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Posts: 4
Location: Medford Wisconsin Area | I understand that a Esox or Esox Magnum is not in the same class as a DVS or Pro-V so there is obvious some big water restrictions. So I guess my question is how far can you push this boat and still be comfortable and safe? Can I take this out on the turtle or chip on a 15-20 mph wind or lake tomahawk when guys are running there cigar boats making 2 foot wakes?
I'm in the marked for a new boat and I have always been curious about these boats. Please chime in on the pro's and con's of these boats and how far you can push these boats before safety or comfort become an issue.
Thanks for the input
Edited by 12ozPBR 9/25/2015 9:11 PM
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | yes, you can.
the sponsoned hull makes it bigger than it is ...
i would never worry about having one in Wisconsin ...
i took my Esox Mag to Eagle Lake because i had no other option and faced some hairy water on one day of the trip. i felt like i could handle what i was faced with but it's not something i would want to do routinely. in this particular case i just crabbed the rollers and got myself across the angry basin. if facing that continually you would be no better or worse off than being in any of the rental boats ... some of those days you just punt and hope for a better day. |
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Posts: 4
Location: Medford Wisconsin Area | Sled,
I got one more question. How does this boat track in wind? My last boat was a 16.5ft aluminum v-hull. On come days it tracked great but when there was a even slight breeze I was always on the trolling motor making adjustments. So tracking in wind is a must have for my next boat.
Thanks for your input, I truly appreciate it.
Edited by 12ozPBR 9/25/2015 10:25 AM
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | it is what it is ... being low profile reduces it vs. high siders and it is glass and sponsoned so not as heavy as a deep v but better than aluminum.
it's like an aircraft carrier to fish off of and when you drive it (if powered properly) it brings an instant smile to your face! i'd have another one in a second! i have a deep v glass boat now and the only "advantage" in my fishing life is that i can now fish great lakes salmon which i love to do and then it is a better choice for fishing eagle and lotw. around here the Esox Mag would be better.
launching and loading is a breeze too ...
Edited by jonnysled 9/25/2015 11:42 AM
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | I am no expert but I have fished out of a few of them. Great fishing platforms. Sled nailed it. I grew up fishing eagle and we had 16ft naden bench seat aluminum boats with 20hp johnsons. No electronics, no trolling motor. You just have to learn to drive in those rough situations. |
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Posts: 4
Location: Medford Wisconsin Area | Any one know the rod locker size? Can you get 8' and 8'6" rods in them?
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Posts: 8772
| Fished quite a lot out of a handful of them. The platform is fantastic for deck space. They launch and load easily. If the only lakes I fished were the little potholes in N/WI, that would be my boat. But, like Jon, I make an annual trek to Eagle and usually encounter at least one day where wind and waves would make the day difficult in an Esox Magnum. Not a big troller, but there will come day when I decide to hunt meat on the big pond, and likely there is a trip or two to Superior in the future.
Truthfully, if it was just me, I'd deal with 4 footers and getting a little wet, but with Samantha along on most trips I needed something a littler better for bigger water.
In my dream world, the Ranger would stay in the garage and I'd have an Esox Magnum as my "Up North" boat. If I win the lottery...
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Location: Not far enough north! | Had one for about 5years. Tiller version with a 50 four stroke. Best platform I have ever fished off of. More roomy than my 1760 currently. The biggist problem I had was getting up on top the waves with 3 guys and gear. I took some 3 footers over the bow on LOTW one year and filled her up like a bathtub. She still floated good full and was able to maneuver back to the dock. This was the case of not enough HP to get on plane befor I got to the rough stuff. We were coming out of a small cove. The only complaint about the hull is the slapping of the bow when working into a good chop like 1footers. When the bow comes down between waves it pounds pretty loud. Not near as bad as a flat bottom though. I love my 1760 but still miss the magnum some days |
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Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Loved my Magnums, but prefer the LTD hull. 10" narrower but wide enough for stability and interior room, and a much better 'rough' water ride. A Bassn'Marauder with a 90HP motor would be my retirement ride if I didn't choose a V hull. That siad, these are not designed to be BIG water rides. Run carefully as suggested and you will come home safe in most anything truly nasty you might get caught in, but you will not be happy or dry.
All the Mag is is an LTD that was split down the middle and 5" added to each side from the keel center. That created a pad to the rear, so the boat is really fast with a 135. |
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Posts: 383
| I had the E Mag with a 135 and it was crazy fast. Still one of my favorite rides I've had and I'd look at coming back to one some day. |
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Posts: 82
Location: Cottage Grove, Mn | I had a Tuffy Marauder from '82 through '98. I fished the following: Toledo bend, Lake Seminole,Bull Shoals, Table Rock, Center Hill, Lake of Egypt, Lake Patoka, Greers Ferry, Shelbyville, Dale Hollow, Chesapeake Bay, Lake Cumberland, many WI, MN and MI lakes including Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Erie & St Claire, LOTW, St Lawrence & Ottawa Rivers.
I ran 35 and 50 hp engines, raised on the transom by .5".
Sadly the transom and floor rotted out in 95 so I tore everything apart and rebuilt! New trolling motors, Locators flooring , rugs ... completely new! The Tuffy rep from this website helped me price it when I sold in '98. Twice what I purchased it for. If I was going to purchase a small boat again, it might be an Esox Magnum, especially if I could get a 135 Opti tiller.... I have had 6 boats and am looking far the last one now.
I'm looking at a 23' Alumaweld Columbia with a 250 Merc tiller or an Edge 24' Sport OS with a 300 Suki....
Ask questions of your sales rep and good luck! Most important, watch weather before you go out.
dennis
Edited by greybeard 9/28/2015 2:04 PM
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Posts: 4
Location: Medford Wisconsin Area | How do you compare the Esox Magnum to a 180 esox deep v like the one for sale on boat ads? I fish the Wisconsin River around Wausau down to Rapids plus a lot of time up around the Phillips - Park Falls area. |
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Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Very similar in stability and room, the interior is the same, pretty much. Same general hull design with a deeper V twist. Floats in very little water, better on big water than the Magnum. |
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Posts: 82
Location: Cottage Grove, Mn | Lets see:
0 to 12 degree deadrise hull is shallow V
13 to 19 degree deadrise hull is modified V
20 to 26 degree deadrise hull is deep V hull.
What is this deeper V hull. Is it like the extra deep V hull you have previously mentioned?
Lund deadrise is 17 degrees
Crestliner deadrise is 17 degrees
Ranger FS is 14 degrees.
Tuffy's hull is deeper?
Dennis
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Posts: 176
| I have a 1990 Bass'n Maurader with a 75 on the back. Over the years it has spent about 50 days on Eagle. I suppose it would be even more "spirited" with a 90 on the back, but right now with a well maintained 1990 Mercury 75, two people and full gear it will hit 39 mph and run a slalom course as good as any boat I've ridden in, outside of maybe one of the old Champions.
It doesn't slap the water, and gives me enough to manage the windy days by skipping from lee side of one island to the next, but actually handles more water than you may think. The toughest lakes I have to handle are the bigger Madison Lakes, there is something with the wave period that I have issues with on those lakes.
It's a dream to trailer, is easy to load on bad landings, ( I think you could spit on the grass and you could launch it, in fact I've launched it several times over the years on lakes with no landings, simply from the shore) It is a great platform for two people, I actually fished a couple days in Canada many years ago with a buddy and our 3 boys aged 7-15. That was worth the memories!
It gets you close to the water, (so you don't need 12' rods for a decent figure 8), for releasing fish, and doesn't get blown around on the windy days. and yet you stay dry somehow even with the low profile.
I can fit up to 8' rods, and I'd love some type of racking system inside so they don't all just lay on each other in the locker. I would love more storage, but I have managed for a long time, and have used the large livewell for tackle to free up room in other places. It's easy enough to quickly take out the tackle if you need to revive a fish in the livewell....now days with the bigger nets a livewell is less of a requirement.
It's easy on a trolling motor and can run the shallow water comfortably as well. I prefer it over the magnum...I personally feel the magnum "slaps" the water too much and isn't worth the trade off of the extra room, although that's only my opinion.
Standard disclaimer, this is only my opinion, but I do have several decades experience in this boat. |
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Posts: 190
| I revived a 2001 180t. New transome, new motor 12" electronics, new trolling motor, everything. It is like the esox magnum but it is deeper. In stead of a 70 I put a 90 hydrolic steer tiller on it. I use this boat in lake of the woods and am not afraid to take it out in 3-4 footers. It will run 40+ fully loaded and fishes like a dream. Pm me I'll send you pictures. If I can get a bunch of money together I'm think of getting that new alaumacraft 205 so I can carry more people walleye fishing. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I have an 01 Esox LTD and have been very happy with it for smaller waters... It cuts thru waves as SWorrall pointed out great...had it out on Monona quite a bit this fall...great 2 person casting rig..I had a buddy make a custom back casting deck for it...scoots right along with a 50 on the back... |
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Tuffy Esox Magnum owners past and present, question?