Fishing Boats

[Summitthunting]

My brother and I are looking into buying a multi species boat within the next two years. We will mostly fish Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska. We are looking at a:
Ranger 1880
Lund 1875 Pro V
Nitro ZV19

What boat/motor are you guys fishing?
Likes/Dislikes etc.
Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[flyfishmadison]

I have 2011 g3 v185 with Yamaha 200. I am actually looking at possibly selling it to get a deck boat that is more family friendly. Love this boat though for fishing.

 

[stillkickin]

Yamaha all the way for me, my other 2 cents is to try and fish or at least test ride the boat you’re interested in.

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

2006 18.5' Crestliner Fish Hawk 115 Merc 4 stroke. Purchased new and I would buy it again. Only 35 mph with 2 guys but very economical to operate. I bass fish a lot but also troll for trout. Engine is strong enough to pull the grandkids on inflatables so it is an OK family boat. After having glass boats for years I like the light weight and easier maintenance on the aluminums.

 

[F250]

2012 20' Lund Alaskan, tiller 90 HP. Yamaha, Minkota 80 lb Terrova, roller bunk trailer with padded rail guide-ons. I like the open boat design with no wasted space. Three pedestal seals. No carpet so easy to pressure wash. OD green color. I back troll a lot for walleyes. About 36 MPH with three guys and gear. Great live well and lots of storage. I have run many types of boats at work. For my needs, this Lund works great. With the roller bunk trailer I can launch about anywhere.

 

[Summitthunting]

Thanks for the info, any other boat owners out there?

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

I had a Tracker Pro Angler V16 for years that I sold a year ago before my most recent move. It was ok, but you obviously get what you pay for. I grew up fishing Lake Ontario and had several friends with Lunds. Lunds handle big water very well and would be my first choice for an aluminum boat. Probably would go with a Yamaha for the outboard.

 

[Crumb]

I have a 2009 yar craft tiller with a 75 hp Yamaha. It all depends on what kind of fishing you will be doing. Personally I would stay away from a bass boat if using for multi species. A good deep hull fiberglass boat will handle much rougher water. Brand is like anything ford vs Chevy .

 

[Gut Shot]

Too much depends on where you will be fishing and what you will be fishing for. I have an old 16' flat bottom with a 40hp outboard and a troller on the front. It works very well around here for the kind of fishing I do. I can bang it off of logs, pull it up onto rocks and sand and run it in about 4" of water without damaging it, and around here those are the real hazards. It would be a pretty rough ride on big water and would be difficult to set up for big time trolling, but that isn't what I use it for. Take a serious look at the water you will be running and the type of fishing you will be doing.

As far as which brand to buy. I'd pick the one with the heaviest gauge aluminum and the beefiest transom.

 

[Muskeez]

Great info above! My thoughts; If you want a smooth ride and will be fishing big water and waves in the wind then I recommend a fiberglass boat. The extra weight helps a LOT when pounding big waves. I have an older 2001 Ranger 620, no need to spend insane money on the new ones in my opinion. I installed a plate in the floor and can put a ski pole in and out to pull kids on tube/kneeboard, etc. - I can load and unload this boat very easily alone on the bunk trailer. Roller trailers are nice but different to load with.
Get the most powerful trolling motor you can. 24 volt for sure and 36 volt if you can figure out more battery space. Make sure the shaft is long enough for rough water. Also the 2017 and newer MinKota Terrova have the better spot lock feature than the older ones and are amazing! I use that feature MANY times every day.
For banging around in the little lakes and unloading at mud ramps we have a 15' old Alumacraft Vhull with no floor. Very plain and light weight. 15 hp outboard and an electric on transom and a cheap depthfinder. We use this boat half the time in SD bouncing around to the little lakes and sloughs and just love it. Sometimes it's just fun to get back to our roots.
Another glass vs. aluminum thought is that most glass boats will drift much slower. Often when drifting for walleyes other Aluminum boats will drift past us too fast in the spring while we drift much slower.
Windshields are nice in the spring and fall but take up more room in the boat. Wives appreciate them as well as most guys over 50
Shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to help as I've owned a few and have rode in many.

 

[targetpanic]

Great thread and some solid info above. YOu need to really think about what you will be doing and the lakes/ponds you will be fishing. Small bodies of water bass fishing...a 17' Tracker grizzly style tiller boat is tough to beat as you will be mostly on the trolling motor. Big reservoir trolling a wide Deep V with side console or walk thru windshield is tough to beat. Fiberglass vs aluminum is a personal preference...aluminum is certainly less maintenance, easier to trailer etc but fiberglass is more stable and blows around less in heavy wind

 

[NoWiser]

Those are all real nice boats. Consider the gunnel design in your decision. I don't like the wide gunnels of the Pro V's and find the storage in them to be hard to utilize effectively. This lead my dad and I to purchase a used 2014 1875 Lund Impact. We like to stand on those lower carpeted side gunnels while casting. We also have the jump seats in back which make for an awesome casting platform and great additional seating for the family. The boat's fit and finish is not as good as the Pro V but for us it's the perfect boat. We fish hard but I also have a young family.

As far as motors you just can't go wrong with Yamaha but that's tough to find on a Lund. I (with a lot of reservations) said that I'd give Mercury one chance and we have the 150 4-stroke on our Impact. It has not hiccuped in 3 years and we are thrilled with it. I would not hesitate to go with this motor again. Good luck!

 

[Western Traveler1]

Mentioned a few times already. You need to decide how big of water you will be wanting to fish. Wide transom bass boats are great in calm waters, even choppy, but lots of freeboard is better on big water where there is the potential for big wind and waves. I sold a 20’ Hydra Sport bass boat with a 220 Mercury outboard that was a fast stable platform on rivers and calmer waters. It would rip the sunglasses from your face and take the tears from your eyes. Expensive to run and was wet and a bit scary in heavy chop and above. I’m in a 16’welded aluminum Spectrum with a 60hp Merc now. Not a big water boat but good where I fish. As to fiberglass another nice thing is reasonable damage to the hull can nearly always be repaired.