watercraft options for a college graduate?

[mainbutter]

So I will be graduating in June, and hopefully getting an apartment. As of right now, I'm limited to fishing with my feet on ground, but am dreaming of my own waftercraft of some sort to go fishing with.

I think I might be interested in an inflatable boat/kayak/something to go fishing with. I've never been fishing in a kayak before, much less anything inflatable, and have 2 questions:

1) Is it risky to fish on an inflatable boat thing? I can just see a hook causing a puncture and deflation in the middle of a lake and losing all of my stuff as it sinks below and having to swim back to shore.

2) Any suggestions on specific watercraft? I haven't decided on a price range yet, I'd rather look at all options first. Bascically, being compact for storage when I'm not using it is the biggest factor in what I'd like.

[Fishin=Easy]

Your right about the inflatable puncture. There are inexpensive kayaks but most aren't very comfortable for long trips the cheapies are usually one you sit on instead of in. Plus if you get either you'd be fishing by yourself. Depending on what you wanna spend I'd look for a small 12 or 14 footer aluminum with a 6 or 9 horse, pretty easy to come by if you have something to pull it. That way you could have room for gear and another person too. If your price range is low check out some kayak companies for yaks with defects they give a good price drop if theres a bubble or a smear or whatever in it.

[NELS-BELLS]

When I was in college, I fished out of an aluminum canoe and I used it a lot. I clamped an electric trolling motor on it so I didn't have to paddle. I would throw the canoe on the roof of my car and away I went. Most of the time by myself but occasionally one of my buddies would come along. The best part was, I was able to get back to some remote lakes that didn't have public landings. I also fished the rivers a lot.

If I were you, I would seriously consider an aluminum canoe. More practical. Will last longer. They are very durable. You can use it for fishing lakes and rivers. Take it to the Boundary Waters. Use it for duck hunting. It will go on top of almost any vehicle. I just used four foam blocks that mount on the gunnel and four adjustable straps.

I still have my canoe and still use it occasionally but the 17' Crestliner is much more comfortable.

Nels

[mainbutter]

Where did you keep your canoe? My concern at the moment is having a place to store whatever I end up getting(if anything). A canoe would be ideal, cheap and easy to come by, but they don't really fit indoors in a small apartment.

Unless I find a place to stay that has some kind of garage or something I get to use?? Who knows.

[redhooks]

I prefer a canoe because it's more comfortable to sit on the water rather down in it in a kayak. And they are also very versatile as NELS-BELLS stated. Canoes are something that can travel cross country and last many years if taken care of, you also have room for another fishing partner as well.

As far as the storage I think there are a few options

- I've seen some apartments w/ garages and some that may have an area set aside for storing large stuff; canoes,bikes..

-You can always rent a storage shed and then look at a small boat

-Depending on where you live I bet somewhere along the way you meet someone willing to store a canoe/watercraft in thier back yard/garage for you.

Some other options might include a fold-a-boat,it's a small boat that folds up and can be transported on a car top. A belly boat or inflatable katamaran style craft can be deflated for storage as well-you can probably find some deals on hsolist.

I think that a person can never have enough watercraft (I have 5) the hard part is finding a place to store them all.

Whatever you get will allow you access to alot more water and better fishing

If possible-see if you can test drive kayak out before investing some $$

Good Luck,

redhooks

[NELS-BELLS]

The complex that I lived at for many years allowed me to keep my canoe on the back side of the garages. Otherwise ask a friend or coworker if you can keep it at there place. Make sure you lock it up, especially if its aluminum.

Nels

[PerchJerker]

I bought my first boat when I was in college, a small 14 footer with an 8 HP motor. I towed it with a compact car and stored it in a garage I rented that was a couple miles away from where I lived. It was awesome.

If storing a small boat isn't an option for you I'd look at float tubes. You've got tons of options there, from small simple ones that only cost a little over $100, to much larger much more complex much more decked out models that are quite a bit more expensive. Storage should be an issue with something like that and you're probably not going to have to spend too much money to get started.

[arcticcat400]

main butter i may be able to help you if i know your price range shoot me an email [email protected]

[Sandmannd]

I looked at garage sales for a couple of years and found a 12 footer with a 5.5 hp motor and trailer for $300. got me on the water. Look on Craig's List as well. Plenty of boats out there.

[montanagriz]

Main..first off, congrats on graduating! As my uncle once told me, "just think, only 40 more years of work and you'll be able to retire." Haha, I'm a few years ahead of you, just finished my 4th year in the working world, and absolutely love to fish in my free time. If you are looking for an entry level boat, I would highly recommend buying an older 12-16 ft. Lund with a 15-25 hp motor for the following reasons:

1) Price - Boat prices have been rising like crazy the last two years, but you should be able to find a rig like this anywhere from $2,000 - $4,000 depending on the condition. You'll see these rigs available all over the place, very popular. Check Craig's List, Star Trib classifieds, and this site and you should be able to find a boat in a hurry.

2) Fishability - With a rig like this you'll be able to fish small lakes, big lakes, rivers, almost any body of water with the exception of a Mille Lacs type lake on really windy day. My brother and I spent many years fishing out of a 12 ft and 16 ft Lund and we are both big guys. Tough to find a better boat for backtrolling, and plenty of room to cast with 2 people. Also, the Lund hull design will allow you to handle to bigger waves than you might initially think.

3) Resale Value - Lund's arguably hold their value better than any other boat in Minnesota. After you get that big paying job and are ready to upgrade, you'll easily be able to sell your boat for close to what you paid for it. If boat prices continue to rise you might even be able to sell it for more than what you paid for it. Throw on a new coat of paint and some new decals and your 1970's Lund will look like a brand new 2008 model, they haven't changed.

I have a 18' Lund Explorer now, but some of my best memories on the water were fishing out of the old small Lunds, personally I don't think you can go wrong with a rig like this. Let us know what you end up getting.

[Dave S]

I started off with an Alumcraft jon-boat with a 15hp Suzuki on the back. I caught my largest fish out of that boat.

The boat was a light weight model and I could beat any 16 foot boat with a 40hp on the back, back to the access. I actually had one guy come over, look at the motor, and walked away shaking his head in disbelief.

I realize storage might be an issue, but if you can get into an apartment complex that has available garage stalls, this would be a plus.

[captainstevo]

I just graduated college and am haveing some of the same problems, I have a canoe, 2 16' boats and 2 duck boats. My largest problem is moving the ones I am not using enough to keep the out of my parents yard for to long. I tend to "borrow" the boats to friends and then dont have to worry about storage as much.

As far as a watercraft I would have to agree with Redhooks and say a Canoe is a great choice, it can be carried, paddled, used with a trolling motor, and much much more. If anyone doughts you just let them know I caught 3 muskies out of a canoe last year. My second option for being able to fish well would be a belly boat or a katamaran. I hope you are happy in you search and even happier in your fishing.

[fishinJohn]

Waders unitl you can rent a duplex or townhouse with a garage. Tough to keep anything big enough to be safe when apartment living. Shore fishing is fun if you are willing to study some more.

[Chode2235]

I hear really amazing things about the new Hobie inflatables. They are very rigid, and come with their peddle drive. They fit in a dufflebag too.

A lot of people also swear by the Fish Eagle inflatable boats. You can mount a trolling motor or small outboard on them pretty easily.

There are also a number of other inflatable boats. Be sure to look for ones that have a rigit frame.

It really depends on the water you will be fishing and what kind of craft you need. Or if you are just looking to get on the water.

I think wind is probably the biggest problem with inflatable boats.

[shizzy]

I live in an apartment and have a 17' canoe, I just got a garage space and strung my Canoe up on the side wall with some rope and a couple of pulleys. I can still park my spare car under it. Its not idea, but it works.