Need help finding a new fishing boat

[Larry3760]

well last year I bought a 99 smokercraft pro mag with a 75 merc on it and had it out every weekend, so I think Im going to purchase a new boat this year, problem is it seems I can only find new pricing for trackers, most all lund, alumacraft and so on say call dealer.

the boats Ive been looking at are priced around 21k but I would like to find something cheaper without loosing too much quality.

Im in the market for something 17' or longer, 90hp would be fine I would like a walk through windshield but I would consider one without.

Most of my fishing is anything from panfish, northern, walleye. I am not looking for a bass boat.

I know my buddies lund is much more stable in the waters than my smokercraft even though the width and length and setups are similar but I think they have hull built a little deeper and better design.

anyone have any recommendations to boats I can get into for under 21k with the trolling motor and depth finder cost included?

[delcecchi]

Some of the bigger dealers have prices on their web sites.

Or check nadaguide dot com slash boats

You can at least find list prices

[Raider4ever]

If you are dead stuck on brand new, this won't help. But, if you want to save a ton of money/get more boat for the buck: look at what you want, get on a boat selling site and find one 1-3 years old. Not only will it be cheaper, it will have all the electronics in and you DON'T have to pay taxes on the boat or motor if bought from a private party. You only have to pay a fee based on the value of the trailer. Seriously, you get way more boat buying slightly used and chances are at 1-3 years old they will still be in excellent condition. 21K is going to buy you a lot of 1-3 year old boat.

[h8go4s]

There will be a lot of boats on display at the Sportshow at the end of the month. Most, if not all, will have package prices shown. It's a good place to see a lot of different rigs in a few hours.

http://www.northwestsportshow.com/

[Larry3760]

Any advice on tracker boats? The thing I like most about the lunds is they are more stable and talking to someone they said the trackers are not as stable as others, anyone have any info on this or the quality of them?

[ClownColor]

try Cabelas in Rogers. Look at Lowe fs175. great deals. Wat cheaper then name brand boat and they are pretty decent and can handle big water lakes. Barter with them to get a free locator, trolling motor, life jackets, batteries, fire extinguishers all for free.

[CaptainMusky]

If you want to find a stable boat look at the profile of the boat from the rear. What really makes a difference is the reverse chine that is present on the more premium boats like Lund, alumacraft etc. This also makes for a dryer ride. You want a profile that flattens out and actually reverses where the hull meets the sides. Many boats don't have this and that leads to wet rides and listing from side to side a lot.

Nothing wrong with tracker boats because you can save some money with them but their lower models just don't have the design that makes for dryer and more stable rides.

If I were you I would look for a good used boat maybe 4 years old in the next month or so. You will find them already rigged up and ready to go. Buying new is nice but you can easily spend $2000 on trolling motor batteries and GPS without even blinking. Otherwise you may find a new leftover that can save you some money. That's what I did 4 years ago. Saved close to $8000 for the whole package this way.

[Larry3760]

I'm keeping my eyes open for a used newer boat, went to cabelas this evening all they had were alumacraft. I looked at the 17 and 18. Boats with the 115-140hp 4 stroke for around 23k. I may try and hold off till the sportsmans show but sometimes I get inpatient

[Raider4ever]

Impatience will KILL you boat shopping. I am as ADD as Zona and Martens combined and it still took 2 years to find "that" boat. Wait for what you want, not what is available now. Remember you still have 2-2.5 months before ice-out. No need to pull the trigger this weekend unless it has EVERYTHING you WANT. By the way, you will be WAY happier with a used Lund vs. a new Tracker.

[Larry3760]

Other than Lund what boats should I be looking into? Just out of curiosity if I normally fish with 3 people in the boat and fish all species and anywhere from local lakes to Mille lacs and lake of the woods (rainy river) would a ranger bass boat fit all my needs ? Only reason I consider a used ranger is they typically have all the bells and whistles I want and they are sweet looking boats.

[delcecchi]

Other than Lund what boats should I be looking into? Just out of curiosity if I normally fish with 3 people in the boat and fish all species and anywhere from local lakes to Mille lacs and lake of the woods (rainy river) would a ranger bass boat fit all my needs ? Only reason I consider a used ranger is they typically have all the bells and whistles I want and they are sweet looking boats.

Bass boat is a 2 person thing from what I have seen. Ranger also makes "multi species" boats that look really nice. 620 maybe?

[Larry3760]

Ya I looked at a few on hsolist and they are all 30k+ thats out of my price range unfortunately

[Raider4ever]

I fish three guys out of my Crestliner Fish Hawk 1750 (me at the bow, a guy in the well, and another up on the rear deck). Nobody complains about the lack of room. Some posters have complained about C'Liner not being a dry ride. I have never had trouble with mine. Trim it properly when underway. Granted, I am not going out in 4-footers but have had an occasion or two to make a scoot through some nasties without an issue.

[jay88]

I have looked at them all and priced them all out I wentwith a alumacraft competitor I loved the way the boat was set up and was cheaper then the Lund I looked at that was set up similar I have also been put on the water in both and it is a very nice dry riding boat

[Jcup]

If you like the Ranger multi species... Search hard, and I mean really hard and find a 97-01 (I believe they stopped in 01) Ranger 692. Should be in your price range depending on motors/electronics. They are just under 19ft and will have a 150 or 175 on the back. They are very hard to find, but they do pop up on occasion but ALWAYS sell fast. Worth looking into I'd say.

Edit: I just looked on the "list of craig" and one was posted an hour ago. Looks nice and its priced right if the motors are good. I'd be willing to bet it gone by the end of the week.

[Ryan Kalberer]

Check out Crestliner's lineup. The Fish Hawk or the all new Vision may be the boat you're looking for in that price range.

[holmsvc]

Any advice on tracker boats? The thing I like most about the lunds is they are more stable and talking to someone they said the trackers are not as stable as others, anyone have any info on this or the quality of them?

Everything on the inside of the boat is cheap. My buddy has a 17ft Deep V he bought new 3 years ago and it's really poor quality.

[holmsvc]

If you are set on not going over 20K my advice is to buy used.

You will not get a quality new boat for that price. If you can go up a little could start to look at some Alumacraft and Crestliner boats that are decent.

[Larry3760]

I looked at the 18' alumacraft dominator for around 25k good all around boat I've just never fished out of one and don't know how it compares to a used Lund, if I could find a boat like that just with a little more sporty design it would be a perfect fit

[CaptainMusky]

I looked at the 18' alumacraft dominator for around 25k good all around boat I've just never fished out of one and don't know how it compares to a used Lund, if I could find a boat like that just with a little more sporty design it would be a perfect fit

What do mean by "sporty" design? The Alumacraft Dominator is pretty close to the same hull as the boat I have which is a Tournament Sport (full windshield). The dominator has a slightly higher freeboard (sides in the rear) than the Tournament series boats like mine, but the bottom hull is the same. By now I am sure you have heard about the 2XB Hull which is common on all Alumacrafts where they have two sheets of Aluminum forming the bottom instead of just one.

They are stable, dry boats. Compared to a Lund you would compare them to a ProV most likely. Comparing New for New the Alumacraft is $10,000 cheaper or dang close. A buddy is looking for a new boat and compared the Lund Pro V (just shy of $40K) and Alumacraft Tournament and it was roughly $10K difference as it was when I purchased mine 4 years ago.

Nothing wrong with Lund, they build a very nice boat, but you sure pay for it.

[Larry3760]

My new price point is 30k max after electronics and taxes. I've looked at the Lunds comparable to the alumacrafts I've looked at and they are in the high 30k mark, that being said I will not be getting a Lund. I looked at the crestliner superhawk and fish hawk and don't like the foot print or the rod storage inside the boat near the sides, losing almost 2 feet of room inside, other than that they are very nice and priced right but just cannot find myself to buy one.

I do like the alumacraft trophy, tournament, and dominator for the price point and layouts. All 3 in a 185 model are running around 29k with a Yamaha 4 stroke 150hp after the discounts. Anyone have any idea on if these boats will be just 100 cheaper or 1000s cheaper at the sportsman's show?

I like the ranger multi species boats but they are out of my price range as well.

Any other great fishing boats I'm missing for under 30k that has a windshield and can seat 4+ people? No smokercraft or trackers or cheap dump please. Thanks everyone for all your opinions!

[CaptainMusky]

I may have mentioned this earlier but one thing to look for is a new holdover. You can save thousands. Ask about them at the larger dealers like hallberg, RR marine, dans south side are some examples that have multiple lines of boats to choose from.

Speaking for myself who has a family of 5 (3 growing boys) the tournament is a very nice boat for the family and for fishing. The main difference in the trophy will be the bow area and the freeboard is taller on the trophy than the tournament or dominator.

Lots of choices. Good luck in your search.

[delcecchi]

I have heard good things about Princecraft. Looks like owned by Brunswick and manufactured in Canada.

Looks like a dealer near Alexandria, and one in Eau Claire.

[Larry3760]

I like a few of the princecraft boats, I sent a few emails requesting quotes, interested to see what kind of price point they have,

[CaptainMusky]

G3 might be another boat to consider. They seem to have nice layouts not overly priced and look well built.