What was your first boat?

just was wondering what some of your first boats were. im 15 and some of this may be useful when im able to buy my own!

I got into fishing just out of high school. I was fortunate enough to have access to my dads Lund rebel. 16ft aluminum with a 40 horse merc. Great starter boat, we took it in all kinds of water (lakes, California delta, ocean, and even up the American river in about 2ft of water!) I learned alot in that boat, most importantly I learned the best boat is one that's paid for.

16ft Sportpal canoe with a little 3 hp Johnson kicker outboard. I was 16 years old.

First BOAT I ever *owned* is my current one, a 1993 Stratos 275 Pro XL.

First thing I ever owned that floated was a 14'6" Old Towne canoe.

First boat I had access to that I could use when I wanted was my parents' 23-foot Marathon cabin cruiser slipped on Lake Erie.

First boat was a 14 ft oar powered john boat that leaked
Then got a canoe that didn't leak, aluminum
First powered boat was a 12 ft sun Dolphin with a 30lb trolling motor, boy was I happy no more paddling or so I thought, first lessons on batteries. And the importance of always having a paddle. (still have one in my current boat)
Tracker pro 17 with a massive 40
Nitro 882 with a 150
And currently have a Ranger Z20, 225

None of my boats have ever been bought new not that I don't like new, but used was cheaper and teaches you a lot about boat maintenance

Tracker Pro Team 185 with a 50 Merc. Great boat...could go anywhere a fish could go.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...upersoaker.jpg

First boat was a 15ft aluminum v-hull with a 25hp Chrysler tiller, I turned the head around on a minn kota transom mount and made it a bow mount, clamp on seat at the bow, fixed pedestal seat in the rear, 48qt igloo with aerator for a livewell.

16' Stratos with a 70 Evinrude, I was 14 and my dad bought it for "us" I think it was about 3 years old. When I was out on the lake by myself during the summers I thought I was king!

15Ft Skeeter SD80 70 horse Merc. 20FT Champion 201 200 Evenrude 20ft Stratos 201 225 Evenrude 20 FT Stratos/Champion 202 Elite 225 Yamaha 225 SHO

1991 Alumicraft Crappie Jon Jr with a gamefisher 9.9

Had one of those plastic boats that were foam filled, can't remember the name maybe it was a Shakespheare, about 14 ft and came with a 15 horse Eska (Game Fisher).

First Boat I owned was 1997 Stratos 282 w/ 150 Evinrude Intruder bought in 2011 sold this year. Great first boat rode good, fished good and was very reliable

I started in a kayak while in high school we had amazing adventures and caught loads of fish memories I will never forget me and my best friend demoed a house for his uncle to foot the bill of the kayaks... man was that some hard work and asbestos insulation everywhere. Next I traded my dirt bike for a junk boat that I was going to rebuild... I ended up scraping to get my money back and selling the engine and trailer. Now im on to an 08 champion just a year out of high school and every time I go home on leave I make sure to give my old kayak some good love and now a days there are plenty of kayak fishing tourneys all you need is a camera a bump board and a kayak to go out and fish them I am fishing a big one next time I go home with The Hardcore Kayak Fishing Team. Now dont get me wrong I didnt jump straight into a 30,000 dollar boat from a Kayak even though it sounds like it I have always had a boat to take out from my dads and his friends they where always willing to let me take there boats out and or let me run there boats while fishing with them. My advise would be get what makes you happy and what you can afford to to take out gas and up keep on a boat are not cheap so just be mindful of your choice you may have money saved up now to buy the boat but will you be able to put fuel and oil in it anytime you wanna go out to the lake? A friend of mine had a little bass buggy with a bps trolling motor we took out alot it didnt cost anything but a battery every few years and we had a blast in that little thing. The boat doesn't make you a better fisherman

I also had the 14' Shakespeare plastic boat, had a 5hp montgomery ward engine. mounted a trolling motor and 2 fishing seats and a portable fish finder. GOOD TIMES My partner had a 9.9 hp Johnson and we were cats meow. caught more fish in that little thing mainly because it forced you to fish harder, instead of trying to run all over the lake looking for fish

2006 ranger 519 that my dadhave me. I turn 16 here shortly

I bought my first boat my senior year in high school. 1997 ProCraft 180/ Mercury 150. The most important thing that i have learned is don't let anyone get you down about what you fish from. I always thought you had to have the baddest boat on the water in order to be competitive. (I grew up in my dads Bullet 21XDC with a 250 ProXS). NOT THE CASE AT ALL. As of right now, I'm in first place in my bass club and i have the slowest and oldest boat in the club. All you need to do is get you something reliable and easy on the wallet. I took too big of a leap off the deep end when i bought this boat. I've struggled to pay for her each month with all the costs between loan payment, fuel, insurance, etc...its not always fun either, i had my share of breakdowns and what not, but now my boat is in tip top shape and reliable as can be. I guess all I'm trying to say is be proud of what you decide to get, even if it winds up being a home made boat of some sort. I wouldnt mind having one of those Jon-to-Bass boat conversions for ponds around here! And just so you know im only 19 now, so I've been in the same situation as you not to long ago

my first real bass boat was a 1977 venture 1650 magnum, with an 85 evinrude.

12' Sea Nymph with a Johnson 6hp. Everytime I hit a wake it felt like the boat was going to crumple in half.

12' Pelican john boat with 30# minn kota trolling. Now I have a polar kraft 180hp with a 150 vmax.

My first and current boat is a 1997 Nitro Savage 884 with a Merc 150. I was 20 years old without a lot of boating experience so it was probably a little to much boat for me just starting out but I knew I was going to be the next KVD!:laugh: The moral of the story is don't go beyond your means weather its financially or experience wise because you could easily hurt yourself or someone else.