Please help me decide what boat to buy

[holdnon72]

Hello from NJ...I'm new here and can't figure out what boat to go with
The boat will be for my wife and I to use in fresh water lakes and also in the tuckahoe river
The plan is to use a 55 lb thrust min kotta trolling motor for the small lakes that dont allow gas engines
Then we would like to purchase a new 6 HP evinrude 4-stroke outboard to use in the river and 2 other lakes that allow gas
I'm pretty sure the 6 hp evinrude has built in gas tank
My wife is 180lbs and im 190lbs
The outboard weighs 57 pounds

The 2 boats were looking at are the Lowe 1236 max capacity 527 pounds

The other boat is the G3 1236 max capacity is 470 pounds

Hoping others who have these boats could chime in and help us decide

The G3 is in stock locally but the Lowe is due in some time this season

thanks for any info

 

[overboard]

You and your wife, a river, I would definitely want a 1448!
JMO!

 

[KMixson]

On a small lake you will be fine. In a river it can get dicey in a small boat. You have to keep on your toes to keep the right side up.

 

[ericman]

Yeah, on the river, 1436 minimum, you'd be better off with something rated around 15 hp. and to use more like 10-15 hp instead of 6. Going back upstream in a 6 will take a lot of time AND you'll actually burn MORE gas than if you just went with a bigger, faster boat.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

You post your wife's weight in public and she still gonna let you get a boat? 12ft has divorce written all over it. Recommend going 14ft.

 

[holdnon72]

thanks for all the replies...wife left me tonight so all is good lol...I really like this one---->https://www.g3boats.com/gator_tough_1448_pf_-_1548_fl_-_aluminum_fishing_jon_boats

 

[Fishfreek]

I really like the PF version of those boats. You even get a little extra storage under the pedestal seats.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

1448 is a great hull size. Probably my favorite. They are stable, easy to handle. Handles a 60,000 acre lake or small river. G3 makes a quality boat.

 

[onthewater102]

Personally I'd be going with the 1548 of those two options - I'd want that elevated front casting deck for pitching & flipping to weeds. Plus, it's a bigger boat that weighs more or less the same (slightly less dry weight but you'll have to add pedestal chairs & probably even it out) so it will get into skinnier areas.

 

[overboard]

When I posted a 1448, I should have included "MINIMUM"!
15 and 16' boats would not be out of the question for 2 people, when you start adding everything you need, plus gear, a bigger boat is nice.
That G3 is a nice boat, the 1548 would probably serve your purpose well and I think it would be a good choice.

 

[riverbud55]

first thing save a few hundred and get a Tohatsu I beleive its the same engine a the Evinrude,
wouldnt go less then a 1448

I bought new in 14 a G3 1548 vbw paid 2100 out the door, been a great little boat, has a nice little deck with a good bit of storage under it and a open floor plan, started out using 6hp Tohatsu and was able to run about 7mph with me in the boat, didn't take long before the 6 wasn't enough ended up getting a 25hp etec got the etec cuz the of the a true power trim not just a lift runs about 28 with me,, thats the good thing about getting a little bit bigger boat can go with a bigger engine down the line,, used the 6 hp on a 1340 and a 1248 both ran about the same speed as the g3

 

[skipper123]

I am looking at the War Eagle 1548, G3 1548, Lowe Roughneck and the 1648 Tracker Grizzly, Im looking real hard at the Tracker looks like the working mans boat to me priced right with the Roughneck. I had a 64 ga alu boat and a 74 ga alu boat and some how got a hole in the 64ga. Small rock in the creek and stood up in the boat right on top of the rock with a sharp point. Popped a little pin hole in the bottom. The Griz is 1500 cheaper than War Eagle or G3 and its 100ga all welded boat with the versa track rub rail and its a platform to build on. Live well, rod locker and a multitude of versa track accessories. Might be worth looking at. I agree with the others 1448 min for two people. 1436 in the river with two, somebody might go swimming.

 

[riverbud55]

Can say the Grizz has some good features like the track system and the 2 pre installed seat bases but lacks 2 more left and right of center on the rear bench seat for driving the boat, the deal breaker for me is the weight, my g3 1548's weight is 360lbs as compared to 587 lbs(+227) for the 1648 or 538 lbs(+178) for the 1448,, to me the tracker has a ridiculously heavy floor at 3/16'' or .190 that weighs 2.7 lb per sq ft, if I'm going to carry that much weight around would 10 times rather have it on the bottom of the boat where it would do some good, .125 hull would be nice, when I put the floor in my boat think it all weighed out at 18lbs, my floor is closed cell foam topped with a sheet of frp with a door mat on top of that, makes for a nice firm, quiet and cool floor to stand on,,, for me no need for inner sides just eats up room,, one other thing about having pre installed floor and sides makes it real hard to run your wiring, also my g3 was over $800 less then the griz 1448

 

[wmk0002]

If you really think you may want a boat that small, I would go ahead and buy the trolling motor and battery and then get a cheap used 1436 off of Craigslist or somewhere to try out. Old small jon boats are easy and cheap to come by and typically easy to sell back. I bet after a few trips out you will realize you want something bigger. A 1448 feels like a glass boat compared to a 1436....the extra width makes it soooo much more stable.

 

[skipper123]

sooo0 much more stable, 100% fact every inch wider is worth its weight in gold.

 

[holdnon72]

thanks so much for all the help! My wife surprised me with a trolling motor today when I got home from work. She used her cabela's points from her credit card. She bought me a minnkota endura c2 55 pound thrust with a 36" shaft

I think she did well...Im thinking the 36" shaft will be fine for mounting on the transom of the G3 1236 flat bottom? The spec on the boat says transom 16" inches

Were gonna go with the 1236 and hit some small lakes,we have allot of them here. We dont wanna go 14 ft. because we want to be able to lift it over some guard rails in some spots.

Now I just have to figure out what battery to purchase. Need something that will work for 3 hour fishing trips

The minnkota book says at least 105ah rating

thanks for any suggestions

 

[onthewater102]

If you're just using the TM you can get a 1436LT from Alumacraft that weighs less than a std. 1236 G3 and have a little extra room. Many manufacturers offer thinner gauge aluminum options to get the weights of bigger boats down.

 

[holdnon72]

thanks for info...will the 36" on trolling motor be ok for the flat bottom boats,I will be using on transom

 

[onthewater102]

absolutely

 

[holdnon72]

Ok cool...Now I gotta figure out what battery to use with the 55 pounds thrust minn kota. Does trojan make a sealed deep cycle that would be 105 avh?
Thanks for any recommendations