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What boat for middle TN?

Pilchard

Pilchard

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Jan 5, 2018
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Dreaming of Tarpon
Hi,

I come from a saltwater background where I fished nearly exclusively for tarpon. I have owned multiple boats- all high end, quality vessels. Anything from a 17' technical polling skiff to a 24' hybrid bay boat.

Since there are no tarpon or saltwater in my future in TN, I am scratching my head on what type of fishing I will develop a passion for. Likely smallmouth & Muskie if I had to guess. Is there any sightfishing to be done?

I will often be joined by my wife and 3 year old son.

I am unfamiliar with the waters of TN but can confidently say I'd rather fish moving water in a river over a lake.

So... what are the types of boats I should consider? I'd like to stay under 40k but would spend more if the added money is worth it.
 
My suggestion would be to wait on the boat purchase until you have a better idea on what you will be concentrating on. There is no ONE boat for all of the different types of fishing you listed. A boat for river fishing for musky and smallmouth is going to be a lot different than one that you and your family will be comfortable and safe in on one of the lakes.

While guides are high (although not as high as what I see for saltwater trips), some trips with them for the various types of fishing could keep you from buying something you may not want or need. If you still have your saltwater boats, they will get you started on most of the lake fishing around here. Just be aware that most of mid-TN will not have a clue what the poling platform is used for. You can tell them that you use it to lay out your lunch and they probably will buy it.

With the exception of some carp and limited trout fishing, you likely will be hard pressed to find any sight fishing around here.

Feel free to shoot me any questions by pm and I'll be happy to help. You are coming from the venue that is taking up most of my fishing time these days. I have contacts with some guides that could handle most of the fishing you have listed as being interested in.

Steve
 
Thanks, Steve.

I am well aware of the challenge of finding the perfect boat. I watched people buy the wrong boats everyday in FL.

It's also why, for the better part of the last 10 years, I've owned two boats.

I also should have been more clear. My wife is not out with me to sun bathe. She is an excellent angler and my favorite fishing buddy. Most days in Florida she would be on the bow of my skiff with a fly rod in hand trying to fool a tarpon with a wad of chicken feathers. Most days, she would out fish the boys- mainly because she takes instruction well. My son is also turning into quite the young angler. At 3 years old, he spend a lot of time playing in the livewell or looking at the birds but he will also maintain his attention span long enough for a couple hours of fishing.

I wouldn't expect us to enjoy cruising the lake or wiggling a worm along a shoreline. I could be wrong, but if that's what we're in for, I doubt we will spend much time fishing in TN.

Why no sightfishing? Water too dirty? Fish holding too deep to be able to see?
 
In most cases, the water is too dirty or the fish are too deep to sight cast to. The best opportunities for sight casting in mid-TN are probably for carp, and at times, buffalo. There are times on mid-TN trout waters that you can cast to some rising fish and get to see the take, but it isn't an everyday deal.

Congrats for having your wife as your experienced fishing partner. It doesn't get much better than that!

PM sent.
 
I was in the same boat (pun intended) when I moved from Daytona Beach to the Nashville area ... There's been times I wish I had a tower to spot fish on Percy Priest Lake to spot fish busting on the surface... It's not really a practical boat for Tennessee though. Soon after moving here in 1990 I discovered Stripers and Hybrids and have found Tennessee has about as many options a Florida for catching fish. The Cumberland River is a very underutilized fishery that holds large specimens of several species.

Sent from my LGLS775 using Tapatalk
 
X2 on the Cumberland Stripers, there's some good ones in there and not hard to catch. Take a look at SeaArk boats, they have some multi species options like the V-Cat 200 and Pro-Cat 200 that you could get nicely equipped brand new for what you are talking about. We have the V-cat and it works really well for the crappie, bass, and catfishing we do. They have the 15 degree hull that takes rough water really well and we are not bothered too much by all the wake boats. They are aluminum boats, so not as fast as fiberglass. One of the best aluminum boat makers out there though.

We have rod holders all around the boat for catfishing and trolling for crappie. I want to get into trolling for the walleye and stripers too. Good luck with what you decide to get.
 
I am with you as far as fishing moving water over still water. I own 2 boats along with a canoe and I still feel like I could use another one. If you have up to $40k to spend, you can get a good quality used fiberglass bass boat in the 19 to 21 foot range for under $20k for fishing big water like Ky lake. If all you have is a little boat and you go to Ky Lake in April when the fishing is at its best, you may not be leaving the cove you launched in because the water is too rough in the main channel. After that, get a 14 to 16 ft aluminum bass boat for under $10k because there will be skinny water you want to fish but won't be able to launch the big boat or you won't be able to get it back into the skinny water with it. Then you need a canoe or a gheenoe type boat. I would make sure its plastic and not fiberglass or aluminum. This will be for floating warm water streams like the harpeth and cold water rivers like the caney fork where you may have to portage over gravel bars.

If I lived in florida I would be in big trouble because I would want an offshore boat, and inshore boat, a big bass boat, a small bass boat, and a canoe.
 
My do everything boat is my Ranger RP190 Bay boat. It does just about everything well. Trout fishing tailwaters...no problem. I fish the Clinch River with ease. Tournament bass fishing is fun out of the bay boat. I fish bass tournaments as often as possible. It has tons of storage and deck space. Fishing for stripers below dams is very safe with its 96" beam. Deer hunting during hunting season is a awesome with it's 10" draft. You can get into some real shallow areas. My family of 5 enjoy the hot summer pulling a tube behind it as well. The boat is aluminum and is easy to take care of. The huge bench seats 2 comfortably, and there are 2 jump seats on each side of the bench, and the cooler in front of the console will seat one more passenger. You can also take it with you on vacation to the beach and fish the bays, inshore, or the ocean.
 
Interesting feedback. Thanks, guys.

I'll look into aluminum boats although, I must say, that is going to be a big change for me.

I didn't know there were stripers in TN. That could be fun.

Do all of your trolling motors have those silly foot controls? Lol. Sorry, I'm sure I'll get used to this stuff.
 
If I were going to buy one boat for fishing in TN, I'd buy an aluminum bay boat like Model70Man. Not much they can't do aside from stuff that would require a jet boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Pilchard":3rze5uic said:
Interesting feedback. Thanks, guys.

I'll look into aluminum boats although, I must say, that is going to be a big change for me.

I didn't know there were stripers in TN. That could be fun.

Do all of your trolling motors have those silly foot controls? Lol. Sorry, I'm sure I'll get used to this stuff.
Click to expand...


Folks lied. TN doesn't have stripers. ;)
 
Dbllunger":2vsuuyq8 said:
Pilchard":2vsuuyq8 said:
Interesting feedback. Thanks, guys.

I'll look into aluminum boats although, I must say, that is going to be a big change for me.

I didn't know there were stripers in TN. That could be fun.

Do all of your trolling motors have those silly foot controls? Lol. Sorry, I'm sure I'll get used to this stuff.
Click to expand...


Folks lied. TN doesn't have stripers. ;)
Click to expand...

not as many as they used to be in the 80's and early 90's.
 
(Do all of your trolling motors have those silly foot controls? Lol. Sorry, I'm sure I'll get used to this stuff.)

Minn Kota Terrova or Ulterra, 'nuff said.
 
I absolutely love my Alumacraft semi vee. It is 19 feet long and powered by a 200 hp Yamaha. So far is has fit our needs perfectly when and where ever we have fished in Tennessee. It is also equipped with a Ulterra that we use just as much as the Yamaha. We use the portable remote and I wear it around my neck. Not a fishing day goes by that people dont stop us and ask us questions about our boat.
 
Pinwheeled":lztwmjlz said:
If I were going to buy one boat for fishing in TN, I'd buy an aluminum bay boat like Model70Man. Not much they can't do aside from stuff that would require a jet boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Hence why I bought a jet lol
 
So...do you mainly fly fish, conventional, or both? If you are fly fishing only, that would eliminate a lot of boats. I've lived here 13yrs and have owned 3 boats trying to find the perfect boat. Steve is right, there is no perfect boat just for fly fishermen, much less the guys who want to fish conventional, crappie, sripers and fly fish the musky water too. I had a small tiller skiff with a poling platform on the back. It was awesome for sight fishing for carp with flies. Carp are a super under-rated fish and we have some good carp flats. Other than that, it never got used. If you are fishing the musky water, you want a jet, no question.

PM me if you want more info.
 

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