I love my little boat...

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CodyPomeroy

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Here in the midwest, as in much of the country were in a pretty bad drought. The local river is EXTREMELY low, but there are still some good holes if you can get to them. I no longer envy those people with big fancy bass and walleye boats when I can row/push my 12' semi v through inches of water to reach decent water. So here's to all of you with little boats!
 
My 10' boat encourages me to get out early in the morning before the wind gets up and makes me looks for alternative places to fish. It is a little limiting but you have much more of a relationship to the boat when everything you do impacts it. If I had unlimited resources, I would probably have a bigger boat but the smaller boat gives me options that I would not have with a bigger boat, it's slowness calms me and it is easy on the wallet. If I were yonger, I might get a kayak.
 
Up until recently with the tropical storm I couldn't even float my little jet ski so I traded it for my 14' mirrocraft and then the water is up again

Good deal though 04 merc engine was the icing to the cake to make me trade my 94 kawi

Once I'm finished with fixing my 14' I'll be taking it out a lot more than my 19' SeaPro inshore offshore. It's cheaper, easier to load and unload, and you won't have girls trying to get a ride all the time (sounds good but I'm married) and I like not having to sleep on the couch
 
I can relate at what you guys are saying.
Its somewhat limiting to have a small boat, but the near-ness of having the water at your fingertips, the simpleness of the setups, and the ability to go till the shallowest point without worrying, its frankly awesome.

I have a 1232. Like 35 years later its functioning, and its the weapon of choice on the small ponds.

The last year has been on a big 17', but i clearly remember the days, the moments of adventure, getting into the tightest places where this large boat cant. :D
 
Two weeks ago a good friend of mine and I met at the lake I grew up on for a 25 years in the making reunion of our fishing as kids from a canoe. The lake was down about a foot or so. There were plenty of high dollar, top shelf, fishing setups on the water. Powerful boats with all the latest electronics and top of the line rods and reels. We had an old canoe and garage sale fishing gear.

Having lived there and fished there extensively, we knew where the fish were and paddled to the shallower areas that would be the hiding spots for the better fish. At the end of the day we were the only boat to catch anything worth cleaning, including a 19" largemouth, the second biggest I've ever seen pulled from the lake.

When asked at the dock where we caught these fish we were more than happy to tell them. There was only one other boat there with the ability to get into that sub-two foot deep area. A 10-12' tinny with a father and younger son aboard. No boat trailer, just slid the thing into the pickup.

It is true, sometimes simple works better, and other times it's the only thing that works.
 
I've seriously thought about getting a push pole because since my tin will float in shallow water there are quite a few un accessible holes on lake alto, and Santa fe lake. I bet I could make a killing and make the guys with new bass boats jealous.

I'll probably never own a brand new boat even after I fix my finances. Just simply it's a boat, it's made to be dirty and get mud all over it. I've seen new boats and owners who expect you to take off your shoes before entering like its a yacht. Not my cup of tea if you ask me.
 
I agree, I love my 10' tin! I have a 17' Boston Whaler that I use for my saltwater fishing. The Whaler (with the motor trimed up) IS capable in getting into some low water (not as low as my tin), I keep it at a friends mooring in saltwater and it wouldn't make any sense to pull it out of the water every time I want to fish freshwater (which is very often, I salt fish more in the fall/winter) and it's overkill for the size ponds I fish. That's where my old banged up tin comes in.

My favorite pond has a small secluded cove which has a sandbar that spreads the distance of at the entrance.... the bar is sometimes less than a foot deep and has various rocks and logs laying around it. Once past the bar, the water drops down to about 3' feet and is a bass haven full of lily pads and lots of cover. The big $30,000 bass boats can never get in there. There's been talk about a couple of guys getting in the water and "dredging" out an entrance with shovels.... I hope this doesn't happen because the few of us guys who can get into the spot, respect it and release everything, I think big engine'd bass boats will disturb a nice quiet area of the pond.

Now, I wouldn't mind a nice 80mph 250-300hp bass boat, I can't deny that! But I do love my little beat up tin.

Mike
 
One thing I like about this site, is the modified boats are made for fishing. I think that if you build it your self, you are less afraid to mess it up because you know you can fix it. I had no plans to make structural changes to my boat, but this site has shown me that I can change things to make things better without losing the simpilicy. I hope that this winter, I can make some changes to make it easier to fish from next spring.
 
Buddychrist said:
it's made to be dirty and get mud all over it. I've seen new boats and owners who expect you to take off your shoes before entering like its a yacht. Not my cup of tea if you ask me.
No kidding! Mine is full of sand and mud. Most of the time I am by myself, no dock, and have to beach the boat in the mud and sand while I park the truck. This is why I didn't install permanent carpet. I just use cheap outdoor door mats on the floor so I can shake them out when it gets too filthy.
 
Buddychrist said:
I've seriously thought about getting a push pole because since my tin will float in shallow water there are quite a few un accessible holes on lake alto, and Santa fe lake. I bet I could make a killing and make the guys with new bass boats jealous.

Look in the waterfowl sections of almost any retailer and you'll find several types in a range of prices.
In most states you can hunt ducks from the boat as long as "all movement from MECHANICAL propulsion has ceased". You can still use a paddle or pole and be legal and its a deadly method for jump shooting ducks on small streams that feed into a lake.

My little 1648 has to run year around between fishing and hunting so it never gets a rest, but I got it to USE, not look at......
 
4 or 5 years ago, mu buddy bought a 16' Lowe jon. He also has a 17' Sylvan Eliminator and hasn't had it in the water since he bought the jon boat.
 
I love my little 12'er, but there are times (like this last week) that I wish it was a little deeper, a little longer, and had more power.

New boat will be a 16.5'er, and deep enough to fish when and where I want to - and it ain't the river.
 
In the search for a boat I really took a look at the waters in my area and realized that the closest body of water where you could run a big boat and motor wide open is an hour away. The next is at least two hours away. After that you have lakes with hp restrictions, no wake lakes, or electric only. That leaves the river (my closest fishing opportunity), which leaves you at the mercy of the changing depth and what is hidden beneath. I guess it all comes down to what body of water you have at your disposal or how far you are willing to travel to boat/fish.
 
Less is often more indeed. Y'all should check out microskiff.com for all kind of amazing and ingenious skinny water boats. Gheenoes are also amazing, multipurpose boats that are essentially unsinkable, hot rod fiberglass canoes that you can handle outboards up to 40 hp. That's right 40 hp not 4.0 hp. Check out the LT 25 and other wiz bang models at cutomgheenoe.com. They're very popular down here in FL where they're made, but I don't see them as much outside of the Southeast. There's a sweet little center console 13' gheenoe I saw the other day that looks sweet and can run WOT in at over 20 mph in 6" of water, and best of all its sea foam green!!
 
A big "pat on the back" to us boys with tinnys! =D>

For me, the best part of owning a small tinny...not having to pay that monthly "glitter mortgage" for more of a boat than I want/need.

I think this thread makes my signature ring true; "buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable on, not the biggest boat you can afford".

:beer: Cheers to us! :beer:
 
azekologi said:
For me, the best part of owning a small tinny...not having to pay that monthly "glitter mortgage" for more of a boat than I want/need.

I think this thread makes my signature ring true; "buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable on, not the biggest boat you can afford".

:beer: Cheers to us! :beer:

+1 on the $. Also, if the motor needs work (mine is only 6hp) you don't need a hoist to remove it, or have to take the whole boat to the shop. When I painted my trailer I just unloaded the boat and my wife and I lifted it off. I have even put into a pond that didn't have a ramp. I just pulled it onto the ground and shoved it in and used the winch to pull it back on the trailer.
 
Even with my spinal problem if I had to I could have my 100lb wife lift my 25hp 2 stroke mercury off of my boat

They sip gas like no other for sure

And if they get a hole it's just a simple fix

Cheap and easy just how I like it! My SeaPro is nice but I can't just go man handling a 19' boat like I used to before I was injured. I've gotta have a fishing buddy if I want to take that beast out but even then that 115hp 4 stroke mercury is good on gas
 
I agree with everyone else, the 12' MirroCraft I have is a blast, especially with the 6-HP motor I got for it. What fun and I hope to keep it in good shape for my kids and maybe their kids to play with someday.
 
Money may be a driving force in getting a small boat but in the long run there have to be other reasons for keeping it because if you start making changes, the expense of a small boat is about the same as one about 50% bigger.
 
nlester said:
Money may be a driving force in getting a small boat but in the long run there have to be other reasons for keeping it because if you start making changes, the expense of a small boat is about the same as one about 50% bigger.

14' mirrocraft with a 25hp mercury $1,500 trade

19' SeaPro with a 115hp mercury $14,500

Don't think I'm gonna put $13,000 in a tin man
 

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