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Ed32 · #1 05-24-2014, 07:32 AM

is that a big enough boat? i'm mostly going to be fishing with my kids and dont want or need a big boat. also any opinions on what brands are good. i'm looking at blazer 1860 or 1960. i liked the frontier 19 but i think they discontinued it.

BIG-C · #2 05-24-2014, 07:50 AM

I fish in an 18'8 and it does the job in BL and evertwhere else,just have to be aware of weather conditions,and I like to smaller versions because i fish the area from empire to venice a lot and that is a long hall from my house so its much easier to pull than a 22' or 24.

Nasty · #3 05-24-2014, 11:13 AM

I run a BB 1960 in BL. I rarely get wet. I fish where I want to in the lake. The limitation to the 1960 is 2-3 footers. You will have to slow down.

meaux fishing · #4 05-24-2014, 11:15 AM

If you're buying used look at the old Kenner visions too. I had a 2001 18.5ft that was a great boat. BB is a great boat too

speck-addict · #5 05-24-2014, 12:07 PM

When I started in big lake I fished a 18 bass boat and never had any problems.

alphaman · #6 05-24-2014, 12:39 PM

I fished big lake in a 17ft predator no problem

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Cripley · #7 05-24-2014, 01:06 PM

I fish BL in a 1910 nautic star

Paulox86 · #8 05-24-2014, 01:30 PM

For years all we fished were 18' boats in Big Lake. Never had a problem. I guess I was young but we thought the guys with the 21+ foot boats were rich. Now you hardly see anyone fishing an 18'. We fished an 18' Kenner with a 115 Merc. It was plenty.

Duckaholic · #9 05-24-2014, 01:55 PM

I fish a 19 and it can get rough crossing the lake. There are many times that I wish I had a larger boat. I would recommend a 21 or bigger. The difference is that in a big boat, you get back to landing when its rough. In a small boat, you get back to the landing beat up and everything is knocked around in your boat when it's rough.

meaux fishing · #10 05-24-2014, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duckaholic

I fish a 19 and it can get rough crossing the lake. There are many times that I wish I had a larger boat. I would recommend a 21 or bigger. The difference is that in a big boat, you get back to landing when its rough. In a small boat, you get back to the landing beat up and everything is knocked around in your boat when it's rough.

All depends on the boat and how fast you're going

Natural Light Kid · #11 05-24-2014, 02:46 PM

Bottom line is you can fish BL in any size boat. I've fished it in 15' flat bottoms and 22' bay boats. Obviously the bigger boats take rougher water better. There are times that you dont want to be on the lake, no matter the size of the boat. Difference between a 19 and 22 footer is the comfort and speed that you can take rough water, but you'll get home with both boats. To me the biggest difference between a 19' and 21' is the amount of room inside the boat but a lot of this depends on the boats too. This is all my personal experience/opinion. With all that being said, i would probably get as much boat as i could afford. Some will say you have to have a 21+ footer, but it's not necessary.

Visco · #12 05-24-2014, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natural Light Kid

Bottom line is you can fish BL in any size boat. I've fished it in 15' flat bottoms and 22' bay boats. Obviously the bigger boats take rougher water better. There are times that you dont want to be on the lake, no matter the size of the boat. Difference between a 19 and 22 footer is the comfort and speed that you can take rough water, but you'll get home with both boats. To me the biggest difference between a 19' and 21' is the amount of room inside the boat but a lot of this depends on the boats too. This is all my personal experience/opinion. With all that being said, i would probably get as much boat as i could afford. Some will say you have to have a 21+ footer, but it's not necessary.

I agree with Natural Light kid, get what you can afford. I went with a tidewater 196 CC. she has a deepV design, but small enough that she only drafts about 1 and half of water. Tidewater has impressed me as I have been 14 miles offshore catching dolphin and kings off the North Carolina coast in 4' seas. It keeps me dry very well. The only issue is she is not fast enough (top speed is 30mph), I should have gone with a larger engine, but settled for better fuel mileage.

good luck with whatever you go with

benjamen.perry · #13 05-24-2014, 06:53 PM

I have a Bluewave 189 Classic with a 115 Yamaha and have never seen water on Big Lake that I wouldn't trust my boat in. Might be a rougher run than someone with a 24 footer, but I can get in pretty shallow water with it and tow it with my 4runner. Yesterday I took it down to the jetties with wife and all 3 kids. Waves were probably 2 feet and we bounced around like a cork at times, but nothing bad enough to make me nervous. I'd run off-shore with it if we ever get a calm north wind to lay things down.