Hello everyone. I am getting ready to start looking for a crappie fishing boat.I am trying to figure out what kinda boat to go with. Any suggestions? pro's and cons would be grateful. Thanks for any advice.
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Hello everyone. I am getting ready to start looking for a crappie fishing boat.I am trying to figure out what kinda boat to go with. Any suggestions? pro's and cons would be grateful. Thanks for any advice.
Contact Bill At Big River Marine BRM on CDC.
Spudjunkie; This is totally up to you as just about any boat that will float has been used to fish out of. What you like and can afford with or without breaking the bank. What type of water you plan to fish to how big of a boat you will need. How far you will be going as far as how much horsepower the motor will be needed. Do you want a aluminum or a fiberglass type boat. They are so many out there what I am saying here is that you will need to go to a lake(or water) that you will be fishing and see what others are mostly using there and see what you might would like. And don't hesitate to ask fishermen to take you out for a quick ride so to help make up your mind most of them like to brag on their boat anyway(that is after they are thru fishing for the day). Then afterward maybe deciding on one or two then everyone here can tell you how they have worked for them. Or like blackfish suggested contact big river marine maybe they will have just what you want or can order it for you. Good luck with you new or new used boat.:twocents
BRM at Big River can give you the info you need based on where and how you are going to fish. And he won't be pressuring you to buy right off the bat.
Bill at Big River Marine has always been willing to help a person out. He has tons of boat knowledge and if you are looking for a new or used rig, he can fix you up.
I was looking at the ranger 178c. I don't want to start this boat is better than that boat war. I would like to stay with the aluminum boat side but was just curious to what people like. I have been out of the fishing boat seen for awhile. I appreciate the replys you guys have sent so far. I will try to give BRM a call this week. Do they have a website or just a facebook page I would like to see what there inventory is. Thanks again guys.
Just give BRM a call. He has several lines including the Ranger. Great guy to do business with.
Just remember alum. will blow around a lot compared to fiberglass. In my opinion alum. is more friendly in the fact that if you are in the brush, trees etc. you don't worry about rubbing against them and ruining the finish on fiberglass, the alum. will hold up better. The ride on most fiberglass boats is better in big water. Just a few thoughts to get you totally confused. Glad I could help. :Rofl
Go up to the main forum and take a ride through the 113 pages of boats onnthe show off your boats sticky. Everything imaginable in there.
There is never a "one size fits all" application. Hence the reason a lot of us have more than one boat (or we use that as an excuse anyway). Get one that will fit what you currently do as well as what you want to be able to do. My boat is a deep V with a wide beam. I use it on big water and for walleye fishing as well as crappie fishing. That said, I cannot get it into some areas I can with a smaller boat. For every guy that tells you something is awesome and they never had a problem with it, there are 10 guys waiting in line to rip it apart! My personal preference is alumacraft.
Keep in mind that ranger was just recently purchased by another company (owner is Johnny Morris). The thought process is that the aluminum line-up might dissapear completely from ranger.... OR.... a rebranding will ocur. Either Tracker boats will be rebranded as Ranger, or Ranger as Tracker. Not sure how that will work yet. Either way, you should be good for right now. Look at the fit and finish of the boat and compare it to other models. In my opinion, the Ranger aluminum series left a lot to be desired. The fit and finish was not as good as their premium line-up. In fact, there were a ton better alluminum boats in the class that had a lot better options and at a cheaper price. Web images don't do any of the boats justice. First hand is the best way to look at them. Ultimately, you write the checks and decide for yourself. That was just my take based on my perception of what I wanted in a boat... your mileage might very!
Have fun and good luck
I want to thank everyone for the friendly advice. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. decisions, decisions.:)
My suggestion would be just get one, now. Here in Ga the crappie fishing is wide open. If you are like the rest of us, you are going to have to buy one and fish out of it for a year or so to even know what you really want and what fits the style of fishing you do in your area. I would buy a not so expensive used one for now and fish like somebody left the gate open for a year and by this time next year you will be answering this question instead of asking it.
BTW....I started out in a 1648 open floor tiller steer jon boat that I still have,and while I now have a boat that is bigger and faster and much better equipped, their are times and places that I wouldn't want to be in anything but that old boat....
Where are you at in IL? Id much rather buy a boat close to home than further from it. Look at M&M Marine | Savanna IL Fishing Boats | Galena Pontoons | Quad Cities Bass Boat | Millers Sport Center Lanark Illinois 61046 http://www.shopmillsmarine.com/ https://www.boats.com/sites/tedsboatarama etc etc
Also Eastside marina in Springfield il S$R marine in Beardstown il What part of the state are you in ?Quote:
Originally Posted by matzilla
That depends on the aluminum boat. Light boats and those with high sides do blow around. Main thing is where you fish in brush or open water and then consider size of lake and weight of persons and equipment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boa3
How you fish and how wide open is the lake will be the key to size you will want .I fished all over backwater of Grenada, Sardis. Enid in a 1436 war eagle for years but I mostly jig fish . Got in with some folks and started pulling cranks and spider rigging and want a 17 ft . at least .
Second for S&R Marine if you are anywhere close to Beardstown.
I have a Pro Cat 240 from S&R and really love it. I fish catfish and crappie so I needed a boat that could handle big rivers as well as lakes. I have been to Mississippi and fished the big 4 so I also know what big lakes are like. Darrin will treat you right and I think he will give any dealer a run for their money on price no matter where you live. Just my 2cents worth. feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Bo
I fish out of a 1995 procraft 200 combo FISH AND SKI....lol and it has worked great for us for ten years (got it when our two boys were younger) to fish and ski....still have it and wife and i spider rig, double dip, etc out of it with no problems because we are used to it. Find what fits you at the time and have fun....whatever you do...dont make it alot of work and worry trying to figure out what you want to fit you exactly.....biggest thing is have a good trolling motor and good electronics.
I too have looked at Crappie Boats for years before I purchased my boat new in 2008. I looked at G3 and I looked at Bass Pro. Then I looked at a Lowes 175 Stinger. I don't have to have the most speed or the best of everything. I can honestly say that my Lowes 175 Stinger was everything that I need to catch crappie. I have a Mercury 50 hp 2 banger with a 12 gallon gas tank. Top speed is 32 mph and the boat will handle ruff water almost as good as some glass boats. Its wide enough at the back of the boat to be stable in all water conditions. Both the wife and I are kind of over weight and we can both stand together anywhere on the boat and it won't tip lower in the water. Figuring that I am 6'4" and almost 300 pounds and I won't post my wifes weight hey I am dumb but not stupid!!! LOL! The boat handles great for us! With both the wife and another couple in the boat with us there is plenty of room to fish with the double seats in front. And I cant swim but I have a good life vest and I feel safe in any water or weather conditions in my boat.
Plus we have a pair of on board minnow tanks attached to the live wells. I figured with the money we saved in buying a Lowes Boat we were able to purchase more crappie jig skirts! And its sure nice to be able to run the boat hard for 2 days on just one 12 gallon gas tank!
Granted maybe I have added to much to my boat. I have added a Apollo stainless steel prop, additional lighting inside the boat. Put a air pump to provide air inside the live wells. Plus done a lot more stuff too.
And yeah I would love to have a new Ranger with a new Ford pickup. But my 2004 Ford F-250 and my 2008 Lowes Stinger does the job just fine. Heck the crappie don't know the difference. And in the end of things its all just about what you can afford to spend and what you want to use.
I fish out of a 88 model 17ft fiberglass fish ski . I t works well I have plenty of seating for four ,and it handles well. Crappie fishing doesn't require a expensive boat just one that fits you. I run an inverter with clamp lights along with a float light. The trick to it is to be able to see your poles and be safe. Good luck
If it floats you can catch Crappie out of it.
I bought a new G3 1756 this year with a 50hp and love it
Old folks boat. You can't find this rig in a big box store. Ima hotdog.
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps73a9037a.jpg
Very nice rig Cane Pole.
Whatever brand you get make sure it has a shallow draft, livewell or an adequate spot to put an ice chest (whichever you prefer), a good spot to keep your net, working nightlights, a good motor, adequate room for marine batteries. Throw your poles in and get em. Good luck and enjoy it, buying a boat is much more fun than buying a vehicle.
I will be picking up my new boat Saturday, I went with the Triton 18c TX. I am going back to aluminun for several reasons and I got the 18' foot boat for the grandkids, they love to fish with me and I love having them with me. I also got the bigger boat because I fish Rayburn a lot and sometimes it gets rough out there before you can get back in. I am looking forward to having the two seats up front so me and my partners can both be on the brush pile and not be reaching around each other all the time. Really it all comes down to getting what you want and what you think will you will be happy with. Good luck.
Make sure you get a trailer..LOL.....I went with friend who has a tracker pro v sc17'. Nice floor plan lots of room and I was sold! Had owned a pontoon for years but have been away from fishing for awhile now. So recently purchased a Tracker Targa Deep V. It has a dual console which I particular don't care for but I got it at a reasonable price. Few minor adjustment and that passenger console is coming out. With a 24v trolling motor and great electronics we can fish all day.
Just get on the water!
Congrats on the new boat. Enjoy it and if you find the time we would like to see some pics.
Before buying a boat fish with several people in different boats that fish same way you do before making up your mind on a boat. I got the Excel and once I got used to the change I love it. Bought one after having a AlumaWeld for 28 years ! The 18' x 60'' Excel is heavy but stable should out last me . Bill @ Big River Marine on here sells most brands .