Brand Names

[blaque]

I am in the market for a new or at least a "last years leftover" aluminum fish n' ski style boat. Any opinions on the best one out there for the money. I can tell you that in my opinion, Smokercraft, Crestliner, or starcraft catch my eye as far as being handsome looking boats......not sure about some specs though, such as how they handle in the rough stuff, performance etc...............anyone out there care to sell me on a name.  I skip around alot in upstate New York finger lakes areas, but my home is Lake Erie. Mainly smallmouth or walleye fishing. DEFINITELY needs to be troller equipped

THANKS

[bigredfishing]

well, i can tell you with complete honesty that the best name in aluminum fishing boat hulls is Lund, followed by alumacraft and grumman.

[eyedoktr]

I can't argue that Lund is the top of the line. There are alot of good tin boats. Some will cost less than a Lund but when it comes time to sell it, the Lund will have the best resale value. As long as you're in th eFinger Lakes area, I recommend Seager Marine for your Lund. They are located on the pier at the north end of Canandaigua Lake. Not only did I find they have great prices but their service dept is outstanding. Check out thier website  www.seagermarine.com  , give them a call, or just stop in.  Please tell them I recommended them. They are a super bunch of people.

p.s. I also fish the Finger Lakes but go after the big walleye in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie most often

[wormwigglr]

i personally like smokercrafts. i am in the market for a boat as well but i probably will have to buy it second hand because funds are short cuz of just finishing college. right now i have access to a 19' starcraft with a 115hp and it is an awesome boat that we use on erie.

[bigredfishing]

Don't go marginal on the motor thinking you will save fuel.  It is better to cruise around at 1/2 throttle with a larger motor than full bore on a smaller one.  Believe me on this one!!

RIGHT ON MAC!!  Get the biggest motor the boat is rated for, or at least the best you can afford.  Its never bad to have a little extra power, but it SUCKS being underpowered.

[buzz bait]

Don't go marginal on the motor thinking you will save fuel.  It is better to cruise around at 1/2 throttle with a larger motor than full bore on a smaller one.  Believe me on this one!!

RIGHT ON MAC!!  Get the biggest motor the boat is rated for, or at least the best you can afford.  Its never bad to have a little extra power, but it SUCKS being underpowered.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    i got a 14 foot mirrocraft with a 25 hp evinrude thats max for the boat i get about 30 mph out of it and it trolls down real nice. i love the power gets me on and off the water a lot faster than the 15 hp i started with . . i  fish a lot by myself and have no  problem with the bow bucking up on me that has a lot to do with the design of the boat it self on the other hand my buds got the same size boat with a 15 hp he can ,t run full throtle with out the bow bucking on him .

[eyedoktr]

Buzz bait, how are you measuring your speed? GPS or speedo or depthfinder? 30  sounds fast for that set up. I had a 25 on a 14 Smokercraft and could barely get 25 mph on my GPS (the most accurate measure). Just wondering

[USMC130FE]

Mac,

your right about rivets eventually loosening up and leaking but that would be easier to fix than having to get a seam welded back up.  Everyone seems to think that these new all welded boats are the answer to everything.  It this was the case then wouldn't the airline industry go to an all welded airplane??  NOPE!  Why?  Because riveted seams and joints and far superior for flexing and torque than welded ones.   The Military Fighters, IE, F-18, F-14, AV-8's are all rivetted construction, not to forget the F-16 which can withstand more G forces (9+) than the guy flying it.

Just my $0.02 worth

Steve

[Chucker]

The difference in construction also likely being that no one cares if some air gets inside of an airplane, but people tend to get concerned about water inside of a boat. 

[Hood]

My aluminum is riveted and definately leaks a little water aftert a day out. I have fished in Lund boats and they are top notch, it was a tiller drive which allowed more space for fishing as there was no driving console. We were in the niagara river in february and that thing plowed through the ice with no trouble, waves are a tough test for a hull and an inch or 2 of ice could be an even better test. The guide had been fishing there for 15+ years and would settle for nothing less than lund. That river also has some nasty water at devils hole where the water stands right up and there are huge whirlpools that make the ride quite rough. We also went out to the the mouth of lake ontario and we all know that is like a mini ocean in itself.

Buzz bait, how are you measuring your speed? GPS or speedo or depthfinder? 30  sounds fast for that set up. I had a 25 on a 14 Smokercraft and could barely get 25 mph on my GPS (the most accurate measure). Just wondering

Hey doc I have a 14' Duranautic from the early 90's with a 25 on it and it reads 28-29 mph on the gps when I have the pins down. I know I can get more out of it too as it is not riding on the back third of the hull when I am underway, The boat rides just a few feet in front of the bow and is pushing water more than it should. I need to do some trim work on the motor. I rarely run it full bore but have a couple times for speed tests, I get a great cruise around 18-20 mph right after the boat planes out and gets great fuel economy, I can run all day on my 6 gallon tank.

[blaque]

Thanks for all the info guys. Never even thought of welded vs. rivetted. Ive always owned fiberglass so im not up on the aluminum manufacturing differences. Good to know. Man theres more to think about than i thought lol. Livewell placement, boat size to motor ratio, rivetted vs. welded. I thought my all nighter research days were through in college! lol. Doing alot of homework online on the subject, unfortunately.......theres never any pricing online, and to skip around to boat dealers that carry all the brands mentioned, would take a heck of alot of time to get pricing and "shop" for the best deal. Will post when i decide.....thanks boys

[eyedoktr]

Blaque, I did the shopping around at different dealers and boat shows for over two years.  I eventually narrowed my choices down to Alumacraft, Crestliner and Lund. When I realized that I could get the Lund I wanted for about the same price as the other two choices, there was no choice to be made.

If you aren't going to be using your boat in tournaments (where you sometimes cannot avoid rough water) or on the Great Lakes in rough water (5'+ waves), then any of these boats, along with most others, would be fine. I have been on Lake Erie/Lake Ontario with 3'-6' waves a number of times and once with 10+ footers and I am very glad I had the boat I do.

[blaque]

No, i definitely find myself out on Erie alot. Its my "home" lake and its where i frequent. But like i said, i also skip around the small lakes in the area.  Thats actually starting to happen more often. Not to mention I would like to float the lower river through the wintermonths for steelhead. My main parameters are just an all around more conducive fishing boat in comparison to my run of the mill Fiberglass "Fish and Ski" i have now. Love the boat, its been with me throught thick and thin since i bought it new in 85. Starts up every spring, does fine out in the rough stuff, gets me on the water.  But obviously, its not a fishing boat. No livewells, no trolling motor, no rod holders or storage, (very little anyway) Its more of a pleasure boat USED for fishing. But anyway......thanks for the input guys.  Let the shopping ensue!

[Fisher50]

Just a point.  Seems like Lund is a preferred boat.  They are all rivetted.  Not welded.     I really think the rivet or welded hull makes no difference.  If you are rough on a welded hull you can easily break a weld.  It happens to top of the line Crestliners.  It's happened during tournaments where people are pushing too hard in rough water.  Lund hulls can also be over stressed.  Big engines and fast speeds in rough water will damage a hull.

There are a lot of very good boats out there.  If I pay less for my Sylvan, like I did, I expect it to be worth less than a Lund at re-sale time.   Pick the right motor and maintain it right, and most any boat will serve your needs for years. 

[iceice]

I cant believe it is mine!!!!! I just bought  an 06 17 ft lund mr. pike with a 90 horse optimax.I have been in alot of boats but this thing is sweet!!Their is nothing like a lund.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Thanks for listening,for you guys are first that I have told,and I just had to tell somebody.