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Considering a second boat to use on the more sheltered smaller rivers/streams and electric only lakes around here (southern MD) when the wind makes the Potomac too nasty for my Arima.
Any thoughts on jon boat vs skiff vs small bay boat? All the little rivers are Potomac tributaries and tidal/brackish.
Is a 14' a little too small for 2 people and gear, thinking 16' might be the right length.
Basically want something on trailer, 15-40 hp, 2-3 people sized, that I can get loaded quickly and in the water with minimum hassle if weather too bad on the bigger water for my main boat.
Looking at skiffs/jons due to low sides (don't need wind blowing me all over) and minimal hp requirements, as well as ease of mounting a trolling motor.
Cheap and available used is a consideration too, it would be a second boat after all. Would love to keep it under $ 5K, but $ 10K might be doable.
Looking at Carolina Skiffs, Sundance Skiffs, and a little Key West 1520. Have not looked too closely at the jon boats, my last experience was a 12' one that I took out on the Potomac (very bad idea), but they may fit the bill, have Lowe and Landau dealers in the area. Also used to have a 10' Walker Bay that would have been a pretty fair option if it had a trailer.
Have looked at Trackers, they are very over priced for their packages once you add in their freight and rigging charges, and don't seem to deal much.
My second boat is a little 1436 jon boat w/15 hp Merc. Works great for 2 guys, a couple dozen decoys, & 80 lb lab during duck season. In the summer it does double duty for fishing. Easy to launch, cheap to operate. I added swivel seat at the back (getting old and like some support for my ******. Also added nav lights and a small bilge pump since the OB is electric start and I already had a battery. Two can fish panfish/bass, no way for 3. Next summers addition will be a small transom mount electric motor. Duck season opens Saturday
GO WITH A CAROLINA SKIFF 1765 OR 1965 HAVE OWNED BOTH AND WITH 40HP SUZUKIS ON EACH, WERE GREAT RIGS PLUS A BIG SAFTEY FACTOR. MINE WERE ON LONG GALVINIZED TILT TRAILERS. THE PRICE IS REASONABLE, THEY HAVE SO MUCH ROOM FOR FISHING AND HUNTING PS MY NEPHEWS TALKED ME OUT OF THEM AS I BOUGHT A 25 FT MAYCRAFT CC. ALSO YOU CAN RIG THEM THE WAY YOU LIKE. CAPT DON
I have a 14' Maritime Skiff. Fantastic little boat. Simple. Has a 50 Evinrude & can get out of the water, under protest, with 4 adults onboard. A 35 will get 2 people moving. Rides smoother than a Whaler 15. Tracks well. Extremely dry in a chop. Wide beam for its length makes it very stable at rest. Light enough for us to drag it around behind our 32 as a tender. Big enough to do meaningful work & cover distances that you would not want to do in an inflatable.
If you think a flats boat style would work, here's a 2003 I used 6 times. 15' and I have a 15hp Johnson I'd sell too. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would.
If you think a flats boat style would work, here's a 2003 I used 6 times. 15' and I have a 15hp Johnson I'd sell too. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would. $1500 in NJ
I fished a Polarcraft 16 ft john boat with 25hp tiller steer this past weekend in the marshes of SC. Cruised at 23.7 mph with 2 people, cooler and 6 gallon baitwell , went very shallow , 36# thrust stern mounted trolling motor pushes it well. It also had a front platform.
Small water-small boat question 
