Strategies for Buying a Boat this Off-Season. Take these tips to a winter sportshow
By Scott FairbairnYou saved your pennies and were all set to invest in that once-in-a-lifetime boat. But you waited too long, got sidetracked by fall hunting, and before you knew it, hard water arrived.
Don't allow winter to sidetrack your plans. In fact, the off-season provides an ideal time to research new models and purchase a boat that perfectly suits your needs. But follow the Boy Scout motto and be prepared when you visit a sportshow in upcoming months. With a little background knowledge on the basics of boats, you can help ensure a sound purchase.
Before we consider the angler's perspective, let's start with a general rule: the smaller the boat, the easier it is to control. For the recreational boater focused on going forward fast, precise control isn't a major issue. But for an angler planning to back-troll big waves or heavy current, boat control becomes important.
Obviously other factors apply beyond "bigger is bad" or we'd all be cruising around in 12-footers. The immediate flip side is that smaller generally is less safe, and larger is more safe.
How many people will be fishing from this boat? You and buddy? The whole family and grandpa? The answers to those questions have obvious ramifications for the boat's size and layout. Whenever possible, give yourself multiple seating options. You want room to move around so you can easily access multiple fishing points.
Looking for some conclusions here? Well, if you're going to fish small lakes all the time, small boats work well. You probably don't need lots of space for tackle, and since you can get on and off small lakes quickly, there's no need for the control headaches of a larger boat. Buy a 14-footer and live happily ever after.
But will those Mille Lacs mud flats or famed gravel bars on Lake Erie eventually tempt you? If so, you want to trend bigger.
Let's define large and small. To me, smaller is a 16-foot class fishing boat. There certainly are a lot of fine 14-footers on the market, but there's just not enough space for this tournament hound to carry all his tackle boxes.
The 16-footer, however, remains a very controllable boat. You'll see me fishing from a 16-footer most often on Lake Pepin because in terms of functionality, it's a good all-around boat.
For me, a big boat means those in the 20- to 22-foot range with wide, 100-inch beams. You can confidently hit Lake Mille Lacs or the Great Lakes in a well-made boat of this size. Bottom line, for the average walleye or multi-species angler, a craft in the 16- to 22-foot range will suit most of your purposes.
Keel
What about keel? I live next to the Mississippi River where I see flat-bottom boats all the time. Duck hunters and river rats who work the shallow river bottoms love them.
But if you're in any situation where you have a chop, a flat-bottom is not ideal. Simple physics dictates that a flat-bottom boat won't track very well. You need something that doesn't slide when trolling through waves.
You need a V-hull.
V-hulls or modified V-hulls (not quite as deep) cut through the waves allowing you to maintain a set direction easier - say while trolling along a breakline - and bounce less over the waves.
The width or beam length of the watercraft also plays a role in stability. Beam length means the width of the transom - the widest point of the boat. Along with length, width determines how much space your boat coffer. Wider boats have more platform space and more stability.
Once I determine which length boat I'm purchasing, I buy the widest model available at that length. You can carry more weight and have more interior room for that extra tackle box, or maybe an extra person.
Narrower boats will rock more in choppy seas, yet wider boats don't sacrifice control. As I outlined earlier, length is the most important factor affecting control. so don't sweat width.
You'll see a wide spectrum in beam length - from 73 to 75 inches in a 16-foot, narrow utility boat to 100-plus inches in a dressed-up 22-footer.
Aluminum vs. glass
First, understand that aluminum and glass boats are built two very different ways. Aluminum boat manufacturers tend to be more flexible in terms of layout. You'll see dual consoles, tiller, single consoles, with a more flexible array of options. It's easier to buy all the options you want. Glass boats have expensive molds, so they're bound a little more rigidly to set standards.
They're both fine options, however. Manufactures can tweak glass hulls for faster boat, and they offer a slightly smoother, softer ride, especially in smaller boats. In larger, 18- to 20-footers, you're reaching the next wave pretty consistently whether you're in an aluminum or glass boat, so the ride becomes less of a factor.
Glass has a reputation for costing a little more, but I think that's predominantly because we associate them with larger boats. Model to model, there's not much difference; prices depends more on brand.
Tiller or console
Back to boat control, eh? You can't beat a tiller for handling, but it's also the boat where the family will get wettest. I fish tournaments exclusively from console boats now, though I still like a tiller and it remains a very functional option.
The rub on those comfortable console boats always has been control. That big windshield sticking up above the gunwales provided a point for wind to spin the boat during your backtrolling. Windshields now are lower profile, and more angled to deflect the wind. This past year, I honestly can say wind grasping my console was not an issue at all during my 2005 tournament season.
Horsepower
Regarding engines, you've read it before, but I'll say it again: Do not underpower your boat, whether it's main engine or electric trolling motor. You're dropping big dollars on a new boat, so don't short yourself here. Having too much motor is better than not having enough.
That's not to say I'm running 120 percent all the time. My rule of thumb is simple: Make sure your main engine is not less than two-thirds of the boat's maximum horsepower rating. So if you're at a sportshow looking at a boat with a maximum horsepower of 150, then don't buy anything less than a 100-horse. Boats simply don't perform well at less than the two-thirds rule.
As for that trolling motor, don't even bother with a 12-volt system. I always use 24-volt and on my big watercraft, 36-volt systems are better. Most boat manufacturers understand this and sell practical systems nowadays.
Goodbye to deadwells
Compared to the days not long ago of "deadwells," you've picked a good time to buy a boat, Livewell design and technology has come a long way. Rounded corners in new livewells keep fish alive longer, plus livewell space is larger.
Pumps are circulating lake water better, and these new Oxygenators are keeping fish alive beyond anything I've ever seen. On Devils Lake last summer, I forgot to change the previous day's water and with the Oxygenator running, I'd didn't realize it. The fish were fine.
Seasoned recreational anglers know that lively live bait is the key to live bait fishing, and we all know how hard minnows are to keep alive. The Oxygenator does a remarkable job of keeping minnows alive, and in my opinion, it has extended the minnow fishing season deeper into the heat of summer.
Good luck buying your boat, and enjoy it this coming open water season.
Reading Outdoors Archives
