Choose the Right Fishing Boat
As we all know there is a plethora of options when it comes to purchasing a boat and finding the right one for you. It can definitely be a bit overwhelming and daunting when you got out into the market in search of the perfect boat for you. Here are a few ideas that I hope you will find useful when you are scouring the internet and local boat yards for a boat that will suit you best.
What are you going to use your boat for the most? This is always a hard question since many of use want to use our boats for a handful of different things. I think it’s important though to really nail down what it is going to be used for the majority of the time. Whatever that answer is will help guide you in the right boat platform. If all you do is fish in the marsh and love targeting redfish than a technical poling skiff is probably going to be the best fit. If you like doing a little bit of everything inshore and nearshore and maybe spend quite of bit of time with the family on the boat and hopping over to sandbars for the day then a bay boat might be the best match for you. If all you want to do is fish in the ocean and target species such as mahi, wahoo, tuna, grouper etc. than obviously an offshore deep v hull type of boat is going to be the best option. Where it gets tricky is the lines between these three categories of boats have started to get blurred with the amount of hybrid boats on the market theses days. By no means is that a bad thing but it sure makes the decision harder when buying a boat. I think answering the questions what are you going to use the boat for the most will help you determine which of these three categories to start your search.
The next question to ask yourself is what are you willing to give up? No boat will do absolutely everything…period. You don’t see many people taking a poling skiff 15 miles out into the ocean to catch pelagic fish. Narrowing down what it is that you can go without is going to be helpful in your decision process. For example with a bay boat you give up the ability to get to some areas of the marsh only a skiff can go (especially on a low tide). The draft on a skiff is much shallower than the draft on a bay boat. With the the skiff though you give up the ability to nearshore fish for the most part unless it’s a really really calm day. Typically on a skiff you also lose the ability to carry your family comfortably, as skiffs generally are much smaller and have less room for large groups of people not to mention most technical poling skiffs are rated for 4 people or less. Skiffs will also have a much less comfortable ride as opposed to a v bottom bay boat since the deadrise on a skiff is generally much flatter and hits the water harder. So deciding on what is important to you is beneficial in deciding on a boat but also the type of fishing that you are going to be doing most. Are you wanting to fish nearshore wrecks and live bottom for flounder, bull reds, cobia and tarpon or are you strictly an inshore fisherman that loves targeting red drum, speckled trout and flounder? If you want to do both of those things than a hybrid bay boat is going to be your best bet but with the understanding that it will be somewhat hindered on both ends of the spectrum. A hybrid bay boat is an extremely versatile boat but you wont be pushing that boat through 7 inches of water like you could a poling skiff and you most likely (unless you are very adventurous) won’t be taking that boat out 40+ miles on a average seas day.
Once you have decided on all those things above then it’s time to narrow down the search and research what boat is going to be best for you and your fishing / lifestyle. Whether you have decided on a bay boat, skiff or offshore boat now you at least have the category to start searching. All these categories have variances and build qualities and would be far too much information to dive into but there are some aspects to a boat that I think are important when considering a purchase, take it from a guy who has had some experience in dealing with boat issues.
Build Quality - I cannot stress enough how important the build quality of a boat is. If you plan on using your boat a lot, want it to hold it’s value and provide some relief on your wallet in terms of maintenance than build quality is of the upmost importance. So how do you tell if a boat is built well? Do some research is the short answer. Scour the internet for forums discussing the boat you are interested in a see what they have to say. If you get to the point where you are confident the reviews of the boat you are interested in are more positive than negative than go see one and test drive it. I would never suggest buying a boat without wet testing it first, some boats may look beautiful on the outside but when you get them on the water and ride on them might not feel like what you were expecting or hoping for. Lastly look at the fit and finish of the boat. Did the manufacturer of the boat keep attention to detail when making the boat? Is the caulking clean? Are the screws and fastenings tight and snug? Is the wiring neatly done or a complete mess? Just a handful of things to keep in mind when checking out a boat. A pet peeve of mind and something I pay specific attention to detail on is the hatches. Do they have deep gutters on the edges? I hope so because if not they most likely wont be very dry which can lead to other issues like corrosion.
History - I speak from experience here where I went with a boat that was a brand new model for a boat manufacturer. By most peoples standards the boat would have been fine but when I was using this boat almost everyday the design flaws started to show. Whether it was the fact it was a new model and they had not figured out all the kinks yet or if all the boats of this manufacturer have been this way I do not know but never the less I learned my lesson in that go with a boat that has a least some history and is tried and proven. Unless you are truly set on a brand new model, which believe my I understand, go with a model that has stood the test of time and has had ample time for the manufacturer to figure out any flaws in the design. I am not saying there are not new models of a boat that come out and are great boats but you run the risk of something that has not be tested enough by the masses plus you will have limited research data if it’s a new boat model.
Reputation - Not too different from the history piece but buying a boat from a reputable manufacturer can make you feel a little less uneasy. Again going back to doing quite a bit of research, find out of this manufacturer is reputable and takes care of the customers. Are they easy to work with and responsive? Sometimes you will be working through a dealer in which case I would also argue is important to like they way they operate and handle their customers, especially if it’s the same place you are going to be taking the boat for routine maintenance and any fixes.
If you got with a used boat all these things still stand true in my opinion.
I hope this helps you in your search for a new boat and if you have any questions please feel free to give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail. I can talk about about boats for as long as you care to listen.
