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Posts: 8781
| It's time.
Not sure how I'm going to afford it or where I'm going to keep it (minor details that need to be worked out, LOL!) but I've reached that point.
I NEED A BOAT.
I've got one picked out already, and I don't plan on talking myself out of it unless someone here can provide me some compelling reason to rethink my choice.
This is a question for those of you who have owned a boat that for whatever reason was the wrong choice for you:
WHY? Was it too big? Too small? Dual console when you wanted a tiller? (or the other way around) Not enough power? Too much?  didn't fit in the garage?
What things do I need to consider other than the obvious? |
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Posts: 336
Location: Wheeling, IL. | JUst consider you don't need to rely on someone else like us other boat sluts!
IS the one you mentioned to me at the FRV Meeting?
Bob |
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| now you will have no excuse when you get your butt waxed in matchfishing 07! |
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Posts: 8781
| I won't need an excuse, bulldawger. I'll still be at the launch at the end of the day trying to back the $%&% thing in! Figure I'll blow a few days just trying to get the boat on and off the trailer, another few days trying to figure out how to run it, at least a week straight blowing right up on top of spots before I've made a cast, and another week trying to figure out how to run the trolling motor and fish at the same time!
I fully expect to catch exactly zero fish my first season with a boat!
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| Mistakes I made.... Got a 150 2-stroke that sucks way too much gas, and I fish big water and wish I had the tiller for boat control in the waves... I love the 18.5' boat, but wish I had a tiller 115 4- stroke... If I fished smaller water, I would not want a tiller and the gas bill would not kill me as much.. Putting $100/week into the boat sucks down my beer money... |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Jeff,
JUST DO IT! BUY IT!
Should have, could have, would haves happen. Buy it, and worry about the details later. Get used to it, fish your game, and you will pop your boat's musky cherry (I hope for you it is sooner than mine). |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I love my boat overall and feel lucky to have one, especially at the price we got it. Here are my gripes about it:
Front deck too small (fixed that)
No rod locker
Underpowered
Too small of a gas tank
Not enough guages
No electric trim
No seats behind console (sit on the back deck)
No bilge pump (fixed)
no horn (fixed)
no recirculating livewell
There is no perfect boat I'm sure, but make sure to check into the details. I know I won't go w/ anything less than the exact boat I want next time...even if it means passing up on a great deal.
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| I have owned 6 boats in my lifetime. You have to decide if you are going to use your boat stricly for fishing or for the famly fun outing. from my experience and I use my boat only for fishing a 16 t0 17 foot boat deep vee does a great job and you can power it with a four stroke 60 to 80 hp and they will be great on gas use you can also use e-tecs or optimax two stroke oil injectted great motors and economical on gas .If you like a bigger boat an 18 foot is still agood way to go with a 90 hp motor. NOTE ALL THIS BOATS ARE RIGGED WITH TILLER TYPES OF MOTORS. Tiller boats are great to fish due to great control for trolling and mapping structure. Look for a decent size livewell and baitwell and rod storage also some kind of sounder/gps monocrome are fairly cheap these days. Check out Reeds Sporting Gods in Minnesota they have great prices. One last thing I would definetely look for used boats with low hours on the motor and most of these boats have all the electronics allready there, You can save a ton of money versus new
Hope this help
Gino Testone |
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Posts: 357
Location: Long Prairie, Minnesota | I just ordered my new Lund a couple of weeks ago. Won't see it until August, but that's okay. When i bought my old boat, it was more a matter of just getting a boat. It is/was a great boat, but I just outgrew it, meaning with my family. It was a fishing boat, and just wasn't meant for the day of family fun on the water. Now I ordered my Lund 1600 Explorer, that has enough room to fish out of (both Muskies and pannies w/family), and I put a 90hp Optimax on the back end, so we can do tubing and skiing with the kids. Still big enough to fish on Leech or Mille Lacs and LOTW. Just can't wait until Aug when I get to take it out and play with it!!
Edited by Manta18 5/1/2007 4:13 AM
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Jeff: Look back a t all the Boats that you were a guest (SLUT) in, What did you like / not like about them, What did the owners have to say about the boat.
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Ask youself:
1) Does it float?
2) Can I afford it?
If the answer to either of these is 'yes', it's better than what you currently have.
Don't agonize about it, and don't try to get it'perfect' the first try; fishing styles and boats designed to accommodate them continually evolve. It's a process, not an endpoint. |
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| I agree with Sorno, I've only owned 2 fishing boats..a tiller Lund 1775 pro v and my current 690 Ranger ...both boats are great for fishing...I also fish a lot out of our cabin boat which is a 1985 Bass Tracker Pro Deep V 17 and that boat is a fish catchin machine too...a bit narrow and tippy but it does the job on the lakes up there..
ask yourself where you fish, how much you want to spend in gas driving and pulling it around and what you can afford of course...
I think you would be happy as a clam in something like a nice used Lund tiller...roomy, stable, tons of storage, solid boats...
get a good trolling motor and good electronics and that will be a good setup
good luck boat shoppin! |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | If i didn't get hooked on fishing Green Bay, I would have retired the brown streak and bought a new Tuffy Esox mag. I had that same hull for years, love it, and will never get rid of it. Seriously look into that rig if you don't plan on spending alot of time in bigger open water. No doubt, the best musky casting platform out there. |
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Posts: 8781
| Here's what I am thinking as of today:
1. Trolling isn't a big priority, a lot of my fishing will be on lakes that are either A. small or B. in N WI where you can't troll anyway. I want a windshield for when its stupid-cold outside
2. I won't be fishing big water regularly, but I DO live close to lake Michigan. If I had a boat? Well... I probably would.
3. I don't have any kids, so a "family" boat isn't something I need to worry about.
4. I want something that fits in a garage. (whose garage is a whole other story! Uuuhhh, hi, mom? You know that new Cadillac you just bought?
)
5. I don't need to go 70MPH, but 40 would be ok!
6. I got a lot of stuff -- ample storage is important, so are 8' rod lockers
7. Towing it -- I have a big truck, I can tow anything, weight isn't a problem.
8. I am the kind of person who buys something once, and keeps it forever. Unless somethign stupid happens, or I have to sell it, I will have it a long long time.
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | You can't go wrong with a Tuffy Deep V, especially if you want to fish some bigger water. My 17ft Deep V handles big water no problem yet I can put in most small shallow landings pretty easily. There are some very good deals on Tuffy's on the board right now. Best boat I've ever owned. |
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