what is the right boat

[unclejoe411]

I have fished boundary waters out of canoe and some of the local lakes around twin cities out of 14' boat. But now I am in my fifties and want something more stable. On another forum people suggested to go with 18' instead of 16'. I have been looking at 18' lund alaskan. The owner thinks my 25hp should be good enough because I only use it for fishing. He also think I should be able to launch it by myself (I mostly fish alone, lakes around twin cities and couple of time per year I go northern minnesota). any tips or words of wisdom is appreciated.

[Kettle]

A good fishing boat, 25 might be a little light on the motor, but since you are a solo fisherman like me it will do just fine. I don't know if they make tilt trailers for a boat that big but it has helped me a tone of times, launching alone in shallow water

Kettle

[Ufatz]

That boat should be fine but you will not go anywhere in a hurry with just 25-horses pushing you. But then,if your like me, another solo fishing older guy, the ride and cup of coffee is half the fun anyway.

My only thought would be the Alaskan is a pretty good chunk of boat for one guy to push around much on launch and load.

Why not look for a 16' with the widest beam you can find: stable, less weight,maybe easier to push around.

We keep a 14' Wide Lund around here with an 8 Yamaha for small lakes and it is fine for one fat old guy to putt putt (more like purr) down the puddle.

Have fun. Don't hurry. Look at 'em all.

[BassNut33]

That sized boat for one guy may be a little much, I would recommend going with a 16. It would be better suited for a 25 horse and easier to handle at the launch.

[solbes]

Agree with some comments above. If you're going to stick with the 25 hp, I'd move to a narrower 16 foot boat. The 25 will not get the 18 Alaskan up on plane and would be pretty frustrating IMO. At this point you are paying for the engineering and fabrication of the large IPS hull, but you will never enjoy it because your motor is too small.

You don't need a lot of room when fishing mostly solo. A Lund Rebel XL 1625 (84" beam) would be a perfect compromise of stability, fishing comfort, and launch ease. Athough again I'm not sure a 25 would get you up on plane. Probably, although it might take awhile.

Moving down another notch in beam would be the 1625 Rebel (75" beam) or 1600 Fury (73.5" beam). Both are still IPS hulls, and now I know your 25 would plane them easily. Tradeoff is less room and slightly less features.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Alumacraft 165 is a great boat, but I have a fifty on mine. Are you looking for a tiller model?

[wahoo]

Alaskan is a very nice boat. Never under power a boat or you will not be happy. I have an aluma craft 16 in MN with a 25 hp. With me, or a 2nd fine. A 3rd person will truly slow you WAAAAY down. I am planning on moving up to a 40hp or so. I use this Boat on Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs, Gull, N. long, etc. Very few times I have been blown off--and I am super cautious.

I have a 21 foot aluminum boat here that I have used on the Pacific up to 25 miles and on Lake Mead--on good days. But, by myself, it is a bear to handle--especially at a crowded launch ramp. I am selling that boat in anticipation of moving permanently to my farm in MN where I will need only the 16 ft.

[RebelSS]

I'm in the same boat as you (sorry...couldn't resist)and I have a Lund RebelSS with a 30 HP on it. Light, easy to get around, and most of all, load by myself. Sips gas, too.

[Down Deep]

That 18 Alaskan is a big heavy boat that is made for hauling loads. The 25 will be a dog on that boat. If you are just looking for a more stable fishing boat with a floor in it look around for a Lund SV series or even an older S series boat. The 25 will be a good motor for those boats. Alumacraft also makes comparable boats.

[magnum mike]

I have an 1800 Alaskan with a 75hp E-Tec. I wish I could have at least 90hp. I can't imagine what a slug it would be with a 25. "Don't do it Johny!"

[unclejoe411]

well guys looks like I am getting a Lund alaskan with 50hp motor on it. The owner is giving me a sweet deal I can't refuse (yet). I have to day I am intimidated by the size of it (18'). But he assured me one guy can handle it with ease.

[Ufatz]

Best of luck to ya Joe. Take your time and get used to the size and weight of that boat and that motor. Gonna be a bit different than what you have been using but the Alaskan is a good solid stable boat.

[unclejoe411]

Thank you Ufatz. I have not been able to get away from work much for the last several years. I am hoping once I get a chance, this boat can get me to some lakes that I can get away from the crowd a little (lakes around twin cities are like parking lots)

[solbes]

With a 50, that should be a nice boat for you. Should be able to hit a variety of waters now.

[Tullibee]

I second the new Lund Fury. My buddy just got one and put a 25 Etec on it. It is awesome!!

[bbrad24]

I have a 16' lund rebel with a 40 horse honda. I like most things about it except 2 things. One, it has no storage spots. Two, it's a little too tippy for me. I can go about 28-29 mph in my boat, which feels fast. i can't image a smaller motor on mine. It just wouldn't make sense, I would definately upgrade, unless the bodies of water you fish are small enough where it doesn't matter.

[unclejoe411]

I really appreciated your comment bbrad24. I had difficult time to convince myself to pay more money and go with 18'. I never dared to go on bigger lakes with my 14'. I also never felt comfortable going full throttle open with my 25hp on that 14. I tried trimming different way but I think different people have different comfort level.

[hamms-scooter]

A guy came and fished by me and he had a Lund Fury with a merc 25 hp 4 stroke. Was the tan color. Looked really nice. he said it was his 3rd time out and hadn't used up a tank of gas yet. That motor was so quiet but he said it was heavy! Anyway it looked like a good combo.