Ok, well i have fished all my life (from shore) and have recently decide that i want to purchase my first boat, the only problem is I am not well educated in this field. I found a nice looking jon boat that is already modified for fishing (it's a 14' Grumman fishing boat. comes with 2 small gas motors that need work, 2 trolling motors both in good working condition, live well, fish finder and EZ Loader Trailer), but i have no idea of what "red flags" to look for if i go to look at the boat. If any one has a list i could follow that would be greatly appreciated. It also says the motors need work he says it is just tune ups but if it needs a lot more i would rather buy another motor, only problem i don't know what is a good size. I found a mercury outboard 3.5 hp 4 stroke with a 20'' shaft. would that be enough hp to putz around a 2 mile lake on?

Thank You

Jim

I wouldn't put anything less than 15 hp on that, but that's just me. You've already gotten some "red flags". Motors that "just need tune-ups"??? I'd tell the guy to keep the motors, and run him down on the price for the boat only.

Not sure what you're budget is, but be patient and don't jump on the first thing that looks good. There's plenty of good deals out there to be had, and the season is just warming up.

Where in NY are you?

Thanks Javelin

im located in poughkeepsie, its about an hour and a half north of the city, and i was also wondering if there are also any specifics i should look for while looking at a boat?

Thanks again

Jim

What size waters do you plan to fish on a regular basis. 

While you can fish the largest ponds/lakes in a small boat, you are limited by weather, and the distance you may need to travel.

If you want to stand while fishing, you will need a boat that is reasonably stable, particularly since this is your first boat.

Find something that is reasonably priced, and in decent shape. 

You see people fishing from tubes, kayaks, canoes, jon boats and larger.  It all depends on preference and your goals of where you would like to fish.

You can usually get a better deal in a private sale, provided you know what to look for.  You are also more likely to get a pig in a poke in a private sale than buying from a dealer.

While some dealers don't care, most want you to be satisfied with your purchase.  It's how they make their living.  In a private sale, the seller is not dependent upon selling boats.

A small boat with a trolling motor will open a whole new world, greatly expanding your fishing horizons.  It will also be easier to tote around, launch and reload onto your vehicle or trailer.

Get your feet wet in something that is reasonably stable.  It may suit you to a tee.  When you are ready to move up to bigger and maybe better, you'll know what you don't like about your first boat, and what you do want in a boat.

I would get a bigger motor. I had a customized 14' jon with a 8 hp on it and with just me, it really did not get too fast. With 2 people forget about it.

As for what to look for, go over the hull inch by inch look for cracks (usually appear on stress points or on the welds), repair jobs (new welds, replaces rivets, custom brazing jobs, etc). Especially around the transom. Check the condition of the paint.

I would ask the owner to take it out for a couple hours. That way you can see if it leaks, how it handles, how stable it is, how low in the water it sits, etc.

Before you go throwing a motor on it, find out what it is rated for, and how much wiggle room you got as far as loading it with weight.

Once you have all that info, go out and be sure the price he is asking is within the norms for your area. Check Craigslist, boattrader.com, etc to ensure it is within some level of sanity.

Now the other question is whether this is the boat you want. To answer that I would look at the water you plan to fish (size, depth, boat population), the number of people/stuff you plan to take, type of fishing (shallow up on shore vs trolling, etc). Make sure this boat fills those needs and does not leave any unacceptable gaps.

I moded by own 14' and it was a great boat to fish from. I really enjoyed the crud out of it.

Thank you for the advice guys, this is very helpful

Good luck man. Either way, getting off the shore rocks. It was not too long ago I was shore bound.

Trust me on this one.  Get the biggest motor (within the boat's rated maximum of course) that you can afford.  A guy gave me some good advice when I told him I was considering a 115hp and my boat is rated for 135hp.  He told me I can always back down the 135hp and go slower but when you hit the wall on the 115, that's it.

What he said is totally true and in your case, you might be able to get by on that one lake with the 3.5hp but the day will come when you want to fish bigger water and you'll wish you had a bigger motor.  Do yourself a favor and just buy it from the get go.

I agree with thoroughly going over the boat and trailer. I'd go no less than a 42" bottom width jon boat for stability purposes. I would skip out on the outboards, and look for a working OB. Those non-running OB's could be easily repaired or real money suckers. Starting out is already expensive enough, so you need to allocate your funds towards registration, saftey equipment, batteries, rope, anchor, etc to get off the banks (your main goal) rather than pumping dollars in getting an OB up and running.

The 3.5 merc is way too underpowered for your vessel. Just my opinion, but putzing around with a 3.5 hp OB is an overstatement. Recommend you to check out youtube to get a ballpark idea how fast you'll be rolling with a 3, 5, 9.9, 15, 20+hp OB. Also verify if the transom is designed for a short or long shaft OB. I have a 14' jon with a 15hp OB and modded with large front deck and floors. I fish waters ranging from 30 ac - 400 ac. It scoots along just fine, but more hp is always disired. Good luck getting the boat monkey off!

hahaha, thank you everyone, i've found a nice looking 1998 G3 SV175 thats within my price range and i am looking into it, does anyone have any bad feelings toward the G3 brand or are they pretty reliable?

I don't have any experience with the G3s but they look like nice boats.  I have an aluminum and to be honest, it rides nicer than any fiberglass bass boat I've been in this side of a Ranger so I can recommend aluminum at least.

G3 makes real nice boats in that price range. Just make sure if it isnt a welded hull that it doesnt leak. Those older riveted hulls can be very leaky. Leaks can be hard to find and tricky to fix sometimes. U dont wanna be out on the water for a few hours and then realize u have 4 inches of water in the boat. Contact the guy who sells boat insurance on here , I think his name is Bob. I bought my policy from him actually. Best price anywhere and best policy. For a boat like you want it would only cost maybe 150 bux for the year to insure it, money well spent. Stay away from anything that needs work cuz ppl pawn off their problems on others when they sell boats. Be very picky and skeptical, that is your safest bet. There are tons of inexpensive metal boats out there so take your time