On the spur of the moment, I decided to see whats what with fishing boats. I fished quite a bit with my best friend on his dad’s boat and built a lot of good memories. Shore fishing is fine, but to really get to most of the lake, you need a boat. I picked a budget max of $3000, with the sweet spot of $2500.
I’m looking at bass boats between 16′ and 18′. They seem to come in two price ranges. There is the $2000 – $3500 range for boats over 20 years old. The more recent boats go from $5000 up to $30,000. The older boats can really be a mixed bag. I’ve seen some with a decent hull and motor combo, but the seats and carpets were in sorry shape. Others have wiring issues. There is always something wrong with the boat that doesn’t seem to concern the owner. Nobody ever seems to list the model name or number of the boat, so you have to ask.
I saw one that looked great for $3000. It was garage kept and appeared to be barely used. I inquired about it, because hey its a steal for that price (Late 90’s Bass Tracker). However, when I asked about issues with the boat, the owner says that the engine has problems, but he’d be happy to sell me the spare engine he’s been meaning to put on the boat for the past 3 years. Oh, and it still has the original 20+ year old tires on the trailer. I’ll pass. I’m looking for a boat to buy, prep, and go fishing. I’m not looking for a project. At least not right now.
My plan is to buy a boat next year, as I’m not sure I feel safe taking the kids out on the water just yet. However, if a deal comes along I’ll go for it. We will see how it goes.