I finally got out of college and got a real job and I am itching to buy a boat. I do have some student loans but where I am living now the cost of living is super cheap. $400 rent payment, no truck payment and electricity/propane is like $100 a month. All I really want is a cheap boat to get on the water. I will be fishing mainly alan henry because it's all I have near me.

What do you guys think? Spend $10K plus and get something really nice first or just start with something really cheap?

If you have no experience driving, loading, maintenance, etc....I suggest you find a sturdy, used, aluminum bass boat with 90 hp or less.......3500$......put good trolling motor.....mid level graph......another 1000$...and go figure it out.......

I've been using my dad's boat up until now. I have quite a bit of experience driving, etc...

I always can use his boat for Amistad and bigger waters but I still kind of want something I don't have to drive an hour to go pick up.

Nitro Z7 150hp 4stroke is the best bang for your buck! IMOP

find you an older aluminum bass boat, tracker for instance. get one in good shape and use it to learn all you can about doing your own maintenance, repairs etc.
use it for 3 yrs or so and get your debt down to as low as you can, then go buy one that you really like and want.

you can go buy one that will add to what you owe and not get to use it if you have to work 7 days a week to pay the bills.

Mine will be for sale in a month... see pic in my sig.

2012 Legend Alpha 211

There's a skeeter zx202 in classifieds.. Perfect size, perfect price!

I went through this about 4 years ago, picked up an older kingfisher for $1,200, everything worked great and had a 40hp Johnson. Wouldn't do more than 25mph but it was 100% reliable the entire time with minimal maintenance. Over 2 years I did some comfort upgrades and sold it for $2k and broke even on the whole deal.

Now I got a 18ft G3 aluminum with a 115hp yamaha and it barely uses gas and you dont have to cringe when you hit a stump.

I like having a boat paid off and using the spare cash for gas, trips, guides, gear etc. Each full day with a good guide will be $500 a pop! That will make you a better fisherman that having a 21ft boat that can do 85mph!

This!!! This is a perfect first boat.
It sounds like you have fished enough that you know you will do it for awhile.
I would not start out with a aluminum boat because it will take you no time before you realize it is not what you want. Then you will have to go thru trying to sell it. Get you a boat like the Skeeter for sale in the classifieds that you will have to put very little money into it to keep it on the water and it will last for many years to come till you are ready to move up to anything you choose.

Does this mean you are selling your Legend for $10,000? That is what the guy said he had to spend.

I tend to agree. Sold my pontoon bought an aluminium boat a really nice one. After a year i realized it beat my guts out on rough water, got tired of getting wet, got tired of fighting the trolling motor on windy days, rod boxes not really long enough and the list goes on.

This is funny. Are you saying one needs to move up from a skeeter ? LOL...... Well I agree with everything you said.

DO NOT GET AN ALUMINUM BOAT. You are going to HATE using an aluminum boat in west Texas. My buddy and I fished college tournaments out of a tracker 175 while we were at Tech. The boat got us where we wanted to go, but it took a long time, we got beat up and we went through trolling batteries like crazy fighting the wind. Be patient and wait for a good deal on an 18 or 19 ft fiberglass boat with a 150 or 200 on it.

I got a 1992 BassCat Pantera II with a 2003 Merc EFI for $5000 from a listing on this website. It was in rough shape and I had to haggle, but I have fixed it up, paid it off, and it's doing just fine after two years. Keep your eyes open for the occasional steal and be ready to jump on it before someone else does.

haha..he said 10K plus! You never know till you try!