New Guy Needs Help

[Raybone956]

Hi everyone, I live ab out 30 miles west of Cleveland, Ohio and I'm looking for a boat to fish on Lake Erie. I have never owned a boat before and I would like to spend under 10k. I really like the simple center console boats but I'm open to suggestions.I'm off this weekend and thinking about driving to the Sandusky area to look at boats. Should I go to a dealer or only deal with private owners ? Any dealer suggestions ? Any help of any kind would be appreciated...Thanks, Ray

 

[badbowtie]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

I am trying to locate a boat for a really good friend for up at lake erie. Since the waves are so big up their you really have to watch with what you go with because you will end up getting wet. Center console better be big and very deep haul. He was thinking about going that route but he was looking at a 29' and still was going to get water in. He is back looking at a 25-30 closed bow aft cabin style boat. That is all he is going to end up doing up thier is fish also. If you buy a boat that has been on the lake all its life have it checked since it is really hard on boats up thier.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Welcome to iboats!

Take a look here and use the advanced search to drill down to your requirements http://www.iboats.com/boats/

The keys to boat buying are detailed inspections and water testing

 

[Raybone956]

Dealers in Sandusky Ohio

Dealers in Sandusky Ohio

I'm going to the Sandusky Ohio this weekend to shop for my first boat(need to fish Lake Erie). Anyone have dealer suggestions ?

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Dealers in Sandusky Ohio

Re: Dealers in Sandusky Ohio

Bunch of dealers in that vicinity. When we were shopping the folks at Battery Park were nice.

 

[Raybone956]

Center Console on Lake Erie

Center Console on Lake Erie

I'm anxious to buy my first boat but I don't want to jump in too fast and buy the wrong boat. I would be fishing on Lake Erie and I know first hand from a passengers perspective how dangerous that can be. My budget is 6 to 10k and I really like center console type boats. How big do I need to go ? Will a center console handle the waves ? I need to be able to tow the boat with my F-150. I don't see myself sleeping in the boat or going fishing when its really cold outside. Any help will be greatly appreciated....

 

[Bluepike]

Re: Dealers in Sandusky Ohio

Re: Dealers in Sandusky Ohio

There is a free boat show near Sandusky next weekend called the Catawba Island boat show. You can talk to a number of dealers at one time. Mostly new boats there. But if you go, you can drive a little down the road to Port Clinton where there are boat dealers and marina's with boats for sale all over town.

The boat show has a website where you can get more info. Tell the Admiral that they will have wine tasting next Saturday and she will be happy to let you go and will want to go with you.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Center Console on Lake Erie

Re: Center Console on Lake Erie

center consoles typically handle rough water better than other designs, but the real factor is the driver. You can't say X size is what you want for a body of water. You need to talk to fishermen who use the area--I'm sure there's a fishing forum. And be more specific as to your location.

Center consoles hold up better than boats with a lot of carpet, uphosterlry, etc. so you will get better value on the used market with one.

 

[diesel5599]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Personally I think you will be wasting a lot of time if you start with dealers. They talk your ear off, try to get your contact info, call you endlessly if you give them your info and getting in and out of dealer lots is just time consuming.

I would recommend using a site like Craigslist or boattrader to look at tons of boats within your area and price range. Get your list down to about 5 or 10 that you really like. Then focus on going to see that list. Narrow the list even more after seeing the 3-5 you thought you liked based on the pics and specs.

After seeing them in person either start over and compile a new list, or start shopping more aggressively based on the final 3 that you liked in person. Then the purchase decision typically comes down to price, features, electronics, powerplant, and above all things how well the boat was maintained.

You will also run into other limits as well, such as how much you can tow, how much boat you are willing to deal with, etc, etc. If you have absolutely zero point of reference to start your search, I would spend a few days at the ramps watching the types of boats that come in and the marinas to see what the most popular boats in the area are. From there you should then have a starting point of reference.

 

[bomar76]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Avoid J&J like the plauge...not in Sandusky, but close.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: New Guy Needs Help

I have to disagree somewhat with diesel. I think the way to start is to go look at real boats--dealers, marinas, etc. to figure out the hull design, motor, etc. for your intended use and environment. Talk to people on the docks; everyone likes to talk about his boat and if he's not selling, will tell you the weak spots. Filter the anecdotes and personal opinions. The dealers are great for window shopping even if you wouldn't buy new (I wouldn't) but tell them, to be fair. They'll still let you kick the tires.

Once you have your configuration down, set your price (holding back 20% for start-up costs) and then look at specific boats for sale on CL, etc. You'll go crazy comparing all the variables on used boats if you don't first know what you want.

 

[Raybone956]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

I went to a local dealer today that sells both new and used. he didn't have any used center console boats, even after I told him I has a 8 to 10k budget he tried to sell me a 30k new boat. he told me how it will very difficult to find a center console boat in the Ohio area and how if I go to the Cataba boat show next weekend they will only be showing big, very expensive, new boat so its kinda a waste of time to go to the show. Oh Boy !!!!

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

A center console boat in your price range will be rare find in Ohio.
A 20-21' cuddy makes a nice Erie fishing boat, I have a 16' closed bow boat that gets me into 10lb walleye or a cooler full of perch whichever species are schooling up.
I seldom have to go out more than 3 mi., a 6hp kicker motor is a must for trolling up the big ones when there's no drift and back up propulsion if something breaks on the main motor.
I always watch the forecast and if it's bad even a 20' boat can be in trouble, with that said I have a 20' bowrider but I feel safer in my little closed bow 16 footer probably because I stay closer to shore with it and I've been fishing erie with it for 30 years.
You don't need a big boat for Erie just have to be smart and fearful of the lake at all times.

 

[Raybone956]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Is a closed bow boat the same as a cuddy cabin ?

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Walk around the marinas and look at the boats. Look at the hull shapes and rises. Think about the wave action on the type of boat your getting serious about. Find a Lyman and try to come to grips with why it was a so successful hull design for lake Erie. Keep an open mind, ask alot of questions of alot of experienced boaters. Remember, you've got to get home on the boat you leave the harbor in.....my attitude is that every time I leave the harbor I'm going to be in a hostile environment, that at any instant could kill me, so I want a boat that works! In my mind I would never go into Lake Erie in an open boat....like a center console.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Is a closed bow boat the same as a cuddy cabin ?

A closed bow boat is kinda like a cuddy only too small to have any cabin ammenities, like my little boat here.
It's has no open bow seating for people to ride up front. The advantage is wave splash doesn't come into the boat as much, the water rolls off the bow and runs back the gunnels and not into the boat like it would in a bow rider, items can be kept dry up under the bow.
If you plan on taking 3 or 4 people with you fishing than my boat would be too small, I can only take 1 person fishing, sometimes two if the lake is flat and were perch fishing on a nice day, 1-3' waves are uncomfortable but doable, anything 4' and over not for this boat but it has done pretty good when I've been caught out in it.
If I ever get a larger boat for Erie it will have a small cabin for sure but for now I fare pretty well in my little MFG.

 

[RickJ6956]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

The waves on the lake are kicked up by weather. On a nice calm day the lake can be like glass. OTOH a 15-knot wind can kick up 4 or 5 foot rollers in a hurry. The lake is also shallow, so it responds faster to weather changes than the other Great Lakes. You can start out fishing at 5am on a sheet of glass and by 9 there are four-footers tossing you around.

That said ... You can fish on Lake Erie in any kind of boat you want. A canoe will allow you to only fish when the lake is glass and the forecast is perfect. A 16-foot open bow can get scary in anything over 1-3 feet. I had a 20-foot cuddy for years and fished in some pretty challenging conditions, the worst of which was a surprise storm that kicked up 6- to 8-footers.

Downriggers can be attached to pretty much any boat but they became a chore on my 20-footer.

A cuddy can hold a porty potty -- a nice touch if your wife or girlfriend likes to fish.

 

[Raybone956]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

Just a shot in the dark but does anyone have a decent boat for sale in the Cleveland area ?

 

[waterspout]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

I would keep a close eye on CL and even the newspaper around your area. CL is great because you can get an idea of what the boat looks like and cond. It usually takes up to a yr for me to find a good well kept boat, but i am very picky and will only consider buying one that has been taken care of. I have been fishing the west end of lake erie for over 30 yrs and owned 4 different boats and never had to put a lot of money into a craft, i think because i didn't get excited and rush into buying, that is why you need to be patient and just look at what is out there, and eventually you will find a clean one. I just bought a 1986 25' Wellcraft Offshore this last yr, fiberglass liner, 350 merc, cuddy cabin,740 hrs, trailer, power winch, well within the price range you mentioned. My ins. agent looked at it before writing a policy for it and commented that it was the cleanest 23 yr old boat he had ever seen,so im' tellin you they are out there,keep looking. Another brand to consider is a Searay "Amberjack" model 25.5 ft. 10' beam, you should be able to tow that with your Ford. There are some on CL now that i would go look at if i hadn't bought the Wellcraft. Punch in "amberjack" at the top of the page for Toledo, Cleveland, and Detroit, it will give you a number of those models for sale. Good luck and have fun

 

[Raybone956]

Re: New Guy Needs Help

I think I'm going to go look at this boat, right now I'm waiting to hear from the owner to find out what wrong with the motor....http://cleveland.craigslist.org/boa/1711437038.html