Home Forums Fishing Freshwater I want a new boat, help me decide.

I'm looking at buying a boat for fishing the Tennessee river and below the dam. I have a 16' Monark johnboat but the sides are not high enough for waves on windy days. I was there once with waves rolling over the sides. I managed to get to the dock but I need a river boat. The wife also wants something that can handle us and 3 kids at times, mostly riding but some family fishing too, likely on a lake instead of the river. I consider swift water a little too dangerous for kids.

I'm thinking I need one 18'-20' with deep-high sides. I'm looking at Sea Ark, G3, and Lowe. Any comments on these boats or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

I want something more utility based rather than sporty. I like the sprayed in floors rather than carpet and I don't mind a tiller but only if it's in a wide roomy boat big enough for my needs

My only advice if your going to get something in the 18 -20 ft range is try to get a welded hull. Never have to worry about it again. And don't skimp on horsepower. Nothing worse than always fighting to get up on plane. Out here on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State some of the guys salmon fishing are running the Smokercraft Lodge boats or the Smokercraft Freedom and they seem like they hold up really well. I bought a 16 ft Hewescraft about 1 1/2 years ago and I absolutely love it.

Brant

Those are good choices. I would include Lund in there as well. It seems like you are looking for a deep V hull. Do you want a flat floor with pedestal seats, an open hull with bench seats, or a walk through windshield? A Lund alaskan is a deep open boat available in 20 or 21? ft and will haul a load. Great for fishing and rough water. Wife may not like sitting on a cooler knowing what you paid for the boat ;-) If you plan to fish in truly ugly water - you probably don't get ice floes, but it can get cold - a windshield can help keep the wind off you on long rides, and canvas can keep the rain and snow off you and your crew. But a bigger boat, and especially one with canvas can be hard to control in the wind while trolling/drifting. . strap on the fishing suit, tough it out, and forget the canvas. Or don't fish those days, and use an open hull.

Check out the web sites of these mfgrs, and see what floor plan tickles your fancy. Also, check Craigslist and other places for used boats and look at as many as you can. Get in them, walk around, figure out where the wife, the kids and the dog will sit. Sit behind the console - you might bang your knees on some. Is there enough room for casting from the bow?

I'm sure others will be along to offer things to look for. Some folks can enjoy any boat; others want THE perfect boat. The latter often trade boats off frequently. If you can find and live with one of their rejects, you can save lots of $

Enjoy the search!

I've sat in quite a few boats while looking for a good family/fishing boat. The Lund Crossover 1875 is the closest I've come to pulling the trigger. Lots of room. Good storage options, and easily changed from fishing to family time. Not a cheap unit though, which is what held me back. The Impact series looks good too, but not quite as heavy duty and the back jump seats are different.

SS

I've briefly considered a Lund but I'm not paying over about 22K and would like to go even cheaper.

I prefer an open floor plan. A 20' john boat, tiller steer, 90 HP 4 stroke with aluminum floor and decks would be just about perfect. It just needs to be deep enough for rough water with high sides. My 16' john boat only has 18" sides and a 16" transom. It would be fine for the river if the sides were higher. I can't fish in any wind that makes big waves.

I don't need a fancy boat and don't want one. I want one that I can cut bait in or step into with muddy feet without worry.I am hoping I can cut back on amenities and get a larger boat for the price difference.

Problem is that I haven't even looked at boats in the last 15 years and I don't really know what's available yet to meet my needs.

I'll just throw out two other names which have a very good reputation up here: Crestliner and Alumacraft. I have an older (1996) LUND ProV 1660 tiller, which has proven to be very safe and solid, even on Lake Michigan and the big bays, on most days.

Peps love to badmouth Lunds but they are just jealous.
There is a reason they are one of the most popular names in the Upper Midwest and they do hold their value very well. Do a search on Craigslist, Boattrader, etc etc and be prepared to travel to get the right deal.

G3 makes the 200 Sportsman series which is large enough to handle the waters you want to fish and have enough room for your family. I have a G3 1860 CCT Deluxe and it handles very well below dams and is very shallow drafting to fish for trout in the Clinch River in east TN. My wife and 2 kids ride comfortably and have plenty of room to move around.

I've seen these around here a bit. The 18' looks nice with a wide floor and 24" sides. Welds looked good on the ones I've seen. Pretty light weight.

60hp tiller should make it scoot!

What do you guys think about an Alweld 1870 John boat with a 90 hp 4 stroke Mercury? It would have 29" sides and a 21" transom, 70" bottom and a 96" beam. I got a quote on one yesterday with decks and aluminum floor sprayed with bed liner for $16,923.

Sounds like You, But get the Wife's opinion; And most of the time the dealer will cut the price of a trailer considerably more in appreciation of the Boat purchase.

Rich

I have one issue with your comment
Not all welded boats are created equal

There are a lot of good quality boats some riveted some welded
for clarity I work for Brunswick the parent company of Lund Sea Ray Boston Whaler and some other boat companys

Hank

Your exactly right. Not all welded boats are created equal. That's why you should shop around and not only find one that fits your needs, but find a manufacturer that will give you a lifetime warranty on the hull.

Take a look at the Xpress line they make several awfully nice models.
Bill