Fishing out of a Bayliner

[Neiko]

I got a chance on getting a 17ft Bayliner with open bow and was wondering if a guy can fish out of it comfortably. I got a 14ft which is too small to get on a bigger lake. I am not a serious fisherman where I need a tournament boat style. I fish for walleye and northern mainly but do fish lakers occasionally and would like to try for muskies in the future. The only reason I am considering it is because I can get it for a really good price. Is it possible to fish out of this style boat comfortably?

[Valv]

It's an open bow boat, so it's not the perfect rig to fish from but there's nothing wrong with this, if you like it and it's a good deal get it, beware of Force motors though, they have NOT a good reputation and parts are tougher to find

[Eckie]

You didn't mention whether the Bayliner has an I/O or an outboard, but if it's a Force motor, I'll second Valv's comments. I worked at a resort a few years back, and invariably, if I had to tow a customer in due to motor problems, it was because of the Force motor.

As far as fishing out of the Bayliner, if it's a good deal, go for it. It will allow you to enjoy bigger bodies of water more often. Over time, you might start looking for ways to "customize" or fish "more" comfortably out of the bow (I would think the way the seats are currently situated would make for an awkward fishing angle since the seats face the wrong way), but if you're standing..no sweat. I have a runabout fish and ski, which allows me to convert the bow into a platform, using one of the pedastal seats from the back. Good Luck!

[Neiko]

Thanks for the replies. It does have a 70hp O/B. I did a little research before and found the Force issues you guys mention really common for the "L" drive. If it had one of them I wouldn't even consider it. How hard would it be to mount a trolling motor upfront?

[Valv]

Problems were for all the Force OBs, in fact they all said "may the Force be with you..."

The L Drives were REALLY bad

[Neiko]

For the record it is a Johnson motor.

[Valv]

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For the record it is a Johnson motor.

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You are sooooo safe now.... !!! This is good news.

[iffwalleyes]

The bayliners that I have rode in expecially the 18 foot and under size are terrible riding boats in my opinion. They pound the waves they don't really ride throught them at all. Plus they aren't very comfotable to fish out of.

[Neiko]

I am not knocking my 14 footer but it would be nice to have a little more room to move about. Not to mention the ride can't be any worse then the the one I got now. One thing I am thinking of doing if I really need to troll alot is get one mounted upfront and then have a remote control so I can sit in back and not be sitting funny up front.

[Valv]

Neiko, send me an email

[Neiko]

email sent

[boatfixer]

Quote:

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Problems were for all the Force OBs, in fact they all said "may the Force be with you..."

The L Drives were REALLY bad

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Yeah, but they put food on the table of many mechanics