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Message Subject: new guy - first boat questions | |||
voyageurpursuits![]() |
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Posts: 1 | Hey all, Looking to pick up an older used boat for musky/general fishing use. I pretty much exclusively flyfish, so I was thinking a bass boat type would be ideal due to large casting decks (lots of used aluminum Trackers around me). But then I got to thinking about some of the bigger water I might want to fish and wondering if a deeper hull would be more versatile. Found a used 1994 16' Mirrocraft Troller with an Evinrude 50 near me for what seems like a good price. (pic from ad attached). Anyone have experience with these boats? How would this compare to say a 16'-17' Tracker for musky fishing? I don't intend to troll at all other than maybe dragging walleye harnesses VERY occasionally, so I'm not sure if the high sides and open stern are good or bad. Thanks! Attachments ---------------- ![]() | ||
Musky Brian![]() |
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Posts: 1767 Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | bass boats are a sneeky way to get a good looking boat with a nice engine for an affordable price. The decks on certain bass rigs can be great to fish out of for casting and figure 8's and such. The negatives are they can get annoying and seem like an obstacle course when it comes to crawling over tackle, rods and the net. Certain ones drive better then others but you certainly can get wet in some and it's not always the best ride in big water..... I have owned quite a few boats and have made both good and bad calls. The best thing to do is to get your budget set in place, take your time, and do a heck of a lot of research and shopping to find the best boat you can afford. There's no rush and do not get impulsive | ||
ranger618![]() |
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Posts: 106 | Deep v-hulls are much better in rough waves, and I've never had any trouble fishing out of them. My first choice in an aluminum boat would be a lund pro-v, followed by Crestliner and Alumacraft. In smaller boats, 17' or 16', tillers have a lot more room than consoles. When buying used anything, check it over really well. The last thing you want is expensive motor repairs. | ||
tolle141![]() |
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Posts: 1000 | whats your budget? | ||
Jeremy![]() |
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Posts: 1150 Location: Minnesota. | I'm a fly-guy too, everything from trout to muskies. You won't believe all the crap your fly line can and will get caught on. But just keep at it and you'll learn how to minimize the hassles. And get some thick, comfy flip-flops for the warmer months...the ones that are one piece...NOT the Teva's with the Velcro tabs on the top!! Trust that! Think a large front deck. Lose the front seat. I have a Ranger bassboat...works wonderfully. On your budget look around with at least that in mind. Good luck. It's do-able, you just have to adjust your temperament a bit when it's even slightly breezy. And it typically is. You're not standing in a stream. But I love it! Jeremy. | ||
esoxfly![]() |
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Posts: 1663 Location: Kodiak, AK | I'd take a Mirrocraft over a Tracker, no question. As for overall boat design, I like a deeper hull because of where and how I fish. I like riding "in" a boat instead of "on" a boat like I feel when fishing and riding a bass boat. I like having gunwhales to lean up on when fighting and boating a fish. But you can make most any boat work for fly fishing. That should be a secondary concern. First concern is where and how you fish. If you're in big water most of the time, I'd look for something larger than 16'. Not that you can't put a 16'er on big water, but it will limit the days you can fish and limit the comfort you have doing it. So get that figured out and go from there. Getting it fly-ready will come after you get it home. I've fly fished from many boats. In my travel bag, if I'm going to be fishing from someone elses boat, I carry a drop net to lay over the front deck and that covers up any snag hazard underfoot. You just take a couple of mesh laundry bags, cut them open so they lay flat and crimp split-shot sinkers around them so they don't blow in the wind. You can lay them over cleats, trolling motor heads, bags, whatever and you're snag free. If you're in your own boat, you can customize as you see fit. I've got retractable cleats on my boat, but I still have a trolling motor and HDS on my bow, and mostly, a dog in the boat. I made a casting basket from a seat post and it's mounted on the front deck at all times. All my line goes in there, even in the wind and I can wear whatever shoes I want to. Attachments ---------------- ![]() | ||
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