On the Fence About a Boat?

On the Fence About a Boat?

If you’re hemming and hawing, wondering if you should take the leap and buy a boat, I say do it. Do it now. Stop waiting. You have the whole summer ahead of you.

I’ll be that guy who talks you into it. You can blame me when your spouse/significant other rolls their eyes and tells you you’re nuts. I have no skin in the game, other than to say buying a boat was the single greatest thing I did to enhance my fly-fishing experience, and if I didn’t have a boat, I’m not sure I’d be into angling as much as I still am. It literally changed my world.

Sure, they say that the happiest days for a boat owner are the day they buy it, and the day they sell it. I say that’s hogwash, and here’s why…

I’ve had several boats over the years, and I miss the ones I don’t have anymore. I used to race a Javelin sailboat, and was heartbroken when we sold our family cabin on the lake and had to sell it. Same for the ski boat. Even the aluminum rowboat with a 6-hp Johnson outboard we called “Scumbucket” owned a piece of my heart. I don’t remember the cabin much now, but I can still visualize every inch of those boats. I can still feel them gently rocking, and sometimes I can even smell them.

Now I have a drift boat, and the only regret I have is that I didn’t buy it sooner. Tim Romano had to talk me into it. Talk about a boat nut, I think Romano owns more boats than he owns closed-toe shoes. He’s kind of a freak, but he was right about my need for a boat.

Because, for the angler, the boat means one thing–freedom. Freedom from crowds, freedom from the routine. Busy day at the boat ramp? You’ll still find pockets of solitude. Tired of fishing the same old ways in the same old places? Explore with a boat.

And think of all the other gear you’ll talk yourself into buying! A boat cooler. A boat rod that you leave rigged just for fishing from the boat. Your boat bag to hold gear. Boat jacket, boat shoes, boat boots, boat sandals–it’s endless.

But it doesn’t have to be an expensive boat. A belly-boat is still a boat. Canoes and kayaks work wonders, as do stand-up paddleboards. And you can customize them as much as you want. I’ve caught plenty of pike on the lake by sitting on a 5-gallon bucket on a paddleboard.

Some say maintaining a boat is hard work. Well, that can be true, but it also depends on the boat. I actually enjoy washing my boat at the end of a good fishing day. It’s my way of saying thank you before tucking her in for the night.

And once you’ve owned a boat, you’re always part of an ever-growing boat owning community. In fact, I’ve heard that over half of anglers own a boat of some sort. I know that to be true of Trout Unlimited members. I can only assume that’s even more common beyond the trout world.

Bass boats are no joke, and pretty spendy in many cases.

A flats skiff? Now that’s dreamland for me. You might dream even bigger.

A 45-foot Hatteras with a tuna tower?

Sure, go for it. You deserve it.

Get it and don’t look back. Use this as your hall pass. Your golden ticket. Your excuse.

Just blame Deeter. You can thank me later.