hey yall, im a newbie!

[jakemprater]

hey yall, my names jake. im new to the forum. i have a few questions on what to buy. i have access to a 1232 with trailer no motors for $375 and im thinkin about pickin it up, im a little disappointed i cant stand up and fish on it but on my broke college kid budget i think ill get over that lol. im 6'3" 270lbs. is this boat going to be a good starting boat for me? i figured i would pick up a small OB and trolling motor and slap it on and hit the lakes. i would only have one other person with me at a time. thanks in advanced guys!

 

[jonboatwilly]

Hey man I'm 6'2 200 pounds and i recently bought a boat that size.
I sold it after 2 outings in it and used the money to buy a 1542 jon boat. A 1232 is tiny, unstable, and shouldn't even be made

 

[mikem09]

hello, im also new,but i have to agree with jonboat willy, they are very unstable. i have one for my campground because no motors are aloud on that lake, but it makes me very nervous. it always feels like its gonna go over. and thats by myself. try puttin it in the water before you buy it. you may like it, you may hate it. but its for you, so only you can make that decision. good luck!

 

[steadyt]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Gotem]

This is a situation where if you buy it, you'll regret it quickly. You are better off waiting and saving your money until you can buy something larger. If your a poor college kid like I once was, find someone who has a boat to go fishing or join a bass club as a nonboater.

 

[Ringo Steele]

Welcome to the forum. I agree with the others. And at 270 lbs., you won't have enough capacity in a 1232 for another person, motor(s), gas tank, battery, and gear. Look for something with at least a 36" width floor, with 40" being that much better. That 4" makes a lot of difference. They (12-14'ers) come around often on sites like Craigslist.

 

[clamman]

Welcome Jake! Hold onto your cash and get into a 14 footer.... I guarantee you will be much happier and more important, MUCH SAFER !

 

[cfh1177]

Welcome Jake...passing this up may be hard for you but worth it. There's always something more suitable out there. Keep your eye peeled while saving some more cash. Something will pop up soon. You'll see more boats listed on craigslist as the weather gets warmer.

 

[Iverson_4x4]

Welcome aboard! I have to agree with everyone else, hold your money and save for something bigger. Keep your eyes out on craigslist and on the side of the road. If you see an old boat that doesnt look like it has seen water in some time, dont be afraid to go knock on a door. You may luck up and that person may have never thought about selling that old boat, and with a potential buyer standing at their door they may let it go cheap! Thats how I got my 1648 for $500 - thats with a trailer and a running 50HP motor. Had to gut it and in the process of rebuilding it now, but I was wanting to do that with any boat I got anyways. Its addicting and fun!

 

[jakemprater]

sounds to me like i should pass on the 1232 lol. thanks all for the help! i guess patience is a virtue in this situation huh? i would REALLY like to stand up on it and have a decked boat eventually. with this crazy MO weather who knows when spring will be here lol. almost 2ft of snow 3 weeks ago, 70 degrees and sunny 4 days ago, snowing its *** off as we speak lol.

 

[BrazosDon]

I tipped a 12'X32'' Alumacraft on the side and experienced a partial sinking. I went ahead and rolled out of the boat to keep from fully completing the inevitable. I held on the side until I got some help. I am 6' and 200lb, I just lost my balance reaching for the bait bucket. I now have a 14'X48'' with an 18hp Evinrude and it is very stable.

 

[BassBlaster]

I fished on a 1232 once. Felt like I was in a canoe. I never got on that boat again. My current project is a 1436. I'm hoping its better but I still kept the floors on the ribs for a low center of gravity. I'm the same size as you.Keep looking. 1436's are very common on CL in most areas. Go even wider if you can. I havnt even had my boat on the water yet and Ive allready been searching for a 1648 or larger, lol.

 

[jvanhees]

A little small for any stability IMO

 

[jakemprater]

I fished on a 1232 once. Felt like I was in a canoe. I never got on that boat again. My current project is a 1436. I'm hoping its better but I still kept the floors on the ribs for a low center of gravity. I'm the same size as you.Keep looking. 1436's are very common on CL in most areas. Go even wider if you can. I havnt even had my boat on the water yet and Ive allready been searching for a 1648 or larger, lol.

thanks man its good to hear about stability from another guy my size. plus my wife is in a wheelchair so i would REALLY like to have a boat she can sit in and fish (leaving the chair in the truck).

 

[BassBlaster]

I think based on your needs, I would look for a 1448 or larger. Some guys say a 1436 is stable but I just dont see how that 4" can add THAT much stabillity. I wont know for sure till I put mine on the water. I'm scheduled for inspection on April 10 so it wont be long!!

 

[DAN]

well, if i were you i would get something a little larger, i'm sure you could find a 14' at that price. Like others said, you may regret it. Not so much stability wise, but just in room. That being said, I have a 12' boat we use at work for pond topography. we fit 3 of us surveyors in that little boat, one to sound the depth, one to work the gps, and one to drive. It was a little cramped, but it got the job done. I personally have a 14' to fish out of and couldn't be happier. I'm sure if you keep looking you will find a good deal on one.

 

[great white]

Not all 12's are slender.

My Ungava is 51" at the chine and 60" at the beam and is just fine for two people fishing reasonable water. It's a semi V so I can even offshore it a bit on nice days and it's still stable and safe. We just go a couple miles out on the grounds, so no worries. It's decked front and rear and works great standing for one, haven't had two standing in it. Standing on the bow isn't mcuh of an option becuase of the V, but sitting up there is nice and stable for casting.

So, you can get a 12' instead of a 14' if that's your need/want. I find my 12' is easy to trailer, easy to load/unload and more importantly it slips in to the garage with room to spare.

Keep in mind I'm talking about a 51" chine, very different from the tinny you're looking at.

A 36" beam would be pretty tippy. I would say launch and then pretty much sitting only in that thin little slipper.......

 

[wingsnhammers]

I had a 1430 with a little 5 horse outboard, fuel tank, trolling motor, and battery. I only took it out a half dozen times. I'm 6'2" and 260 (oddly, named Jake) and it made me pretty uncomfortable. This coming from a guy that is very used to being on boats. Thankfully, I just used it for duck hunting. I never stood up in it other than it's first maiden voyage in July. When I was duck hunting, it made me so nervous that I would run it up on the bank before I got out. No need taking chances.

About 10 years ago I did have a 1436 Alumacraft jon with a Electric start 9.9. That boat was still a bit tipsy, but was so much more useable and safer. In my opinion, being a fairly large guy, you will want a 1436 at a minimum. Pretty much any 14' boat with a floor 36" or wider is good to go. I sold that 1430 and picked up a Vhull. The V is 14' long too, but it's 50" wide at the bottom. 2 people can actually get up and walk around at the same time. Some of the wide bottom 12' boats should be okay, too.

Good luck with the search. I just checked Craigslist on a daily basis until I found a good deal. I got a 14ft V hull with trailer, 10 horse outboard, fuel tank, new battery, and trolling motor for $550. The next day I saw where a campground was selling off their fleet of boats and they were selling 14' Alumacraft Vhulls in great condition for $350. looking back, I should have bought one of the Alumacrafts too!

Welcome to the forum, Jake. There is a wealth of knowledge here, and people give it willingly and freely.