Quote:
Originally Posted by Average Fisherman
I certainly don't want to start boat wars. Basically, I'm trying to start getting ideas for what kind of boat to get in the next year or two. I grew up fishing freshwater, and have been hitting the beaches for a couple years now. I borrowed a friends 14' Alumacraft and took it out on Big Lake, and that just didn't pan out. So here's my checklist.....
16-18'
$7000-10000
Geared for salt
Enough boat to handle BL, and maybe the bays near Grand Isle
That's pretty much it. If those specs don't jive with getting out on Barataria, I can live with that. Just trying to find out what to look for as a good starter boat for a guy familiar with boating, but an entirely different kind of boating. I've been looking at the 16 or 17 foot Carolina Skiff, and that seems close to something that would work. Thanks for any help!
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My 16 ft Alumacraft V16 with 20 hp Nissan is about the minimum for what you describe, and I'm hoping to move to a 20 ft Aluminum V hull within the next year. I think I paid about 5-6k new for the rig in 2006, and it has served my family very well. I pay attention to the wind and try not to have long boat rides in the plans by launching close to where I like to fish.
We've fished lots of spots around Grand Isle, Port Fourchon, Timbalier Bay, E. Timbalier Island, Turner Bay, the Calcasieu Jetties, etc. We have not tried to get to the weirs, and I don't think I would in this boat. It is too long of a ride over open water from Heberts (too long a ride back if the wind shifts or a thunderstorm pops up), and if I bother to drive down to the ferry launch, everyone wants to fish the jetties instead. I've been at Heberts when a storm pops up or the afternoon wind picks up from the SW and I want no part of that in my 16 ft V hull (probably not in a 20 ft either, riding all the way back from the weirs).
When I was growing up, we did all the same tricks in and around Big Lake a 16 ft 48" wide flat bottomed aluminum boat with a 20 hp Merc. It worked well enough fishing the jetties, Turner Bay, Prien Lake, and the ship channel. The V hull and the 60" width on my Alumacraft now are a slight improvement.
Lots of folks laugh and scoff, because when we're out fishing, we're almost always the most modest boat in sight. But that boat has accounted for well over a thousand fish. This year, we have over 50 bull redfish, a dozen bull drum, over 100 catfish, and three sharks.