a comfy chair and spend a bit of time reading Bryan's article. I think he covered the basics and most of the advanced details. He wrote it as he was spiffing up one boat to sell and purchase another.  These are all of the things he put together and as you will find he is an advance boater with many years of experience. 

I'll just welcome you to the forums  

I fish out of a kayak so not much help for your
question. Good luck and I'm sure you'll find the
suggestions you need to steer you in the right
direction.

What boat should you get?  That is really only a question you can answer.  I have a bass boat and a canoe that I fish from.  Each has its place.  I enjoy the canoe as much as the big flashy bass boat.  Let's say I suggest you get a canoe.  There are members of the forum who prefer kayaks, others, jon boats, others prefer Pelican/Bass Hunter type of boats.  Others have and prefer a twelve to fourteen foot aluminum round bottom boats.  That is why none of us is qualified to tell you what type of boat to get.

I have a Nitro, and am perfectly happy with it, while others hate them.

Fishing has something for everyone, hence the endless variety of boats designed for fishing.  I wouldn't begin to tell anyone what type of boat they should get.

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~

Congrats on being in the market for your first boat, but now the Real work begins.

You have a lot of decisions to make well before you start looking.

Think of your new boat as a tool and choosing the best one for the job is important.

So although the membership here is most knowledgeable and very willing to share their vast experience, you'll need to offer much more in the way of information.  Factors like Where & How you fish, are you looking at a new or pre-owned purchase, what is your experience owning, maintaining and running a boat, motor & trailer.  These things matter and that's just for starters.

Help us out and we'll have a much better chance of successfully helping you out.

A-Jay

 

Determine your needs

Determine your wants

Determine your budget

Find a happy median

 

What type of lakes do you fish?