How To Build A Budget Flats Boat (For Under $1,000!)
- By: Greyson Roberts
- on
Think you need $25,000 for a center console just to get off the bank?
Think again.
You don’t even need $2,500 for a stable fishing kayak…
In fact, you can get on the water with a two-person “mini skiff” for under a grand — and still fish the flats, dodge oyster bars, and slide into the same honey holes the big boats hit.
In this video, we’re breaking down:
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The exact boat we used (and where to find it cheap)
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How it compares to other plastic jon boats on the market
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Affordable trolling motor options that can handle saltwater and current
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Why a 100ah lithium battery is worth every penny
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Total cost breakdown for the full setup: boat + motor + battery
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Bonus upgrades to make your ride quieter, faster, and more efficient
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Must-have safety gear to stay legal & avoid trouble on the water
If you’ve been thinking about getting off the bank without breaking the bank, this is the setup we’d recommend — and it’s one we’ve personally used to catch a pile of fish.
Ready to hit the water with your own flats rig?
This build gets you more room, more range, and way more fish… for less than most fishing kayaks.
Watch the video and see exactly how it’s done.
Got questions about building your own tiny boat? Or already have one rigged out? Drop a comment below — we’d love to hear what you’re running!
Tight lines and God bless!
-Greyson
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- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Picking my Sun Dolphin American 12 tomorrow. Thanks Salt Strong and Greyson.
Thanks for the info. Worth looking into getting one..
Do you haul the boat with a trailer? I think you said it was a 12’ boat? How heavy is it?
thanks!!
DON
I bought a 14 ft. canoe for $500 with all of the gear, got a trolling motor on sale at Dicks for a little over $100, deep cycle battery at Walmart $100, Garmin fishfinder/GPS $100 onlile yardsale and I’m on it! The rig fits in my van or on my Jeep.
Nice setup. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for this information. I had a John boat that I used for years. And I noticed that they (I) made a ton of noise in it.
I had a Jon Boat, and I used a truck extender my son always helps to load it. I also for my Kayak I still used the truck extender See Tony Acevedo blog on it. Now I see that particular boat is according to the web site 110 lbs. At least for me saying 2 people to load it plus account for what size motor you put on it. Save your back, I Also Have one of those Harbor Freight trailer that I fixed to transport the Kayak when I have time to hook it up, easier with the truck extender. Got my extender and trailer at Harbor Freight for a good price.
Greyson, how much $ do you have into your complete setup as shown in your video?
Boat with mods is around $1k total including flooring, EVA Foam, Hull and Battery. My spot lock trolling motor was about another thousands. The electric outboard is $1,200 but since have got a 5HP I like far better. Normally I would just stick to the $1k build with only the boat, trolling motor and cheap battery. however, I have multiple boats these motors can transfer to.
So $3200? Less than the price of a new Hobie Outback.
My grandson was considering a kayak but this looks like a much better alternative, however I never heard anything about a trailer. You certainly can’t put this on top of a car. Any suggestions out there?
Actually, it has been car topped many times by members of my facebook group. However I do not recommend it. I fit this in the bed of my truck with the tail gate down perfect. Or, I also have a small utility trailer but it hangs off the back.
Looks like a reasonable setup. Thanks for showing us around!