A Guide to Buying the Perfect Fishing Boat

A leisurely Sunday morning with the sun shining brightly and a cool wind blowing, you head out to the local lake with your fishing boat and spend an idle day with your tackle box, fishing merrily.

If this is your idea of the perfect weekend, read on.

The first thing you need to do to make this little idea into reality is to buy a fishing boat. This article will help you in that respect.

First of all, know the purpose of your fishing boat. Will you be taking it out to the sea, or do you plan to use it at a local lake? The kind of boat you should buy will depend a lot on your answer to questions like these. How much you should spend on a boat, the size of the fishing boat, etc. will vary with its purpose.

1. If you think you might have to spend the night in your boat, make sure to buy a boat with a hull. This will help you ride the waves better than something without a hull.

2. Boats can be a major investment. Have a clear and thorough understanding of your needs and your budget. Boats meant for the sea are usually larger, with hulls, and are therefore, more expensive than those meant for the local lake.

3. Most boats will come with a warranty. Before you choose which boat to buy, have a clear understanding of any warranties it might have. Fixing your boat can be mighty expensive and you don't want to have to shell out a ton for it just because you didn't read the warranty properly.

4. Always buy a boat that has proper certification from the NMMA. The NMMA (National Marine Manufacturer's Association) tests boats manufactured by various companies and certifies them on their sea/water worthiness. A boat certified by the NMMA would invariably be superior in quality and will give you a lot more safety.

5. Remember to stock your boat adequately with life jackets, first aid kits and other safety gear. Take a few water safety classes and learn some basic first aid skills such as CPR, etc.