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Location: MN | I am curious how the Tuffy High Performance-V hulls handle compared to a traditional deep-V hulls.
The X-190 looks like a great rig and I am interested in feedback from owners. I know there was a recent post but looking for greater feedback on the following questions. How does the X-190 handle big water (Mille Lacs class) and has anyone had issues spearing waves? and how is boat control with wind? Also, does the boat track well for trolling? Any input appreciated from Tuffy owners who fish out of the X-190 or other models with this hull.
Edited by Mak51 5/23/2010 10:18 AM
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Let me preface this by saying that I am not an owner (just a dreamer for now). I have been party to a couple of fishing trips where I was the guest on a couple different x-190s. First, it's probably the best layout for fishing that I have tried. Acres of deck space and about as much storage as a shipping container. It was unbelievable.
But on to the performance issues you inquired about...
Big water - was on Vermilion. Absolutely no problems with whatever we were faced with at any time. We had a decent storm blow up on one occasion and the trip across was really of no consequence. I was really impressed with the stability for what is generally considered to be a relatively light boat. It is quite low to the water so the effect of the wind as you are moving is minimized. We never speared a wave, but they were really not quite big enough to make it an issue on that trip. My general 'feel' for the way it handled the water would lead me to believe that with a driver anywhere near competent, that would not be a problem.
Performance is way beyond anything I have ever been in (granted, the majority of the time I was in a boat w/ a 200 Opti). No problems at all carting 3 rather big fellas and all their gear; we did lose a couple of caps... It was nearly as impressive as the layout.
Trolling - we didn't troll a whole lot but when we did, I found it to be generally a superior platform. It was set up in 'tiller' configuration w/ an extension handle (not a set up I would personally do, but it works quite well for the owner). After a bit of getting used to the configuration, I was quite comfortable with it for both open water and shoreline contour trolling. The rails make placement of rod holders quite handy. And the dance floor in the rear has nearly as much usable space as the giant front deck. Truly a nice rig to fish out of.
BTW, I have also been along on a week of fishing out of an 1890; huge, stable boat w/ a windshield (which I was grateful for on at least a couple of occasions). The usable floorspace in the x-190 was at least as big and the boat was just a whole lot more nimble. The x-190 is also not nearly as susceptible to being pushed around in the wind. They are rigs for different purposes.
S.
Edited by sorenson 5/23/2010 9:14 AM
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | I've had my X-190 since the start of the '08 season. It is the best musky boat I have ever been in and is more than passible for walleyes. It is good on smaller lakes, but mainly on larger Canadian lakes where there is minimal huge open water it is unbeatable. It's OK on deeper lakes that have four to ten miles of open water for waves to build. I have had minimal use on Great Lakes and have never been on Mille Lacs so don't have a clue how it would handle there. It isn't too good for Winnebago with the short wave distances from crest to crest as the nose can't come back up in time before the next wave is on and over you trolling into them.
It isn't a deep V and doesn't do well compared to them for useability in big rough water. It probably wasn't designed for that. It doesn't like to plane at the lower speeds you need to keep on the big wave crests. But that could be from my setup too running a 9.9 kicker, and 3.3L V6 on a jackplate. It's better with a four blade prop but not much. My old Alumacraft was far superior for the rough stuff as it was wider, easier to plane at low speeds, and had more freeboard. But that was the object as the two boats were purchased to do different things for the most part. The Alumacraft was my Lake Michigan boat and saw tons of open water action. I went to the X-190 because I no longer needed a boat for the big water as I quit salmon/trout fishing.
It trolls fine. It steers just as strange as any other boat witht he kicker on one side. Turns on a dime one direction and turns like a Chevy truck going the other. I've spent about 150 gallons of gas trolling time with it so far and find nothing to not like about it, and many things to like for trolling, mainly layout related.
I guess If I was going to be fishing mainly big open water I'd seriously think about something else with a wider beam and more freeboard. I'd take a big deep "V" auminum boat first choice most likely as that is what I have the experience using.
Edited by Almost-B-Good 5/24/2010 10:58 AM
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I've had two X190 models and really enjoyed them both. I agree with Sorno and AMB that it's a great multiple application hull, and handles the Big Water OK. It isn't a BIG water boat, though...it's a hybrid designed to handle anything you toss at it with some caveats.
If you are looking at Mille Lacs all the time, I'd go Tuffy 1890 in a 19' class Deep V, or the Tuffy 2060; both are designed to handle the really big stuff day in and day out. |
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Location: MN | Thanks for the good input; definitely sounds like a great boat. I spend 90% of my time fishing MN metro waters and 10% fishing bigger waters such as Mille Lacs. Not spending a ton of time on vast open waters but something I still consider.
Edited by Mak51 5/24/2010 11:44 AM
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | That's what you have to look at, "What am I going to do the most?" If you only do 10% big water and can chose what days to go rather than to "have" to go out on a certain day the X-190 would be more than serviceable and I'd for sure keep it towards the top of the list of boats to pick from.
There just aren't any boats that do everything great. You are always sacrificing something to be better at something else. Best is to define what you do the most, list all the qualities a boat needs to do that outstandingly and then pick and chose the compromises with the rest of the fishing you do.
Edited by Almost-B-Good 5/24/2010 1:17 PM
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Tuffy High Performance V