[Chrisk]

2 Years ago I moved to Chapel Hill from Michigan. My wife is in a phd program at UNC and I'm along for the ride!

After not fishing since I was a kid, a buddy re-introduced me to fishing by taking me fly-fishing in the NC mountains. I instantly fell in love with NC nature. This little 5 days trip inspired me to get my butt off the computer and start exploring NC water.

After reading “Tar Heel Angler” by Buck Paysour and looking over some other local books, I couldn’t imagine limiting myself to mountain fishing or only fly-fishing so I am considering purchasing a boat.

I am in the process of purchasing a used Subaru Outback 3.0L with a tow capacity of about 2400 lbs. I am interested in putting a boat in Jordan, Falls, Kerr, and just about anywhere else easily reachable. I might even be interested in some brackish water occasionally.

I am thinking of picking up a 16-17 ft bass boat. I believe the tow-capacity would be fine but I might need a little encouragement from members letting me know that this would probably be a good boat style for fishing around here.

Thanks and I am glad I found this community!

 

[sundrop]

With the Subaru I would consider a wide bottom jonboat 14-16 or an aluminum "bass tracker" since the weight will be less. If the "Ru is an automatic be sure and have an additional transmission cooler installed since any towing will heat an automatic trans up and cause it to fry. Also consider we have HOT and HUmid!! summers and you don't want to push your car to it's limits every time you tow. When you get the boat, trailer,gas,ice, coolers, gear etc. you'll be surprised how fast it adds up.. Keep in mind smaller outboards weigh less, take less fuel..(BIG PLUS!) and you can trick out a Jonboat wth all of the goodies a bassboat has.. And do you really need to be able to run 60-90 mph on the water?? All of the bass boats these days have big motors which to me is just overkill unless you are tournament fishing where you "race" against the clock and the other fishermen....
Of course there is always a Kayak, but thats a whole other style of boating, not for some, great for others...
We are always willing to give our .02 around here so welcome to the great sport of fishing! and NCAngler.com!!!!

 

[speckhunter80]

Gotta agree with Sundrop. A wide 16' jon boat like a Lowe Big Jon with a 30hp motor will be the most versatile economical and easiest to tow boat. Check out A.K. McCallums in Fayetteville. You can look at their catalog on-line. You will be able to fish all the piedmont lakes and rivers plus come to the coast and fish the marshes. You could even rig it to flounder gig. Make sure you put on a 12volt bow mount trolling motor 50-70 lbs of thrust. Recommend you pay the slightly higher price for a saltwater version.

 

[Chrisk]

Thanks! A well outfitted wide bottom jonboat was definitly on my consideration list too. Thanks for the input! I will look a little closer at them. I have no need to 'speed around' anywhere so that would probably be the wiser option.

As for Kayak fishing... I had not even heard of such a thing till a month ago. I read a magazine article called "Shallow Water Kayaking" in Fly Fisherman magazine and was facinated by it. I decided that it would come later in my fishing career.

My decision to buy a 'ru was based on wanting to be able to strap Kayaks to the top eventualy, have plenty of room for a 3 person trout fishing trips into the mountians, and be able to pull a small boat localy for the triangle lakes. Not to mention I need the AWD. I will be moving to the Cherokee reservation for 6 months (Jan09-June09) for my wife's thesis project. I'm looking foreward to the mothers day hatch that year!!

 

[speckhunter80]

Not much lake fishing around Cherokee. Closest would be Fontana Lake or Thorpe Reservoir. If you bought a boat soon you would only have 6-8 months in which to use it to fish before you go to the mountains...you sure you don't want to wait until you get more settled in a fishy locale?

 

[shemstreet]

That size would be great on Falls, ok on a lot of Jordan, and so so on Kerr. Kerr has a lot of open water and when the wind is much over 10 mph can whip the far opposite side of the lake into whitecaps. (Wind from the south makes the water rougher the further north you go in Nutbush or the main lake). Wind from the west makes the water rougher the closer you get to the dam. Lots of creeks and coves up there though you can use it in.

 

[lefty]

The regulars here knew I'd recommend putting a kayak on the roof instead of draggin' something bigger. I get 24 mpg out of my Saturn sedan with two yaks on the roof, almost 30 without. And Outback's a great yak-hauling machine -- lower roof than an SUV, more "trunk space" than my Saturn, better mileage than a pickup. Who could ask for anything more? (oops, wrong brand)

Give a shout once the weather warms up and we'll see if we can't show you the ol' yak-fishing ropes. You can rent boats locally or at the coast for lots less than Dave B used to run through his Wellcraft on a "short" run offshore.

You've got a shorter radius than you do with the bass-bullets, and unless you're properly dressed, it's a wise idea to hang up the paddle once the water gets too cold. Of course, you can buy a yak and a great drysuit for less than many boats -- don't know how much the jonboat would cost... For a kayak, paddle, and PFD, figure $1000-$1200... Respected drysuits can be had for under $500, so if you're looking at $2K for the jonboat, motor, and trailer, you could consider the yak if you wanted to.

Anyhow, most importantly, welcome to NCAngler!

 

[shemstreet]

I forgot to mention, if you are looking at jon boats, do a search for A.K. McCallum (sp?) down in Fayetteville. Their website has pricing on most of the combos they sell, and the carry a lot of jon makes and sizes. Never been there, but prices look good and they have more selection than pretty much anyone else around here. You might also consider a small aluminum V-hull, like a 14' or 16' tiller or side console. Would handle bigger wakes or rougher water than a mod V or flat jon.

 

[Chrisk]

Not much lake fishing around Cherokee. Closest would be Fontana Lake or Thorpe Reservoir. If you bought a boat soon you would only have 6-8 months in which to use it to fish before you go to the mountains...you sure you don't want to wait until you get more settled in a fishy locale?

I will be spending my free time trout fishing in all the streams around there. I don't think I will bring my boat. That's not for another 13 months (and only lasts 6 months) so I have a whole year to enjoy it before I leave. -- Jan09 to June 09 I will be in Cherokee.

I will definitely give Kayaking a try. From what I have read, it sounds like a load of fun in a twisted kind of way.

Thanks!!

 

[zooker]

do you really need to be able to run 60-90 mph on the water?? All of the bass boats these days have big motors which to me is just overkill unless you are tournament fishing where you "race" against the clock and the other fishermen....

you knew this was coming drop..

as the resident bass angler i feel compelled to say "bull"

as a bass angler we run around the lakes in our flashy tackleboxes. belive it or not the faster you get there the less gas you actually burn..

a tranny cooler is the best investment you can buy.. i would diffantly go with the tin can idea-aluminum boat-

zooker

 

[lefty]

Believe it or not the faster you get there the less gas you actually burn..

I hadn't noticed much of a fuel savings, myself.
If you buy the powdered mix, Gatorade's quite a bit less than $3.00/gallon...

 

[Topsail Angler]

Hey Chrisk - there is some great torut fishing up that way. You might want to get together with Daniel Boone at Nantahala Fly Fishing - he's one of the best guides around and can show you the ropes. There is a lake or two up there you can fish as well.

 

[LiveBait]

Welcome Chrisk!

Hope you find the right boat. Take your time and make sure you choose the right one for everything you plan to do.

 

[zooker]

I hadn't noticed much of a fuel savings, myself.
If you buy the powdered mix, Gatorade's quite a bit less than $3.00/gallon...

yeah but lefty i run anywhere between 14-36 miles in a day fishing.. i prefure the sweet speed breeze to cool me off not heat me up..


zooker

 

[jamesandkim1]

welcome aboard chrisk.
I recommend you look for a good used boat like you want, save you alot of money and you can find some great deals. I bought my boat from a guy that had retired, sold everything, got a 5th wheel camper trailer and was leaving to go out west for several years hunting and fishing(god can u believe I helped finance that when I still have 22 more years of working until I can retire lol). I got a great boat that had been well taken care of for a good price. All I've had to do is upgrade the electronics.
Make sure you look around and weigh all your options before you jump in and buy a new boat (aluminum or fiberglass)
Good luck to you
One thing to remember gas is high but so is everything else, your going to spend money on something so might as well be something you love.

 

[sundrop]

I like to calculate fish I catch at $4 a pound and deduct that from expenses..LOL!!!! Seldom break even but it helps ease the pain..!!

Zooker... my 70hp on my old Chaparral gets about 7gal/hr at WOT. My buddies 150hp on his Stratos does about 12 gal/hr but he can travel 60miles and I can go about 22 so I'd say you're right.. ( both are 2 strokes)

 

[zooker]

when running and gunning with a bass boat a 4 stroke gets closely the same milage as a 2 stroke.. only time a 4 stroke gets better milage is when they troll..

zooker

 

[lefty]

I prefer the sweet speed breeze to cool me off not heat me up..

Ha ha, I've done 70 on the water in a buddy's bass-bullet... Hurricane-force breezes are not quite the variety I'd call "sweet"... But indeed a rush, no doubt...

 

[Chrisk]

Wow. What an amazing community here!

Here is an update. The 'ru I was going to buy has a rebuilt title so it was totaled at one time. I gave it a pass. I did however find another that is even better than the first one. A subaru dealer did a used car inspection on it today and it came out with a clean bill of health. Tomorrow night I pick it up and then need to put a tow package on it.

The akmccallumco.com site was a great help in getting a good overview of boats, prices and weights. Thanks for that tip!

I will definitely be looking for a used boat WELL before looking at new ones.

THANKS AGAIN!

Chrisk

 

[kayak ken]

2 Years ago I moved to Chapel Hill from Michigan. My wife is in a phd program at UNC and I'm along for the ride!

After not fishing since I was a kid, a buddy re-introduced me to fishing by taking me fly-fishing in the NC mountains. I instantly fell in love with NC nature. This little 5 days trip inspired me to get my butt off the computer and start exploring NC water.

After reading “Tar Heel Angler” by Buck Paysour and looking over some other local books, I couldn’t imagine limiting myself to mountain fishing or only fly-fishing so I am considering purchasing a boat.

I am in the process of purchasing a used Subaru Outback 3.0L with a tow capacity of about 2400 lbs. I am interested in putting a boat in Jordan, Falls, Kerr, and just about anywhere else easily reachable. I might even be interested in some brackish water occasionally.

I am thinking of picking up a 16-17 ft bass boat. I believe the tow-capacity would be fine but I might need a little encouragement from members letting me know that this would probably be a good boat style for fishing around here.

Thanks and I am glad I found this community!

Chrisk,
Welcome to N.C., I moved down here over 20 years ago from Michigan, best move I ever made. Kayaken