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Home > Take Me Fishing Blog > September 2020 > Taking Your Crew Boating: Are There Best Boats for Families?
When I worked for a major national outdoor magazine, there was often a suggestion that I and others write about the “best boat” for fishing. We never did because the writers and editors agreed that there was no one best boat for all types of fishing. Similarly, from a general pleasure-boating and family boating point of view, there is no one best watercraft.
Clearly it is difficult to choose a boat that encompasses all family outdoor activities, which include fishing, cruising, sailing, swimming, skiing, tube-towing, and ferrying family and friends to various places. The best boats for families have to serve a lot of purposes, which is why pure fishing boats seldom fill the general-function bill.
So, you have to establish priorities and realize that every boat is a compromise in one or more ways. As someone who puts fishing first, I can assure you that if your priority is fishing, most general recreational boats are not good for a variety of fishing purposes, although they can accommodate general family boating interests.
If you’re not familiar with different types of boats check out this Take Me Fishing tool. Here are some brief notes on what are considered the best boats for families.
Space doesn’t permit exploring the issues of where you keep any of these boats, and which are better or worse for trailering and launching, which are also ownership considerations. Lastly, remember to get your boat registered.
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Ken Schultz was a longtime staff writer for Field & Stream magazine and is the former Fishing Editor of ESPNoutdoors.com. He’s written and photographed nineteen books on sportfishing topics, plus an annual fishing tips calendar, and his writing has appeared on various websites for more than two decades. His author website is kenschultz.com
The largemouth bass is the most popular freshwater game fish in the U.S. Learn more about how you can identify a largemouth bass, where to catch it and what bait and lures to use.
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