90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow :)

[tbird175]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

Guntersville lake covers about 68,000 acres with about 949 miles of shoreline.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

My guess is that to fish that lake effectively, you will want a lot more than 10Hp. I do not think you will be satisfied with 7.5Hp. In any case, don't buy it without a test drive. That will tell you how fast the boat is. To put things in perspective, I have a 15 1/2 ft all aluminum LOWE and it will hit 30MPH with a 40HP motor. I will run it about 3 to 4 miles up stream on a typical day. Remember that this was a $2500 boat. The 14 ft Tom-boy was a $1000 boat, and with the 35Hp Johnson it would hit about 28MPH. It only lasted me for about a year though. If I recall correctly HP goes up with the square of length. Thus a 20% increase in length means a 50% increase in HP. Maybe someone knows better than I as my knowledge is a little lacking in that department.

In my opinion, for $1200 you should be able to get a decent boat with tiller steering. Look for about 14 ft aluminum, with about a 25HP motor. My preference is for Johnson or Evenrude. Mercury is OK. Stay away from Chrysler and probably from Force, although Force may be subject to discussion. Other people closer to where you are may have a better idea of size and HP recomendations for that price.

TerryMSU

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

My guess is that to fish that lake effectively, you will want a lot more than 10Hp. I do not think you will be satisfied with 7.5Hp. In any case, don't buy it without a test drive. That will tell you how fast the boat is. To put things in perspective, I have a 15 1/2 ft all aluminum LOWE and it will hit 30MPH with a 40HP motor. I will run it about 3 to 4 miles up stream on a typical day. Remember that this was a $2500 boat. The 14 ft Tom-boy was a $1000 boat, and with the 35Hp Johnson it would hit about 28MPH. It only lasted me for about a year though. If I recall correctly HP goes up with the square of length. Thus a 20% increase in length means a 50% increase in HP. Maybe someone knows better than I as my knowledge is a little lacking in that department.

In my opinion, for $1200 you should be able to get a decent boat with tiller steering. Look for about 14 ft aluminum, with about a 25HP motor. My preference is for Johnson or Evenrude. Mercury is OK. Stay away from Chrysler and probably from Force, although Force may be subject to discussion. Other people closer to where you are may have a better idea of size and HP recomendations for that price.

TerryMSU

thank you you're input has really helped me

now if you dont mind what do you think about these?

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1644300777.html
16 ft 1550 Glass-Stream Pro-bass - $1350
is the first one.

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1645797841.html
16.5 FOOT STRYKER BASS BOAT - $1500
is the second one.

now keep in mind i have to watch my weight, as i only have a 2002 chevy s10 2.2l I4 rwd so im really weight conscious (just checked the tow rating of my truck and it looks like 2300 lbs is max. but i honestly dont see this boat anywhere near that. however im totally liking the stryker boat a lot better and i bet i could get him to drop it down to 1200 if he's desperate.

but i've never seen a glass-stream before and he said he was going to send me pictures via txt tomorrow. so lets see how that turns out.

 

[koko1]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

thank you you're input has really helped me

now if you dont mind what do you think about these?

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1644300777.html
16 ft 1550 Glass-Stream Pro-bass - $1350
is the first one.

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1645797841.html
16.5 FOOT STRYKER BASS BOAT - $1500
is the second one.

now keep in mind i have to watch my weight, as i only have a 2002 chevy s10 2.2l I4 rwd so im really weight conscious (just checked the tow rating of my truck and it looks like 2300 lbs is max. but i honestly dont see this boat anywhere near that. however im totally liking the stryker boat a lot better and i bet i could get him to drop it down to 1200 if he's desperate.

but i've never seen a glass-stream before and he said he was going to send me pictures via txt tomorrow. so lets see how that turns out.

Double post

 

[koko1]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

thank you you're input has really helped me

now if you dont mind what do you think about these?

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1644300777.html
16 ft 1550 Glass-Stream Pro-bass - $1350
is the first one.

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1645797841.html
16.5 FOOT STRYKER BASS BOAT - $1500
is the second one.

now keep in mind i have to watch my weight, as i only have a 2002 chevy s10 2.2l I4 rwd so im really weight conscious (just checked the tow rating of my truck and it looks like 2300 lbs is max. but i honestly dont see this boat anywhere near that. however im totally liking the stryker boat a lot better and i bet i could get him to drop it down to 1200 if he's desperate.

but i've never seen a glass-stream before and he said he was going to send me pictures via txt tomorrow. so lets see how that turns out.

Nice looking boats and they are priced to sell... One thing to look for in the Stryker boat is to make sure if there was any gas left in the tank, which I assume there would be since he says he has been running it every few months, that he has been putting stabile in the gas tank every few months. Bad gas will tear a engine up quickly. Other than that go test drive it and get out and start fishing..GL

 

[jbjennings]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

The stryker boat is far too nice looking to go for only 1500. It says "needs TLC" which translates into "the transom is shot, the floor has soft spots, all the seats are torn, the motor runs but not on all cylinders or has a leaky/shot lower unit that needs replacing". This is just my experience at looking at quite a few used boats that say "TLC" in the ad at a lower than usual price. It is definitely worth looking at, but I'd go with the advice you were given earlier-----go with a 14 foot aluminum boat with a 25hp tiller motor. Used fiberglass boats can have LOTS of hidden problems that even experienced folks may not notice. I like the stryker boat, though, and the 70hp evinrude which is a nice motor if it's in good shape. The first thing I look at when looking at pics of a used boat is what is in the background of the pic.
JMO,
JBJ

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

Nice looking boats and they are priced to sell... One thing to look for in the Stryker boat is to make sure if there was any gas left in the tank, which I assume there would be since he says he has been running it every few months, that he has been putting stabile in the gas tank every few months. Bad gas will tear a engine up quickly. Other than that go test drive it and get out and start fishing..GL

thank you i really want to stryker boat, but i have no idea what it would weigh. lol i tried to do a search but i can only find ones larger than the one posted. lol.

so if you knew of a better way to find weight or if someone could find it for me that would be great!

thanks!
-stephen.

 

[koko1]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

thank you i really want to stryker boat, but i have no idea what it would weigh. lol i tried to do a search but i can only find ones larger than the one posted. lol.

so if you knew of a better way to find weight or if someone could find it for me that would be great!

thanks!
-stephen.

It will be pretty hard to find the weight on that boat. I tried to look it up on NADA.com but they say there is no weight info on the striker boats, I guess because they went out of business. I would imagine though, a 16.5' Fiberglass bass boat with a 70 HP motor would be in between 1500-2000 LBS. being 1991, it may be a little heavier as they made boats heavier back then but I don't really see it being to much over that...

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

It will be pretty hard to find the weight on that boat. I tried to look it up on NADA.com but they say there is no weight info on the striker boats, I guess because they went out of business. I would imagine though, a 16.5' Fiberglass bass boat with a 70 HP motor would be in between 1500-2000 LBS. being 1991, it may be a little heavier as they made boats heavier back then but I don't really see it being to much over that...

holy cow really? lol well that kinda kills this boat for me hahah because my little s10 couldn't handle that. lol.

 

[koko1]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

holy cow really? lol well that kinda kills this boat for me hahah because my little s10 couldn't handle that. lol.

I could be wrong, but that is just a guesstimate.....I think the S-10 would pull and handle a 16.5' boat without any problems... It is really hard to tell just looking at pictures of the boat though and without being able to find the towing weight of it but you should be fine..

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

I could be wrong, but that is just a guesstimate.....I think the S-10 would pull and handle a 16.5' boat without any problems... It is really hard to tell just looking at pictures of the boat though and without being able to find the towing weight of it but you should be fine..

lol, wow your just a knowledge bank and i appreciate it.

my s10 is a 2002 reg cab, rwd 2.2L inline 4 i did a tow capacity look up on it yesterday and i believe it said 2300

here it is i just print screened it.



but do you think it would be able to pull it out of the water?
i also dont want to over stress the engine as its my daily driver.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

Adding a little perspective here...

My 15.5 ft LOWE (aluminum) with a 40HP Evenrude on the trailer weighs about 1150 pounds. Actual weight on the scale was just over 1000 pounds plus whatever was on the tongue, maybe 50 pounds. I added a new trolling motor and battery plus 6 gallons of gas. I tow it with a 1999 Dodge Caravan 3.0L with no real issues. I know it is back there, but...

Most of my towing is just a couple of miles, but we do tow it on vacation for about 100 miles each way. All in relatively flat territory (no mountains, just midwestern hills).

TerryMSU

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

Adding a little perspective here...

My 15.5 ft LOWE (aluminum) with a 40HP Evenrude on the trailer weighs about 1150 pounds. Actual weight on the scale was just over 1000 pounds plus whatever was on the tongue, maybe 50 pounds. I added a new trolling motor and battery plus 6 gallons of gas. I tow it with a 1999 Dodge Caravan 3.0L with no real issues. I know it is back there, but...

Most of my towing is just a couple of miles, but we do tow it on vacation for about 100 miles each way. All in relatively flat territory (no mountains, just midwestern hills).

TerryMSU

but doesn't LOWE generally have super heavy boats?

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

As far as LOWE being super heavy, I never thought about it, but it seems to be very solidly built.

To bad you are so far away. Here are a couple of local links in Craigslist that looks about right for you.

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/1647526574.html

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/1647056132.html

TerryMSU

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

Based on your tow rating I'd stick to aluminum boats. My 16' Starcraft SS weighs under 600lbs for just the hull. Add my 80hp merc and we are around 900, so easily pulled by almost any vehicle with a hitch.

Keep in mind that a heavier fiberglass boat will cost more to tow and when on the water for gas.

Be patient...I waited a long time, more than a year to find exactly what I wanted, and I'm thrilled with my boat(I also had a 12' and canoe to fish from though)...good luck to ya!

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

these are two that im looking at.

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1648432490.html


http://huntsville.craigslist.org/boa/1649077760.html

im leaning more towards the second one even though its fiberglass for 3 reasons.

a) it seems to be in better condition
b) closer to me
c) has center console which i really like. so i've emailed him and said i was interested in it, and gave him my list of questions lol but I haven't gotten a response back yet.

second one would be plan b but its kind of hard to drop someone 700 bucks as compared to 400 bucks ya know? and its really not that bad of a boat, (only seen pictures though) and it seems to be what im looking for. so its a win win, if they both can keep it long enough for me to check them both out.

so what do yall think? which would better suit me? i would just be doing some lake, and river fishing.

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

As far as LOWE being super heavy, I never thought about it, but it seems to be very solidly built.

To bad you are so far away. Here are a couple of local links in Craigslist that looks about right for you.

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/1647526574.html

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/boa/1647056132.html

TerryMSU

first link didn't work.

second one looks nice but like you said its pretty far away. and im not a fan of v-hulls idk why but i think a flatbottom would fit my type of boating best but thanks again for the links

Based on your tow rating I'd stick to aluminum boats. My 16' Starcraft SS weighs under 600lbs for just the hull. Add my 80hp merc and we are around 900, so easily pulled by almost any vehicle with a hitch.

Keep in mind that a heavier fiberglass boat will cost more to tow and when on the water for gas.

Be patient...I waited a long time, more than a year to find exactly what I wanted, and I'm thrilled with my boat(I also had a 12' and canoe to fish from though)...good luck to ya!

thats what i need is a light boat that it wouldn't be too bad to tow maybe up a mountain and down it [obviously ] so take a look at those links the second one is a aluminum boat. but i like the console of the fiberglass. see i could get a good fishing kayak but then thats about 600 bucks so im like uhm? be lazy and get a boat for 600 bucks more or go with the kayak lol very tempting because before i look at boats i was totally going to get into kayak fishing. Then the boat itch hit me lol

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

The polarkraft appears to be a JET drive motor. Ideal for VERY shallow water, but you lose a lot of power due to the jet drive. That is why the price difference. The Hustler motor looks a good bit older (both are older motors). Can someone verify that that is not an electric shift motor? If it is RUN, don't walk away. Also, the prices are a little higher than $400 vs $700. I assume that that was just an example. Given you situation, I would probably recomend the Hustler as well, but check the motor over very carefully and check the hull very carefully as well. Otherwise, you will be throwing your money away.

TerryMSU

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

I like the Evinrude and the aluminum flat bottom. Those together would be a good combo. That fiberglass rig is ok if the transom and deck are solid, they may be rotten.

I'd bet that the Johnson is an electric shift and Terry is right, those have known issues and you should stay away. Find out if it's electric shift and the year to know for sure, hard to tell from the pics.

 

[kriegersa]

Re: 90% sure ill be a new owner of a boat tomorrow

The polarkraft appears to be a JET drive motor. Ideal for VERY shallow water, but you lose a lot of power due to the jet drive. That is why the price difference. The Hustler motor looks a good bit older (both are older motors). Can someone verify that that is not an electric shift motor? If it is RUN, don't walk away. Also, the prices are a little higher than $400 vs $700. I assume that that was just an example. Given you situation, I would probably recommend the Hustler as well, but check the motor over very carefully and check the hull very carefully as well. Otherwise, you will be throwing your money away.

TerryMSU

yeah i cannot tell either are you talking about the johnson being an electric shift? and what does that mean?

with the 400 vs 700 thats how much i would need them to drop if i were to pick up one of these boats.

in fiberglass boats what do i need to worry about in the hulls, i know about cracks scrapes and that sort of thing but anything else?

I like the Evinrude and the aluminum flat bottom. Those together would be a good combo. That fiberglass rig is ok if the transom and deck are solid, they may be rotten.

I'd bet that the Johnson is an electric shift and Terry is right, those have known issues and you should stay away. Find out if it's electric shift and the year to know for sure, hard to tell from the pics.

yeah but the guy with the aluminum boat wants 1300 for just his boat and trailer... lol that blows up my budget right there haha.

now if the deck is rotten what would i need to do to repair it? like just build another one?