Advice for first time buyer on a budget?

[Coastfishin]

i bought this in 2006, brand new for $6000, at Stevens Marine in Portland. Just checked the price hasn't changed alot


http://www.stevensmarine.com/smokercraft.php

[Dave]

hey dave is that lake sixteen? i know Bob Hawley of boat country well i like those silver streaks they sell[drool]

Hey Scott,

The top pic is at Cranberry Lake at Deception Pass State Park and yes, the bottom pic is at Lake Sixteen. Nicely done!! I bought my Smoker Craft at Boat Country and they were great. I love my Alaskan and bought it because at the time I was very big so I wanted a boat with lots of free board. Since losing 163 pounds that is no longer an issue but I still love my boat which is well built and comfortable to fish from. I do recommend Boat Country; they were very nice to me.

Dave

[Dave]

Nice boat Coatfishin! Can't go wrong with a Smoker Craft! Same to you Clark, Lund is a great choice!

[natenez]

Something I'd suggest is going out in several different boats - either w/ friends, guides or people on this site looking for a fishing buddy for the day. After you try several out you'll start getting a feeling as to what features are important to you, and what isn't.

You also need to be clear in your mind how you are going to use it. Is going on rivers the most important? Out in the salt? Small lakes or Lake Washington?

As Wolverine said it is all about compromises - knowing what is important to you in a boat, and how you will use it is a key part in knowing what you should compromises or not on.

[reigndawgs]

You folks are awesome! I love this community.
I will definitely do my homework, and save up first before I buy and not get in over my head. I will wait until I can afford what I want, but I think a 16' aluminum boat does sound like the place to start for me. I think if I wait for my ideal boat, then my kids will be out of the house before I can afford it.The wife would probably rather hang out in peace and quiet for a day while I take the kids out anyway. I am not looking to hit the salt, but would like to be able to go out on the big lakes around here like Washington and Sammamish. Boats on rivers scare me a little to be honest and so does the ocean. I am a decent pilot, but in-experienced and want to take things slow and work my way up. Growing up my family got a lot of use out of a little 17' cabin cruiser with at 115 outboard and we had great fun, but that boat was terrible ski boat and a terrible fishing boat - I was just too young to care.

I really appreciate all the advice and it is ALL really valuable to me. I really look up to more experienced boaters and fishermen and I take all your input very seriously. It will be a while before I buy, but I will post pics when I do.

[reigndawgs]

[quote="Bodofish"]I guess it all depends on your definition of "cruising". I wouldn't even begin to think about spending more than an hour or 2 with the full gang in a small boat. If you want to take them out in shifts awesome. Kids fighting and spouses cramped without adequate accommodations can be a real drain on a families well being. Sorry to kind of go sideways but I've already raised my family and I’ve made a lot of mistakes that I hope others can learn from. I guess I'm playing the devils advocate]

Bodo - I don't think you are an old @$$ at all brother. I really appreciate you candor.

[sickbayer]

Sounds like you have a plan mate....

[reigndawgs]

sounds like mabye a smoker craft lodge or a tracer some kind of tin? open tiller?3FshOpPqj88

Classic video!

[reigndawgs]

Sounds like you have a plan mate....

Thanks man. BTW, I always wish I'd played rugby but never knew anybody who played until I was too old and out of shape. Seems like a fantastic sport to me.

[chinookslammer]

Definitely check out Craigslist!!! I picked up this 1995 Smokercraft 18' Promag for $2000!! Yes it was a legal transaction. I called the guy two minutes after he posted the add. He was in a bind and needed $2000 ASAP. It came with a galvanized trailer, 140 Tohatsu, 9.9 4 stroke honda, bow mount minn-kota, two canon downriggers, depth finder, life jackets, etc. I scored the deal of a lifetime. The interior was trashed but some some new marine plywood,vinyl,carpet, and seats from Cabelas and the boat looks like new. So check Craigslist religously! Personally I think an 18' would be perfect for your needs.

[saltyseadog]

sounds like a nice rig for 2 k:cheers:

[reigndawgs]

I thought I'd give this a bump since I finally have the money to buy a boat. I met a guy from Boat Country by Dagmars at the boat show. I was looking at the Smoker Crafts recommended above (see I do pay attention to your advice guys) and he seemed like somebody I can trust. I have decided I want an aluminum fishing boat in the 14-18 range with a big enough outboard to move along at a decent clip and a console to pilot from ideally. I am planning on buying used and sticking with a name I can trust. Does anybody have any thoughts about the boat selection or Boat Country as a place to do business? I live in Sammamish and would love to find a local dealer too. I am wary of buying off of craigs list as I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I know a dealer can rip you off too, but I think a good dealer is looking for repeat business and less likely to jerk you around. I know a bad dealer lives to screw you around too. As always, your advice is much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Give Russ a call at Limit Out Marine south of Auburn.

253-863-9973

898 valentine ave se

pacific

www.limitoutmarine.com

[reigndawgs]

Give Russ a call at Limit Out Marine south of Auburn.

253-863-9973

898 valentine ave se

pacific

www.limitoutmarine.com

Does this gentlemen get your personal stamp of approval?

[Amx]

Yes, I've known him since about 1990.

[FishingFool]

I will add my input.

First, it's what do you want to use the boat for. Realisticly. Not probably. Sure, the family may want to go out and play, but just how often is that.

Or will you be fishing more often. Trolling? Casting? Will you be going out solo a lot? How much do you want to spend?

A year a half ago, June 2009, I bought our first boat. It was a 14' Lund. Tiller model. I didnt really know what I wanted, but thought it was enough for us.
It was just the 2 of us. So there's plenty of room. We were only going after trout, so it just casting from where ever we were sitting. We eventually tried trolling for a little bit. I bought an electric motor for the back too, for maneuvering and such. Even took my partner's parents onto Rufus Woods. It was super slow though. Must have been close to 750lbs with us in there, not including gear. But it worked.

As the summer went and getting use to the boat, I started buying more lures and casting them. Started going after bass and such.... Now I really wanted a bow deck, with a trolling motor up front. Also hated the tiller setup, and wanted a console.





Anyways, this past summer about 1 year of ownership, I finally gave up on trying to change the boat to my liking, and bought a different boat. Sold the Lund and got a Lowe FM165.

Has a console, casting deck. Bow trolling motor. It's been great so far. But 1 thing that changed was, I started going out fishing a lot more often by myself. The 16'5" boat was just small enough for me to handle myself while launching and such. If it was any bigger, I would be annoyed when I go out fishing alone.

The biggest lake I've been on with this boat so far is Lake Tapps. Cant wait until the weather warms up. I do doing a little updating on the boat. Never ending it seems, lol. I wish the color matched my truck. Cant have everything I want I guess.




We are going to try a little bit of tubing this year too with the boat. We'll see how that turns out.....

[reigndawgs]

Your second boat is my idea of what I might want in a first boat, size wise and with the console. I'm not much of a bass fisherman so I'm not too worried about a casting deck, but I love to troll.

[reigndawgs]

So now that I'm looking on craigslist, etc. I'm already talking myself into an older cabin cruiser and envisioning sleeping on my boat. Are there actually places to do that still? I know as a kid my dad always new cool places we could go and just beach boat or tie up somewhere and spend the night. It seems like now you would have to have reservations a year in advance and pay through the nose.

[Matt]

First off, I bought my current boat from boat country and the service there was pretty good. I find that their used boats don't get a lot of TLC on the lot because the majority of them are consignments not owned by the dealership so you get them how the previous owner has left them, it can be a positive or negative, but I have seen a lot of dirty/beaten up boats for sale there. My boat was a little rough before I bought it, but as a stipulation to making the deal I required them to fix a busted window and build a new canvas, both of which they did for me in a timely fashion which was nice.

Next point, if you are into trolling, I would say go for an 18' boat. You will NOT regret it. 16' boats have there place and I loved mine, but I constantly was stuck with wanting MORE from the boat for stability and safety in choppy water. I am predominantly a troll fisherman and like to run downriggers, and 18' boat is ideal for the amount of people you have listed, I feel like in my old boat (side console 16' open platform starcraft) when I had 3 people in it the boat was pretty much loaded fully, and I would never fish with 4 or more. I fished often with 2 people and 2 dogs and felt comfortable, but always wanted the extra beam width, and overall length from an 18' to provide low speed (trolling) stability as well as comfort in a chop.

[sickbayer]

my first boat was a 18' blue water cuddy cabin. I paid 4000 for it. Low hours, full canvas gps and fish finder. I couldnt test drive it as it was at the Veterns building in evverrt. After 1 yearof owner ship and the kids never got in it i had repalced the stringer, floor and refiber glassed it and then put the new carpet down. completley reupholsterteh interior. The first day out on the lake a seliniod went out on me. I put it on Craigslist that night. and started looking for about a year before i found my current boat a nearly new 20' Thunder jet with i maintain relgiously.
I mostly troll and it works just be weary of a flat bottom boat will turn a lot and can be a handful if you have a fish on. I certainly would not want to be out on a lake in a smaller boat than mine. also dont think cuddy cabins are that great. i se it as a waste of space. but if you have kids than you do need some kind of top so they can get out of the sun in those hot days.