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| Looking for opinions on a 20' glass bass boat on lakes like Mille Lacs, Leech, etc. |
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Posts: 313
Location: On your favorite spot | I never see them on those lakes - sounds like a good way to get wet, or worse. I can imagine a big roller catching the side or the bow and flipping it pretty easy. I'll be interested to see what other people think. |
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Posts: 32944
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The larger bass boats do pretty well in the rough stuff until it gets over 4', then most should be on the way in. Real 4' seas means REALLY rough conditions, so the only reason one would be in that stuff is if one gets caught out there, or one has to cross a bad area, I'd think. One thing for sure, Bass rigs are not set up for trolling. Most of the Bass Boat companies either build big water 'Bay boats' or Walleye Boats, designed specifically for the big stuff. |
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Posts: 1189
Location: Bagley,MN 56621 | oh for the love of................
Guest, e-mail me, I'll give ya a ride in rough stuff with my 20' bass boat.
ya gotta experience it, not as bad as one seems.
you will be pleasantly surprised.
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Gregger...
Good to see your name on the board again.
Both Worrall and Greg make good points.
1. Trolling, there are better choices for boat setup.
2. Ride/Safety Bass boats are fine so long as you stay with the 20' or longer models. Longer hull, gives you a better ride.
Besides Greg, I have a very good friend who runs a Cobra 21 footer and loves it. He now is in a Skeeter as he had a chance to get on their factory team so his Cobra is for sale but you couldn't pry him out of a bass boat for nothing.
If I could have afforded it, I would have bought a new Z20-series Ranger last year instead of the 618 I purchased. |
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Posts: 2378
| Guest - 4/14/2007 6:39 PM
Looking for opinions on a 20' glass bass boat on lakes like Mille Lacs, Leech, etc.
I was in Treats' bass boat in some fairly rough stuff out on Mille Lacs last year. A little rough, but I felt safe the whole time.
Edited by BALDY 4/16/2007 7:55 AM
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Posts: 32944
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Take a tape measure and set the zero on the floor. Then strip out 48" and set that against your chest.
THAT is a 4' wave. In a trough of a real 4' wave you will not be able to see over the top of the next wave. Running 4 footers in any 20' boat is a trial, 5 to 7 footers are just plain scary in any 20' model, even a Walleye boat.
Bass boats are not designed to fish and run waters that will be that rough most of the time. Bass rigs are designed to accommodate the techniques most bass fishermen use, and are engineered for speed, so with the obvious parallels between bass and muskie they fish great under most conditions, but when it blows up to 3 to 5', the boat WILL run that stuff but it's not alot of fun. That is exactly why Skeeter, Ranger, Stratos, Champion, Charger, Tuffy, and many other builders engineered Deep V models. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Hey Baldy, at least you didn't get wet LOL!!!!
Like everyone said, go with a 20'+ ride. Take a ride in several if you can as some do well and some don't. I run a Procraft and I think it runs well in the big stuff, but it's pretty wet. The new Triton X2 is pretty sweet in the waves (at least the ones I was in). Champion's are always tough to beat in the big stuff. I've heard the Rangers are pretty nose heavy and are prone to sticking waves (hear-say, not experience).
The big thing is that you have to relearn how to drive a bass boat as opposed to a tin or other deep-V boat. Once you do they're a ton of fun. There was only one time I didn't feel safe. I made a wrong turn in a hail storm on LOTW and found myself in Little Travers Bay. Lightning was flying and there were tornado's in the area. We had some honest 5'-6' ers out there and that wasn't fun. The boat made it through without sticking the nose, but I've also had many, many hours of Great Lakes experience to draw from.
On the positive side, if you're a caster there is NO better boat set-up out there. |
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Posts: 2378
| Muskie Treats - 4/16/2007 8:27 AM
I run a Procraft and I think it runs well in the big stuff, but it's pretty wet
Biggest understatement in the history of understatements! I got soaked. |
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Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | Been on a ranger 520 on Lake Michigan in 4 foots the ride was fun and felt very safe |
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Posts: 58
| I live near the shores of Lake Erie and most of the Smallmouth Bass fisherman run Rangers and Tritons. They fish in rough water alot. They also make long runs in roughwater. Most of the guys I talk to say its not bad at all. |
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| I was just wondering if you just fish the summer months? It is going to be pretty darn miserable on a windy Oct-Nov day when you are that wet!!!!!!!! I would explore your options on boats if it primarily for Mille Lacs. |
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