Buying New Boat

[nwa1819]

Hey everyone, I am sure there has been a lot of threads like this but I am hoping some people will be willing to help me out with some suggestions. I am looking at buying a brand new boat or maybe about a 1 year old used boat. I am using it for fishing smaller to middle sized lakes and sometimes might be on Gull for an example. I fish for all different species and will also be pulling tubes, wakeboards etc. Also I am looking for in the 17ft range. I am interested in Tracker, Crestliner, Smokercraft, Alumacraft and maybe G3. Would love a Lund but dont think I can afford. With all of this information which brand do you think would fit my needs well? Thanks a lot in advance!

[solbes]

I don't think you would go wrong with any of those brands. How long are you thinking you will use this boat? If it's under 7 or 8 years I would look seriously at Lund, Crestliner, and Alumacraft. They have very good resale values in this area.

Some great value in those other brands though too. I'd take a look at interior layouts first. Going to have a family to fish with? Only one or two people typically? That would make a big difference in layout.

Most 17 footers should have enough motor on the back for tubing and skiiers. You definitely want to get one with some extra oomph if you are looking to wakeboard.

Lund makes some more moderatley priced boats too. You could find a new Rebel XL in the 17' length which takes a 90 Hp. A year old Classic runs in the 17 foot length too, same hull and different layout. For wakeboarding, I think it would be ideal to find an '07 and earlier Lund 17' Mr Pike. They have a 93" beam and take up to a 140 HP.

Alumacraft Navigator is a great choice. So is the Crestliner Fishhawk, although some complain they have a wet ride.

[fishlakeman]

nwa,

Personally I feel a guy has a hard time going wrong with a crestliner, alumnacraft, or Lund. If it were me, I would try as hard as I can to find a clean used Lund that was taken care of. A 17-18 ft Sportfish, Mr Pike, Explorer SS, would be my top pics. They have incredible retained value, and hold up to the elements. I've been using a 18ft Lund Explorer SS that my brother bought new in 2005. It's paired with a 150 Suzuki, and has been just an awesome boat for pleasure and fishing. Can handle the big water, and is a great skiiing and tubing family boat.

Whatever you pick, My biggest recommendation is to NOT SKIMP ON THE MOTOR. A lot of packages out there today are fitted with motors that are way underpowered. Make sure the motor is at least 85% of the maximum recommended hp. You'll never regret spending the extra $. Like I said, anyone of the big 3 manufactures of boats you cant go wrong with. About the only one I would shy away from would be the Tracker. I've experienced friends with Trackers, and even with decent engines on them, I was very disappointed in the ride, ability to get on plane, and constant titlewaves coming over the side. Coupled with the low resale value, I would shy away from the Tracker for sure.

[cm1977]

We picked up a G3 Angler V175 FS this year and it has been a great boat. We went with a 115 Yamaha as we don't fish big water too often and so far between sking, tubing and fishing it has performed very well and I have not wished for a bigger motor. Taking it to Lake of the Woods in a few weeks and I will let you know if I have changed my mind on that...good luck with your search!

[bassNspear]

NWA,

the top four boats sold for alum in this area are Lund Crestliner Triton and Alumacraft. Your not going to go bad with either one!

[kdawg]

Just sold my 04 alumacraft trophy/140 Johnson 4 stroke - loved it. The only reason I sold it was to get a boat that's a little more "fishing" than "sport". I'm looking at a alumacraft tournament sport. The difference between the two is that the TS has multiple rod lockers (with individual rod tubes) so I can have a lot of different rods with different setups, so I don't have to re-tie a lot on the water. I will still be able to pull tubers, wakeboards or skiers, but will have a better "fishing platform", which is what I use the boat for mostly. If you are going to use the boat a lot for fishing, I'd recommend this type of platform (Lund makes the Pro V with this setup and I'm sure all the other brands you are considering do as well). I wish someone would have given me this advise before buying my Trophy. Good luck.

[nwa1819]

Kdawg, sounds like we are in a similar situation with what we need to use our boat for!

[FishonTom]

Ok, just for my 2 cents worth, I have had all the above and still do have a Tracker Grizzly for some stuff, but the boat I like is the Scout. I have a Scout 210, and think it is the best boat I have ever owned. You can get then form 14 ft. to over 30 ft. No carpet, which is the worst thing that was ever put in a boat. they have wash down pumps on them to wash down the blood and dirt, cool. They plane faster with a smaler motor and are the best on fuel. Email me and I will take you out on mine.

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[bassNspear]

kdawg,

when or what are you going to get next! Sounds like you know what your looking for!

[LegattoAD]

Man, ask 100 guys this question and you'll get 150 answers.

I would suggest Alumacraft. If for no other reason than that's what I got.

Seriously, they all make great boats but I do believe that Alumacraft offers more value than the rest, as far as price compared to what you get. Of course, that's going to vary by dealer too.

Have fun looking and let us know what you get!