Who has a good inventory in DFW I can look at ? I want to buy a 14 or 16 footer but I need to see it and touch it first

For fishing? I have always liked the idea of getting a used boat, and putting a brand new motor on it. It's what I did with my boat.

Yes for crappie fishing specifically . I plan to put a 15-20 hp tiller arm motor on it

To answer your question your question, I do not know of a good inventory in DFW for 14 to 16 foot aluminum boats. But my 2 cents below on getting a crappie rig...

* I would come up with a budget, how much you want to spend on a crappie rig, make a post for recommendations in the TFF Crappie section. Probably get some good ideas. Factor electronics into it, you want livescope and spot lock trolling motor.
* The bad thing about aluminum boats is that they get really hot. And when it gets hot, that is the best time for crappie fishing. Hydro turf a must, and an umbrella really nice (or some type cover).
* One thing I like about aluminum boats is that is that it is easy to launch solo, and I pull it right up on the concrete ramp while I park my truck, don't think you can do that with fiberglass boats.
* I would start in classifieds in TFF and THF for boats.

What is a reasonable price for a 12ft aluminum boat, trailer and 15 hp Johnson? The boat is older, but decent shape. The motor is electric start, but can also be rope started?

Found one that doesn’t suck


https://www.prodigyboats.com/product/2070-center-console-pad-hull-w-mercury200-stock-210257/

thats a damm nice boat! looks like tige had input

I would look on Craigslist for a used 14-16 ft Bass Tracker.

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/d/greenville-bass-boat/7632250485.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/boa/d/dallas-1991-alumacraft-crappie-14ft/7631203358.html

Whatever you get make sure it’s got hydroturf.

I bought a Havoc boat back in January. 16-56 and plenty of storage. Dont duck hunt anymore but have a boat that will serve double duty if needed. Drift fish for crappie in the winter and catfish all spring and summer . Done put over 600 cats in it the past few months and wife is happy fishing out of it . Orr marine has a huge selection of Havoc boats. Looked at a few Tracker boats and wasn't impressed with them. Liked the war eagle boats but none that i liked were in stock.

Rockwall marine has a nice 2005 18 ft Alumacraft with a 150 Mercury , deep V for $13,995, you can see pics on Texas fishing forum under boats for sale , clean boat

Avoid the older Lunds (pre 2014) unless the seller can provide proof the transom has been replaced with a composite transom.

What I like about the Gator Trax and the reason I got one are the rounded chines. No other aluminum boat manufacture does it, they turn on a dime. Most custom aluminum flat bottom boats slide around corners. Some do step chines, but they are not as good as rounded. Lots of people buy these boats and have no idea about this.

^^^ There is a flip side, there always is. To the OP this doesn't matter tho since it'll be a fishing rig, but there are cons to the rounded chines. The hull "bites" into the water a lot more when you turn, which keeps you from sliding. The downfall is that you have more hull under the surface of the water in the turn. Turning on a mud flat the hull can drag the bottom. If there happens to be a stump where you're turning right under the surface, better hold on LOL.

It's all a preference for what you're looking to do. I don't mind sliding. I have a true mud hull and so I have to throttle down just a little to prevent sliding. I have to be more careful running thick timber. Guy runs a lot of timber wide arse open and needs to turn on a dime. I run mud flats and want better control there. It's all about needs.

Thanks for all the great feedback folks. I do appreciate you

I can tell ya I been running my gator trax for 10 years and never considered that a con. During hunting season, I hit stumps probably several times every time I go out. My experience is hitting stumps that you can't see (below the water), you just skim right over it. Now hitting a visible stump, worse yet a tree, that can be bad, and you can avoid hitting visible obstacles much better in a boat that is not sliding all around.

I would say the con to rounded chines is that it will not run as shallow, and this really comes into play when you are just idling or slow speed. A boat with rounded chines will sit in the water deeper for the same reason a v hull will sit deeper in the water vs a flat bottom. You could probably argue a gator trax is not a true flat bottom hull because of the rounded chines.

High speed, does not really matter, they both will run real skinny, too skinny for me. If the water is that shallow, I stay out of it, because if you get stuck, you are stuck like chuck. I have never got stuck like that, and hope I never do. When I get in shallow, I drop my prop low, when my prob hits bottom, I know I'm getting too shallow.

I currently have a 15.5 ft. Tracker Grizzly. 25 hp Merc. 4 Stroke with tilt and stainless prop. Tiller steer. Electric start. Two raised chairs, dry box. 12 v MotorGuide, Power Pole, anchor reel, two bank Genius charger, Humminbirds fore and aft.

I fish mostly private ranches and lakes for bass and crappie. Launches and loads easily (4x4 Tundra), trailers like it isn't there, sips gas.
Bought it in 2012 for $4500.
It was slightly used but in excellent condition. The owner had been in it once.

Craigslist.

Are you still looking or have you found one ,also,what price range do you have in mind ?.

I don't consider sliding a big con running timber, you get used to it. Just throttle down and it turns just fine. Again, to each their own. No rig does literally everything so ya gotta figure out what means the most to you. The real problem is if your skeg hits something and your motor pops up for a split second so you have no steering. That's how you end up center punching a tree LOL. That one scares me.

My hull is pretty light and I did that on purpose. I can get myself out of the messes I get myself into, but it also handles big water surprisingly well. I thought it was gonna be a big draw back.

I hunted with a buddy in and Excel hull (with saturated foam) a few years ago and that day is when I decided a light hull was for me. We were pushing that bloated pig thru six inches of water with a soft bottom. Completely defeated the purpose of having a surface drive and left me with a serious case of swamp arse.