Conference wahoo::fishing

    Well I don't know about you guys in Mass. but here in Pennsylvania,
    I prefer my John boat.  It's a genuine Missouri John 17 ft. long,
    5 ft. wide with a live well and storage compartment.  Plain old
    basic shape, basic aluminum, no fancy paint and it fits on almost
    any lake.  Add to it a 9.9 motor (a lot of lakes in Pa. have a 10
    horse limit) and it gets you anywhere.  Or just outfit it with a
    17 lb or more electric and it's good for lakes with a no gas engine
    law.   Can be used in shallow water but is stable enough for deep,
    rough water.  It is absolutely the prime choice of Susquehanna river
    fishermen.
    

    How about a 15' Bass Tracker, guide special, with a 20 horse gas
    and a good bow mount trolling motor.  Legal on the Quabbin, but
    not too small to chase stripers in the Merrimack or Brookies
    in Maine.  My buddy has one, and for $5,000 you can't go wrong.
    

    I second the Bass Tracker line. I've always like the 15' 'vee' haul
    for both smal and semi large water. You get just about everything
    you need in their packages and I feel theior the best value.

    My wife an I just purchased a Grumman modified V Jon Boat. 18'
    It has a 71" beam, 20" transcom, two bench seats,one in the back,one
    in the middle...and "somewhat of a bow" up front that is 25" in width.
    
    You've all seen jon boats...and on the deck there are "ribs" that stick
    up about 1�"...I plan on screwing 3/8" Royal Marine ply to these
    ribs,and covering them with some sort of snagproof carpet...after doing
    all my measurements, I came to the conclusion that there will be 11' of
    flat deck...with left over ply., I'm going to construct locking storage
    boxes...one at the bow,and one behind the middle seat.
    
    The boat itself after shipping,and handling,tax...(had to order it
    special...� it's Grumman's biggest model �) came to $1380.
    
    Galvanized stepside/side bunks/drive on trailer w/ 12" wheels was $425
    
    20 HP.Merc. long shaft, tiller steering w/trolling mode was $1600
    
    The hull weight is only 286 lbs. ....with the two of us in it...I'm
    sure it will plane in a heatbeat....
    
    So after taxes etc. it came roughly to $3500....the price was
    right...we'll have more room to move around than we know what to do
    with....the only tourney's we fish,are with the good people of this
    file...so a live well wasn't a necessity....OBTW a sterring console was
    optional with this boat....also a livewell for the middle seat($75)....
    
    All we need now is a elec. for the bow...and a portable sonar...
    
    Christening to be announced....

    In the spring I bought an 14' Smoker Craft semi-V, this model is
    very deep. Also part of the package was a 25hp Merc, EZ Loader
    trailer with 12" wheels. Once it was home I purchased a Motor Guide
    28lb thrust electric motor. My project for the up coming season
    will be to platform and rug the floor. For less HP I also have a
    Mariner 10hp to go too those restricted lakes and ponds.
    
                                                          Guy

    Re:  936.5   Was wondering what prompted you to get a Motor Guide,
    rather than a Minn Kota?  Any advantages?  I'm planning on buying
    a bow mount Minn Kota, but would like to hear what you think about
    the Motor Guide.
    
    Come on, ice out
    Brian
    

	14" Aluminum row-type boat, V or semi-V hull (don't know the 
	difference for sure), with a 10hp outboard and elec trolling motor.
	The kind of boat that 2 people can comfortably fish in standing 
	up, and will move you around the water at a good clip when you 
	want to (compared to my canoe). I prefer that kind to a jon boat
	because my impression is that they are a bit more stable in the
	waves.

	That's it!  ...but *later on* is a different story!

	Ed

    I chose a Grumman 16'6" semi-vee boat and trailer this spring, and
    I couldn't be happier with it.
    
    The boat came equiped with locking rod storage, 1 aerated live-well,
    1 non-aerated, front storage compartment under the front casting
    platform w/swivel seat & pedestal,  a side console with windshield 
    and steering cables, bilge pump, running lights, locking gas tank 
    compartment across the back on which I had another pedestal seat 
    mounted, two additional pedestal bases on the bottom deck, and
    fully carpetted with marine carpet.  The boat has plenty of room
    to move around and to hold three fisherpersons comfortably, and
    is very stable in semi-rough water or where moving around the boat.
    
    I had an old (but good shape) mercury 20 hp. outboard mounted on
    it and it moves surprisingly well.  
    
    I got a 1200lb galvanized trailer to match.
    
    Total price for the package was $3600 which I thought was pretty
    reasonable.  Now I want to get a couple of extra goodies for it
    like a bow mount electric trolling motor, an LCR and eventually
    an electric start/trim outboard (the boat is rated for a 75 hp,
    but I think a 50hp or so would really push the boat around fine).
    Also, being an aluminum boat, I can handle the boat by myself
    even without a drive on trailer.
    
    Not naming brands, I have found if you're able to spend the big
    bucks on a Professional Bass boat (ie  Ranger Cajun  etc.) then
    a semi-vee is the way to go.  I also think that casting platforms
    and flat carpeted bottoms are *DEFINITELY* the way to go.
    
    Gus
       
    P.S.  Come spring time, I'll be looking for some people to spend
          some time after work fishing the Concord (Ma.) river and
          other local waters.  I work in Bedford Ma.
    	  So anyone out there interested, there's plenty of room in
          the boat !!

    I'd call any small aluminum semi-v or flat bottom a basic fishing
    boat.  I have a small 14ft semi-v w/ benches and a front deck, with a 
    9.9hp.  It's fine for most of the water I fish, but when I get out on 
    the larger lakes it a little rough.  (I've had it on Okeechobee, 
    Champlain, and of course Winni).  A boat a little larger and faster
    would be more versatile for me, I'd prefer something like Gus described: 
                                                                            
    17-18' Aluminum semi-v hull, open design (NO benches), tiller steering,
    carpeted, large/long locking rod storage and lots of locking dry 
    storage, a large dividable aerated auto timed livewell and a large
    front casting platform.  Plus a tiller control 30-45hp with elec start
    and possibly oil injection and/or power trim.                
                                                                 
    I'd pick aluminum over glass mainly because it's cheaper, lighter to
    tow and more forgiving when it comes to scraping againts rocks.         
                                                                 
    Don Mac 

    i like my little 12' aluminum v-bottom boat i can use it for bass
    fishing and also in the fall for duck hunting on the lakes. i have
    a 9.9 hp on it with a 17' trust mini-kota along with a dept finder.
    i'm rebuilding it this winter by putting a platform on the front
    with a pedestal seat and a mount for my mini-kota the only problem
    i have though is that i don't have any room for a live well.

    re.6  Probably the only reason I went with Motor Guide was that
    the guy who sold it to me sells both MG & MK. He said to me that
    the biggest difference was in the amount of windings in the motor.
    If you compare 2 equal motors you'll find the MG is smaller in size
    and less weight, the other thing was that MG's service had been
    the faster of the 2 from all the motors they had handled. 
    
    On the package I purchased my total price was $2800 and something
    else I didn't mention was that when my "verbal agreement" was made
    to buy, it was October 87. Due to Mercury's back log on outboards
    my motor didn't come in until April 88, so I ended up with an 87
    Boat, 88 Motor, and an 88 Trailer for the 1987 price. Also part
    of the package was a complete CG package and a set of oars.
    
    
                                                        Guy
    

    
    
    
    
                                 CRAWDAD

    Me, I lak a cypress boat, made wit WIDE boards, wit a built-in live
    well in de middle. An ole fran ob mine maks dem up on Caddo Lak.
    Wen chew keep wun for a while it don leak much an dats wen its best.
    
    De bes piroques ar made frum cypress too, nex best ar fabergloss.
    
    De bes motors ar Joneston an Ebinrood, an for de fas folks Merkury,
    no more den 10-15 horspower.
    
    De bes strollin motor is a "yoyo" paddle, made wit a Y handle an
    a strop between den. Chew put chore arm in between dem an wurk it
    bak an forth while chew fish, off de front ob de boat.
    
    Dem allinum boats blow too much in de wind an mak too much noise
    wen chew drop sumpthin. Fabergloss boats are OK, chew don hab to
    "swell" dem lak cypress ones.
    
    De bateau is a lil squored off boat dat we use fo duck huntin. Chew
    kin stood op an shoot in it an it hols a lot of ducks. It don matter
    bout it much cause dats all it is used for.
    
    Coonass

    re .9
    
    Don Mac, I couldn't agree with you more. The boat you described
    (similar to Gus') would be my ideal all-around fishing boat for
    places like Winni, etc, where I will probably be doing most of my 
    fishing. Somehow the thought of finding myself in the middle of
    the widest part of Winni in a little boat when a thunderstorm whips 
    in like a freight train isn't exactly my idea of fun - and then
    there's those Saturdays in the summer with the powerboat crowd.
    (don't get me going!) Otherwise, the smaller boat, like the one
    you have now, is my idea of a good fishing boat.
    
    Ed

    I'm really pleased with my 19' bowrider I/O for an all around fresh
    water boat. It still needs some mods to make it better, but I'm
    getting there. 
    The walk through windshield and open bow makes it great for bassin
    or panfish or drift fishing. This year I put on "Stand Up"
    canvas with a drop back for those cold spring days trolling on Ontario.
    My next mod is to make the "Jump Seats" on either side of the engine
    box removable and replace the reclining seat at the helm with a single
    seat. That should do it!
    The boat is light enough to trailer (2400 lbs), yet seaworthy enough
    to take a good  blow (except on Ontario). The 120 Hp Mercruiser
    is good on gas yet will push the boat at 40 mph with a light load.
    The floor is glass, so I don't have to worry about "blood n guts"
    on a carpet that my First Mate would get upset about. I also have
    all the serious fishing gear (graph, downriggers, planer boards,
    rod holders,etc) mounted so it all comes off real easy. That makes
    for more family fun without all the "stuff" getting in the way.
    With the I/O in the "Trim up" position, I only draw 12" so I can
    get in close or work shallow water with no problems.
    
    It works for me!!
    
    Don

Just a quick comment regarding boat stability...

When I bought my boat, it was a toss-up between a 14' Sea Nymph 14R or a 
14.5' Princecraft Resorter.  I chose the Princecraft and am really glad I 
did.  Althought the Princecraft has a semi-V bow which takes rough water 
nicely, the rest of the hull is essentially flat-bottomed.  This increases 
the overall stability of the boat AND offers more working space inside as 
opposed to a rolled or curved hull like the Sea Nymph. 

Chris F. has a Sea Nymph which rolls considerably more than my Princecraft 
when weight is shifted to one side or another.  I can literally stand on the 
gunnel and the boat still remains quite stable  (which says a lot as I am no 
lightweight! ... no comments needed!)

Something to consider....

-HSJ-

    
    The Harbormaster just found out that my Bass Buggy DL just came
    in at Marine USA.  For my purposes, the pontoon boat was a
    good compromise for general purpose cruising the lake doing
    12 oz. curls, and having plenty of room to streach out and
    fish.
    
    Only drawback will be frequent trailoring an 8-foot wide boat
    behind a Toyota pick-up.
    
    One question for you Noters...
    
        This year Bass Tracker offers MotorGuide trollin' motors.
    	Anyone have any advise for MotorGuide vs. Minn Kota bow mounts?
    	I didn't order one when I placed the order, but I still have
    	time to get one to the dealer for installation prior to 
    	my taking delivery.
    
    
    Thanks,
    
    The Harbormaster.