Get what you want right from the start .............I agree
The money you spend upgrading to a 4stroke, you will save on fuel
Boat brands?
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meanmuskie
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- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:32 pm
- Location: ottawa
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mikemicropterus
- Bronze Participant
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:33 am
- Location: Franktown
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Whatever you do
:.
ENJOY THE PLEASURE OF BOATING AND ESPECIALLY FISHING!! roll: 1lastcast, if you are letting your budget limit your purchase DON'T. you will regret it in your pocket book later. If the boat is rated for a 70 put a 70 on it. It will not run worth a tinkers damn when it is under powered especially with a 4 stroke. They have no low end torque or they have no topend you can't get both unless it is all teched out or super duper charged. If you put 4 people in a 16ft Legend and expect to pull an average skier good luck, the samllest boat you should be looking at is 17 ft. Your family is going to get bigger and if you stay with this recreational activity, the statistics are against you, you will in the next three years want to repower and your trade has just lost the majority of it's value. Bite the bullet put up with the extra expense cut out some other activity like beer and popcorn and savour in the smiles of your family as they enjoy the outdoors in a boat. NO BETTER TIME CAN BE SPENT WITH YOUR FAMILY THAN FISHING. As for models the sharper the V the better the ride at the expense of some stationary stability if the boat has rounded chines. A flat bottom and "hard" chine make for a stable boat when stationary but it can be a pounder in rough, read 2ft waves. You are going to want dual consoles and a least a bimini top, most in this class will have a full top but it may not be stand-up, important if you do any foul weather fishing or late in the year. I have seen to many unhappy scenarios happen when the selling is directed by the salesman. They work on COMMISION and don't let them make you think otherwise. As soon as you leave the dealer take 30% of the value off your purchase, taxes 15% and depreciation 15%, this is so the dealers can get good dollars for the trades they take. So beware, caveat emptor, let the buyer beware, it will cost you more in the end being TOO cheap in the beginning. As far as brands go glass is way bitter for a fish/ski application if you are not going to beach the boat. It takes more up keep but you get better performance. A tin boat basically looks much the same as it did the day you bought it, if taken care of. Trailer should be galvanized if you are travelling dirt roads. The paint on "most" trailers falls off if a rocks hits it so most are repaintee after a few years or remain rusted. Galvanized looks like crap from the start and remains that way. Do you want a bow trollong motor are you going to put downriggers on it now or inthe future are all things that need to be considered prior to purchase as it may not be able to install on that boat but the next model up has all the stuff. I once had to put a gas tank in a boat that did not have one, all because the neopphyte salesman and customer had not a clue on the time and parts needed to do the task. When I mentioned that for less money he could get all that he needed in the next model up the problem remained the size of his garage. He wanted to store the boat all the time in the garage and for that he was willing to pay an extra $500. The next year he was back to trade in the boat and complained that he was not getting a fair price for his trade. Sometimes you never win but when buying a boat you should never lose when up against a dealer. You might consider checking out the used market and also look to the US. I know of alot of people who have purchased used in the states and have done quite well. I purchased my boat straight from the factory and wnet down and picked it up myself and saved myself a bunch of money. I had to do some research first and make sure what would be neede but all in all I would do it again. Somethings to think about but the most important thing is not to sign untill you are completely comfortable with the 'deal', you are the one who will have to listen to your wife if she is not happy 6 months later. The problem most purchases are made without a test ride and that is what amazed me that the customer would take for granted whatever the salesman spouted out of his mouth with respect to performance when he had never been in that boat before. Ask the salesman if he has ever driven the style of boat to are going to purchase, has his family ever been in one, etc does he have any experience in boating or did he just get his job and is still wet behind the ears and looking for the commission. After sales service is important to, because you become a number, "the price of your puchase", many times to the dealer and this will effect priority positon. Many times your supposed relationship with the salesman dissolves when the first issue arises. Look through the service department. Is it up to date with all the service manuals, specail tools and the tech up to date with their factory training, OR BETTER YET DO THEY HAVE FACTORY TRAINING, the certificates should be on the wall. A good service department will pride itself on it's experience, product knowledge and results. If the sevice departmant looks like a HOLE IN THE WALL, or somebodies garage I would think twice about their level of competence. Having said that I worked at one of the largest marinas in this area, and thought I was going to one of the best shops in the area, they certainly hyped themselves at the shows always with thwe biggest boats and egos to match. After 6 months my efficiency rating was higher than any of their techs and I came from a shop that sold the competing brand. The difference was while at the other shop I got my Master tech certification from the manufacturer. The owner did not think this was as important a drawing card as the manufacturer does. GM advertises Goodwrench and so do all the other car dealers but this owner did not think it was important enough to advertise the level of competence that existed in the sevice department. Many times I have had to wake up the techs who have gone with me to service schools and now I sit across the room from them to save embarrsment. So taking your boat in for service to some of these shops can be a crap shoot. Now I am not saying that all shops are like that but until the government puts in some kind of legislation to level the playing field you maybe getting some kid working on your boat who last week was working on lawnmowers, IT HAPPENS. GOOD LUCK and sleep on your decision before handing over the final cheque but whatever you do get a second opinion if you are not certain of someting and understand everything that is said. NO HARM IN ASKING QUESTIONS.
ENJOY THE PLEASURE OF BOATING AND ESPECIALLY FISHING!! roll: 1lastcast, if you are letting your budget limit your purchase DON'T. you will regret it in your pocket book later. If the boat is rated for a 70 put a 70 on it. It will not run worth a tinkers damn when it is under powered especially with a 4 stroke. They have no low end torque or they have no topend you can't get both unless it is all teched out or super duper charged. If you put 4 people in a 16ft Legend and expect to pull an average skier good luck, the samllest boat you should be looking at is 17 ft. Your family is going to get bigger and if you stay with this recreational activity, the statistics are against you, you will in the next three years want to repower and your trade has just lost the majority of it's value. Bite the bullet put up with the extra expense cut out some other activity like beer and popcorn and savour in the smiles of your family as they enjoy the outdoors in a boat. NO BETTER TIME CAN BE SPENT WITH YOUR FAMILY THAN FISHING. As for models the sharper the V the better the ride at the expense of some stationary stability if the boat has rounded chines. A flat bottom and "hard" chine make for a stable boat when stationary but it can be a pounder in rough, read 2ft waves. You are going to want dual consoles and a least a bimini top, most in this class will have a full top but it may not be stand-up, important if you do any foul weather fishing or late in the year. I have seen to many unhappy scenarios happen when the selling is directed by the salesman. They work on COMMISION and don't let them make you think otherwise. As soon as you leave the dealer take 30% of the value off your purchase, taxes 15% and depreciation 15%, this is so the dealers can get good dollars for the trades they take. So beware, caveat emptor, let the buyer beware, it will cost you more in the end being TOO cheap in the beginning. As far as brands go glass is way bitter for a fish/ski application if you are not going to beach the boat. It takes more up keep but you get better performance. A tin boat basically looks much the same as it did the day you bought it, if taken care of. Trailer should be galvanized if you are travelling dirt roads. The paint on "most" trailers falls off if a rocks hits it so most are repaintee after a few years or remain rusted. Galvanized looks like crap from the start and remains that way. Do you want a bow trollong motor are you going to put downriggers on it now or inthe future are all things that need to be considered prior to purchase as it may not be able to install on that boat but the next model up has all the stuff. I once had to put a gas tank in a boat that did not have one, all because the neopphyte salesman and customer had not a clue on the time and parts needed to do the task. When I mentioned that for less money he could get all that he needed in the next model up the problem remained the size of his garage. He wanted to store the boat all the time in the garage and for that he was willing to pay an extra $500. The next year he was back to trade in the boat and complained that he was not getting a fair price for his trade. Sometimes you never win but when buying a boat you should never lose when up against a dealer. You might consider checking out the used market and also look to the US. I know of alot of people who have purchased used in the states and have done quite well. I purchased my boat straight from the factory and wnet down and picked it up myself and saved myself a bunch of money. I had to do some research first and make sure what would be neede but all in all I would do it again. Somethings to think about but the most important thing is not to sign untill you are completely comfortable with the 'deal', you are the one who will have to listen to your wife if she is not happy 6 months later. The problem most purchases are made without a test ride and that is what amazed me that the customer would take for granted whatever the salesman spouted out of his mouth with respect to performance when he had never been in that boat before. Ask the salesman if he has ever driven the style of boat to are going to purchase, has his family ever been in one, etc does he have any experience in boating or did he just get his job and is still wet behind the ears and looking for the commission. After sales service is important to, because you become a number, "the price of your puchase", many times to the dealer and this will effect priority positon. Many times your supposed relationship with the salesman dissolves when the first issue arises. Look through the service department. Is it up to date with all the service manuals, specail tools and the tech up to date with their factory training, OR BETTER YET DO THEY HAVE FACTORY TRAINING, the certificates should be on the wall. A good service department will pride itself on it's experience, product knowledge and results. If the sevice departmant looks like a HOLE IN THE WALL, or somebodies garage I would think twice about their level of competence. Having said that I worked at one of the largest marinas in this area, and thought I was going to one of the best shops in the area, they certainly hyped themselves at the shows always with thwe biggest boats and egos to match. After 6 months my efficiency rating was higher than any of their techs and I came from a shop that sold the competing brand. The difference was while at the other shop I got my Master tech certification from the manufacturer. The owner did not think this was as important a drawing card as the manufacturer does. GM advertises Goodwrench and so do all the other car dealers but this owner did not think it was important enough to advertise the level of competence that existed in the sevice department. Many times I have had to wake up the techs who have gone with me to service schools and now I sit across the room from them to save embarrsment. So taking your boat in for service to some of these shops can be a crap shoot. Now I am not saying that all shops are like that but until the government puts in some kind of legislation to level the playing field you maybe getting some kid working on your boat who last week was working on lawnmowers, IT HAPPENS. GOOD LUCK and sleep on your decision before handing over the final cheque but whatever you do get a second opinion if you are not certain of someting and understand everything that is said. NO HARM IN ASKING QUESTIONS.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. Henry David Thoreau
Read my Blogs on http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/auth ... rstorm-ca/
Listen to Podcasts on http://www.spreaker.com/show/lanark_county_confidential
Read my Blogs on http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/auth ... rstorm-ca/
Listen to Podcasts on http://www.spreaker.com/show/lanark_county_confidential
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steve-hamilton
- Gold Participant
- Posts: 1688
- Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:32 am
I would tend to agree with mike about 17ft, Ive had my 2001, 16 ft lowe with 40hp 2 stroke, Its great for fishing i can run it all day trolling and doesnt seem to bother it, but on bigger water or poor coditions it would be nice to have the 2 extra ft, and according to my gps unit I top out at 25mph or so. I havent tried to pull a skier. And if I have three people on boat need to be very organized. never had more than four ( four was quite tricky). As i said very happy with the lowe but if I had to do over again I probally would have bought a 18ft boat with some more umph.
MORE SELECTIONS !
Last edited by painter on Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
HI i got a princeraft
its a pro 171 wit a 80 merc........its 1990.and still go strong......
you get what yo pay for........
there all good...........but some are better then other for deferent way off fishing ...........
for me a bass boat..........nope............not anaught place around...to put big tackle box....and stuff........you have to stuck them in thos little compartement ........
but i have to say...bassboat(fiber) are the one ho do have the best look........
and somthing helse............I think for what i see, mabe i am wrong,,,,but fiberglace boat seems to lose more value then a aluminium boat.....
i dont no what will be my next one........but it as to be biger,,,and a full window,,,,,,,,,and top.........for oct/nov fishing.......
bassboat are a bit cold in those months for fishing.(oct nov)for musky......a lot off them dont have full windshield........everything is wide open......my 2 cents......
but hey.........its depend your need and budget,,,,,,and where you will use it.........
but the boat shoping is fun.............man there was some nice one at the show,,,,,,,,,
joco
its a pro 171 wit a 80 merc........its 1990.and still go strong......
you get what yo pay for........
there all good...........but some are better then other for deferent way off fishing ...........
for me a bass boat..........nope............not anaught place around...to put big tackle box....and stuff........you have to stuck them in thos little compartement ........
but i have to say...bassboat(fiber) are the one ho do have the best look........
and somthing helse............I think for what i see, mabe i am wrong,,,,but fiberglace boat seems to lose more value then a aluminium boat.....
i dont no what will be my next one........but it as to be biger,,,and a full window,,,,,,,,,and top.........for oct/nov fishing.......
bassboat are a bit cold in those months for fishing.(oct nov)for musky......a lot off them dont have full windshield........everything is wide open......my 2 cents......
but hey.........its depend your need and budget,,,,,,and where you will use it.........
but the boat shoping is fun.............man there was some nice one at the show,,,,,,,,,
joco
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Trophymuskie
- Gold Participant
- Posts: 1023
- Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2002 12:00 pm
- Location: Ottawa River
- Contact:
Someone mentioned that you get what you pay for, there is a reason why Crestliner, Lund and Princecraft cost a bit more.
Another thing to look at is service, is the dealer close by and are they good with their service? I'm working with a small dealer out in the country, man it can't get any better then that.
Another thing to look at is service, is the dealer close by and are they good with their service? I'm working with a small dealer out in the country, man it can't get any better then that.
Catch and release them all
Richard Collin
Richard Collin
1lastcast, I had a V188 Legend with a Merc 115 and it was a great boat for me. It was a multi-purpose ride quite capable of hard fishing in the morning and cruisng/skiing in the afternoon. I'd still have it if it weren't stolen. I compared the 16 ft to the 18 and there is a big difference. It would be most noticable on rough water or the big lakes, and also when entertaining. More room in the cockpit, more storage and a much bigger, deeper hull. And yet, still easy to tow behind a mini-van or small truck.
I always aim for the maximum horsepower, or close to it. If you don't, you'll wish you had.
Lot's of guys express a preference for Lund or Princecraft. As I was shopping for a replacement boat this fall I looked at them all in depth. They each have their virtues, and the dealers will tell you why theirs are the best. The high end boats will always be very marketable, if you choose to upgrade later. But what I learned that is often overlooked is that some boats are fishing boats first, pleasure boats second. Others are the other way around. You'll clearly understand that well once you have looked at a lot of them. What you need to determine is which is more important. You can fish and cruise in any boat, but there are features that get compromised as you swing one way of the other.
Consider a used boat. Best bang for the buck if you can find a good one. I ended up with a 2003 Lowe with a 130 Honda, only 21 hours on the package and it shows. Spotless, powerful, well equipped, and slightly biased on the fishing side. Still, it should cover all the bases, if the good weather ever gets here.
Good luck, be ready to act when the right deal comes along, but be patient and picky.
Cheers,
Flyer
I always aim for the maximum horsepower, or close to it. If you don't, you'll wish you had.
Lot's of guys express a preference for Lund or Princecraft. As I was shopping for a replacement boat this fall I looked at them all in depth. They each have their virtues, and the dealers will tell you why theirs are the best. The high end boats will always be very marketable, if you choose to upgrade later. But what I learned that is often overlooked is that some boats are fishing boats first, pleasure boats second. Others are the other way around. You'll clearly understand that well once you have looked at a lot of them. What you need to determine is which is more important. You can fish and cruise in any boat, but there are features that get compromised as you swing one way of the other.
Consider a used boat. Best bang for the buck if you can find a good one. I ended up with a 2003 Lowe with a 130 Honda, only 21 hours on the package and it shows. Spotless, powerful, well equipped, and slightly biased on the fishing side. Still, it should cover all the bases, if the good weather ever gets here.
Good luck, be ready to act when the right deal comes along, but be patient and picky.
Cheers,
Flyer
this may fit the bill
http://www.bigfatbass.com/cgi-bin/class ... =retrieval
http://www.bigfatbass.com/cgi-bin/class ... =retrieval