Here is a humorous (I think) true story about my boat buying adventures including what not to do. I wrote this a few years ago and it was published on a large catfishing company's website. Attachment being a POS. Here are some key points.
Before you buy a boat, I recommend you answer the following questions as honestly and realistically as possible.
Where do you fish the most?
The type of water you fish most often should be the key driver in deciding what type and size of boat you need. For example, if you fish lakes in SW Iowa with electric motor restrictions and small ramps, you probably shouldn’t buy a large bay or pontoon boat with a 200hp outboard. Similarly, if you mostly fish interior rivers with relatively shallow water, unless you enjoy getting stuck in the mud or banging into rocks, you’re not going to be happy with a large deep-V and long shafted outboard. Finally, if you frequent the large glacial lakes or reservoirs in South Dakota or Minnesota, you don’t want to be caught in a squall and big waves in a small flat-bottom boat. The bottom line here is to first match the type and size of boat with the intended application. Then invest in appropriate motor(s) that deliver the most value.
Because I mostly fish small to medium size lakes in SW Iowa, I chose a 17’ deep-V for my 4th boat. Moreover, since most of the places I fish have electric motor restrictions, having a quality 80 pound 24v trolling motor was my number 1 priority vs. having a large outboard. Although most would consider the 60hp on my boat on the small side, I rarely use the big motor anyway, and the money saved by not upgrading to a 90hp or 115hp was significant. These savings allowed me to instead invest in high-end electronics with sturdy RAM mounts.
On average, how many people will you have in the boat?
In a perfect world, we would be able to get together with friends and family every weekend to go fishing. If this was the case, and I had a large lake to play and fish on, a deck or pontoon boat would be my go-to vessel. These boats have huge capacity and more than enough room for you and your closest 9 or 10 friends. However, in reality most serious fishermen will seldom have more than 3 or 4 folks in the same boat on average.
I recommend choosing the type of boat first and then selecting one rated for 6 or 7 people plus gear. However, don’t make the same mistake I made and take these ratings too literally. Being able to hold 6 and being able to fish 6 is not the same thing. This is especially true if some of your friends are bigger or taller than average. In my experience, planning to fish with 2 people less than the maximum rating will ensure that you have adequate room on the boat in most situations. However, if you plan to do a lot of casting during your outings, you may want to further reduce the number of folks onboard to ensure safety and comfort. Nobody wants to get a wooly bugger or much less a 4/0 Eagle Claw stuck in their ear!
Should I buy new or used?
Everybody has an opinion on this one, and if money isn’t an issue some can afford to order their ideal boat and eat the depreciation. If you’re fortunate to be one of the lucky ones, ordering a new boat is as simple as going to your favorite boat shop or one of the big outdoor stores. Cabelas, Bass Pro, and others sell boats from various popular manufacturers, and most even have several floor models available to inspire you. I recommend you decide on the model of boat first and then add the trolling motor, electronics, and outboard rather than going with one of the “one size fits all” boats.
I've had fantastic luck with used models, and a little common sense goes a long way. In the world of used boats if something looks or sounds too good to be true, run, don’t walk, in the other direction. An old river rat once told me that the word “boat” was short for “bust out another thousand”, and a faulty trolling motor or seized up outboard can cost you many times that.
There are a few cardinal rules to follow when purchasing a used boat. First and foremost, never make a purchase sight unseen. In my experience, often the pictures listed on Craig’s List or Boat Trader are recycled from the prior purchase or days gone by. I once stopped by a guy’s house to check out a shiny Pro-V with a showroom finish. What I saw in person nearly brought me to tears. Years of abuse and dock rash had destroyed the finish and decals to the point one could barely identify the manufacturer. The once attractive custom travel cover was riddled with holes and only half the snaps still worked. Although the owner wrote these defects off as “cosmetic”, the bird’s nest of electrical wires and old fishing line under the deck foreshadowed a more sinister reality.
Don’t even start negotiating with a seller without performing a thorough inspection and test driving the boat. While one can learn a good deal about a boat from pictures and YouTube videos, camera angles can hide blemishes and idling an outboard in a tank doesn’t confirm it will shift into gear. Without taking it on the water, you can’t identify steering or other performance issues, and you certainly won’t know if the boat has any leaks. How can you confirm the live wells and bilge pumps operate if you’re not on the water to flip the switches? Electrical problems can be tedious and time consuming to trace in a boat, and anyone who has ever re-wired a boat’s trailer lights can attest to this point.
It took several years and thousands of dollars for me to find the right boat for my family. I did almost everything wrong during my journey, and I hope that others can learn from my mistakes. With a little diligence and a more disciplined approach, I am certain that anyone who reads this story will find their ideal boat on the first try. If not, just be prepared to bust out another thousand!
