Thanks Ty I will do that

No disadvantage, you really don't need a 21 ft boat with a 250 to fish tournament. It is all about fishing not boat racing. I started with a 15 ft Bass tracker and a 35 HP outboard and never felt disadvantaged. Won a few as well.

Good luck

this ^^

It's not about the boat it's about the ability of the fisheman to catch fish. My boat is a smaller glass boat but it's runs and i catch fish. You just might hhave to do a litle more Homework.

no disadvantage at all on smaller lakes a buddy and I fished out of a jon boat at the grapevine Wednesday night tournaments and still cashed a check!

Sure, it's a disadvantage, but it's real life and real dollars. I fished out of a 16' Jon with a 40 hp tiller steer for about four years in Austin and I won a bunch of club tourneys out of that thing! And I loved that boat, caught plenty of big fish out of it and several DDs even with a crappy TM and a fish finder that didn't work for about a year or so until I finally replaced it with a new one.

But honestly, on the bigger lakes that I didn't have as much time to practice on like Ivie, Choke or Rayburn, in a few of those tourneys, I fished as a backseater out of glass boats and man, those boats are definitely nice. It was sure nice catching a 6 1/2 pounder uplake in Ivie in one of those two day tourneys with only about 5 minutes of fishing time left on the second day and running back quickly to the ramp with my buddy's Z520 and 250 SHO to find out that fish got us the win! Would that have happened in my jon. Probably not. But again, real life is what it is and you'll be fine with what you got.

I fish from a 17ft bass tracker. I upgraded from a 40 trolling motor to 24v 80lb. Huge difference in the wind. I also had higher quality electronics installed. Research the lake, prefish it and go kick those guys butt in the $70k boats.

Thanks

Even if I upgrade it won't be for one of those 70k boats. My wife would kill me

The boat I have has a 50lb trolling motor on it and once I get it set up I will be using a Garmin Striker 7cv at the steering column and a Garmin Striker 4cv at the trolling motor. I also have a Lowrance Hook 5 with the map module in it right now at the steering column, but I am trying to decide if I want to get rid of it or leave it since the Strikers don't have pre-built maps on them.

If it does alright I might just decide to get the new trolling motors with spot-lock on it instead and maybe a power pole for the back, but that is down the road when I decide how it is doing.

Now that sounds like a great story! Got some photos? That must have been so much fun.

I'm sure that fishing in Alaska put you in "rough" water from time to time. If you were comfortable and not afraid then you will be OK in most of what Texas can throw at you.

Welcome!

Thanks

and yes I was in some rough waters up there from time to time

I won a lot money fishing out of a 15ft Astroglass with a 40hp Johnson. Go for it!!!

ill have to look for those old polaroids. fished with old man (famous)Bob. he caught a 4 pounder first thing in the morning and went home to watch college football only to return to the weigh in for his check.

I have owned 3 17 foot Tracker aluminum boats thru the years, including my current one. You will learn in a hurry to respect big lakes (Falcon, Rayburn, Toledo) on windy days. Just use common sense and you will be fine.

+1

Size doesn't matter. I keep telling my girlfriend that. Lol

Alot of guys fish tournaments out of smaller boats and do very well. Some lakes may be harder to fish because of size of lake and rough water and windy conditions but you can always find somewhere to get out of the wind.