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| Hello Gang,
What in your opinions are the best Musky boats out there right now?
I am most likely going aluminum or if glass, probably second hand
because of price. Looking for some suggestions based on experience
and length of ownership. This will be my first Musky specific boat.
many thanks, Fantigua |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | After fishing out of a "hand me down" for ten years, I've only fished out of (besides my old pile o' crap) k-bob's Alumicraft, Dr. Mike's Ranger 620, and my new fisher 176hawk. I can tell you that all crafts are very stable platforms. K-bob's is utility/ease, Dr. mikes is style/speed, and mine is rough water/soul. If you are looking used, consider any 2005 models that your local dealer is in a hury to move. Boats that are a year old, but never owned have great intrest rates, and will save $ in the long run, unless you get canned, like me. lol |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | I bought a used 620T this spring and I think it is the ultimate muskie boat. It's plenty big for all your tackle boxes, the rod lockers are huge(9'6" two of them), and tons of lockable storage. You can fish from any where in the boat and easily fish 3 people out of the boat. The boat is big enough to handle the largest water out there. |
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Posts: 1189
Location: Bagley,MN 56621 | BASS BOATS!! |
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Posts: 158
Location: Eagan, MN | Fantigua, I'm in the same 'boat' as you (pun intended). The boats I'm considering are the Ranger 618 (console version), Tuffy 1700, and Alumacraft Navigator. All 17-18', big 8' rod lockers, sit relatively low on the water, good muskie layouts, and can serve double duty w/ the family. I don't have experience w/ any of them yet, but will at least take test rides before I buy. I'm currently in a 17' Bass Tracker, which isn't bad but I really need to get away from the bass layout, which for me is not ideal. Good luck w/ your decision. |
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Posts: 734
| I just fished out of my Ranger 618 Single counsel for the first time. I was amazed how well it handles two footers that I had it in. Great layout, you can put deck extensions in the front and back and should fish three fairly easily. I would get a 620 if I was going to fish Mille Lacs everyday, but for most waters the 618 should be great.
Edited by MuskyJay 5/11/2006 4:26 PM
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | Hey. About how much should a new ranger 618 or 619 cost with the standard motor it has on it. Its never to early to start thinking about buying a boat!!
Edited by muskie_man 5/11/2006 5:35 PM
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Comparing the 1700 Tuffy at $18900 rigged with a 90 Optimax or 4 stroke (all new 2006) to 618 is not really a good comparison. The 1700 Tuffy Esox Deep V is a 17' model, and compares more to the 681. It's one of the very few 17' boats out there that will take an 8' rod in a center rod locker. The 1760 GC and GT, an all new Muskie rig, is more of an accurate comparison; it will rate 75 tiller and 150 console. That boat will sell for about $27900 water ready with a 150 Optimax or a 150 Suzuki. Add a trolling motor and sonars and GPS, you are at about 30K with top shelf gear on a rig that will run near 60 MPH set up right. The rig is a dedicated muskie boat, and has a huge front deck and a rear deck insert that is a storage box that holds tons of gear or lures. The rear deck module comes out easily, just four bolts and it's out of the boat. One can Buy the rig and run in the mid 40 MPH range for about $25900 with sonars, gps, trolling motor, and a 115 Suzi or Merc 4 stroke. The tiller model is in the $24K range with top shelf gear, base price. Option her out and you add a couple K. |
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Posts: 144
| I bought a new 618 with 150 opti. in 2003 for $27,000. Sold it last year and got a new 619 for $36000 with 200opti. Both boats had trolling motor and locator. |
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| What about Aluminum boats instead of Glass. They are lighter to tow, and
lighter on the water which means less gas both on and off the water.
Any suggestions there, Alumicraft, Crestliner, Lund, Sylvan, etc . . .
Thanks, Fantigua
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | I have fished out of alot of aluminum boats before and this year I really hit a homerun.
I fish out of a 1910 SC Polar Kraft. It is 19 feet 10 inches and 98 inch beam. HUGE front deck, and more storage than you could ever believe.
Check out http://www.polarkraft.com Go to Show Room and Models. It is a Kodiak 1910SC
Amazing boat, best aluminum boat I have ever fished out of, and extremely well built. Check them out! |
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Posts: 28
| I run a Lund 1950 Tyee Gran sport and it is an excellent trolling boat.It has tons of floor space since i can leave out the two rear seats and use the fold up rear seats in the casting deck when trolling .This way there is plenty of room for 4 people!At 19'8" with a 98" beam it is big enough for just about anything and with a full roof and side curtains fishing in the rain isn't a problem.Having a full windshield sure is nice when it is windy,cold and raining too.The front casting deck is not very big on this model for you casters out there but there are plenty of other Lund models with huge casting decks like the Pro V's. |
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Posts: 3507
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | I happen to own the 165 Navigator with a 90 yamaha on it and LOVE IT!! Plenty of room for big bait boxes, two rod lockers, decent sized livewell and very stable platforms. you can fish 3 out of the boat without issue. The front deck is maybe just a touch high for doing good solid figure-8's with a shorter rod, but it is a perfect height for jerkbaits. The rear deck has plenty of foot space for the area, and there is plenty of room to mount electronics both in the back and at the bow.
Rigging is quite easy. Hiding wires is fairly easy to do as well, since the wiring is run along the rod lockers.
40mph boat without issue and handles the big stuff well.
Steve |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | If you fish small water and don't troll much, you may want to consider a used bass boat. Bass boats depreciate significantly in the first couple years, more than walleye boats, and then stabilize. There are also a lot more of them to pick from if you ware willing to drive. Check out www.wmi.org/bassfish and www.bassboatcentral.com for some great buys.
Fantigua - If you compare the heaviest best built tin boats to glass you will likely find they are not much lighter. Some of the cheaper brands or models are lighter but then you are not comparing apples to apples. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Fantigua,
Aluminum boats typically have WORSE mpg ratings over comperable fiberglass with the same motor. Aluminum hulls are considerably LESS efficient then fiberglass. There's only so many ways you can bend aluminum, but fiberglass can be layed in most any shape you want. The only aluminum that is close to the shape of a fiberglass hull is the Tracker Tundra, although I've been hearing rumblings of some problems with those boats. |
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Posts: 221
Location: ohio | WHATS ONE OF THE TUFFY ESOX GO FOR THESE DAYS ???? |
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| call one of these guys and you'll be able to get a quote on one rigged up how you want.
http://www.tuffyboats.com/dealer.asp |
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Posts: 129
| Ive got a 1750 hawk. Its great to fish out of, stable in big waves. The only thing I do not like about it is that the screws and nuts are always backing out. I locktite them and new ons show up. Other than that, I love it. |
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Posts: 1168
| Fantigua,
This is a Ford v. Chevy debate. everyone has their preferences. The best musky boat is the one that suits you the best. What kind of landings you are going off of, what type of water you fish. I know many guys who thought they had the world's greatest boat only to find out that it restricted the water they fish due to unimproved landings or that it simply was too big for their respective Lake X.
More importantly, if there is a "she" involved the best Musky boat is one that "she" approves of and can have fun in. Same can be said if you have a family. Bass boats are great, but if you have a gaggle of little ones it might not suit you the best. Might not be the case in your situation but just another thing to consider. |
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| I'd have to agree with Ulbian here..there is no one perfect boat for everyone..if there were we'd all have the same boat..some like glass , some like aluminum...some like bass style some like the deep v's...
I've had glass and aluminum and like them both...It comes down to where you will use your boat and who/how many people will be in it for muskies and other time in the boat...if you were to fish smaller waters and not anything big where large waves would be a problem look at a bass style rig...
there are tons of choices and options out there...there are great buys on used boats if you want to save a few bucks...
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Location: Somewhere on the water!!!!!!!! | Go to all the boat shows over the winter and check them out first hand, get in and walk around.
This is the best way to see a lot of boats in one place and if you buy, you might get a better deal at the show.
Like it was said, you have your Ford guys and your Chevy guys.................IT'S ALL PERSONAL PREFRENCE. Everyone is going to tell you that their brand of boat is the best for obvious reasons, you have to go out and see what boat best suits YOU & YOUR FAMILY.
Good luck and happy shopping! 
Ralph |
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Posts: 743
| The web page says more usable floorspace in the new design. By looking at the pictures it looks like massive front deck but very little actual floor space for our lage tackle boxes unless you put them on the front deck where they can bounce around when under way. |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | If you are talking the new Tuffy design, it DOES have much more useable floor space, and plenty in the rear for your big boxes. You won't need boxes on the floor if you get an Esox Deep V, plenty of tackle storage under the rear deck gullwing lids. I'm fishing the 1890 Osprey, no problems with a Frabill, several boxes including both my big boxes, and three anglers. I don't know anyone fishing the new design who puts boxes on the front deck, but if you wished to you could in front of the consloe and still fish two off the deck.
Get up close to one.
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Posts: 743
| The 1700Gt would be the one I wouild be interested in.
what would be the floor dimensions?
What would be the top speed with a 60 Merc 2 stroke?
One more edit. The 1700 has a 25 inch transom? Does that mean I would also need a new motor?
Edited by KSauers 7/30/2006 6:13 PM
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| KSauers...where do you live?
we could get together and hit the water in my 1760GT - i'm in south-central WI.
it's got basically the same interior as the 1700, slightly wider and slightly longer; rated for bigger motor is biggest difference.
anyway, it'd give you a good idea of the interior floor space: in the "cockpit" area of mine i've got 2 seats, a big frabill, an electronics box, and a full size Dunwright tackle box and have no problems even fishing 3 in the boat.
drop me a PM or email ([email protected]) and we can do some "test" fishing. |
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Posts: 743
| I live in milw. I just drove through Portage last night on the way home from Canada. Went by the old homestead on the river . Haven't been there for a while. |
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Posts: 7086
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Tuffy 1700, rough measurements of WALKABLE space:
Front Deck: 72.5" front to back edge X 72" wide
Back deck: 69" X 32" |
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| I have fished out of a lot of different boats in my life, and I can say that there are two boats that simply rock.
The new 1910 Polar Kraft has a HUGE front deck, nice sized back deck and plenty of storage room. It is the best aluminum boat I have ever fished out of. It is also the driest alum. boat I have ever been in as well.
Not to mention things like, you can get what ever motor you want on it, 18 rods in the rod locker (8 footers) No fuses, etc...makes this boat a great musky boat.
The Polar Kraft 1910 is going to make a name for itself in the musky world for sure
MIKE HULBERT |
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Posts: 454
| Whats the other one? |
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Location: Contrarian Island | they don't make it anymore but if you know anyone that has had one or has one they all say the Ranger 690 might have been and still is the best hull Ranger ever made...great layout, not too big, not too small...drafts pretty shallow for crappy launches but can handle big water...
If you can find a good clean 1998-2000 snap it up!
the thing I see with all the new rigs is there really isn't a good mid 18 foot glass boat that can handle small and big water...
in my book Tuffys 1760 is just a tad small for a console and the 1890 and 619 by Ranger are just a tad big...I know it's been said before and by many many Ranger owners but Ranger should get on the ball and made the 618 tiller hull into a single console rated for a 150...that would be about right...18'4" by 90"
the 690s are 18'9 by 90" and are a great hull but the 618 tiller with a set back single console would ROCK....Ranger are you listening!
Edited by MSKY HNR 8/2/2006 9:03 AM
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Posts: 364
Location: Kentucky | I haven't seen it in person, but I think I could make room in my garage for the 1890 single console if anybody needs to store it somewhere in KY... |
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Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The 1890 Esox Deep V is 18'9" centerline. The 1760 is 17'6" centerline. The 2060 is 20'6" centerline. The 1760 is a proven big water hull, handling the rough stuff even on the Great Lakes for walleye and muskie anglers for over a dozen years. I'd say the 1760 has more cockpit room than most other glass boats in it's class. I have an '07 GC ordered, powering it with a 150. |
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Posts: 2378
| The best musky boat is one that floats and you can afford |
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| I wonder if anyone else has gone through what I did? A few years ago I had a Tuffy esox mag, and decided I needed the "ultimate muskie machine" - Put together a 19 footer with a 200 and a kicker. Lots of electronics, trailer with brakes, marine band radio, even satellite radio! Guess what....I hated it. It was so much bigger in width on the trailer it freaked me out on narrow roads 96" beam vs. 80", add the trailer and it was like 2 feet wider - made a big difference. Boat felt the titanic on anything under a thousand acres ~ pretty much everything I fish. Launched pretty hairy on bad landings, Plus the boat burned way more gas, my truck sucked way more gas, and I had to winterize two motors instead of one. Too many toys I didn't use. Sold it and took a big hit. Running an esox mag again and am ecstatic. Easy to launch, trailer and fishes sooooo good. My advice to wannabe new boat owners is to be super realistic about your useage. A 60 horse costs alot less than a 200 as does the v8, bigger trolling motors, more expensive trailers, two more tires to blow up on the trailer etc. The 20-30k you could save will buy alot of baits and trips!! Baldy was pretty darn close, but I'll add - not bigger than you need to the list. |
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| for sure Esox Mag..i couldn't agree more...if I only fished in northern WI, our 1986 Bass Tracker Deep V 17 with new 50 hp 4 stroke would be just fine by me...
all depends on the lakes you fish and landings you launch from....
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| I'm going to buy a new boat this fall. I like tillers I don't want a steering wheel in the way. I have about 22 to 24 thousand to spend. I want a glass boat and a Veehull and will only buy a new 2007. What can I get for that much? A 17 footer or more is what Id like. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | Try differant boats out to find the perfect boat...for you. There are many boat companies because differant fishermen have differant preferences. I personally hate deep v's and will probobly never own one. I fish smaller waters and hate being down in a hole. I like to be right there without having to look over the side of the boat. I like being low to the water. But if I fished Canada a lot, a mod-v would not be a good choice. |
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Posts: 7086
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | spender: check out the threads about the Tuffy 1760. Actually, i know Lambeau is selling his boat at the end of the year |
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Best all around Musky boats