Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

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jakeismydog2
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Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by jakeismydog2 »

I have been reading allot on these forums recently. Trying to figure out what boat makes the most sense for me. Its been a bit challenging because it seems like most everyone posing on here is using these boots in saltwater. So when guys talk about a boat being bad in the chop it's hard for me to know how that will translate to Kansas reservoirs or down at Table Rock lake on a busy weekend. I also really like to fish the trophy area at lake Tanneycomo. It takes a shallow draft boat to do that.

I am married with three kids who all love to fish and a wife who's idea of fishing is laying out and reading a book. So I need a good size boat to handle all that activity. I have been looking hard at the GF18, OD18 and the XF20. Will the GF18 and XF20 be fine for these areas or will it beat me and my family up so that they don't have fun. The OD18 seems better equipped to handle tougher Waters but I am not confident it's big enough to handle all of us comfortably.

I appreciate anyone's thoughts
Last edited by jakeismydog2 on Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

Arm&Hammer
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Re: Hello picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by Arm&Hammer »

Plenty of freshwater builders here!

Not sure how shallow you need to get, but ave you considered the GP21?

Jeff
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Re: Hello picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by Jeff »

jakeismydog2, Welcome to our Builders Forum!!! I know you will get good feedback from the membership here in your search for the right build to suit your needs!!! I would advise for you to continue to review the XF20 as this is a big boat with a 8 foot beam and can fish very shallow water!! I think you and your family would be quite comfortable fishing the XF20!!! Again, Welcome to the Builders Forum, Jeff

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Re: Hello picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by fallguy1000 »

No flats boat is needed.

All light planing boats handle chop or fast seas relatively the same and not super well. The old Bertrams are tanks and plow through most anything.

Some light planing craft perform better than others due to deadrise, or more simply the angle of the hulls bottom and entry into the water. A sharper or deeper vee does a better job handling rougher water than a flat bottomed boat.

The other thing that is important is size. A 16 foot boat is the absolute minimum for a family your size. It allows very little freedom of movement and honestly is quite small.

I would recommend power boats between 18-21 feet with moderate to steeper deadrise.

Most of the guys here are using their boats either in brackish or lakes. Brackish water areas behave similarly to lakes afa surface conditions, but also have currents. You don't see giant swells and slow sea states.

I recommend the c19 or the gp21. Both would perform well for you and are nice sizes for a family outing.

Not sure how shallow you need to go, but neither of those boats need tons of water.
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Re: Hello picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by piperdown »

Fellow KS person here.

I'm building a GF16 jon boat. I've ran jon boats (the aluminum kind) on most of the areas you are talking about. Since it's just a few buddies of mine that go with me, that drove the decision when I bought the plans. That being said, right after starting the build, I wish I would have gone with the GF18.

Then GP21 came out just after I started building. If that had been out I would have built that. I've got the plans for the GP21 and that will be my next build.

If I was starting all over again I'd go with the GP21. I'd build the center console model and sort of use some of the ideas from the deck boat for seating. I don't recall which set of plans it is but if you buy that specific set of plans it comes will all the sheets for all the GP21 models (think it might have been the work boat but check with Jeff at BBC). At 2000lbs it has a draft of 8". Not sure the hull draft of the GF18 but the GF15 is 5".
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Re: Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by cape man »

5 people in an OD18 will be crowded especially if you want a center console. I have fished with 5 on board and didn't enjoy it.
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jakeismydog2
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Re: Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by jakeismydog2 »

Thanks for the responses so far!

The more I have looked at OD 18 builds I think it's just not big enough for 5. Otherwise, I think it really balances nicely the ability to run in rougher water with a shallow draft.

I think my biggest question is how well an XF20 will handle a normal day on a Kansas or Missouri reservoir. I don't envision us trying to go out in bad weather, but that doesn't mean there won't be waves from other boaters and the weather can change quickly here. Will I have to stay at home if there is a 12mph breeze in an XF20?

As per the suggestions for the C19 and the GP21. I think the C19 and GP21, at least according to the study plans, take much more inputs both in material and in time than the GF18, XF20 and the OD18. With 3 young kids at home, being able to get this project done is a daunting task. Keeping the project simpler and smaller seems important to me.

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Re: Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by piperdown »

Then I'd go for a GF18.

Take a gander at this build of a GF18. You don't have to go as fancy.

https://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?t=45383
Eric (aka, piperdown)

"Give an Irishman lager for a month and he's a dead man. An Irishman's stomach is lined with copper, and the beer corrodes it. But whiskey polishes the copper and is the saving of him." --> Mark Twain

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Re: Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by Southern Gent »

Best wishes as you research your Perfect choice. XF20 will be a great choice. 12 MPH winds on a reservoir will kick up some waves. You can safely run this. Best yet the family can move around on the XF20 without rocking the rig.

Best yet. A 90hp or 75hp will be economical to operate.

Put a port a potty with raise-able tent in front of center console and the women of the family will love you more.

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Re: Help picking a boat for a guy in Kansas

Post by Browndog »

I lived in Missouri for ten years and have been to most of the lakes you reference and have friends that spend time their still.

Lake of the Ozarks gets really rough when there is a lot of boat traffic out. Table Rock doesn’t get as rough because usually there is not as much boat traffic, but it is still a big lake.

Any of the boats you have mentioned will take about the same amount of time to build. The amount you spend on the materials for the hull will be dwarfed by what you spend on the motor, controls, steering, electronics, etc.

If you are wanting to save money and time then the better option is to buy a lightly used boat, motor and trailer. Boats depreciate rapidly. Building a boat will likely not save you money, but it will give you something that is customized to you and will likely be more economical to run.

Probably the best thing to do is prioritize how you intend to use the boat and that will help narrow things down further.

The second best thing to do is to observe what are the most popular boats in use for the lakes you will visit most often and then try to copy them.

One option that you haven’t mentioned is the PC 20, 22 & PC 24. You might want to consider those also. The FS19 that I built would also be a good choice. The GP 21 is an excellent choice as well.

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