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Thinking About a Boat. #11101056 09/14/15 12:29 AM
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Pferox Offline OP
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And don't even know where to start anymore. I haven't had a boat since I lived in Florida many years ago, and have pined for one all that time. Finally it looks like we are going to be able to swing one that won't break the bank, and won't force me to get a bigger truck.

I had in mind something like a 18 foot metal center consul, and maybe even get it with a tunnel hull. Just wonder about hull corrosion in the salt. I will be fishing around Baytown mainly, a little bit of Galveston Bay once in awhile, doubt if I will take it out in the Gulf, unless I get brave or stupid.

Also wondering about electronics, I'm pretty sure that the GPS is more important than the fish finder part since is so murky and shallow. I know it isn't as shallow as it is down South, but still don't think I want it to float too deep.

Any suggestions would be appreciated since this is probably going to be my last boat purchase for me and I want to do it right.


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Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11101434 09/14/15 01:38 AM
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Pat Goff Offline
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You're on target.
I like iron boats much better than plastic, one good rubbing on an oyster reef will remind you quick why.

Gandy-White, Boatright, Empire all build quality tin hulls, you will want all the shallow ability you can get.


Pat Goff
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Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11102564 09/14/15 01:52 PM
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Pferox Offline OP
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I thought I was on the right track. I hear that they put slick bottoms on boats, kind of like what they do under airboats. That is some tough stuff, was wondering if maybe a year or so down the line I have that put on the bottom of the boat.

I had a 15 foot glass Flair skiff when I lived in Florida and the bottom looked like an old cutting board before I ended up reglassing and gelcoating it. I did it myself and will NEVER do that again. And I tried to be very careful with it, but shell happens. That was a good boat, it floated in like 6 or 8 inches of water if I had the motor up all the way, it didn't run that shallow, but I usually poled out into a foot or more of water before I fired it up.


Duct tape is like the Force, it has a Dark Side, A Light Side, and holds the Universe together. Carl Zwanzig
www.mtpocketstackle.com
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Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11102811 09/14/15 04:07 PM
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capt grumpy Offline
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My bro just bought a express 20 foot alum w/115 Yamaha he loves it. If you decide fiberglass I have a Majek and love it. Like pat said Boatright makes a great alum rig.

Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11103614 09/14/15 11:02 PM
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Pat Goff Offline
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My scooter is 30 gauge aluminum, it's spent 25 years bashing apart oyster reefs, still going strong. You'll want to figure out exactly the kind of fishing you'll want to do, if it's staking out and wading, or drifting, or anchored slinging bait.

Shallow running ability is actually a big deal outside of Galveston, when you head south, you can navigate by sight, a proper tunnel hull can run in any dark bottom, a non tunnel can't.


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Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11104625 09/15/15 01:50 PM
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Yea, I'm right in the Galveston complex, more or less. Here you see either jon boat styles or pretty bay boats. I went the glass route in Florida and said never again unless it was a deeper water boat. After seeing the gunk on the bottom around here there is no way I will step out into that mess. So it is going to be drift and fish or anchor and fish proposition.

It will probably never see the Gulf, if it does it will be rarely and on glass like days. I doubt I will be dragging it far behind the old truck, so just want something that will get me to better fishing places close by. Now that they said I'm disabled, I have the time to spend wearing one out, and plan on working hard on it. With three or four boat ramps within a few minutes of my, I can spend years trying to figure out all that water that it offers.

If it was just me running I would look seriously at a scooter with a railing, but the wife will be riding and she has to have sides on the boat. I'm trying to nail down what I actually need and want, then in a couple of months will start to see what I can actually afford. lol

What about electronics, since you can hardly see the bottom around here what is a good shallow water fish finder, plotter, charter, whatever they call them now a days. One that an old man can see most of the time. lol


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Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11104852 09/15/15 03:15 PM
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I think it's a good choice. But it may confine you to smaller back bays in that area.. except on the few calm days of the year. It will be hard to get out on trinity if its' more than 10mph wind. That said, there are plenty places to take it and fish. Trinity marsh when it's not fresh, tabbs bay, san jacinto if you can handle the chemical ... I find it hard too.. San Jac river... Dickinson Bay, Dollar, jones, greens.. and swan.. all great places for that boat.

Might be interesting to get a poling platform along with the trolling motor in case it's too shallow to troll, just poll along and look for reds.

have fun


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Re: Thinking About a Boat. [Re: Pferox] #11104947 09/15/15 03:55 PM
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I poled with my Flair in FL without a platform. Once in awhile the cooler did double duty. It worked out good, still able to still fish off of the back of the boat that way.

That is what I'm figuring too, I could be kept busy doing back bay stuff and never see Galveston Bay even, although there is a good ramp in LaPorte that I probably will try to frequent on calmer days.

My Flair was a considered a skiff, although it was more like a shallow running rowboat with a 40 horse motor on it. I thought about getting a skiff too, but don't think it will be big enough for 2 or three people, that is why I'm tending more to a center console Jon boat, kind of thing. Right now it is in the planning stages so this way I have a firm idea what to get and not get talked into anything that will be something I will regret down the road.


Duct tape is like the Force, it has a Dark Side, A Light Side, and holds the Universe together. Carl Zwanzig
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