Big baits mean big cats. We've had bigger cats hit small ones that got hooked on our lines in the past.
@Nutterbuster you know a lot about boats, what you think?Also, it's my first time buying a jon boat. Appreciate some advice. Here are the specs. It's a 15 foot long by 36 inches wide aluminum flat bottom 1976 model Fisher jon boat. Has a 18 hp Evinrude Fastwin tiller handle motor in excellent condition. Thing looks brand new inside. Includes the trailer too. Asking price - $1600 obo. Should I haggle? Is that a good price? Any suggestion on an offer?
I'd run it before I gave him dollar for it. Period. If it leaks or the motor does anything other than crank right up and run like a scalded dog, I'd be out regardless of the price. Put it through the paces. Forward, reverse, neutral, slow roll, wide open...try to make it do wrong. I hate fixing boats and motors, and my experience is that bargain boats are a bargain for the guy who gets rid of them and doesn't have to fool with them ever again.@Nutterbuster you know a lot about boats, what you think?
Also, it's my first time buying a jon boat. Appreciate some advice. Here are the specs. It's a 15 foot long by 36 inches wide aluminum flat bottom 1976 model Fisher jon boat. Has a 18 hp Evinrude Fastwin tiller handle motor in excellent condition. Thing looks brand new inside. Includes the trailer too. Asking price - $1600 obo. Should I haggle? Is that a good price? Any suggestion on an offer?
I'd run it before I gave him dollar for it. Period. If it leaks or the motor does anything other than crank right up and run like a scalded dog, I'd be out regardless of the price. Put it through the paces. Forward, reverse, neutral, slow roll, wide open...try to make it do wrong. I hate fixing boats and motors, and my experience is that bargain boats are a bargain for the guy who gets rid of them and doesn't have to fool with them ever again.
Keep in mind johnson and evinrude are both out of business and while aftermarket parts still exist, they're drying up. None of my local mechanics will work on them anymore because customers complain about paying more for labor and parts than what they paid for the used motor. So down here at least, it's on you anytime the cowl comes off. I'd call around to see who works on them before I bought one unless I was positive I could handle rebuilding the thing.
Welded or riveted hull? A 50 year old riveted boat has issues. Those issues may be some pinhole leaks you can live with or cracked ribs and a rotted transom. I wouldn't buy an aluminum boat I couldn't see the ribs on. Cracked rib is a deal breaker.
I bought and sold a lot of old boats and finally said "screw it" and bought a brand new weldcraft last year. It'll outlive me barring theft or a catastrophic accident. I scimped and bought a diy mud motor kit for it but plan on also picking up a new 20hp tiller steer at some point. For me at least, the joy is in running the snot out of them, and not so much the fixing them up. I've put 80 hours on this one with no fiddling except for changing the oil and gassing it up. I don't think the last 4 boats and motors i owned before that gave me 8 straight without some issue cropping up.
I'm a pee on the electric fence for hisself kinda feller, and I have peed on that fence and can tell you it's live.Who are you and what have you done with [mention]Nutterbuster [/mention]
Nice. I knock off at 12 today, bit it's because Sarah's grandad has been in a bad way for a while and is in the ICU right now.No trot lines, but smacking the white perch pretty good. Today is supposed to be close to 70 and the tide is going to be perfect all afternoon. Knocking out risk assessments and timesheets for work, then it’s either to the river or to the boat project.