I am new to the area and looking to buy a boat for fishing Guntersville/Wheeler area. I previously owned an 18' Bass Cat Sabre and was very happy with the boat in south LA waters. Question - is an 18' boat like the sabre or an 18' Champion enough boat for Guntersville and Wheeler? Not really interested in tournament fishing and will be fishing alone quite often. Just don't want to get a boat that can't handle the fishing around Huntsville.
Thanks in advance.
I have fished both places and have seen boats from small jon boats to 21 ft. bass boats. I have a 20 ft bumble bee personally. But, you should be fine with an 18 ft. boat.
Welcome to the area!! I had a 18ft boat 2 years ago and it did fine, but here is some advice==On wheeler if the wind is steady out of the south/southwest be very careful! I've seen some of the biggest get in trouble out there and it did not matter what brand of boat. Don't fish guntersville but 3-5 times so I don't know about over there?
A 19ft boat is good on both lakes but I seen it when you would need a 30ft boat on both lakes. They can get real bad sometimes.
Wheeler can be a nasty witch when the west wind gets cranked up. IMHO, and this is just me. I want 20 or 21 ft in my boat just for this reason, rough water. I fished both theses lakes for years out of a 16 and 17ft but I aint never going back that size again. But thats just me
Kerry Copeland
2015 Skeeter ZX250/250 SHO
Decatur, Alabama
An 18 should be ok, but if the wind is blowing at around 15-20 get off the lake! I have been fishing Guntersville for more years than I care to remember and itcan get pretty hairy in any boat under barge size ! The weather in N. Al can change very quickly and safety is always No.1 on any lake.. Good Fishing Larry
Professional Perch Jerker
I was stationed at Redstone Arsenal for a couple of years and fished both lakes with a 15 ft Challenger. Every once in a while either lake could get to be more than I wanted with that small of a boat, Wheeler more so than Guntersville. Most of the time though, my boat was fine.
Buy the biggest you can afford; these waters get nasty as mentioned above. I speared 2 waves in Decatur this spring, and I'm in a 22' center console bay boat; extreme nasty. You may be more comfortable in a bigger boat if you are fishing alone. One thing's for certain, if you buy a smaller one, watering it won't make it grow bigger!
not only does the weather make things rough, seems like every year the pleasure/ski boats are getting bigger. the operators of most, not all like to run them to where they can throw the biggest wake possible when cruising.
It\'s a dog eat dog world out there and I\'m wearing milk bone underwear! \"Norm Peterson\" Cheers.
Superman, I did not get the IM - please resend
i fish out of my 18.5' skeeter ever year on guntersville lake for the big bass splash. just gotta be on your toes when your out there and watch the wind.
Old thread .
Professional Perch Jerker
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