Buying a Fishing Rig

by Kevin Patton

There's nothing that brings out the little boy in an avid fisherman more than buying a new fishing rig.

We spend hours online investigating every available feature and option. We pour over boat catalogs to find that perfect rig that will be our home-away-from-home on the water.

To get some guidelines for buying a new fishing rig, I talked with Jerry Winterland of Winterland Sales and Service in Chenoa. Winterland has been in the marine dealer business since 1980.

Which Boat Do I Buy?

Winterland mentioned several major considerations when buying a boat, including where you are going to fish, the style of boat you want, and the motor horsepower that will be a good match for your boat.

The size of your favorite body of water, availability of good boat ramps, and horsepower limitations all need to be considered when choosing a fishing boat. The type of fishing you enjoy can also affect your choice of boat layout and design.

For instance, boats for casting and trolling are laid out differently. The available options on crappie and walleye boats may include bait wells, which may not interest the average bass fisherman.

Anglers who enjoy pitching and flipping for bass will want a raised front casting deck to make their presentations easier. If you want to have three anglers in your boat, you will want some open space in the middle for a seat and pedestal.

The two most popular styles of boats are semi-V bottom boats and deep-V boats. The semi-V boats, which Winterland sells 10 of to every one deep-V, are the traditional bass boats that are mostly deck. Deep-V boats have more open space and floor room and are riveted rather than welded.

Winterland sells Polar Kraft boats because he believes "they make a good, quality product." The company has been in business for 50 years and offers a variety of boat styles and layouts. They are located in Indiana and you can visit their web site at:  www.polarkraft.com

New Versus Used

Winterland believes that money and warranty are the main issues for most people trying to decided whether to buy a new or used rig.

"If you buy a used rig, be sure the motor is good," he advises. Each year he sees several examples of anglers who bought used boats and have to get the motor repaired.

What Options Do I Buy?

This will differ for each fisherman, depending on what is available on the model he selects and his personal tastes, budget, and style of fishing, but Winterland has some tips for the novice.

"Don't skimp on the trolling motor and batteries." These tools are the bread and butter of fishing for most of us, so he advises that we buy quality equipment.

Winterland believes that fish finders are the most over-rated addition to a fishing rig.

"People spend too much money on fancy color units with unnecessary features." After all, who needs a GPS-capable depth finder when you are only going to fish farm ponds?

The Biggest Improvement in Fishing Rigs

Motors are much improved these days according to Winterland.

"They are cleaner-burning and more fuel efficient, using one-half the gas and oil of older motors."

Winterland is an Evinrude dealer and is excited about the new line of E-Tec motors. "They weigh less, have more get up and go, and greater low end torque for a better hole shot."

Evinrude has designed the E-Tec line of two-stroke motors to meet all the emission requirements that prompted other manufacturers to go to four-stroke motors. The E-Tec line is advertised with a three-year, no-maintenance feature, which makes them easier and cheaper to maintain than four-stroke engines.

There is no oil to change nor carburetor to clean, but the lower unit gear lube should be changed annually.

The Evinrude line of motors can be seen at:   www.evinrude.com/en-US/

Trailer Considerations

Winterland says the number one feature for a trailer is a swing-away tongue because the cost is minimal and it is a nice, space-saving feature.

He also advises getting a trailer that is heavy enough for the boat, with solid metal fenders that are welded in place.

Side load guides and carpeted bunks are features that help in driving your boat onto the trailer. "Trailers with carpeted bunks are easier to load for most people than trailers with rollers."

Winterland states that the most common problem when driving a boat onto the trailer is backing the trailer too far into the water.

"Get the bunks wet by backing into the water, pull up, and back in so the bunks are only about one-half in the water."

Final Tips

"The biggest mistake that buyers make is they don't initially buy a bigger boat and then become unhappy with their rig. They buy a small rig trying to save some money."

Winterland also emphasizes the importance of the service aspect of buying a fishing rig. You need to choose a reliable dealer with a track record of providing good service to customers, as well as quality products.

Winterland Sales and Service is located on Route 24 East in Chenoa. They can be reached by calling 815-945-7548. Their web site is located at:  www.winterlandsales.com and their email address is:  Wint1@verizon.net