Fishing boats, what to look for?

Campfire RV · May 20, 2013

I'm looking at boats for fishing and riding around the lakes with the family but I don't know what to look for. We are a family of 4 in the house and we enjoy camping by the lakes. So, what should I look for in a boat?

Size - I just need enough room for four
Speed - It doesn't need to be super fast, just fast enough to have some fun
Price - I have no idea what these boats are worth so I'll just wait and see, but I don't want to spend a fortune

I will be towing it behind the MH.

Thanks,
Josh

Wigpro · May 20, 2013

Buy a reputable make of boat, one that has been around a while and has a good standard of quality.

I would like to think a nice 20 foot center console would suit you fine. The ability to fish all four corners of the boat is nice with four people aboard. Most new outboards are plenty reliable and much better than a boat with an outdrive so look for an outboard model. Get a 4 stroke engine.

Take a drive down to the local boat ramp and watch what boats are being launched and you will get an idea of what other people are using on the lakes around you.

There are so many manufacturers it is hard for me to recommend anything personally.

Good Luck...

Jim

Trailer traveler · May 21, 2013

Campfire RV said:
...I will be towing it behind the MH...

What is the tongue weight rating, hitch rating and tow rating for your Class C. Some of the fiberglass boats can be pretty heavy especially with a four stroke outboard or inboard. Even an 18' aluminum boat motor and trailer can be 3,000#. How steep and slippery are the ramps where you plan to launch. I have seen motorhomes launching boats, but I have also see a lot of vehicles have problems pulling a boat out of a wet slippery ramp. Dual rear wheels are pretty notorious for not having good traction on slippery surfaces.

Quite a few RVers use a Porta-bote. The 14' model has a passenger capacity of 800# and a motor weight capacity of 89# so a 15HP or smaller. There are a wide variety of inflatables in a variety of styles at a wide range of prices from Zodiac to the bargain brands that are popular with RVers.

Tom · May 21, 2013

Some of the lightest towable fishing/runabout boats are made by Triumph. You can view the specs, including weights, on their web site. Be sure to add the weight of the trailer.

In addition to the weight of the boat and trailer, you do need to know the towing capacity of the motorhome and the hitch. We have a couple of articles in our forum library that might help:

Trailering a boat

Calculate trailer towing capacity

Fishing boats, what to look for?

Campfire RV

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