Was originally looking at a larger kayak but figured I just needed to move to a smaller aluminum boat. I'm seeing over and over that everyone says don't go smaller than 16' saying the extra room makes that big of a difference. I'm looking at a used Lund fury and the 1400 is actually 14'9" and the 1600 is 16' 2" so literally less than a foot and a half. I'll mostly be fishing alone in inland lakes and so I don't mind a smaller engine either. This will be my first boat so I'm green. Can someone please explain to me the rationale for why people are pushing the 16' minimum? Thanks.

Does the 14’ have a rod locker? I had a 14’ bomber and I had to load/unload all my rods each trip, from the house to car then car to boat. It might not seem like a lot of time but it adds up. Also fishing two in the 14’ was cramped. The only time I wish I had a smaller boat was when I push pole way back in the pads, but I’m glad for having a 18’ now for all other situations.

Always want the boat to be bigger than the alligator or Bull Shark.  ?

41 minutes ago, Junger said:

Does the 14’ have a rod locker? I had a 14’ bomber and I had to load/unload all my rods each trip, from the house to car then car to boat. It might not seem like a lot of time but it adds up. Also fishing two in the 14’ was cramped. The only time I wish I had a smaller boat was when I push pole way back in the pads, but I’m glad for having a 18’ now for all other situations.

It does but max 7' rods and that's only 2 of my 8 which is definitely one of the downsides I thought of as well. Part of the reason for moving away from a kayak was all the loading and unloading which I don't want to have to worry about.

47 minutes ago, cyclops2 said:

Always want the boat to be bigger than the alligator or Bull Shark.  ?

We were drifting, fishing for fluke (flounder) in a 26 ft cc within sight of the Montauk light house a few years back. I was sitting on the gunnel, and as I picked up my line, I looked down and see something straight down about 15 to 20 feet down under the boat. I wasn't wearing sun glasses, and I squinted to try to make it out, and to me it looked like 2 sunfish (mola mola, not bluegill) side by side, each maybe 6 feet long, about 4 feet apart. Try as I might I couldn't get a really good look. So I say to the 3 other guys in the boat "hey look, molas" Well they lean over and look down all with Costas on. I forget who exclaimed the expletives and who reared back suddenly, but they did both. Mind you these were a commercial fisherman, and two charter captains. Well, it turns out what I thought were the 2 molas, was actually either side of the head of a white shark, I don't think it was as long as the boat, but it was close. 

One consideration is can the boat be garaged with flooding tongue trailer. Garaged boats you can keep everything in the boat without a cover out the elements.

Bass anglers fish using a trolling motor, you need space for the TM and front pedestal seat.

Tom

 

 

18 years old & in a 12' hunting duck boat. Row up to the Fish Canning factory on Sunday. looking at & under the docks for any activity. See a cloud of  brown baitfish. I make several casts. No takers. Last cast As I retrieve the school of bait fish start following the lure back. Stop cranking as I see 2 large eyes in the blob down there. I freeze completely. The shark head is almost as wide as my boat. I am getting cramps from the position I have been in forever. He goes back to his spot . I very slowly row far away.  I never went back to that spot in 74 years. In any boat.