Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Best Striper Fishing Boat

How to choose the right boat for striper fishing

Whether you're looking for a used fishing boat, or a new striper fishing boat, you should consider your options and what you personally need in a striper fishing boat before buying. 3 very important things to consider before buying a boat are

1. The waters you intend to use your striper fishing boat on


2. How many passengers will you be taking on

3. The vehicle that you will be using to tow your fishing boat

Striper Fishing Boats For Fresh Water

Aluminum Striper Fishing boats

While the fiberglass boats work equally as well for fresh water fishing. Aluminum fishing boats with their very lightweight construction are a very good option to consider for a fisherman who has a truck or towing vehicle that has a lighter weight towing capacity, and will be striper fishing on freshwater rivers or reservoirs.

The lighter weight will allow you to tow a much larger striper fishing boat with a lighter towing capacity; as apposed to a heavier weight fiberglass boat.

aluminum fishing boats are made in many different sizes from the small 10 ft jon boats all the way up to the 20 ft plus center console models.

Another advantage of th aluminum boat and it's lighter weight is, you can get the same speed and power as a heavier boat with a smaller motor hence giving the fisherman better fuel milage.
The drawbacks to the aluminum construction are, you lose some stability in windy weather conditions and the ride may not be as smooth on rough water as the heavier fiberglass fishing boat.


Saltwater Striper Fishing Boats

An aluminum boat will work for striper fishing on saltwater; however not as well as the fiberglass models. For saltwater fishing you should carefully consider your boats construction as it relates to safety. The saltwater striper fisherman often ventures much farther from land than the fresh water fisherman and is also much more likely to be stuck out in windy or adverse weather conditions. This is where a larger, heavy, more stable fiberglass striper fishing boat could save your life.

Boat Layout For Striper Fishing

Bay boat

The bay boat or center console layout is preferred and used by most serious striper fishermen for inshore saltwater as well as freshwater striper fishing. Most bay boats come with a built in bait tank and larger live wells than the boats designed for bass or walleye fishing. You can find the bay boat in aluminum or fiberglass.

No boat manufacture that I know of makes a boat designed specifically for striper fishing. however if they did, the bay boats general layout would fit the bill perfectly.

Bass Boat

The bass boat works great for bass fishing; just not striped bass fishing. While the bass boat will work ok for a striper fishing boat; it is designed specifically for black bass fishing and its general layout does present some disadvantages when used for striper fishing. Most bass boats have smaller livewells designed for smaller black bass. To my knowledge no one makes a bass boat with live baitwells; and I can tell you from experience it's a challenge to put a 50 gallon baitwell and 3 fishermen on most bass boats.

Good Luck with your striper fishing boat

Boatman

Saturday, June 19, 2010

How To Buy A Used Fishing Boat

How to Find a good Used Fishing Boat

One of the best sources to find a good used boat at a good price is your local news paper, or local online classifieds. If you can by direct from an owner you can normally get a much better price than from a dealer; who is basically a middle man. If you can't locate a fishing boat that you're interested in locally, one of the best wider online resources is Boat Trader

How to Buy a Used Fishing Boat

a used fishing boat may be the best option for many people. Whether your interested in a used bass boat a saltwater, or river boat, It makes perfect sense to consider a used boat; especially when shopping in today’s economy.

Fishing is a seasonal sport for most folks. Even when the season is in, the average used fishing boat is actually used very few hours in a year; yet the market value for most boats declines considerably as soon as it's pulled off the dealership lot. This fact puts the used boat shopper in a very good position to buy a great very lightly used fishing boat at a very good price. This being said, you should

How to Inspect a Used Fishing Boat

Here is a checklist of the things you should check and problems you should look for in a used fishing boat.

1. Check the Boats Transom

This is one of the most important things on any boat to check. for those of you who may not know what the transom is, it is the part of the back of the boat which the engine mounts on. The transom carries the full weight and force of the engine. It must be well reinforced and very strong. Some fiberglass fishing boats have solid fiberglass in the transom and some are reinforced with wood which can rot over time. Grasp the lower unit with both hands and pull and push while watching for movement in the transom which indicates weakness.
Look for weakness and stress cracks in the transom as well as in the entire hull of the boat.

2. Check the Boats Electrical System

Make sure all the trolling motor, lights and pumps such as the bilge pump, livewell or baitwell pumps are working. If you do encounter a problem it can often be fixed easily by cleaning a connection, or replacing a switch so this may not be a serious problem or reason not to buy a used boat.

3. Check for Leaks

You definitely should try any used fishing boat out on the water before you buy. while on the water, open the hull access area and check for excessive amounts of water which may indicate a serious leak in the hull. You should never take on more than ½ gallon of water over an 8 hour period of boat use.

4. Inspect the Boats Trailer

The trailer is very important because this is how you get your fishing boat to the water. Nothing can ruin a fishing trip faster than a trailer breakdown on the way to your fishing destination. Some of the common problems area's with a boats trailer are wheel bearings, lights, brakes and tires. Most of the problems are caused by the trailer being in water frequently during launches.
Water can wash the grease out of bearings causing them to malfunction if not maintained correctly. Water also will cause corrosion in light connections and bulbs.

How to Inspect Used Boat Motors

For obvious reasons this is probably the most important inspection that you should do on a used fishing boat. a boats motor can be the single most expensive component on a boat. Most used bass boats (without an engine) cost less than the engine its self.

One very important part of the motor on a used fishing boat to check, is the lower unit or "foot". This is the part that contains the propeller and its shaft on outboard motors. The most common problem here is a malfunctioning prop shaft seal. This allows water to seep into the housing and mixing with the lower unit oil can burn out the lower unit. This is a seriously expensive problem!
To check for this problem, locate the drain plug usually located on the bottom left or right of the lower unit of the motor. A straight screw driver is all you need to remove the plug on most outboards. let a few drops of oil drip out in a cup. If the oil is cream colored or milky in appearance this indicates water is present and there may be a problem with this used fishing boats motor. If the oil is amber and clear you're good to go.

Be sure to check the entire outer housing of the lower unit to make sure there are no cracks.

When trying out a used boat, listen to the engine while it's running. Listen for knocking sounds which may indicate an internal problem.

Also you'll want to let the boat idle in neutral and look at the small stream of water coming from underneath the engine. This is the outflow for the cooling system. a weak or broken stream indicates that the water pump may need to be replaced.

Ask Questions

Do not be afraid to ask the seller of a used fishing boat questions. Ask for a service record or receipts for proof of when the boat was serviced. Or parts replaced.
If the boat is less than 10 years old ask if there is a warranty or extended warranty which may be transferable.

Ask what problems if any the owner has had with the boat; and why they are selling. Pay close attention to the answers and look the seller directly in the eye.

Have a Mechanic Inspect The Used Boat

If you happen to know a good marine mechanic, ask the seller to let your mechanic inspect the boat. The advice of a trusted professional can be very valuable.
Buying a used boat is a very good way to save money on a great boat. Armed with the knowledge of problems to look for and how to look for them can make a used fishing boat purchase much less risky.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Welcome to Fishing Boat Guide

Want to know what fishing boat is truly right for you?

Hi, and welcome to the fishing boat blog. My goal here is to help visitors make a well informed decisions and decide what fishing boat is best for your particular needs and your personal budget.

If you've become confused in your search for the right boat, If your tired of people and marketers trying to steer you toward a particular brand or boat dealer not because it's in your best interest, but to line their own pockets, you have come to the right place.

The reviews and information that you'll find here will be un-influenced by sponsors and other people who are paid to say this or that fishing boat is the best on the market.

I'll be looking at all the different makers such as Ranger, Triton, Skeeter, Carolina Skiff, Tracker, Whaler, and many many more. I'll be looking at the features, pros and conns of each, fishing boat, giving and pointing you to real no bs reviews.

whether your a freshwater, saltwater or river fly fisherman, I have one goal in mind; and thats to get you educated on and/or in the best fishing boat that you can afford at the best possible price.

Until next time
Boatman