5 fishing-focused floating Christmas presents for less than $20,000

We’ve set ourselves a budget here of just $20,000. The aim is to find something that’s ready to hit the water without the need to replace spongy floors or rotted-out transoms.

That means boats that are fairly new, but also those that stand out from the crowd.

One of the big benefits of buying a used boat over a new one is that the previous owner will have fitted the boat out with all the gear needed to make it a perfect fishing platform.

That usually means that after properly inspecting the boat and handing over the money, you can potentially drive it straight to the boat ramp.

These five choices are all a bit different and suit a variety of needs. Which one would suit you?

This one’s a real surprise package at this price. The Savage 415 Big Daddy was originally a beamy, deep-sided runabout suited to tiller-steer applications. Big Daddy is no more, with the product line now sold as the Kestrel range of boats.

However, here’s a previous owner who’s gone through a lot of effort to make his package a lot more user-friendly.

The Savage 425 Big Daddy was sold as an open dinghy with an aft cross-thwart bench seat and a large carpeted casting platform forward. However, this one now features a centre console with forward controls and a T-top.

Powering the whole package is a 40hp Evinrude two-stroke outboard engine – the most powerful you could fit to this model – with just 42 hours on it.

The entire package sits on a Savage aluminium trailer, and the photo suggests it even comes with an engine cover.

The price? Just $19,990 tow-away.

Who says you can't go fishing in a RIB? Sure, you don't see them out fishing that much, but the air-filled pontoons are made to endure far more mistreatment than a couple of fish hooks catching in them.

This 5.1-metre Aquapro RIB is a lot of boat for less than our $20K budget. Okay, it's Chinese-made, but these boats had something of a reputation for being roomy, stable, stylish and nicely finished.

It can also go out in a larger weather window than any of the other boats here thanks to its size, and the buoyancy provided by the tubes.

It's also a surprisingly safe option should something go wrong, as this boat will float level when swamped.

It's a centre console design, so it is easy to walk from the bow to the stern, although the jetski-style seating for two leaves a bit to be desired.

This particular boat comes with an older 70hp Yamaha two-stroke outboard engine, which does have oil injection so you don't need to constantly mix two-stroke oil in with each tank of fuel.

RIBs also make for good first boats – if you bump into something there's no scratched gelcoat or paint to constantly remind you of what's happened each time you look at the boat – and are also ideally suited to children, making them a good platform as a family fishing boat.

There's also a Dunbier trailer thrown in for the $17,990 price tag.

Small is good, and especially so when it comes to car-toppers. Here’s a neat little package that caught our eye as perfect for lugging along on the big loop of Australia.

It’s a EzyTopper 3.7 Ultimate, a great little estuary and enclosed water alloy tinny that’s short and beamy, and weighs only 68kg.

EzyToppers come quite well equipped out of the factory. The 3.7 Ultimate includes integrated casting decks, a forward hatch and SeaDek non-slip flooring as standard. 

The boats are built to use an outboard engine between 10hp and 20hp, with this one including a 20hp Suzuki four-stroke powering it.

While the boat is a car-topper, this particular package comes on a Mango Jack folding trailer. That means once you’ve set up the camper van, it’s a simple matter of unfolding the trailer, dropping the tinny on it and hitting the local waterways.

It also has a Lowrance fishfinder, rod storage lockers, a bilge pump, navigation lights and more, so it’s right to hit the water anywhere and anytime.

At $17,990 it’s a fair wad of cash, but as a portable package you can pick up and tow home with ease it has a lot going for it.

After a good first family boat that’s not as bereft of comforts as a tinnie? Something like the Stacer 429 SeaWay would be perfect.

This example from 2014 is a complete family-friendly package. This boat was built at the start of a major makeover of the SeaWay range, so underneath it is a good boat with excellent seakeeping ability.

This one is fitted with a bimini top that provides shade on sunny days, or protection from the rain when it’s not. The wide, low windscreen is great at speed and includes an opening centre section that gives easy access to the anchor well.

Powering this Stacer 429 SeaWay is a 50hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard engine with digital gauges – the most powerful engine on offer with this hull – and only 66 hours on it.

There are sports seats, a sports steering wheel, and plenty of space in the cockpit.

The entire package sits on a Stacer-branded trailer that includes a spare wheel, meaning you can tow this boat to distant boat ramps with confidence.

It is also equipped with a Garmin chartplotter to help you navigate unfamiliar waters.

At $19,500 tow away, it’s something of a bargain.

Not everyone wants the inconvenience of a big boat filling the driveway. That’s where something like a jet ski makes more sense.

We’re just starting to see the Sea-Doo Fish Pro range start to slip in under $20,000 on the used market, so if you’re after a ski featuring the only dedicated fishing platform on the market, it’s a great way in.

The Sea-Doo Fish Pro came out of the showroom with plenty of gear, including a Garmin chartplotter and fishfinder, and an aft-mounted icebox with four inbuilt rod holders.

Other fishing accessories you find on this jet ski include gunwale footrests to help with grip, and a flatter seat than normal to make turning from side to side while reeling in a fish a lot easier.

The skis you’re looking at should have relatively low hours on them compared with a normal consumer-mode ski that will have been ridden hard and often. After all, this is a ski made for pulling up and fishing, not jumping wakes and circle work.

Some of those hours will also likely be clocked up in low-speed trolling mode – a fishing-specific feature of the Sea-Doo Fish Pro 155.

This one is listed on boatsales.com.au for $19,990, with a few choices also available that slightly exceed our $20K budget.