Thread: Looking to purchase....

Probably get more info over on the MS OT board

You first have to decide how you are going to fish ? There are no jack of all trades boat . jmo . My only opinion that I would give is is to put what size motor the boat is rated for on it . Ride/fish from as many as you can because few have owned that many different boats and certainly you can not compare a boat of the same make that one is 25 yrs. old .Name brand does not guarantee anything either . There is no comparison between a lower end war eagle for example and the top of their line . The best for the money is what you can buy (and for me , that is cash )and what you intend to do with it . How often will you fish ? I have a friend that bought a 30-40 thousand dollar boat ,that might fish 20 times a year . He works in a local factory making 12-14 dollars an hour . Buy what "you" need , not what someone else has . jmo .

Thank you sir!!!!

thank you sir!!!!

Everyone's needs and wants will be different. Seems like most of the TV crappie fisherman fish out of a high end fiberglass bass boat. I guess I could find a way to afford one, but they are just too much of an investment for me. Most of the boats I see around here (Arkansas) are aluminum.

Just to give you a few to look at ... Typical crappie aluminum boats would be ...

Bass Tracker 175 TF
Ranger 178C
Stick Steer from bass tracker, Xpress , G3, etc

the one thing that makes a "crappie boat" is having side by side seating on the front deck. A lot of new crappie boats will have three pedestal mounts up front, so you can sit in the center or side by side for spider rigging.

some of the aluminum boat manufacturers that make crappie style boats

Bass Tracker
XPress
Triton
Alumacraft
G3
Ranger
War Eagle
crestliner

there are a lot of them, talk to Big River Marine in West Memphis when you're ready to buy.

Nothing wrong with a 14 ft Jon boat with a 15 hp merc or Yamaha with a 45 lb thrust minn Kota trolling motor. you can catch all the crappie you will ever need with a used one for about $2,400 or so.

I bought a Ranger 1880 Angler, but it will be the last boat of my lifetime probably.I crappie,bass and striper fish out of it and my wife loves to go out in it also. A lot of room,very comfortable you can use it for anything from fishing to skiing.

I have a 14ft Alumacraft Crappie Jon with stick steer, 15hp Merc, Trim and Tilt, Front and rear HDS 7 Touch sonars, Ethernet Network, transducers front and aft with 2d di front and 2d si di aft with si di transducer remote controlled depth control. Pole holders front and aft, MinnKota 70# trol motor with copilot. A bargain at $100,000.00.