lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

[rentprop1]

I am in the market for a used small ...min of 14 foot on up to 16 or so......maybe a skiff type or v bottom boat to putz around the local lake with...I'm in West Central Fl and have a 22 foot pontoon, but I wanna just dunk that little sucker in the water and go fishing for a few hours after work.

Now here is the issue, I will most likely be by myself, but I'm 6'04" and 400 lbs.....water cond are usually very calm and depth ranges from 3 feet to about 15 in the bigger lake.

I really wanna know what kind-type of smaller boat and engine would best suit my needs....I know a buddy with a skiff type at 14 foot and a 15 hp that has a lot of trouble getting to plane. the stern steer type 9-20 hp would be ideal for me......but I am more concerned with too small of boat plowing thru the water ........dont want a rocket ship, just wanna get to the middle of the lake.

I have seen a ton of used boats skiff and v - bottom types with anything form 6 to 25 hp used under the $ 2 k mark........give me some ideas before I get something asd find out it was a big waste of $$$$. I really hate the jon boat, and most seem to be about 14 foot.

Lets hear from some of you other big boys........thanks

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

400 pounds in the back of a smaller tin boat with a smaller engine is going to have a hard time getting on plane. Although not as convenient for fishing, a 14-16 foot with a console about midway (like a Whaler 13 and 14 footer.) would probably handle you better. AND: a Whaler 13 is good for (I think) 70 hp so putting a 20 on it would pose no problem as far as handling due to too much HP. I saw one with a 'Rude 70 and it went like a scalded cat loaded with picnic gear, with two people, a kid, and a dog, so 20 or 25 would get you out to the fish in decent time.

At any rate, you are most likely going to look for a hull that is very wide in the midsection and stern. I do believe there are some extra wide jon boats made but you would need to hunt them up.

 

[Bondo]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

I'm in West Central Fl and have a 22 foot pontoon,

Ayuh,... Take the Toon...

It ain't that much more work,+ You're kinda large for a powered Rowboat...

 

[chiefalen]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

I have a Arrow glass couger about 14 feet trihull. Use it on lakes and had 4 adults all standing on it very stable. It's in my signature.

Easy to trailer easy on the gas bet you can get one for under 500 bucks on
e -bay all the time tri hulls.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

i agree you are quite large for a tinny. you would atleast have to have a 20inch transom and a wide boat. the fiberglass tri hull may be a good solution, or like the 13 or 15 foot wide jac here. http://www.klamathboats.com/jac.html and your weight is 1/2 the boats capacity.

 

[rentprop1]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

thanks for the replys, but I really hate that alum jon boat look, everyone seems to push for those .......is there a reason why ? , maybe some of you are up north ??
this is a pic of a boat I was thinking about, center console, but would this transome seem deep enough...down here they call these skiff type boats ( Carolina Skiff makes them ), I really dont know if they have any benefits over alum boats, but they are nice and wide....I havent looked into the total weight cap though.

as for taking the toon, its way too much to try and launch at our closest ramp by myself ( not really a place to tie up, get in and go type place ) too big to get back into some of the canals ( cant turn around, have to back out )
and simply just way the hell to big for one person, I really want to get out in the flats and its a little windy there and that big toon gets pushed around a lot when not anchored. a smaller boat might have less profile and not as much

check out these pics :

.

.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

OK, i'm in Jacksonville, you were describing a totally different type boat. i cannot tell if that boat has a splashwell, but one could easily be added if needed. it is a modified fiberglass tri hull we were speaking of above. you should have no problems with that boats. sorry for the confusing.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

Being a Big 'Ol Boy (BOB) myself, I can tell you that a boat that will allow you to sit/pilot from close to center will work best. Will also help the boat plane faster. That center console might work. Whenever I get the itch to try on a new boat style/configuration, I visit the most popular lake around here on a good day and visit with boat owners at the docks. Best case scenario: you get a free ride with the owner to see how it goes on the water. Nothing beats that.
People like jon boats cause they are flat bottomed and stable. They come almost as large as you want, but the price goes up with size. They're too rough for my taste, over the waves, but nice and stable to fish out of once you find your spot. The older tri-hulls are also stable and not too rough over the waves in inland waters...they give you the option of walking freely from bow to stern without much fuss. They can be easily refitted for fishing.
If you can, try on a few boat styles before you buy.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

...maybe some of you are up north ??....any benefits over alum boats, but they are nice and wide....I havent looked into the total weight cap though.

I am up north and I don't like the "little" boats either. I may acquire another one this summer because there are some small ponds I would like to fish which are a] out in the woods with too much growth to easily shore fish b] I hate wading c] I have trouble wading in a 8' deep beaver pond d] with a wheel rig I could just hike in dragging it with my gear behind me, and e] I think canoes are too tippy.

However, in your case the boat pictured would probably suit my fancy with the criteria you described. I had little boats and a canoe, but less than a week after a windstorm with 2-footers in a 14' Sea Nymph, I bought the Niagara I have now. The Sea Nymph had hardly any freeboard, and in that windstorm, the prop on the motor was coming full out of the water with every wave.

The 14' "tinny" was almost at weight capacity with two people aboard, but was really low with any amount of gear near its weight capacity. However, I have overloaded my MFG a number of times with no problems. (I did a job on an island camp and carried lumber, supplies, and tools over on the boat. Small lake, carefully balanced loads, no passengers. Probably shouldn't have, and I wouldn't do it today, but I did load heavy a few times)

Bottom line is that boat looks great to me. Bigger boats are properly rated, but little boats I have had were optimistically rated, but sometimes have their place.

 

[steelespike]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

You really need a boat with some size.I have 2 of what folks might call tinnys.
Both 18' bare bones utilities.(open fishing boats). 20" transom is a must.
Get a 20 or 25 and add a tiller extension.It will allow you to sit further forward making it easier to plane.The larger footprint of the 18 will get up on the water easier as well.The extra length helps it to get more weight forward.We used to plane ours with 6 aboard with an old Gale 25.Our old 15ft wouldn't even come close with the same motor.
You may have to go for new but a bare bome 18 you might find for 2,000
or so then throw on a good used 20 or 25.Bare bones boat isn't too heavy
I think my 77 crestliner is about 270lbs,my 57 is about 350 But has solid mahogany seats and a 28" front deck w wooden dashboard and is really beefy.

 

[KurtG]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

I'd suggest looking for a used 14' McKee, they are pretty numerous and always much more reasonable than the 13' whalers.

The foam-filled boats have a much larger swamping capacity than a tinny, just make sure they are not heavy from having wet foam.

I got my 15' Henry O McKee w/40 HP (pic in avatar) and trailer for around $2k, I think it is a bit larger than what you want and the 14' McKee Craft cousin. Mine is rated for 80 HP and 5 people or 895 lbs (1100 something total).

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

this Carolina Skiff will be fine for him, he's wanting to lake fish. does not need the expense of a whaler, or mc kee. he is in the middle of Florida, which has a chain of some of the most beautiful fishing lakes in the world. few are large enough to get little more than a white cap. a bow mount remote controlled 45 lb thrust, would make that a perfect boat for what he is doing. i have fished the region many times.

 

[rentprop1]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

Tashasdaddy, you and I seem to be on the same page as for what I want...the boats I originally spoke of was something like this :

http://www.carolinaskiff.com/listman/listings/l0076.html#

they are a bit more expensive and have an option of a 20 in trans.

Preferably a SKIFF, then either a tri hull or a v-bottom would best suit my needs, I really don't like the alum jon boat, its looks so Louisana swamp thing to me

I do plan to use it on the lake wich is only 4 miles from my house, but the water lever has been too low for the last 3 years to put the pontoon in.....thats why the search for a smaller boat continues........anyone have a pic of a tinny boat ? ...are you talking about a dingy type ...? because I definatelt dont want that.

I have a 22 foot now and thats too big, and some guy is suggesting an 18 foot ?.....I appreciate the help but the main question was about bigger guys in smaller boats and what kind of boat for the weight

 

[chiefalen]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boat...id=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65:7|39:1|240:1308

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

I've never used a J series, but the DLX series if very stable and even the smallest models have weight capacities above 1000 pounds. They have about 6" of foam between the bottom hulls, so they are pretty much unsinkable. You can pull the plug at rest and not take on much water. Not cheap, but a good option IMO.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boat...id=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65:7|39:1|240:1308

Gotta love those leather seats too! Can you imagine what they'd be like after a rainy day out fishing?
The problem with an old boat like that, especially off of eBay like that, you never know what your in for. It's already gone too high for me to take a chance on something like that. You can almost bet on rotted decks and a soft transom.
at that age with all that carpet.

I'm also big, 6'3" tall and about 300lbs, this state does not allow gas motors in non tidal waters, so to fish ponds and lakes, it's electric or get out the paddles. A boat like that trihull wouldn't float in most of the ponds around here, there's just too many stumps and shallow areas. I've had everything from a canoe to a 15' Grumman bass boat. I can tell you that a 300 lb man has no business in a 15' canoe, and a 15' 800lb Grumman modified V hull jon boat has no business in a 3' deep two acre pond.
There is one lake that allows up to 10hp, and anything much bigger than a 14' tinny wouldn't move very well with that small motor on the back and two guys on board weighing in at over 600lbs.

Any larger a boat and it won't plane out, and any less and it would all but sink.
I have an extra wide 12' Duranautic which I use mostly myself on small ponds, I have hung a 15hp tiller motor on it with 9.9 tags and it does great, but I don't think it would take a second man very well. It's actually more stable with the motor than without. With just the oars, it rides high in the water and is nearly as tippy as a canoe.

The small trihull skiffs are probably the ticket for max weight but they don't mover very well with tiny motors. Something I considered for my own use was to find a small deck boat or pontoon for pond fishing. A buddy where I used to live had what amounted to a mini pontoon, all aluminum, with about a 12' x 6' flat deck mounted on two 12" diameter aluminum pontoons. The thing had three pedestal seats, foot controls for the trolling motor and a tiller extension on a 9.8 Merc outboard. It moved well, was rock solid on the water and light. One man could lift it and move it around. The trailer was nothing more than a flat utility trailer made from an old pop up camper.
It was factory built, not sure by who, but I'd love to find one for here.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

http://www.carolinaskiff.com/listman/listings/l0076.html# would also do fine where you are, with 20 inch transom.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lets talk about your weight and smaller boats

my friend and i are both 200 210 each, we fish in this all the time.

14'6" 40 hp Johnny.