Opinions/advice on a fishing/ski boat for family

[Chad Luebker]

Hello -

In the distant future our family will be purchasing a boat that will be used for fishing and tubing/skiing. I am doing my homework way before hand so I know what to look for. What do people on here use so one boat can be used for 2 pleasures! I love the rangers/skeeters but I am wondering how much water depth you need to get them in and out of the lake. Advantage of a fiberglass boat vs. aluminum besides the better ride? It will be mostly stored under a boat lift on the lake where we live. It's a small 200 acre lake so I don't know if a Ranger/skeeter will be over kill? Would I be better off with something like a Lund Tyee that a ski pole can be easily put in place when needed? Anyways, I want the purchase to be done right the first time so we are not regretting anything or looking for any upgrades within a couple years after. Thanks in advance!

Chad

[herm]

I'm a Skeeter/tiller owner and love it. My boat is used 90 percent for fishing and 10 percent for tubing/skiiing/crusiin. (I never would have bought it IF I was 10% fishing and 90% skiing.) That said, I would recommend visiting a lot of boat dealers/shows. (Sounds like you have time.) If able, have the whole family climb in the boat and see what it feels like for roominess/etc. Rangers and Skeeters might be considered the "premium" brands and are great boats - built mostly for fishing. There are many other quality brands out there. When it comes to motors, my choice is a Yamaha. Others are good, though. (If buying used, have motor tested/inspected by a reputable mechanic.) As for size of the rig, on a 200-acre lake, anything that is 17-18 feet and 100-plus HP will withstand the wind/weather so I don't see much difference in quality of ride between glass/metal. Again the bigger issue is size of boat/motor for the skiing/water fun - which is why I started with having the whole family come shopping. Once you find a boat/model that fits, just make sure it is rigged with the biggest motor allowed. (Assuming you can afford it.) Hope that helps. You are wise to start searching now! Let us know how it goes.

[Larson15]

Chad,

Take a look at the Skeeter SL190 fish and ski. It is on a bass boat hull and wont require much water to get in. It's 18.5 ft with a 150hp rating.

[hydro]

Chad,

I did the same search you are doing a few years back, and decided on a glass “Fish-N-Ski” boat. As the guys said above, be sure to check them out for roominess and layout to be sure you fit. Watch the space between the front and rear seating, on a boat less than 19’ it can get pretty tight in there. Also, if you go with a glass boat buy horsepower, they are heavier and more difficult to plane out. On the plus side, glass boats are stable, quiet and usually very nicely rigged. My boat is no longer in production so I recommend looking at the “Bass Boat” manufacturers for options. If you want to go with aluminum you will have more choices and often they are open floored and can move the seats around to change the functionality.

Here is my boat in fishing trim. It's a 20 footer and I went that route to get the space in the rear seating area. For tubing I can pull the back pedestal seat and attach the tow bar, and I pull the front pedestal seat to improve visibility.

[Shorelunch]

Chad,

On that small of lake, you could get by with tons of different boats. Do you plan to take it to larger/other lakes?

Regardless, here's a list of good boats to consider:

Glass:

Ranger Reata 1850

Skeeter WX 1850 (or 1880 a couple models ago)

Triton Allure 192

Yar Craft 186TFX

Aluminum:

Lund Tyee 1850 or Fisherman 1800

Alumacraft Trophy 185

Crestliner Sportfish 1850 (or Superhawk 1800)

The Ranger, Lund, Alumacraft and Crestliner versions have 17' versions. If you're a family of four, I would go 18'.

All are good boats - depends on your needs. Make sure you're at least 80% of max horsepower.

[buddha]

I just purchased a 1875 Lund Impact with a 150. Take a look at that model or an Alumacraft Dominator or Competitor, all great for fishing and family as I do both too.