School me on boats

rockcity said:
For occasional trips near shore to ARs, most any boat is fine. With a skiff or bay boat, your going to have to pick your days and the inlets can get rough. Deep vee, as long as its not a hurricane, your good. :D

A couple/few years ago I had my Albe 242 trolling off of Ft Macon for kings for a few hours. It was nice and calm coming out and fishing. Weather turned to crap quick. The inlet, well, it was the roughest I had ever been in. Rolling through the breakers and waves, 65’ Hatteras beside me topped out and went in the trough and completely disappeared! Same with me. Drove hard through the trough and up the back side of the waves, which was twice the size of my boat. It was the most nervous I have ever been on the water. No way I would want to do that again in anything, let alone a small boat!

point is, weather and conditions can change quick, even on nice days. I would t ever go out the inlet on anything smaller than my 24, especially with changing weather. Get a boat that is safe and can handle what you expect and then some. I was surprised in both good and bad ways that day.
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W the tides running and swells fighting @ Beaufort inlet sometimes it's a good idea to just head for Cape Lookout and Bardens inlet. Takes an hour or so to get back to morehead, but the inlet is never shitty and plenty of fishing options in and out of the Cape.
5 or 6 years ago we were @ Fort Macon in the afternoon bout 5pm surf fishing the inlet right off the parking lot. It was blowing bout 20mph and storms offshore. We watched 2 coast guard boats haul ass and run out w their lights flashing. They both stood about straight up 2 or 3 times getting out. About 30 mins. later they came back escorting a larger boat back into the inlet. They were in front of the the other boat I guess to knock the waves down. Again they put the bow to the sky a few times but not as bad as they when out. The big boat was right behind them and it stood straight up in the trough, we could see more than half of the bottom of the boat and the bow was pointed at the sky.....It was the Captain Stacy!!!. It crashed down on the waves and about disappeared in the spray. It jumped a few more times and went on by in a hurry. I was thinking there was a lot of puke in that boat and some folks that might never get on that boat again.
 
Yeah I like the Cape. I actually prefer it because the water is mostly calm around there and the fishing is typically really good. Only challenge is knowing the water good enough to get to the inlet on the back side of Shack. I used to know those waters really well a couple years ago but the last two summers we have stayed mostly south of the Port.
 
rockcity said:
Yeah I like the Cape. I actually prefer it because the water is mostly calm around there and the fishing is typically really good. Only challenge is knowing the water good enough to get to the inlet on the back side of Shack. I used to know those waters really well a couple years ago but the last two summers we have stayed mostly south of the Port.
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It does suck to ride back in the afternoon/evening w the sun on the water in your eyes all the way back to Fort Macon. Hard to see the buoys and channel markers. Low tide and your prolly gonna find the edge of the channel w your prop unless you have a gps or a trail. If you see someone hauling ass back to Morehead on the backside or they pass you, just haul ass and follow them back!
When I was a kid we left from the marina that the state owns now at the end of Harkers Isl. We could be @ the cape or back in 15/20 mins. good times I remember well.
 
They aren’t maintaining those waterways back there anymore either. Or there was talks of stopping it anyway.

we definitely prefer going to the Cape over Shack. The sandbars we played on when I was kid in front of 70 West are long gone.
 
We keep the boat at Crows Nest, so we have been focused on Hoop Hole with the kids and dog. Less people and a lot closer. Just have to be careful finding that 5’ wide slough to run a deep vee back in to the marsh. GPS really helps. :)
 
I've had a great run with my 2007 Evinrude E-Tec 150. It's a two stroke but it makes good power and has been very good to us. We have about 350 hours on it. We are not trollers so we don't put a ton of hours on the boat. We have a very generic 18ft hull. It just a normal looking boat. Dual Console. I've had it off shore a few times. Mostly inland lakes and in the water way.

If I were in the market for a new boat I'd look hard at a new suzuki 4 stroke. They are hard to beat for the money. The bay boat market is huge. There are tons and tons of examples out there. A 24ft boat is getting pretty big.

Shallow draft and off shore seem to be two opposite things in a boat. It is not going to do both well. My boat floats in knee deep water but I wouldn't consider it a flats boat it doesn't pole for shit. But, I also don't have a deep enough V to push it far into the ocean.

Obviously buy a salt water boat with no carpet and salt water fittings. Try to find something with good electronics. I would recommend getting a boat with a trolling motor that has spot lock. I really wish I had that.

That blackjack is a bad boat. Start there and see where that leads you.
 
Where is everyone finding good deals on boats? facebook? and whats a good price that still gets a descent boat?
 
I found the boat I like. I drove up to Conn. to buy it. But, it checked all of my boxes.

You really have to search all of the internet. thehulltruth is good, craigslist, facebook, boattrader.

$1500 dollars would buy me a pretty nice jon boat
$1500 could also do the service on my triple yamaha 300's

You could probably get into a newer efi 4 stroke used boat for 15,000-20,000 depending on rigging and style.
 
BigBody79 said:
I've had a great run with my 2007 Evinrude E-Tec 150. It's a two stroke but it makes good power and has been very good to us. We have about 350 hours on it. We are not trollers so we don't put a ton of hours on the boat.
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We run a 2009 E-Tec 150 (Gen1) with 1600 hours on it. It just lost an injector a few months ago, but other than that it's been pretty bulletproof. Feed it the low-ash XD100 oil, gap/change the plugs when it feels like it needs it (they never last between 300 hour service intervals), and when in doubt always change the water separating fuel filter and keep a spare on the boat (like any boat). You can get performance fiberglass reed valve assemblies for them too, if you're worried about sucking a metal reed into a cylinder at high hours. I'd like to do that upgrade, but not my boat...
Direct injected 2-strokes are pretty badass, even today...
 
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jeepyjman said:
Where is everyone finding good deals on boats? facebook? and whats a good price that still gets a descent boat?
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You really have to scour everywhere. I don’t find many deals on FB for boats. For most of that on FB, I’ve seen decent boats for reasonable on FB but it’s been in specific boat enthusiasts groups.

I looked everywhere for mine. Ended up driving to Michigan for the right boat. Saved more than $15k just by buying that boat up in Michigan and bringing it back to NC (it’s an Albemarle, and made in NC for this type of water).

End of season is usually the best time to purchase to get the best price.


You can get a good boat for $20k. But if your budget is $30k, but you want a Blackjack, well, you may be disappointed.

you can get a good, safe, and reliable boat for your budget, but your expectations in that boat may need some tuning. $20k can get a good mid-level bay boat, a few years old.
 
FWIW - I have had numerous boats over the years and currently have a 22’ pontoon at my beach house for ICWW family use and a 21’ Hurricane deck/ fish boat here on Mt Island. Only relative feedback I have for you is my love for Yamaha 4 stroke outboards. Never a complaint out of any of them. Even have two Yamaha wave runners.

I do have my Hurricane for sale now if you decide to go a totally different route than this discussion has gone but honestly for what you describe (mainly saltwater use) I doubt you’d be happy with a deck boat.
 
Make sure you include in. Your budget electronics and trolling motor. Don’t be the guy with a 30000 boat and a 100 dollar finder and trolling motor you will be disappointed


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Black Bear said:
If any of yall are looking for crew to go offshore out of Beaufort let me know. I have plenty of tackle couple 50 wides and a couple squall 30's and 60's. I have my own place to stay and will split fuel and prepping the boat.
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Call me in the spring. I always need an excuse to go offshore in the boat. :D

I don’t like going to Big Rock or NAECO with just 1 or 2 of us.


Just hanging out, ready to go anytime you are ready. :)

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I was looking at boats for the last couple of years, but not real serious on buying. I ended up finding a great deal on a war eagle 18 foot center console with a 90 4stroke Yamaha. It’s the perfect boat for me. I have taken it up here to smith mountain lake and run around the intracoastal. Bought it for inshore fishing. Have been all around Wrightsville, topsail, and up near cedar point. I can island hop on it with my family of 4. It fishes 3 guys just fine. Yes, you will get wet in it but hey. I’m in a boat on the water. Just have to know your limits. With my daughter and I on it at smith mountain, I got up to 39 on the gps. Could have gotten a little more out of it
I did buy the nice minn Kota with spot lock. That is a must have for fishing
 
rockcity said:
Call me in the spring. I always need an excuse to go offshore in the boat. :D

I don’t like going to Big Rock or NAECO with just 1 or 2 of us.


Just hanging out, ready to go anytime you are ready. :)

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I would take you up on that offer in a heart beat, I’ve gotta get my fix some how since my ex and I split. Maybe I was in that relationship for the fishing, lol. I’m totally down to pitch in for fuel, I don’t have any offshore gear, but I’ve got sea legs and can drink beer pretty well. But I’m one of those show me how you want to fish on your boat, and I’ll do it that way.
 
highcj5 said:
View attachment 311121 I was looking at boats for the last couple of years, but not real serious on buying. I ended up finding a great deal on a war eagle 18 foot center console with a 90 4stroke Yamaha. It’s the perfect boat for me. I have taken it up here to smith mountain lake and run around the intracoastal. Bought it for inshore fishing. Have been all around Wrightsville, topsail, and up near cedar point. I can island hop on it with my family of 4. It fishes 3 guys just fine. Yes, you will get wet in it but hey. I’m in a boat on the water. Just have to know your limits. With my daughter and I on it at smith mountain, I got up to 39 on the gps. Could have gotten a little more out of it
I did buy the nice minn Kota with spot lock. That is a must have for fishing
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I've got a 1860 G3 w the F90. I use it for fishing and hunting the game lands @ the 3 lakes around Wake co. I switched out the factory prop w a 4 blade and it really improved the performance and handling of the boat.
 
highcj5 said:
Do you remember what pitch?
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I used a online pitch calculator and it recommended 17".I might get a 19 soon as my motor wlll over rev. w wot. I got an alum. Solas and it changed the boats handling night and day from the factory prop. The boat was unstable in high speed tight turns and would chine walk.My boat has a flatter bottom than yours, think its 8* so you might not have that problem.W the 4 blade I get on plane faster,the boat about jumps on plane and it turns like it's on train tracks at any speed.It also stays on plane at lower rpms.I did a panic stop/yanked the throttle back when I saw a log in the river and a wave came over the stern! I've learned to turn the boat hard as it is about to stop when I have to stop quick from speed and the wave will not roll over the stern.My hull is only 850# and at speed there's not much hull in the water when light loaded.
 
mommucked said:
I used a online pitch calculator and it recommended 17".I might get a 19 soon as my motor wlll over rev. w wot. I got an alum. Solas and it changed the boats handling night and day from the factory prop. The boat was unstable in high speed tight turns and would chine walk.My boat has a flatter bottom than yours, think its 8* so you might not have that problem.W the 4 blade I get on plane faster,the boat about jumps on plane and it turns like it's on train tracks at any speed.It also stays on plane at lower rpms.I did a panic stop/yanked the throttle back when I saw a log in the river and a wave came over the stern! I've learned to turn the boat hard as it is about to stop when I have to stop quick from speed and the wave will not roll over the stern.My hull is only 850# and at speed there's not much hull in the water when light loaded.
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i bought a pair of props to try on my boat a 3 blade 19 and a 4 blade 17 i think or maybe its other way around. either way the 4 blade out performed the 3 blade in every aspect.
 
rockcity said:
Call me in the spring. I always need an excuse to go offshore in the boat. :D

I don’t like going to Big Rock or NAECO with just 1 or 2 of us.


Just hanging out, ready to go anytime you are ready. :)

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Will do. If it's a good day going to big rock with a crew of 2 doesn't bother me. If I have 48 hours notice I can get a weekday off if there is a nice weather window.

We didn't catch a single wahoo last year so I'm ready for some fresh wahoo.
 
orange150 said:
That’s the only way I typically go fishing. It’s usually just my uncle and I out all day.

And you can include me in on the fishing!! I’m across the sound from you!
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My folks are up by the Neuse do not to far from either of you. If a good weather window comes up let's try to go.
 
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