Since CFB is going to inevitably be canceled, looking for something to spend my time on in the fall. I'd consider myself a novice angler, but have definitely been fishing in multiple capacities (fly, deep-sea, bass fishing) and just am looking to get into the sport more. One thing i have never even fathomed is how much these boats cost / what to look for when you buy. Obviously I'm looking to be cost-effective but don't want a piece of junk either. Any brands you guys might recommend? Whether to buy the motor separate or packaged? Looking for any resource here. Thank you!!

How much do you want to spend?
What body of water will you usually be in?
How many people do you want the boat to handle?

'll tell you what I wish I knew before I bought a junk boat off Craigslist. You can buy a BRAND NEW 1436 Jon from academy with a new trailer and a new longtail mud motor for about $2k.

If money is not so tight you have a lot more options, but that rig + a trolling motor will get you a lot of places with years of being really low maintenance. I bought a used boat last fall, and I'm glad I did because I've learned a lot. But I've probably put 50+ hours of labor into it and more money than I originally spent.

As said, budget?

New boaters are tempted to go as small as possible starting off but small jon boat plus no experience can turn in to a safety concern real quick.

Id look to buy a used 14x48 or 16x42 with a 25 Yamaha thats been well maintained. You can get a pretty decent rig for $5k. These boats are big enough to be safe for 2-3 people in open water in a 10-15mph wind. They aren't any more maintenance or harder to tow than a 1436 with a 9.9 hp. Theyll fish almost all the same water that bigger boats will. Resale value is solid.

What ever you end up doing, the most important thing you must do is make sure you have a clean title to whatever vessel you purchase. You cannot run a motor powered vessel of ANY kind (including trolling motor) without registration through TPWD. A vessel without a title is worthless unless you only plan on using it on private property. It is damn near impossible to get a "lost" title.

Great point!

And make sure the title is printed in the sellers name and not just signed over from the previous owner. Otherwise, you'll end up with a paperwork mess and paying taxes on the previous transaction too.

id say budget is less than 5k. but thank you for the information!

Thanks for the advice!

less than 5k....not totally sure about the water but id assume freshwater, and me and my buddy are looking to split

I've got a 16' 1979 bass tracker that we gutted, re-decked and then put a new transom steer 20hp yamaha that we use all the time. I wouldnt take it all the way across choke canyon to the dam (unless it was like glass) but its been over 75% of choke with zero issues. Is it ugly? yes.......but it works for us. Its mainly used as our jug fishing boat. I said all that to basically say I recommend those little yamaha motors

This is a slippery slope. Twelve years ago I bought a kayak. Four years ago, I bought a bass tracker. This year I bought this.

I have a 15x42 I bought last year and it came with a vintage 9.9 HP Johnson 2 Stroke. I installed a 16 HP mud motor and used it primarily for duck hunting. I want to sell the whole thing and can send pics. It's been sitting in storage since duck season ended and I am looking at getting a bay boat now that I have moved from West Texas down to SA. It's at my cousins house in Brownwood. Clear titles on everything. Email me if you are interested.

Gearly876@yahoo.com