First boat..need help
 

Hi all, I am in Hunterdon County and looking to get a used boat for the family to use mainly on Round Valley and Spruce Run and maybe some other cool NJ lakes once I get more familiar with the area.

I am a novice when it comes to boats, so really looking for some assistance or guidance. I have decided on a 16-18 foot Deep V boat for comfort and stability.

I am looking at a 2000 Tracker Targa 17 walkthrough. It has a 90 HP Mercury 2 stroke and a 9.9 Evinrude kicker. They both look quite old. Any opinions on this one? What do you think is a fair price?

Also, looking at a Crestliner Nighthawk 1640 with a Mariner 9.9 motor. What do you think is a fair price for this?

Which of these 2 would you go with? Does anyone have something similar they are looking to sell?

Thank you in advance and I look forward to getting on the water!

-Anthony

Re: First boat..need help
 

Hi Anthony, a 16 foot Deep V with a 9.9 will work well for RV or SR as well as any other NJ lake/reservoir. Max hp in RV and SR is 10hp. Greenwood and Hopatcong allow larger HP. Most other lakes will be electric only. Do you really need a 90hp? Just another motor to maintain if you do not use it.
I've seen the Crestliner 1640 on FB. What year is the boat & motor? I do not like side consoles but that's me. You have to worry about the old control cables as well. With older motors, you never know what you are going to get. If the boat is clean and is in good shape, chances are the owner took care of the motor as well. I have had 5 different 2 strokes from 96-2004 that all ran perfect.
I've had numerous boats over the years and just bought a 1997 16ft Monark 16sc. The boat was garage kept and solid. I had a new 9.9 that I put on it. This will be my last boat..
You may be able to find a decent boat with no motor and the just buy a new motor. You will then know you have a reliable outboard.
-Don't be in a rush.
-Find a boat layout that fits your need.
-If it has a motor, ask the owner to run it. Engage Fwd and Rev. Make sure it runs and has a steady stream of discharged cooling water. Shut it down and start again.
-Check the trailer. Tires dry rotted? Leaf springs look good? Lights work?
Good luck in your search.

Re: First boat..need help
 

Some great advice above... Most of what you'll be looking at will be aluminum and a good choice for the 10 horse minimum lakes since they are lighter then fiberglass and don't need as much horsepower to push them. I'd be trying to find a welded one instead of rivets since rivets are more prone to leaking, especially older ones but I would not consider it a deal breaker. If you'll be using it on larger lakes or in foul weather, a deep V is the way to go since it's better while underway in chop, if not semi V or flatter bottom might be better for you since they require less power and are not as tippy on the drift as a deep V but will pound a lot harder in chop.

If you plan to fish a lot, an electric trolling motor with spot lock would be on my short list of upgrades, it makes fishing so much better and easier. If however you plan to take it in any salt water, you'll want one rated for salt water use...

Not too familiar with the brands so I can't help you there but here is an article that might help give you some insight https://www.boattrader.com/research/...luminum-boats/

Re: First boat..need help
 

https://www.njfishing.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=124485

Check the classified section. Kritch has a boat for sale that may meet your needs.

Re: First boat..need help
 

That boat is a great buy, just would need to buy a 9.9 to put on it to fish RV .

I considered that boat to remove the engine and make an all electric boat with an electric outboard for the all electric lakes

Re: First boat..need help
 

Looks like a screaming deal and a great first boat to start and learn with. Once you’ve gained some experience you’ll also be able to fine tune your requirements for the next one. Keep the 20 on see if you can get the 6 running.

Re: First boat..need help
 

KCritch's boat is well-maintained. I've fished on it. If I was going to buy a boat for freshwater, that listing would've long said SOLD by now.

Re: First boat..need help
 

If you can purchase one HIGH and WIDE - good for fresh and light water with a good re-sale value if it doesn't fit your needs.

Re: First boat..need help
 

I've had a few different boats for exactly the kind of fishing and fishing locations that you reference. My current boat is a 14 foot Mirrocraft Northport Troller that I bought new back in 1987. It has a Yamaha 15, also bought new back then, with the 9.9 stickers on it. It was common to swap out the 15 stickers for 9.9 back then, not sure how that goes now, but I've never had anyone even ask about it. You'll want to be able to get off of RV as quickly as you can if the weather changes while you're out there. Lots of people have been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, in the wrong boat when that's happened through the years.

My boat has a 20" transom, so I have a long shaft outboard, but it stope that stern wave from slopping in when you power down quickly. My boat does not have bench seats, floor is all open, and it's got a livewell in the back that I use like a bench seat. Open area has two removable pedestal seats, and a small casting platform/storage area up front. Lots of room for three people, and I've had as many as 5 on the boat in smaller electric lakes with the outboard removed for that trip.

My prior boat to this one was a Lowe 14 v-hull, the red one you see in lots of images. Great boat, but those bench seats use a lot of space. It was modified with floorboards and pedestal seats, and a bow mount trolling motor.

Do your research, a lighter hull will need less power to get on plane, and will plane faster when loaded. Research how think the aluminum is on whatever boat you're looking at. Find out what the hull weight is too. You'll be pulling it on a trailer, so you need to know what your loaded boat weighs.

For outboards, a tiller leaves you more room inside, but means you're going to always be in the back. Two strokes are fairly bullet proof, offer more power for their weight, and you'll only need to mix the oil and gas, which really isn't a big deal. A smaller engine is easy to take off and put back on when fishing electric only lakes. Saves weight doing that too.

Re: First boat..need help
 

Thanks so much for the info, really helpful. That Crestliner was a 1994. I really want a 17 or 18 foot Tracker Targa, but nothing in the area. I am going to take a look at the tracker on this site, I just wished the space behind the seats wasn't a full deck, I like the regular deep Vs a little better where there is more walking space. I also saw a fully original 1993 deep V17 Tracker. Its all original so I would have to do a bunch of work to it, which is fine. But I do want to get my kids on the water ASAP, so thats where I keep going back and forth with an older one to redo a little or spend a little more for a newer one. I honestly havent seen many to even look at, so that def most of my frustration.