Looking for a Good deal on a Great used boat!

[Swannyfishripper]

Well, I guess my question would be if anyone would know of a good place or site I might be able to look for a used boat!

[delcecchi]

here on hso, that guy's list, you know krag. Or even the bay of e.

[Kyhl]

If checking that guys list, make sure to check surrounding areas and states. You will probably find better deals on name brand boats outside of the TC metro.

[Ufatz]

You're kidding, right? The only thing more abundant than mosquitos in Minnesota is used boats. Look in the daily local newspaper or a major metro paper or shopper. Drive around suburban neighborhoods and your local marinas. If you can't find some used boats your not really serious.

Are you really serious?

[JeremyCampbell]

Check out hso ,there's a nice Larson in there

[TR21HP]

What type of boat? what price range? Aluminum or glass?

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Wall-I central is a great place to find a good variety if fishing boats. Go to the HSOforum and the classfieds section and then "search all ads".

[Old Dewjabber]

Yep there are lots of boats out there! Know what you want, and what it's worth. Then when it shows up, jump on it! We looked for a month before we bought ours. Drove 5 hours and got what we were looking for!

[Selmer]

Listen to Old Dewjabber. I started this quest last year. I knew exactly what I wanted, 16-16.5' tiller steer, power tilt/trim, live well, lockable storage, 45-60 hp motor, roller trailer, lifetime trailer registration, electronics, bow mount trolling motor with controls at rear, two anchors, four seat pedestal spots. I didn't want a floor with soft spots or anything that needed repairs. I wanted an older boat to keep the price down - top end budget of $3500. It took a while, but I found it. I don't know what your list is for a "good fishing boat", but write down a "no compromise" list. Find a boat with all of that and anything else is a bonus. Mine is a 1988 Lund Stinger 16'3" tiller with 45 hp Mercury Classic 50 and everything I want in a boat for my needs. I looked for several months, near and far, then found one in my budget 40 miles away. Love it! Good luck!

[Kyhl]

What he said.

Deals are few and far between. I narrowed my list to two boats, two motors, and a price. Took me a year to find it and had to drive to WI after agreeing to buy it on the description alone.

Three years later and I can still sell it near what I have into it. The key was patience and dealing with the frustration of not finding a deal on what I wanted for the price I wanted. If you want it now, then you will pay a premium.

[PEATMOSS]

Getting a great deal on a boat requires knowledge and patience.

When the wife and I committed to buying a boat I spent a good solid week just making a list of the models that fit our wants and needs. I checked multiple sources like the ones listed above and was fairly quickly able to develop a good idea of what these boats were generally selling for.

Next, if you don't have the money sitting in the bank, get your financing pre-approved so that you can write a check anytime opportunity presents itself.

The wife and I had money in the bank and were in agreement about what we wanted. I work a 4 on/4 off schedule and on my off days, I would literally monitor several selling sites each hour. On a Wed. morning about 9 am, I saw a short add on the c list. There was no picture and a pretty poor description of the boat, but I was familiar with the model. It was priced about 2 grand under what one would expect and also said "includes some electronics and accesseries". I called immediately and was the first person to reach the seller. I told him I was very interested and had cash in hand. I drove 90 miles to get there in less than 2 hrs.

Turns out, the guy had inherited the boat and it had only been used a couple times in the last 2 years. It was pristine, had a GPS/locater, lake chip, trolling motor, bimini top, travel cover and half a garage full of tubes, ropes, skis etc. thrown in with it.

After a quick trip to the lake, I actually offered the guy a grand less than what he was asking, and he gladly accepted.

Bottom line, know what your looking for, know what it's worth, have cash on hand and be patient.

[tolle141]

check the other big forums (muskie first, walleye first, bass first, etc)

Good luck!

[Northlander]

walleye central has some good boats. Like said know exactly what you want and how much your willing to pay. Take your time fall is coming and lots of boats will go on the market then.

[BigBehr]

I have a Crestliner Tournament 182 for sale. I bought it new in 2001 and it is in great condition and fully loaded with all the extras. It has been stored in a garage when not it use. Let me know if you are still looking.