Fishing boats, both new and used, are a dime-a-dozen, yet finding the perfect boat for your specific needs and budget may seem like an impossible task. With so much choice on the market today, how do you narrow down your decision?

Ultimately, it comes down to a few important criteria. What type of fishing are you interested in? What is your fishing boat budget? Do you have enough space to store your boat? These are just a few of the questions you’ll need to ask yourself before committing to a purchase.

As a first-time boat owner, here are a few tips you might find helpful when choosing the best vessel for your fishing expeditions.

KISS: The First Time Boat Owner Buying Guide

There are a plethora of fishing boat shapes and sizes to choose from today, but they tend to fall into three key categories: saltwater, lake, and riverboats.

Yes, some types of boats may fall into one or more of these categories, but you want to choose a boat best-suited to your preferred style of fishing. For example, if you prefer river fishing, you’ll want to go with an open boat with a jet motor.

When it comes to saltwater or lake fishing, you may find a few fishing boat styles that overlap and handle either task pretty well. It’s important to keep the KISS boat shopping method at the forefront of your mind at the end of the day.

What Is KISS Boating?

It’s not exactly fancy or complicated — KISS stands for: keep it super simple. This should be the overall theme to keep in mind when choosing a fishing boat for the first time. So, in short, don’t bite off more than you can chew.

When you start with a boat that’s out-of-your-league, you could run into issues very early on. You may not know its propulsion system, electrical system, or how to dock it, for that matter. You may also fall short on marine navigation and boat maintenance — all of which can add up to additional costs you might not be able to cover.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t start with a larger boat. But think about how big the learning curve will be and whether you have the time, resources, and finances to manage it.

Small Boat Styles to Consider

On the other hand, if you start with something simple, this is a far less risky investment and something you’ll be able to master in a short amount of time. You can also choose to upgrade your boat, as your budget sees fit.

If you’re looking for something very basic, you could start with a dinghy, for example. It works on a simple propulsion system with a small outboard engine. You could even use oars or a sail as propulsion. It’s also low-maintenance as all you have to worry about is a hull and some seats.

If you have very limited knowledge of boats, a dinghy requires little to no experience to drive, which you could learn in no time, anyway.

If a dinghy is a little too simple for your liking, then one step up from this is a basic 16-18-foot Skeeter boat, powered by a 90-115 horsepower motor. This is usually the standard, entry-level style fishing boat for most first time buyers. It’s large enough to carry a couple of passengers, has one outboard motor, and is pretty low-maintenance, too.

If you’re looking for something with a little more thrust, you could go for something within the Triton/Ranger brands. These boats are slightly larger at 18-20 feet, powered with a 150 horsepower motor. They also offer more room for passengers, as well as a decent trolling motor.

These size and style boats are best-suited to saltwater and lake fishing.

What to Consider When Fishing Boat Shopping

While your boat’s size and style matters, there are a few other crucial considerations you must think about when shopping for fishing boats. Once you have determined your preferred size, think about whether you want a fibreglass or aluminum model. After that, keep these factors in mind too:

1. Boat Safety

Most well-seasoned boat owners will probably tell you that this is the most important thing to consider when buying a boat. Especially when it comes down to choosing between saltwater and lake fishing boats.

For example, a lake boat suitable for 300 acres of fishing opportunity may not be as safe or water-worthy in the open ocean. While saltwater and lake boats do overlap in certain qualities, you must consider their safety first.

Saltwater fishing on the open ocean should always be considered somewhat dangerous. Make sure that the boat you choose can withstand the environment as well as its load. When it comes to open ocean fishing, you’ll need to consider launching conditions, the size of the swell, winds, and rogue weather patterns.

The same goes for large lake fishing. Lakes can develop their own weather patterns, produce a sizable swell, and face strong winds. Think about where you’d prefer to fish and whether the boat you choose can withstand the environment and the elements.

2. New Vs. Used

Your next item to consider is whether you want to invest in a new or used boat. As a first-time boat owner, buying a new boat comes with a fair share of perks, but only if your budget allows for it.

Just some of these include a guaranteed boat warranty, and you’ll have a far greater selection of boats to choose from. Just bear in mind that you must do your homework on buying the right boat if you’re buying brand new. This is because boats depreciate in value over time, so you want to make sure it will have good resale value down-the-line.

If you choose to buy a new boat, you’ll also need to think about whether you have the right vehicle to tow it. It’s important to visit several different dealers to assess who can offer you the best deal. Please don’t be shy when it comes to haggling on the best price to suit your budget.

When it comes to buying a used boat, there are certain pros and cons to keep in mind. Yes, you may be able to bag yourself a great deal. But be wary of being lumped with an inferior quality boat in the process. As the saying goes: ”you get what you pay for”. So if the price seems too good to be true, it generally is.

Do a thorough assessment of the boat from bow to stern. If needs be, ask someone with boating experience to look at the boat with you. Don’t overlook the quality of the motor and the boat trailer. Ask questions about how the boat was stored. If a fibreglass boat has been left out in the open, exposed to the elements, you could be buying into a disaster.

3. An Open or Covered Boat

When it comes to fishing-friendly boats, you’ll also need to think about how much coverage you want your boat to have. Typically, boats with coverage include a canopy over the bow, as well as a windshield.

An open boat is exactly as it sounds — it offers no coverage and is open at the front, back, and sides. When it comes to fishing, these types of boats tend to be the most popular. They allow for plenty of room for casting in all directions as well as reeling in large catches.

However, covered boats may offer less space, but they are able to handle waves, water chop (which means less motion sickness), and spray far better than open boats. In other words, they make the fishing experience a little more comfortable. When making your decision, you’ll need to consider what’s more important to you — space or a little more comfort?

4. Boat Storage

This is probably one of the most overlooked factors when people buy boats. But it’s super important to consider where you will store your vessel once you’ve bought it. As mentioned earlier, boat storage is crucial to your boat’s maintenance, wear and tear, and resale value.

If you choose to buy a fibreglass boat, you’ll need to make sure it’s stored undercover if you plan on selling it for a decent price down-the-line. Aluminum boats maybe a little more robust, but undercover storage is still important if you have exposed seating and boat gadgets you’d like to keep protected.

Looking to Buy or Sell a Boat?

At Westshore Marine & Leisure, we understand how intimidating the boat buying experience can be for a first-time boat owner. We aim to make this process as simple and streamlined as possible for all boat buyers.

Learn more about our boats for sale, as well the financing or trade-in options we offer. If you are looking to sell a boat, we can help with that, too! If you’re interested, here’s how the process works…