I bought a house and 21 acre lake this fall. I've just been fishing out of a 16' flat bottom aluminum boat and trolling motor. All of my fishing over the years have been on ponds or small rivers (Cahaba). I was planning to buy a used bass boat this spring but thought I would ask you goobers for advice (dangerous, I know) about things you would want on the boat. Only reason I'm asking is that I'm wavering about what I want/need. I do not want a pond pontoon or a small boat. Will be two of us on the boat most of the time. I don't really need the big motor at all. I do want some electronics but not sure if I'm ready for LS just yet. Boat will probably stay tied to the pier most of the time vs. taking out of the water. Will run power to the pier to charge batteries. I have fished on a fiberglass hull with trolling motor before that had basic electronics and a live well. Not sure where I could find this new. Will be bass and crappie fishing. What are things I need to consider?

First, you bought exactly what I hope to have in a few years… my own lake to manage. Congrats. I looked for a while but finally gave up for now.

Stability would be top priority for me. Nothing is worse than the boat rocking when someone shifts their weight. That eliminates aluminum. I expect some to come on here and argue that but I’ve owned Xpress and fished out of many other brands of aluminum. They are not as stable stable as a fiberglass boat of the same size.

Keeping any boat in the water is not ideal for either glass or aluminum. On top of that staying in the sun is going to be rough on glass and carpet and electronic screens.

Imo, I would start by building a covered lift or a place to launch (with a tractor maybe?). Then I would want an 18’ glass bass boat. Age would not be the highest priority as one in good condition. You will eventually need an outboard even if just to load the boat on a trailer. I fish several 15-30 acre gravel pits and I usually end up using the big motor at some point.

The electronics is a whole other topic. I would want some type. Let your wallet be your guide. You will learn the lake fairly quickly, so imo you don’t need top of the line for side and down imaging, but if you go livescope then you do. I will say that I learned a lot by mapping the gravel pits so a unit that has mapping function would be a plus.

I have a Procraft that would probably work perfect. Only thing it’s hard to get on the trailer for an old man like me.

If you are going to leave it in the water, I would do something plain, no carpet. Either all aluminum or Carolina Skiff. Check out the Skiffs of you haven't before. They are wide stable boats.

Right, its going to need to be more weather resistant than a bass boat, J16 or a little larger Carolina Skiff. Bas boat for this purpose would be a bad idea

Functioning automatic bilge system if you're keeping it in the water.

Congrats on your purchase!

If I owned a 21 acre private lake, then that would give me a much different mindset that most of the folks here will have about fishing. You have seen my 5 acre lake, and yours being 4 times bigger will make it even more that way.

I have an ancient 14' aluminum in mine, with 2 hard plastic seats in it and a really old Motorguide foot control TM on it. I pull the boat on the bank when we quit fishing and remove the drain plug. I keep a group 24 battery to run the TM and it's light enough to easily remove it each trip and take it to the house to charge it. Leaving the boat and TM in the weather is not good for either, but mine have been in the pond for 24 years now and both still work. I don't believe that would be possible with anything except aluminum. I am surprised that the the old Motorguide still works, but it does. I always said I would just buy another one when it dies, but now I'm thinking it might outlast me.

The different mindset I'm talking about is that you are gonna soon get to the point that the only thing you wanna do on a fishing trip on your lake is to have fun. You are not in a competition to beat somebody. You won't have to worry about catching enough fish for a meal; you'll be able to do that any time you want. You are not going to want to do a lot of work, so make everything as easy as possible or you will find yourself not fishing. We fish sitting down in my pond, so the stability of the boat isn't an issue. You don't need to worry about a boat that will be safe in any weather - when the weather is bad you won't go.

No matter how much money I had, I still wouldn't wanna waste it. If I wanted something bigger than a jon boat, I would buy an older bass boat with a blown motor, maybe with a bad transom too. You can find these for nearly nothing. Put a TM on it and an automatic sump pump and you can tie it to your dock and forget it. If it wears out, sink it in the deep water and go find another one. Those are the only electronics you need. You will catch more fish than you can possibly use without anything else. Sure, you can add a LS and catch more fish, but what's the point? You are just having fun on this lake and there needs to be some sort of sport to it or you will lose interest in a hurry. The more stuff you put on the boat, the more effort is required to keep everything working. I would just keep it simple and easy. Have fun!

Thanks y'all. Good info. Didn't think about the Carolina Skiffs. Most of the stuff mentioned above is what I have been thinking about. I need just enough electronics to learn/map the bottom. I've been thinking about either extending my pier and adding a lift, building a "trailer" at the edge of the water to take it out during the week, or having an automatic bilge. Trying not to build a covered slip because the pier is right outside my main window. I like PCP's idea of making a fish attractor if something goes wrong. I really like the idea of convenience so I will come up with something. PCP - you are fancy. I don't even have plastic seats in my aluminum boat.

Lived in a lake about that size for 3 years. Had a 14’ Jon boat with a trolling motor for power and 2 bass boat seats. Like PCP I’d pull it up on the bank after use but remove the battery to charge it as it was always from the house. Had the cushion seats, not the plastic one, just took a trash bag and covered each seat until ready to,use again. Those plastic seats will get old quick. I eventually went to 2 trolling motors, one on the bow, one on the transom for better mobility and more power to get back home.
For the ultimate comfort, if you can afford it, would be an old bass tracker and rig with 2 trollers or a troller and a small kicker.

The skiff would be a viable option. Just be aware that the skiffs while stable are not easily controlled in any kind of wind. They have high sides that catch wind. I’m sure you would get accustomed to it, but the few times I’ve fished them boat control was a major issue.

Look up a flat top boat. Basically a bass boat with no motor that's entirely deck with compartments, live wells, built in charger, etc. Just spray it off with a hose to clean. Best pond boat I have ever used.

Just because you called it fancy, I thought you oughta see a picture.

Wow… never heard of them, but I just looked them up online and I concur. This would fit the OP’s needs perfectly.

Go look in the classifieds, under looking for Jon boat.

Wow, Ben 2 is in the lead now. Looked up Flat Top boats and that is exactly what I had in mind. Emailed them to get some pricing. That would be about perfect for what I need. Good job y'all!

Thought I would follow up. Got some prices for the Flat Top boats and one would be a perfect Cadillac for a pond boat. But, outfitted with the packages I would want it would be about $21k or so. As much as I want one I can't make myself pay that much for a boat without a big motor and trailer. Looking at other options at the moment.

Buy a flat bottom jon boat with an open floor and make your own flat top, for a quarter of the cost.

You should listen to me and go find a worn out bass boat that you can get for next to nothing. Tell someone in the boat business that you want a bass boat with a soft transom and you can put a TM on it and be in business. Take the $21k and buy turkey land instead.

That is my plan Steve. Find a bass boat with a blown motor and make and offer. But, there are lots of good boats on Marketplace for a third of that price that I could use for the lake and also take to the river to striper fish below a few dams. I could buy a lot of TSS for $21k.

Here's you a nice carolina skiff.

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