NEW TO ME BOAT BY JOHN BERRY

I recently purchased a new boat. There are many guides out there that buy a new boat every year. I am not one of those guys. I tend to keep my boats for a long time. I have been guiding for about twenty five years and this is only my third boat. Like all of the others, it was previously owned, in this case, by a little old lady in Norfork. I have had good luck with used boats. Used motors are a different story.

My first boat was a thirty three inch wide twenty foot long Shawnee. I bought boat, motor, and trailer, from a neighbor for a thousand dollars. This was the boat I learned how to navigate the river in. It was pretty rough, when I got it. I had repairs made to the transom, had new pedestal seats installed and had the live well sealed to provide more storage. I am a no kill guide and do not need a live well. I had Berry Brothers Guide Service written on both sides and had a boat cover made for it. I replaced the old Mercury two stroke outboard motor with a new one. The boat served me well for several years. The problem was that it was a bit narrow and a bit ‘tippy’ particularly, when I had large clients. I needed more room.

Another neighbor was moving back to Tennessee and needed to sell his boat. It was a forty eight inch wide twenty foot long White River Jon boat that had been custom made on a Shawnee mold. It had walk through live wells and pedestal seats and a fifteen horse power Evinrude outboard motor. I switched motors and sold my old Shawnee. I had the live wells sealed to provide more storage, had Berry Brothers Guide Service written on it and got a new boat cover made for it. The wider boat was easier for me to guide from. I used it for over ten years and it served me well. 

Like any guide boat it picked up a ding or two. My boat was starting to look its age. It was still functioning but it was time to keep up with the Joneses. My wife, Lori agreed that it was time for a new boat. I wanted something larger with more storage. I looked around and found out that, after a friend of mine passed away, her family was going to sell her weekend house in Norfork. I asked if they were interested in selling her river boat. They said yes and I bought it. 

It is a Supreme sixty inch wide twenty foot long boat. It is about the largest production White River Jon boat made. It has spider chairs, bait trays and four storage lockers. It came with an EZ Loader trailer and a Honda fifteen horse, four cycle outboard motor with electric start and power tilt. This is a much fancier rig than I have ever had. It is similar to what other guides are using except they generally opt for a much larger Jet motor and oars.

I prefer a propeller driven motor as they are much quieter (particularly the four cycle motors) and don’t spook big fish. At sixty nine years of age, I will go with a big trolling motor (which is easier on my back); with a wireless remote control maybe I can fish a little myself.

The boat had been sitting in a garage for several years so I dropped the motor off at Tracy Boat and Motor to have them service it before I took it out. I also bought new tires for the trailer and got the boat registered. I put my old Mercury outboard motor on the new boat and have guided out of it a few days. It is nice but I think when I get some down time, I am going to take the boat to Rob Williams at Supreme to do some custom work. I would prefer pedestal seats and some more storage.

I plan on keeping my old Mercury outboard for a back up and then sell my old boat and trailer. I look forward to fishing out of my new to me boat.