17' v. 18' multi species boats

[Down to Earth]

Is there there a gain other than space, speed, etc gained from going from a 17' to an 18'? Right now I have a 1982 Lund which is 14' and skinny. The majority of the waters I fish are on the smaller side down in Rochester in which its main use are smaller lakes and backwaters for panfish and bass. But I musky fish as well and want to get into walleye fishing more, so I'd like the flexibility to take it out on say Mille Lacs, Leech, Devils Lake, etc. Right now I lean towards the 17' models as 95% of my fishing is done on smaller waters and it seems to fit most of my needs a bit better. On the other hand, with the kids getting older it probably won't be long until we are fishing 3-4 people in the boat so the extra space, etc would be nice. Not to mention the extra stability(if there really is any) for the bigger waters.Thoughts?

Thanks

Andy

[Eric Wettschreck]

I have a 16

16,17, and 18 are all nice. My opinion (only my opinion) is the bigger boats are more stable in bigger water, have more room, and are more comfey. If I fish backwaters I like a small boat that fits. Big water, and being safe in big water, means go big.

Only my opinion dude. Good luck on your decision.

[iffy]

The bigger the better when on rough water on big water. I have a 17 1/2 and its been fine for me but I have been in some real rough water in a baron (21 ft) that I sure wouldnt have wanted to ride out in my 17. The downside to bigger boats is they cost more and require bigger engines using more fuel. They also require more storage room in the offseason. The upside is roominess and safety. In my opinion, if you can afford the bigger boat go for it.

[harvey lee]

I have used a 16' Lund with a 25 for the last 7 years and it worked very well on smaller lakes but was not so good on the larger ones, espically with wind.

This year I purchased a new Lund 1660 Classic SS with a 50 hp 4 stroke and have been overjoyed with it. It is much more stable and you can fish three people with plenty of room. This boat rides dry, smooth and is set up very nice for fishing. If one was going to take four people out, I would probably bump the motor up a few hp. I dont believe you can even compare my old 16 to this one as far as ride, stabillity or anything else.

[sweept]

Down to earth, I have a Smoker Craft 175 Ultima, I use it for fishing the lakes in the central Minnesota area. I have also fished the Missouri river, Minaki Canada, Lake of the Woods, and Mille Lacs. I truly think a boat of this nature would serve you purposes well. We have hit some rough water on the large lakes mentioned above and I never havn't been concerned about how my boat has handled the water. It also works great on the smaller lakes we use it on. Very easy to load (roller trailer). Have a '97 115 Johnson on it and it works great for skiing and wakeboarding also. Hope this helps in your decision.

[thebman]

I purchased a Stratos 386XF this year after being in a 17 foot runabout for the last 18 years. The room in this boat is incredible. With myself, wife, and two kids we never are cramped for room like we used to and are still able to get on the smaller lakes as long as it has a good launch. On the bigger waters I have had 4 guys gear and coolers with big rollers and never felt unsafe, it cuts through the waves really nice and with the 4 stroke Suzuki I get great gas mileage. Go bigger if having the family along is ever a concern.

[Norco]

I had an Lund SSV 14 and bought a Lund 1800 Fisherman, if you can, get the biggest your budget can handle. We can have the entire family on the boat, walking around and it doesnt even move...I love it, especially going from my 14 ft tinner

[The_Duckslayer]

I have heard of a lot of boaters that have one or two foot itis ( I tis). You always wish that you had a boat just a bit bigger! I have never heard anyone say they wish they had bought a smaller one. If you have extra room, hey that is a bonus. If you dont have enough room, that is a pain. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo