New boat, or else!

[Big Fin]

My wife is a walleye fishing nut. While discussing Christmas lists she told me, "New boat or new husband, you decide!"

She told me the same thing three years ago. Being a good husband, I obliged at that time, but I am tiring of these implied threats everytime she wants something. This could put a big dent in the hunting budget.

What next, a cabin at the lake, a new rifle, maybe that new pair of Leica range finder binos that have been on the wish list for two years. Maybe she would be satisfied with an Alaskan Safari. How about a Stone Sheep hunt? Oops, looks like I am reading from someone else's list.

Here is the one she is demanding. Pretty much the same as her current boat, but like most women, she doesn't want to go out and have people looking at her like she is wearing old clothes, or in this case, has an old boat.

http://www.lundboats.com/2025_pro_v_07.html

This women is gonna drive me to the poor house with her fishing habits. What the hell can I do? Cheaper than the alternative, I guess. Anyone want to buy a really good newer model used boat? It is a lot like the one above. Price is really good.

In return, I supposedly get to go on whatever hunts I want next year. Sounds like a good deal on the surface, but I must be overlooking something in her strategy, as this seems too good to be true. Anyone who has been married very long knows why I am suspicious. The single guys will know why after about a year of being married.

Merry Christmas to all of you and may Santa fill your stocking with the tags you want!

Big Fin

P.S. She just told me the boat will be delivered in March. She wins again. The new Leica's are on the way. I love that woman! HOHOHO!

 

[Whiskers]

Big Fin, I had a 1966 StarCraft with a 1966 40 horse Johnson hanging off the back. It was a fine boat, and a fine motor until the spring of 03. It was an early April morning when I pushed it off the trailer into the Bass River to take it for its annual shake down cruise. Luckily I decided to motor up the river, rather than down. I was about 1.5 miles from the ramp, when the motor shuttered real hard, and quit its forward movement, but the engine kept running, it had reverse but no forward. I used reverse and the current to guide the boat back to the ramp, where a bank fisherman saw my difficulty trying to back into the ramp, and waded out in the 50 degree water to help me. I found out the lower unit had gone in the boat. Took it to the local marine mechanic that has been taking care of this motor for 30+ years. He said he couldn't get parts for that motor anymore, suggested a different motor. I called my wife an told her the problem, to which her curt, and blunt response was, JUST BUY A NEW BOAT. But honey, all this one needs is..JUST BUY A NEW BOAT she responded before I could even finish my sentence. IF you say so dear, I bought an 00 SeaPro, which I didn't really care for after one season on the water. The next spring as I was getting ready to pick up the SeaPro from the winter storage yard. I found the boat of my dreams.

This is the day I first saw her, no motor, no trailer, no electronics, just naked sitting on some cinder blocks, a 04 23ft MayCraft center console with an Armstrong motor bracket. Can you blame me for falling in love?

Two weeks and $37,000 later she sat in my slip.

At first there was some resistance between the wife, and the new boat, they were jealous of each other. One thought I spent too much time with the other. Now they are more than just friends, in fact wife wants to spend too much time on the NanSea Ann, not giving me and the boat enough time to ourselves. Well I guess it could be worse, most women don't like their husbands mistresses. The 150 Yamaha 4 stroke is great, nice and quiet, and very fuel efficent.

 

[kphunter]

It all comes down to this:

How much debt are you willing to endure?

My wife has very little tolerance for it, hence, I can only dream of a new boat. But the day will come when I'll win and I'll be sporting a new bass boat!

KP

 

[Big Fin]

Wiskers:

Now that is one fine fishing boat. You have done a fantastic job getting setting yourself up with a boat that is the envy of all the other fisherman you cruise by.

My current boat has the Yamaha F-225 four stroke. I love it. I am trying to find a way to put the same model of motor on the new boat. Since Lund was bought out by Brunswick Marine, the owner of Mercury, they are not allowing dealers to sell boats with other motors. As of right now, I will have to go with the Mercury Verado, which I have heard good things about, but my last three motors were Yamahas, and I have never had one problem over the many hundreds of hours of use. I almost feel I am betraying myself by not finding a way to keep the Yamaha tradition going.

kp:

I agree. Debt gets in the way of hunting and fishing. Due to that problem, I pay cash. If I can't pay cash, I don't need it, whether a vehicle, boy toy, or whatever. It is amazing how easy it is to talk yourself out of something, when you realize how hard it was to save the money you will be shelling out for that item that may or may not be necessary. As a result, I hunt and fish more than most of my buddies. They seem to have lots of monthly payments which equates to more hours at the "salt mine" working to payoff the bank.

I bet you and your wife would look good in that bass boat you are dreaming of. I hope you get it soon!

 

[kphunter]

Big Fin:

If I could accumulate the cash required for these purchases, I would certainly go that route. But easier said then done, especially when there are monthly bills to pay, mortgage, and money to put away for retirement there just doesn't seem to be enough left for all the toys.

KP

 

[Big Fin]

kp:

I hear ya there. Between retirement savings, college savings, and other obligations, I spent a lot of years driving high mileage trucks, fishing from leaky used boats, etc. and I enjoyed every minute of it. My son doesn't care if it is new or used, so long as we are doing something together. Now that he is ready to head off to college, I am glad we did the things we did, regardless whether the equipment was new or used. Not being tied to a bank payment let me spend more time fishing and hunting and less bondage to the job. We didn't always look pretty, but we were having fun.

Funny how I caught more fish in my old 17' boat. Seems like I could get my old Ford in a lot of places where I don't take my new truck. The old Ford was a lot easier to maintain and never let me down. Sometimes I wish I still had it.

Not sure the "newer is better" idea has much validity. Whether it is new or used, doing it with debt seems to just add more stress to a world that is already too stressful, and distracts us from doing the things we love with the ones we love.

Now get that boat! The fish are biting at Roosevelt, or Alamo, or Apache, or Pleasant, or somewhere down there. I went to college at ASU and when I wasn't up on the rim hunting, I was trying to bum a ride to one of the lakes to try catch a fish.

Hapy New Year

 

[smalls]

Hey BF,

Do you and your wife run your boat to that walleye pond about 60 miles to the north(west)? Rumor is that G&F has found a few piggies in that one

A buddy of mine caught 10lb.+ fish on 4 consecutive trips on Ferry this summer, with the biggest going 11.99. The only "big" fish I had on got off thanks to a not-so-nifty netman, but she would have ended up back in the water anyway.

 

[Whiskers]

KPhunter, you will notice my original boat was a 1966. We have raised our kids, I drive a 95 Dodge with 180,000 miles on it. We don't take fancy vacations, I am older than shit, and had a little money accumulated until I purchased this boat. It should last me the rest of my fishing life.

 

[kphunter]

I do have a boat, an older 13' aluminum boat that's carpeted, has a fish finder trolling motor and a 9.9hp outboard that I've owned for years. I take it out as often as I can, and have had a ball with it at many of the local lakes as well as up in the high country. It's a great boat for trolling crappie and trout, but it doesn't bode well for bass fishing as it doesn't have the weight or the flat deck for it.

Ever since my buddy bought an older bass boat I've been thinking of upgrading to a larger boat. I don't plan to buy a new boat, but something that is no more than 15 years old and in very good condition. It's only a matter of time and I'll have that boat, but right now is not the right time.

KP

 

[Big Fin]

Smalls:

I spend a lot of time there chasing those marble-eyed spiney rays at that spot you speak of. We have never hit the 10# mark at that pond. Lots of 8's and 9's, but for some reason, the magical 10 has eluded us. Peck has produced many 10's for us but not CF. Like you, the big ones get released, but they sure are fun.

If ever you are there and see some crazy guys pulling crankbaits in a blue Lund, give a yell, as it is probably us. We will be fishing the tournament there this summer.

Happy New Year!