Help Selecting A Watercraft

[rps]

If you are buying new and can afford them, Lund makes great boats that hold resale value. Holiday Island Fire and Rescue has a War Eagle boat. It appears to be built like a tank. I have owned Lowe, Xpress, and presently own an Alumacraft. Of those three boats, the Alumacraft is the best made.

[REDSOXWSCHAMP]

i have owned 4 different tracker aluminum boats, all with mercury engines

[Terrierman]

A 9.9 on a loaded 1648 is gonna be a slug. You'll just always be wishing it was a 20-25hp.

In comparison a 1636 (or possibly a 1442) jon with a 15hp will just barely suit your lake needs and be better on med. sized rivers like the ones you mentioned.

Just my opinion of course.

9.9's run a lot of Shawnee's up and down the White River just fine. So does mine.

[Kelroy]

If you really want safety, stability, and room for wife and kids, I think a 14x42 or 16x48 jon is the way to go, especially if you plan on floating some rivers. I wouldn't want to mess with a canoe or kayak when there is a one yr old involved.

[fishinwrench]

9.9's run a lot of Shawnee's up and down the White River just fine. So does mine.

Sure do. But they aren't 48"wide !

[Al Agnew]

Ah, you're running up against the fact that no one boat is good for everything you want to do. You either get craft for each purpose or you choose which purpose you'll use it the most, and try to make it work for the others. You're simply asking too much, though, especially with very small children in the mix who will grow into larger children pretty quickly.

A 14 ft. johnboat comes closest to what you're looking for. It'll be stable enough to give you peace of mind with small kids, it'll take a trolling motor and outboard, and you can make it do on rivers as long as the accesses are good. As much of a canoe guy as I am, I wouldn't want to use a canoe until your kid or kids gets to be at least five or six years old.

If you go the two craft route, second craft should be a good tandem canoe, at least 16 feet long.

[Mitch f]

Totally agree with Al on the Johnboat. I even think for 2 experienced people on an upper section of the river it's a good choice with a trolling motor. I floated with Tommy Bench who is a guide on the upper Gasconade 2 weeks ago. He had a John boat with kind of gunnel slots on each side...I think it was a tracker brand boat, and he had a trolling motor in the rear. It was very comfortable to fish 2 people out of. You sat up a little higher, which I like, and could stand up and fish if you wanted. I had forgotten how great little john boats are.

[stlfisher]

Yeah...I realize that one boat won't do it all unfortunately. . Just to be clear I am not taking the kids out until they are a bit older, can swim, and understand the dangers etc. I really appreciate the advice and think I am gonna do both...a jon and a couple canoes/kayaks. I have some time so I figure jon first and the others when the kids get older.

[Al Agnew]

Since you're not thinking about taking the child out until they are more ready, you should probably really examine how you think you'll use the boat the most, and make your first one fit that use the best. If you're going to be spending more time on lakes than rivers, the johnboat is probably still the best bet. If you plan to spend more time on rivers, the canoe would probably be better.

I hate to even say this, because I have very little respect for the quality of them, but maybe your best choice may actually be a Coleman Scanoe, and set it up with a rowing system. The things are cheap and so heavy that loading and unloading them almost requires a trailer, but they actually handle fairly well when rowed instead of paddled, and take a trolling motor very well. Another great choice if you could find one would be the venerable Grumman 19 ft. square stern canoe, which handles with a paddle better than most johnboats.

[stlfisher]

Thanks Al. I think at first we will be mostly on the lakes with the rivers to come soon after.