Best choice for multi-use boat?

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ZelieSam
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2015/04/01 14:02:35 (permalink)

Best choice for multi-use boat?

Not much posting going on, thought I'd toss up a topic that I bet most of us has run into.  So I currently have a 20' pontoon boat.  The perfect platform for fat redneck fishing for 2-6 people with plenty of room for all the crap you want to load on it.  I live +/- 16 miles from Lake Arthur, most of it is highway.  I don't really care to go fast on the lake, and I like to park in 1' of water as needed, so this is pretty much the ideal boat for Arthur.  However...
 
I'd like to occasionally fish a couple other places.  Particularly: Pymie, Erie, and the sounds/small water on the East Coast once a year or so.  The first problem with the pontoon is hauling distances sucks, which I could fix with a nice new trailer I guess, ~ $2k.  Second problem, the 15hp engine is fine for Arthur and Pymie, but not so much for Erie.  Last two, pontoons suck at taking waves of any size, and I don't have a good cover for highway use (that one I could fix).  
 
I've considered a nice 18-22' center console.  This would be a great Erie boat and would would for the saltwater also.  But it wouldn't be much of a local boat.  Considered a skiff type boat... that might work for everything if it was 18' or so with a decent 20hp on it.  But nobody has those around here, so you're talking 20k+ new.  Or maybe an 18-20' aluminum V setup.  Loads of those on Clist all the time, usually with big engines and a kicker.  I really liked the 20' Lund Alaskan, which you see occasionally.  
 
When we were out on a charter on Erie there were some SKETCHY boats out there.  A couple miles from shore in some chop in a 16 foot V cant be a lot of fun.  Hell there were some 14' boats on Pymie last spring that scared me.  I'm after a big stable boat, not pushing the limits of something small.  
 
Anyone have this same situation?  What did you do/get?  
#1

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    Eman89so
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/01 14:17:11 (permalink)
    I took my 16' Lund on erie all the time.. up to 3 ft waves and we were fine. Just got to watch weather. I since upgraded to a 186 and I fish erie pyma deepcreek and the river often. I love a walk through windshield. I pull it around I don't leave it docked anywhere. . I live in irwin so erie is about two hours from me and I use a half tank of gas hauling it.. why not the fishmaster 196? What's your budget?
    #2
    Fisherlady2
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/01 14:17:23 (permalink)
    We got a Mako 21'10"..... plenty of weight for stability, still towable if you want and the cut of the hull is great for rough days on Erie.  It is a bit much for Pymie though, our kicker is a 10hp and it gets about 5 or 6 mph during average conditions.
     
    For more versatility you could look for an 18-20 ft deep V.... fiberglass gives you weight for stability in rougher water but it is a trade off with trailering weight and general fuel consumption. Aluminum will give you better economy but a bouncier ride on many days.
     
    I would stick with a moderate to deeper V for hull configuration if you want salt water/Erie ability on a regular basis.  You can take anything out on the lake on the right day, but the 'right' days aren't as common as we wish they were.
     
    Center consoles can be a great set up, but pay attention to how much room there is behind the console.  They tend to have more open territory in the front of the boat and if you are trolling most of the activity is at the back of the boat.  The right seat set up or leaning post behind the console can make it a lot roomier.
    #3
    ZelieSam
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/01 15:27:06 (permalink)
    Can't imagine taking a 16' boat out on Erie.  I don't actually HAVE a budget... part of the problem.  If I went new I could add a $2-300 payment no problem but I'm not sure I want to have a boat payment.  Especially when there are always plenty of used 18-20' Vs used on craigslist.  Such a touch decision there.  Who doesn't want a new boat?  But that extra 12-15k is really hard to justify.  
     
    FL2 - what are you hauling that Mako with?  Fiberglass boats are nice but they are heavy for sure.  Can't see me on Arthur in one of those.  We looked at two 20' CCs last fall when we first thought of maybe trading the toon in for an Erie boat.  If we lived in say Meadville instead of Zelie, I'd trade up in a heartbeat.  But we'd be 3 or 4 trips to Erie a summer I'm thinking, while we hit Arthur every weekend.  
     
    If money weren't an object, I think my dream rig would be a 19' cat.  Somewhere between the no frills Livingston 19 and the Tideline 190.  
     
    http://www.livingstonboats.com/pages/livingston-19-boat
    http://www.tidelineboats.com/tideline-190/ 
     
    Both of those boats would eat up Erie and some saltwater fishing, and still be small enough for Arthur/Pymie with a kicker.  But that Tideline is $35k and change... that's more than my new car.  SIGH.
    #4
    Fisherlady2
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/01 16:17:59 (permalink)
    We tow with a GMC 2500 with the 6L V8.  We leave it at camp in Erie the majority of the time, though it tows decent we just have no reason to beat it up over the road.  We also take it to the Chesapeake when we get the chance. 
     
    You would be better off with the 18 or 19 ft version for what you are planning, we have a 16ft aluminum we keep at home for occasional trips to the river or smaller lakes.
    #5
    Fisherlady2
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/01 16:20:32 (permalink)
    I have never driven a catamaran style, so can't offer an opinion on them.  For a better variety of opinions of how they handle waves you could check some of the salt water sites out.  IBoats may have a forum section for questions on how the different boat styles handle in different conditions.
    #6
    Eman89so
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/01 16:31:21 (permalink)
    Fishmaster 196.. tellin ya
    #7
    freshwaterdrumR
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/02 09:03:03 (permalink)
    The only boat I would consider for a true multispecies rig that fish big and small water would be something like the ranger 621.  That boat can handle it all but pricey. Otherwise I would just get 2 boats, an inland and a big water boat. 
    #8
    ZelieSam
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/02 12:29:28 (permalink)
    freshwaterdrumROtherwise I would just get 2 boats, an inland and a big water boat.

     
    My wife, who isn't much of a naysayer in general, frowns on that idea.  But yeah that's crossed my mind for sure.
     
    I watched some videos on the Fishmaster 196... that's a lot of boat.  I really like the high rails and clean back end.  That'd be amazing for perching Erie and probably everything else I'd want to do.  Wonder how much those things are rigged up though.  If I'm 30+ into one of those I might as well get a cat.
    #9
    Eman89so
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/02 17:04:31 (permalink)
    37
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    Eman89so
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/02 17:04:31 (permalink)
    37
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    freshwaterdrumR
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/03 11:25:04 (permalink)
    I have a 196. Its a great boat.  I will tell you this the high sides catch a lot of wind, so if you had to dock when it was windy at pymie with just the kicker it would probably be tough.  
    They are around 37 new with a single axle, but the boat really needs a tandem axle if you trailer a lot so 40k, once you add a kicker, terrova, and rods holders and stuff plus tax you are around 50k to do it right.  They come up for sale occasionally used for anywhere from 15-30k with all the bells and whistles but are usually sold in a day or two because the demand for a used 196 is high.
    I would recommend looking at a starcraft stx 2050.  Its a nice boat, but with lower sides for better boat control.  A lot of tourney guys run em on erie, it would be great for inland lakes too.  
     
    Also, those 19' cats look nice, but I would try to find someone who runs something like that on erie to see how it does in the waves.  I know a lot of charters run the 30' cats and love em for rough stuff, but I've also been told even the 23' version of those big boats doesnt ride even close to them and sucks on erie.  
    post edited by freshwaterdrumR - 2015/04/03 11:39:52
    #12
    FishinGuy
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/03 11:34:56 (permalink)
    I've got an 18' Lund alaskan. Not sure if the bigger models have higher gunwals, but I feel mine are a bit shallow for Erie w seas over 2'. Its nice that it doesnt catch too much wind. Great boat for rivers and local lakes, but not awesome in big chop.
    #13
    BDocter
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/05 11:50:52 (permalink)
    I have a '99 proline 17' center console and love it on erie. It'll run with the 18'-20' boats. I take it out on edinboro too. It's a nice platform to fish from on any lake, big or small. It has a remote troll bracket on it with a 6 hp kicker and makes it nice as a back up but not a primary. If you get a center console I recommend a bow mount trolling motor for getting it in and around the shallows. It's going up for sale soon if your interested.
    #14
    eyesandgillz
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    Re: Best choice for multi-use boat? 2015/04/06 14:47:02 (permalink)
    Another path to pursue would be a Panga style boat.
    Here is just one example, of many.   http://mojitoboats.com/index.php?pageID=12015
     
    They can run shallow with a big motor on a jackplate (8") and still handle the slop of Erie.  They eat up the GOM chop which is really similar to Erie waves.
     
    The Hull Truth has an entire forum for them these days.  There aren't a lot up this way but I think they would do well on Erie.
     
    #15
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