hey all, im going to be buying a new boat to replace my 17ft trihull with 85 hp johnson. it has just become a pain with maintenance due to its age, i believe the engine is a '76 and ill get more of what i need buying a new one that restoring this one, i bought it for only three grand about 10 years ago and its not in the best shape, i rewired it when i was 15 so the wiring is good and works fine, but the engine has many leaks, takes a couple min to get started and usually floods and must be drained once or twice a trip. the carpet is **** near non existent, and a lot of the deck fiberglass is cracking or broken.....
always wanted a bass boat but now being out here i have to think about inshore fishing. i have a 20k price range, can go a tiny bit over but dont want to unless its for electronics or upgrades, because i would like the final cost, with a good gps sonar, and hopefully gps powered foot controlled trolling motor.
what i want is a boat that is all around best suited for the following
bass fishing (getting into skinny water and getting there fast)
inshore fishing (dont know what kind of swells/waves im looking at experiencing but most bass boats without big gunnels really dont seem like they could handle that kind of water)
wakeboarding/ tubing (i dont care about the wake produced by the hull/engine combo, im no pro wakeboarder and never aspire to be, but if my 85hp johnson on my trihul can pull a wakeboarder or tuber im sure most boats can, with the addition of those removable tow rope pyramid deals that mount above the engine, thats what we added to our boat and it worked fine
those are my primary goals, i am primarily a bass guy, but im staying in coastal nc for at least four more years and will require the ability to do a lot of fishing for reds and trout and such. but i dont want a boat that becomes unfriendly for bass fishing. i like a lot of walkable deck space like bass boats offer, and the very shallow draft, but also need a boat that can take whatever waves you all deal with doing inshore fishing, and maybe heading a mile or two out. ive never done ANY kind of vessel bourne salty fishing and dont know at all what hull is best for what etc. i definately want it to be moderately fast but i dont need to be hitting 94 mph anytime soon! i also want the ablility to pull people on tubes and wakeboards, so clearly want some horsepower, but seating accomodations are nil in my book, if i can only hold a driver/passenger thats fine, but if i can fit a few more people without compromising much walkable/fishable boat space thats fine too.....
remember im mainly a bass guy and definately want as skinny drafting of a boat as possible, also keeping the ability to hit the flats and inshore areas. ive seen some redfishing shows where the boats basically look like bass boats that were outfitted with a platform and saltwater trollingmotor and such....
help me out please!!! like i said 20k is my price cap, and i would like to buy a boat that is fully outfitted for that price... i have thought about used as well but ive never got anything like this new in my life and would like to avoid all the problems that are associated with used boats this time around......
also i have a v6 2wd ford explorer and dont want to have to buy a truck to pull this boat. i know its rated for like 6000 lb i think but has 175k mi on the engine and tranny and i dont want to burn that out too early!!!
thanks guys
always wanted a bass boat but now being out here i have to think about inshore fishing. i have a 20k price range, can go a tiny bit over but dont want to unless its for electronics or upgrades, because i would like the final cost, with a good gps sonar, and hopefully gps powered foot controlled trolling motor.
what i want is a boat that is all around best suited for the following
bass fishing (getting into skinny water and getting there fast)
inshore fishing (dont know what kind of swells/waves im looking at experiencing but most bass boats without big gunnels really dont seem like they could handle that kind of water)
wakeboarding/ tubing (i dont care about the wake produced by the hull/engine combo, im no pro wakeboarder and never aspire to be, but if my 85hp johnson on my trihul can pull a wakeboarder or tuber im sure most boats can, with the addition of those removable tow rope pyramid deals that mount above the engine, thats what we added to our boat and it worked fine
those are my primary goals, i am primarily a bass guy, but im staying in coastal nc for at least four more years and will require the ability to do a lot of fishing for reds and trout and such. but i dont want a boat that becomes unfriendly for bass fishing. i like a lot of walkable deck space like bass boats offer, and the very shallow draft, but also need a boat that can take whatever waves you all deal with doing inshore fishing, and maybe heading a mile or two out. ive never done ANY kind of vessel bourne salty fishing and dont know at all what hull is best for what etc. i definately want it to be moderately fast but i dont need to be hitting 94 mph anytime soon! i also want the ablility to pull people on tubes and wakeboards, so clearly want some horsepower, but seating accomodations are nil in my book, if i can only hold a driver/passenger thats fine, but if i can fit a few more people without compromising much walkable/fishable boat space thats fine too.....
remember im mainly a bass guy and definately want as skinny drafting of a boat as possible, also keeping the ability to hit the flats and inshore areas. ive seen some redfishing shows where the boats basically look like bass boats that were outfitted with a platform and saltwater trollingmotor and such....
help me out please!!! like i said 20k is my price cap, and i would like to buy a boat that is fully outfitted for that price... i have thought about used as well but ive never got anything like this new in my life and would like to avoid all the problems that are associated with used boats this time around......
also i have a v6 2wd ford explorer and dont want to have to buy a truck to pull this boat. i know its rated for like 6000 lb i think but has 175k mi on the engine and tranny and i dont want to burn that out too early!!!
thanks guys