In the past 10 years I haven’t been fishing as much as I wanted too. I started a family and I also started putting money aside, for special needs! You know the drawing and you know where I’m going with it for sure! But after so many years, I planned a real comeback on the water. I had to plan this comeback. I studied the market and finally made my move.
Average Joe Familly fishing team
First of all, I’m an average Joe, a dad of 4 kids and an avid fisherman. They all go school and they all play sports! So my budget for fishing was and still is one of the last on the list, side of the dressage lesson for the dog!
So there for I knew that if I wanted to go fish, I had to see things differently than what the market is showing us. Let me explain:
For the equipment such as the boat!!!
I looked to all the dealers, makers, the whole industry worldwide! Nothing was fitting to my budget. So I started to look at the used market. But even there I wasn’t finding the right boat at a realistic price. I spotted about 10 boats that I thought would be a good bargain and waited as long as it took. Let me explain what I mean (sorry but I’m a french native and sometime I have a hard time explaining myself). Just like everyone I wanted to buy my fishing boat in the early spring when the fishing season was opening. But it wasn’t time to buy! All the boats were still very expensive. In the middle of the summer, most used boats that were not sold yet had cut down almost half price. But seeing that, I told myself lets wait till fall. And it’s what I did. The price fell down like the leaf from the tree. So there I had it! MY FISHING BOAT
The criteria
When you are a family dad, you don’t want to sell and buy every season or so! I think that if you don’t want it to happen, you have the choose from the right criteria and respect it during all your search. Mine were not that difficult to choose. I wanted an aluminum boat. It’s a fact aluminum is much lighter than all other material used in boat fabrication. I also wanted a boat stable enough on the water to got fish with all the kid. With 4 kids and a dog, it had to be big enough too! But in the same time, I like to go in the back land, where not a lot of people go cause of the bad access to it. So there for, it had to be small and light. I also wanted to be able to pull a skier or an air tube sometime behind.
So I needed the max hp engine the boat could be run with. The steering wheel was taking to much space so, the boat had to come with out it. I think that a live well was a must. How many time does your kid take a fish too small and Dad can’t brake his or her heart and let the first fish they got go with out having a bigger fish to switch from. See the picture!  And I also wanted the boat to be able to go on large water plan.
Having enough room to fit every body is probably the most difficult part to figure. Seated places are recommended with kids. And a flat floor so they can easily move around if they have to. You want to stay in control of things, and you don’t want to feel stuck in a corner of the boat with your rod and your fishing tacks.
Talking of rods, you will need a solid rod older. Close to your sit preferably! With your case and fishing tools. Sonar, batteries switches for pumps, you all want that close to your sit.
I started my fishing season very late. But it was worth it! With the kids that are still young I did not wanted to go to far. Good cause my 7 passengers is not a 4X4. In nice marina the boat ramp are in cement or in nice little rocks. There I did not had to much trouble. But sometime with the rain the wheels were spinning. I now had an other problem.
Find a vehicle 4X4 not to expensive!
That wasn’t as hard as the boat search! But that is an other story! All I can tell you is that I found what I need, it wasn’t too expensive, it’s in good shape and it’s now part of my fishing gear and fishing team. I bought it after the first snow fall, and the boat is now storage for winter. This is giving me all my time to work on the vehicle and getting it ready for next season.
I just thought of something else for the average Joe like me! Cause in the moment I’m planning the lacs and reservoir I will go next season. I just can’t afford a nice and cosy cabin (pouvoirie). For my and the kids it will be camping ground and sometime will camp out side of the water if there is no camp ground close to it will make our own. Try it and you’ll see! The kids love it and they learn bunch of new stuff. Just don’t bring your kids if they still wear a diaper and every thing should be just find!
