Muskie fisherman and their boats

[JRedig]

Hey Guys-

I'm looking for opinions on boat's for muskie fishing. I'm shopping, not sure if i'll be able to realize a new-to-me toy this year, but i'm thinking about it pretty hard.

Speed, storage (gear and long rods), ability to fish most waters in most conditions. Mille lacs in 2-3+ footers is out of the question...17 foot at least, I'd think a 19 is too much.

I'd be curious to know what all of you have and use and your opinions of it. My searching leads me towards Tuffy, Ranger, and 1 crestliner model.

Chime in, i'm all ears for opinion's and experience.

Thanks!

-JR

[Esox_Magnum]

Skeeters worth a look to, my partner has one and it fishes great. Been looking harder at them now over the Rangers, Tuffy also makes a nice boat. My next will be at least a 18' 20' if I can swing it. Theres never enough room.

[Tim_Anderson]

JR,

I've been hard core into fishing most of my life. Have owned quite a few boats of all makes, shapes and sizes. I've also fished in many different boats with friends. Lund. Crestliner. Ranger. Alumacraft. Lowe. etc. Aluminum and fiberglass both.

I am really sold on Ranger boats. I love the ride, the stability, the comfort and safety, the features, the way they hold their value, etc. To be honest, I haven't been in any of the competition's recent fiberglass boats like Triton or Skeeter. Guess I haven't had a reason to. I really can't imagine myself in anything else right now.

It's amazing how Ranger is getting more and more popular. It wasn't long ago that they were mostly a southern style bass boat. Now, you see them everywhere when you go musky fishing. I think there's some good reasons for it. Used to be something you saw mostly musky guides and professionals/tournament fishermen in. Now, there are just getting to be alot of fishermen using them, period.

They are a pretty expensive boat! There's no way I could justify having one unless I fished an awful lot, which I do.

I've got a 2002 619 for sale this spring. At seven years old, it is about half the price of a current new one. Email me if you'd like to know more about this boat OR if you've got any more specific questions about boats in general that I can help with.

I probably sound a little overly biased, but keep in mind I worked my way up to my current boat over the last 30 or so years. This is by far the best boat I've ever had.

You should listen to what a bunch of these other guys have to say though. I'm sure they will chime in soon.

A super nice boat is a luxury, and pure fun to fish out of, but honestly, it's quite unnecessary. Far more important is the skilll of the fisherman, and his skill at controlling his boat. If you can do that, you can catch fish out of just about anything.

Happy boat hunting...this should be fun for you.

[2000AlaskanDC]

I agree theres never enough room, I have a 2007 20 foot Lund Alsakan, I love it...2-3 footers are nothing, I can store 9 foot rods very easy, a ton of bow storage, a HUGE bow casting area, light enough boat for a single axle trailer, a lot less spendy than a fiberglass model....my .02 cents

[b1gf1sh1]

i have a 185 Alumacraft Phantom F/S. 92 with a 135 and it's good for just about anything i do. mille lacs showed me i want a new one though, lol. i just don't like being ''That'' limited. the croix it works about 80 percent of the time without hassle 10 percent with hassle and 10 percent where i better be carefull and just float or die. but with the croix i'm used to it so i can prepare where and when i go to where i go.

so, i started looking at boats. i was convinced a pontoon was the way to go, and it still may i'm not sure, but i looked at a few suncruiser deck boats. kind of a cross between a pontoon and a boat. if i got one of those it would be the 22 footer. up to a 200HP so it can move good. my boat has two casting decks and i love that and these have the front and back by the motor next to the water. little dangerous but i could rig some kind of gate/cage up i'm sure. so anyway, my next one will be a pontoon or a deck boat similar to these. they have room room room, and are stable where ever i'd want to go. heck i could have three nets, 12 rod set ups, most of my tackle for all species, a couple buddies, still be able to fish and have a bunch of sunbathing beauties laying around ahh... dreams, lol, i'd could never get that many nets in there, and nix the buddies too..

[NCLaker]

I saw two different Muskie edition Crestliners on hsolist. One of them seems like a great price.

[JRedig]

Oh, one other thought rolling around. Do I really need a "deep" v or just V style boat? Who's got a bass boat for muskie fishing and what do you find the limitations are?

I'm really leaning towards a glass boat at this point, but that alaskan sounds appealing from a weight perspective.

I'd like to be able to fish 3 comfortably, big casting decks are a must. That usually means added storage, so that's a plus in my mind.

Tim, I might be interested in your ranger, time will tell. I appreciate your comments on them, i keep coming back to that brand as my #1 pick. Maybe I should hire you for a day and fish out of it to really screw myself into buying it!

Thanks guys, keep 'em coming.

[propster]

Jeff, we were in a very similar position as you. We had a 16' Lund w/40 Merc. And while it "worked", even on big water like ML, Leech, and V when they weren't way rough, it was very limiting. But we stuck it out and then realized muskies is all we wanted to do, and do a lot of. As you know we went with a used Ranger (690vs w/150 Merc) and could not be happier. Lots of room, storage, great dry ride, stable - fun to fish out of. If I had one complaint it is that while we can get a bunch of rods in the locker to just over 8', we can't quite fit an 8'6". We also looked at the Crestliner Fishhawk, and were close to going that route until we drove one. If you can afford and justify it, you'll appreciate a bit drier ride that you will get with glass or a bit bigger alum. boat. Good luck, take your time, make an informed decision, and then fish the h..l out of it!

[propster]

Just another thought, Skeeter is also a nice boat, but the only other boat I've ever heard, from buddies who have run both, that handles and rides as good or better than a Ranger is a Triton. Unfortunately, I don't see a model they offer that fits my preferred set up. And that Alaskan does sound decent, especially with 9' rod storage. I'd buy Tim's boat if I was you, you know it's been slimed up real good!

[JRedig]

I saw two different Muskie edition Crestliners on hsolist. One of them seems like a great price.

Noted, thanks. I'm gonna go check it out.

propster, I'm pretty much walking the same road, my boat now is a 16 foot crestliner from the early 80's with a 35 on it. Too [PoorWordUsage] tippy with NO storage...maybe i can just come fish with you guys all the time??

Agreed on triton's, just don't fit the muskie needs. Lucky for me my longest rod thus far is an 8 footer!

[gregg52]

I'D LIKE TO JUST DITTO WHAT TIM ANDERSON SAID

But I'm in 2095dcx Yar Craft

Great dry ride

And those 9ft muskies rods fit in the compartments

And the storage in the bow...you could hide a small person in it

These boats are all fiberglass and as Ranger built one at a time I was the factory saw how they are built

I have mine rigged to fish any thing most any where with more than 2-3ft of water

Ranger Triton Lund(glass)actually those 2 bout the same boat come out of the same place Skeeter Warrior or any other boat have nothing on Yar Craft

just bias opinion lol

[Scoot]

I agree, Yarcraft makes a nice product. If I was sitting on 40K (give or take) and wanting to buy a boat right now, I'd definitely be looking at the Skeeter 1880 though. I like it as well or better than any other boat I've been in for my needs. Ranger owners will scoff at that, but of course they have to justify the extra 10K they spent on their boat... Rangers definitely make a nice product though.

All things considered, I think the 1880 is a wonderful buy for the money. Sure wish I had a spare 40K laying around... But, now that marine_man saved the day with my old boat, it's run like a top... so no new boat for me.

[Jeff13]

I've got a 2006 Ranger 618vs with a 150 suzuki. This boat is a great muskie boat, kind of a cross between the larger fisherman seires and a bass boat. I've fished in some pretty nasty stuff out

on leech and mille lacs with the boat. With the removeable deck extentions the boat basically can become a bass boat.

I thinking of getting a different boat so if interested contact me.

I also have fished out of my buddies Alumacraft do Dominator. It's

17.5 feet long and it a really nice boat!

[brmuskie]

I bought a 1750 fish hawk last year and it has been great. Lots of storage, nice casting decks, and rides decent. I "settled" for that boat though. I definitely think that a glass boat like a 617 or larger is the way to go - ride is definitely smoother and drier. A ranger 617 or larger would have been my preferred choice but I couldn't justify it for the additional cost. The only bad things about my crestliner are the rod storage only holds 7.5 foot rods (I think I can fix that though), the ride is a little rougher than a friends ranger 617, and also I get wetter than in the ranger if it is rough water.

But for thousands of dollars I can put on a rain jacket when moving across the lake in rough water and I can deal without some of the luxuries. I am very happy with my boat - when all things are considered.

[gregg52]

Scoot

to me where that extra 10-15k comes in is in ones own mind

i looked hard at boats last winter before i bought and skeeter went right to the end i actually put money down on one but laying in bed that knight decided that was the wrong boat

so i negotiated just bout the same deal for a yar craft and slept well that nite

but one and i tink the biggest reason was i had my last boat for 19 yrs and loved it I want to be sure i was making the right decision with the 38k i was bout to spend \

even if it would have run me another 8-10k the piece of mind over that period of time would have been worth it

most of us are making payments any way so it not alot of difference in the payment

[10,000 Casts]

I have a 2000 Crestliner 1850 Sportfish with a 135 optimax, It's a pretty good muskie boat but it can be a horrible walleye boat. But I really do like it for Muskies. It can handle bigger water if it's not too rough and it can fish 3 people no problem. It does have some downsides though.

No rod storage

I get a little wet now and then even with the windshield

It hits pretty hard

Also, buyer beware on crestliner's wood floors. I have replaced sections of mine twice and I have to replace another section this spring.

I have fished out of alot of boats and I have to say that I am pretty happy. Rangers and other are High end glass boats are super nice but super expensive. It all depends on priorities I guess. Like tim said, it's the fisherman and the time on the water that equals success not the boat.

If I do get a glass boat in the next few years it will brobably be a 20' Center console bay boat. Talk about dry and huge casting decks, it's a muskie fishermans dream.

Also keep in mind, if you gave me a choice between a big glass boat and no color gps and Good trolling motor and a cheaper aluminum boat thats loaded with a Terrova and lowrance, I would take the cheaper boat thats loaded everytime. (just trying to say that a big nice boat isn't everything)

[guideman]

Just my opinion here but if you buy the 17ft boat you'll wish you had gone bigger.

There is no such thing as big enough, when it comes to fishing the Big water lakes for Muskies. I have a 1950 Lund ProV and I could go to the 2025 in a heart beat.

They do cost a little more to operate, but thats going to happen if you go to a glass boat anyway. The worst feeling you can ever have, is wishing you had gone bigger after you buy your boat.

I guided out of a 17ft boat for a number of years and now that I have a 19ft, I could never go back to the smaller rig. Size does matter!!

"Ace"

Ace guide service.

[gregg52]

i agree guideman the nice part about my boat is you can put everything away nothing around your feet or rods out that could get stepped on (at 150-200$ a piece)

and helps from people seeing the stuff prevents theft some what keeps the honest..honest i guess storage was a big factor \in buying the yar craft

[Tim_Anderson]

JR,

You asked about the big deep v boats. I've got a good friend who has a big Crestliner (I think it's a 21 foot full windshield...forget the model). He is an absolute musky fishing machine. Or freak. I have fished with him an awful lot out of his boat.

The main drawback I see in his boat is that it sits up much higher, so it is pretty difficult to control in a bigger wind. It acts kind of like a sail. And as you can imagine, if you are fighting the wind, then you are using your electric motor and batteries much more. You better have a good setup in that regard, or on a windy day, you will suffer boat control, and you will run out of juice before the day is through.

That being said, his boat does have a really nice, dry ride. It does well running in a big wind. Lots of storage. And, we have caught a heck of a lot of nice, big muskies out of that boat. He, more than I unfortunately!

Most of the fiberglass boats have a much lower profile, and so they are much more stable in the wind (you don't get blown around as much). Boat control in the wind is easier. It takes less electric, and less battery.

So the wind (what size lakes you fish) should be a big consideration in your decision. Our climate seems to be getting windier and windier all the time. Just about every day I am fishing, I have to take the wind into account as I make my decision about where and how to fish.

How much will the wind be playing into your fishing style? If

you're going to fish big water, and you have somewhat limited time, you need to be able to get out there to follow your plan. Without the right boat, you will be facing "plan B" much of the time. That can be really frustrating. Heck, even with the Ranger, I still find myself looking at Mille Lacs and shaking my head "no" and heading for a smaller lake.

I don't think there is a perfect boat. They are all going to have their advantages and disadvantages.

[10,000 Casts]

good point about having limited time on the water and having a big enough boat to get out there whenever you want to and three things that go together are rocks wind and muskies

[sparky27]

I have an 06' Tracker V-17 w/115 merc. I love the boat. It has huge casting platforms, 96" in the back which is ideal for muskie fishing. Although I wish it had more storage. I converted my front live well into storage which works great, I had no use for the live well. For the price of a tracker vs. ranger,lund,crestliner it is well worth its value. Just an option for the fisherman on a budget.

[b1gf1sh1]

i'd have to agree with guideman about size matters. i've had several boats from 12 to 18' and bigger is just better when the water requires it. i still have my 12 footer for places like the vermilion river. i wouldn't dare stick a bigger boat on it or other places like it. and electric only or limited HP waters it works great. what's your budget jred?

a new boat no matter the style is easier to buy, finance, but it costs a lot more than a used one. my latest phantom for example is a '92 and new it was 26K. long story behind it but when i got it in '03 it had only 70 hours on it. i paid 10K for it. so i got basicly a brand new boat, way less than half price, that needed equipment upgrades ( gps, electric anchors, electric boat winch, etc)and that was it. besides a fuel purge and new fuel pump to be safe. my point is theres deals out there. you may need to travel/search a bit but really looking can reap rewards. and i did it without the internet which i think is better buying boats, cars, trucks and other toys. internets good for pricing though ...wow this got long. anyway, if you can swing it used can be a great way to go with some effort.

[HugoBox]

You've been in mine (1997 Alumacraft TP w/ 150 Merc.) Boat works great for all we do with it, mostly fishing average size lakes that don't have 3-4' waves. We've run it on the big lakes and while I'd like to say it does everything we want it to, when it gets rough we get wet - I'm pretty sure we'd trade it for the right glass boat in a minute.

Also, I think at times, generic "storage" can be overstated, but true rod storage can not. Basically, you can figure out where to store your jackets and other unimportant stuff but I know for a fact you have a buck or two into your rods so having a decent place to keep them is a plus.

Also, not sure what others take on windshields are but I bich about our little bubble every time I run across a lake in cold or rainy weather but when I'm chasing a biggie around the boat its nice not to have to dodge extra stuff.

[Random guy]

I am actually running a 18'5" Crestliner Musky Edition, The boat is very fishable, even more when I removed the passenger counsel and put it in the rafters. I have had very little trouble with the rig other then seat back breaking and that is just the curse of any guide boat.

As for pike/musky fishing I do like the deck layouts and how the the storage opens up in the front so all my lures stay stowed. I also can store 10' rods in the locker but they have to bend a bit to follow the curve of the hull, not to sure about rods being stored in a bent/flexed position on the super hot days.

The boat wil saty dry if you stay slow but who does that? I fish four out of it often and this is on Upper Red in some serious swells so I guess I can't complain...still wish I would have stayed with a glass boat.

[Nick Kuhn]

Just a question, why are Nitro boats never mentioned? Are they just not available around here or are they just poor boats? Seems like they offer decent pricing for someone looking to get a low end glass boat.