Looking for boat ideas

[NEIAfisherman]

I'm looking for advice on what to buy (or stay away from) for my first fishing boat. My limited experience is with my fathers older mirrocraft (1970s?) with an older evinrude motor. It worked fine, but now that I am looking of something of my own, I would like something newer that will last a long time.

Most of my fishing will be on the Mississippi and a few smaller area lakes. I want something that comfortably fishes 2 adults, and have two young's kids that will likely be involved some day. Ideally, I want something with an open layout, decent amount of storage, and stable but yet floats well in shallow water.

Since most of my fishing doesn't require a lot of travel time, I'm not afraid of a smaller motor (25HP?) as long as it's not under powered for the boat (speed is not my deciding factor). Electric start is a high priority. I will likely pull the boat with our van or smaller truck, so weight is somewhat a factor.

I am looking to spend in the $2000-$3000 range. Maybe a little more for the right boat. Any ideas on what a guy should look for or stay away from? It seems that I could find something from each brand within my price range, but don't know what to weed out...

[Down Deep]

I would look for something 16 foot with a floor and pedestal seats. 25 to 30 HP motor. Check the C-guys List as there are lots of boats fitting that description in your price range. Lund, Alumacraft, Crestliners and Smokers are great boats.

[NEIAfisherman]

Thanks for the response.

I'm currently eyeing a couple different boats.

The first one is a 1987 Alumacraft Lunker DLX with a 1994 Mercury 40hp motor with electric start and power tilt/trim.

The second is a 1987 Smokercraft Big Fisherman with a 1987 25XD Mercury motor.

The alumacraft has a listing price that is $850 higher than the smokercraft. Any idea which would be a better setup? Is $850 extra worth it for a little bigger motor that's 7 years newer? Any other things I may not be considering?

[delcecchi]

If that is the two cylinder two stroke merc, I had almost that same rig. It worked pretty well. The 4 cyl (used to be 50 later 45 then 40) is a better motor, but mine did the job.

I am not sure that a 25 hp would plane a 16 foot boat with floor and seats and a couple people.

Depends on how big lakes you will mostly be fishing.

[CaptainMusky]

Between those two boats definitely the alumacraft.

[aanderud]

Yes, the bigger/newer motor is worth the 850 more, IMHO (all other things equal). It's not just a little more, it's 60% more horsepower. In my opinion, you want at least 35+ hp if you're fishing the mississippi with 2-3 folks in the boat, gear, etc. Never want to be underpowered, and some of the runs can get pretty long on the river.

[NEIAfisherman]

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like the Alumacraft is a better boat than the Smokercraft.

Another alternative is a 2004 Mirrocraft with a 2008 25HP Yamaha motor. This boat by far looks the cleanest of what I have considered (also the newest…). It's only a 14' foot which may be smaller than ideal, but for the type of fishing I do it would suffice 90% of the time. Even though it's only a 25HP motor, I would think that since it's only a 14' boat I would be happy? I know Mirrocraft isn't one of the "big 3," but from what I read they seem to be reputable. Price only about $500 more than the 1987 alumacraft w/1994 mercury. Price isn't the only consideration, but it seems like an extra $500 gets a guy a lot more security (newer boat and motor) even though it's a little smaller. Thoughts?

[gunner55]

Have ran both & would recommend the Alumacraft because it has more room plus it's newer.The Alumacraft,which we still have although it isn't used much now, is a '88 Classic with a sideconsole that has a 60 on it.The Mirrocraft we had was a sideconsole also with a 25 on it & this boat was very small along with not very good in much wind.Both were used mainly lake fishing

[Down Deep]

I always go for the newer is better unless there are defects. The only way to determine the size of the boat you need is to answer the questions of how you will use it. Consider how many passengers, how much equipment, coolers and other stuff that gets carried in a boat. I would also allow for some growth. It's probable that after a year or two you may decide to turn you attentions to other fishing endeavors which will require some flexibility in the boat you have. I also support getting as much HP as you can. I can speak from experience that an underpowered boat can lead to some long runs in some bad weather and limits fishing opportunities.

Make sure you take the motor to an outboard mechanic and have it checked out. It might cost a $100, but you will know the motor's condition and it might prevent you form making an expensive mistake.

Also consider what else the seller is including. Extra seats, life jackets, anchors, batteries, trolling motors, covers, trailer parts and tires can add up of

February isn't the best time to be buying a boat. Wait for another 5 or 6 weeks until mid-March when people start turning their attentions to spring and summer. There will be a deluge of boats for sale and you will have a larger selection. Good deals abound for a buyer who knows what they want and have the financing in place to move quickly.

Good Luck - I always enjoy the buying and selling process.

[marine_man]

On a "heavier" boat (one with livewells and typically pedestal seats), personally, I'd try and be above 25 HP. A 25 HP will work, but if you run with a full livewell and 3 guys in the boat, you'll struggle to get on plane, which is a struggle when it's windy out and you're trying to get in over white caps. 25 HP works great on a boat with bench style seats and no livewell / casting deck / etc.

You won't regret spending more on additional HP... especially on this size boat.

marine_man

[BoxMN]

My two cents - both 50 hp older 2 stroke Merc (Classic 50) and the 2 stroke 25 hp yammies are great motors!

I would go for the classic 50 any day of the week, all year long (still have one on our 82 Alumacraft Classic 16) and it is awesome even after 30+ years. Thirsty, but smooth and bulletproof. If you get a boat with livewell or with floor and the extras (bow troller etc.) I would really go this route.

The yammie 25 2 strokes (I m familiar from using them in late 80's early 90s) are fast and reliable and I really liked them in that hp range. I wold get this on a 16' tiller boat that doesn't have much in it. But as you add stuff, or three fat guys etc. then I would go for more.

The 25 -35 hp evinrudes are a dime a dozen, and rattle a bit, and i had a 96 on a pontoon for many years. They are easy to work on (clean carbs, rebuild fuel pump, etc.) and very reliable and cheap. But they rattle and smoke much more than the 50 or 25 above. But with a clean carb and idle set right can be great motors for fishing. Did I say cheap?

My last two cents, unless you are just trolling with it, I would not get a 4 stroke motor until you got to at least a 50hp. I have a 60 bigfoot on a pontoon and love it... but that is for a pontoon where we putt-putt all day, though the 60 bigfoot will push it at 21 mph. Have used 30 and 40 on 16' basic boats before and we could not even get out of our own way...

Good luck, you should be able to find some nice rigs that are older but in great shape, in your budget. Remember, most boats get used probably less than 10 times per year, from May to September, and usually in their first several years, so go by condition not age. Most 10 yo boats are still new in my eyes

[Walleyehooker]

A 14 foot boat with a 25 is OK but in the long run you will appreciate a 16 footer with a little bigger motor. The extra room is worth it and ride and handling is a little better and typically resale is better. I would be more concerned about age of the motor than the boat. Newer motors are typically better. And even older boats if stored inside and taken care of are still good boats and some of them havnt even changed much over the years. Many years ago I had a few Lunds like this and if you buy them right you can run them for years and still get your money back. Prices tend to go up as it gets closer to opener but don't be in a hurry and wait for a nice clean one to come up. Even if you have to pay a little more it will be worth the wait.

[NEIAfisherman]

Thanks for all of the insight.

It looks like the consensus is what I expected. 16ft better than 14ft. Newer motor is better, and on a heavier boat, 25hp would be under powered.

I've scoured listings and found severe suitable boats, but may wait another month or two when there will be more on the market. I like the buying/selling process, but being inexperienced around boats I don't want to make a mistake.