DaubsNU1

Agreed @Kirtley Howe! He looked it over pretty good, asked a few questions. I fired up the old Merc...it started on the third pull. Then re-started on first pull after that. Solid motor that served me well for 23 years. He was stoked to have a fishing boat and was going to get it on the water tonight. Good for him!

Sold the Rich Line today. Listed for $2,300...sold for $2,200. I'm happy!

Find what fits your budget and your hands. I'm fishing a Berkeley heavy rod from 20+ years ago...and have several Cabela's branded rods that are 20-30 years old. They all catch fish. This specialized rod / technique thing is very interesting to me...I think it's just another way for marketing and manufacturers to get us to purchase more stuff.

I looked and and researched boats for a long, long time. Great advice here. If you are going to pull the trigger...then "buy once, cry once" (!!) Get what you want, and don't skimp or compromise. For my type of fishing, budget, family needs, garage space, etc., the boat for me was a Lund Adventure 1775. Doesn't do anything great...but does a lot of things well. Multi-species boat, so I can fish LMB's, SMB's, Musky/Pike, Eyes, & Panfish easily. Can pull a kid on a tube, and cruise around with 6 in comfort with the Bimini top up. If you would have asked me ten years ago, my choice would have been a glass boat, probably a Nitro due to budget. Three years ago I was set on Alumacraft Competitor with Garmin Force and Garmin electronics. My brother got a Lund Alaskan three years ago, and outfitted with Ulterra and Helix 9" MEGAs. I was amazed how much more detail the Helix displayed vs. my Garmin. My Adventure mirrored his set up. I am very happy with this decision. Keep researching, keep looking...and let us know what you get. Good luck!!

Cold water right away. Warm or hot water will set the blood stain. I douse with cold water right away. When get home, use a stain remover and let soak. Then wash in cold water by hand. If stain has set, then spot treat with bleach if it is a white shirt.

The wheel dolly's showed up today...I never even got them out of the box. Pulled the boat out of the garage and had it hooked to the truck in 7 minutes. Easy-Peasy! And getting it back in the garage was pretty simple as well. Driveway and garage are relatively flat. Dolly's are getting returned. Wife's first ride in the boat...she LOVED IT! We boated around (5mph no-wake lake), and I fished a little. Good times! Only downside, lake skum on the blue paint...needed to hit it with the Hot Sauce. Looks great now!

Gas strut modification on the front hatch. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1102589154053416

I'm lucky to have three stalls on the house...each has it's own garage door. They are 21' and 19'6" (third bay). The major selling point for me was the 40x30 pole barn out back.

Agreed! To make the boat fit in the 3rd bay, I have to enter from the middle bay...then play the back and forth, move a little...then back and forth over and over again. I'm thinking of getting these to make the job quicker and easier. I've got some wheel dolly's in my shop...but they require a jack.

Thanks @Jig Man! I'm pretty happy! I've bot the iPilot Link Ulterra, and the Helix 9" DI/SI+ G4N's...one on bow, one on console. Also have 5 port network hub...they talk. Still figuring things out...steep learning curve : )

Managed to squeeze her in to the third garage bay! Losy excellent! The wife has named the boat.....Marge ?

Have to admit, I was a little nervous launching the Adventure this afternoon. All went well. It is going to take some getting used to. Boat popped up on plane quickly, and managed 39 MPH in some light chop. I fished for about 15 minutes, then put the rods away and motored around with a big, stupid grin on my face : ) Loading was pretty easy. Used spot-lock, and tied off with rope for added security. Tomorrow I will start organizing and getting everything in the boat. Fun times!!!

Just got home, 13-hour day. Love it!

Roger THAT!!!

Agreed on both points @Darnold335! Gotta have the wife on board, for SURE! She's been supper supportive of all my crazy hobbies and interests (and has a few of her own!). I'm really excited about the Adventure, and agree...not the best on paper for any one thing...I'm going to ask it to fish for bass / crappie / gills here in NE, with a few pike sprinkled in. And take to SDakota for eyes & smallies. Should be enough boat to pull the kids (and future grand kids) on a tube. Wife is content under the Bimini top, reading a book and sipping an adult beverage. I cannot wait!!

Thanks @A-Jay! I seriously considered Alumacraft, and looked at several others. Your threads and videos on your Pro-V Bass, & Minnkota / HBird helped influence my choice. Buying this boat sight-unseen. And have never sat in an Adventure, let alone seen one in person. But it's a Lund, and I have been so impressed with my Brother's Alaskan. With the 90hp and 4 blade prop, his boat gets up on plane impressively quick. It manages 36 MPH top speed....I'm thinking boat will press towards 40 MPH. Plenty fast enough for my needs. @Darnold335, the plan is to get this boat on the water shortly after picking it up. There are several lakes on the way home : )

Tomorrow morning I will make the ~4 hour drive and lay down some hard earned cash for a new boat. I will be going from a 1960 Rich Line... To a 2021 Lund Adventure... I scored the old Rich Line while living in Northeast Missouri in the spring of 2000, just months before my first daughter was born. Paid a whopping $600 for boat, motor and trailer. It ran pretty good, and leaked a little. I installed rod racks to hold 6 rods, laid a piece of plywood across the front and put in pedestal seats, and picked up a 40lb cable steer Minn Kota All Terrain. I was in heaven! This was a huge upgrade from the belly boat and my buddy's canoe. It wasn't fancy, but it did the job. And that 20hp 2-stroke Mercury ran well, pushing me 22-23 MPH. As kids got older, the boat sat more. It was in storage for years while the daughters played sports through high school. I contemplated selling the old boat...but held on, and paid the ~$220/year storage fees. I didn't fish much. We moved to the country in 2018, and the boat came home...lots of room in the shop. I started fishing again... I have learned a lot owning this boat...replaced the impeller / water pump (only twice in 23 years), got the lower unit and carb re-built this spring. Aside from that, the old Merc has been extremely solid. Replaced a few parts in the trolling motor, and have been battling small leaks in the old tin boat since the day it came home with me. I have fished with my daughters, wife's boys, my brother, and my Dad in this boat. Lots of great memories. Some scary ones...Oldest daughter and had a white-knuckle ride across a lake in South Dakota one summer...she was too young to realize the situation...and liked the "cool big waves!" We made it safely back to shore. Did some major upgrades and renovation three years ago, replacing the transom wood, building framing and decking, upgrading electronics, installing bilge, running lights, USB ports and fuse box. It's small, light, maneuverable, and fishes well. My brother picked up a Lund Alaskan 1800 three years ago...and started taking me and Dad to bigger lakes. Each year we have done a trip to South Dakota to chase smallies and eyes. Great fun! Thought long and hard about the set up I wanted -- boat, motor, electronics, trailer, trolling motor, etc. I really liked how my brother set up his Alaskan. Looked at a bunch of different boats, sizes, layouts, etc. Knew I wanted 16-17' aluminum, single console, multi-species boat with a center rod-locker. Decided on the Adventure series and have been causally looking for about a year. This summer brother loaned me his Alaskan, and I got the wife up to South Dakota for some camping and fishing. She LOVED it. Then a few weeks later we met old friends at a lake here in Nebraska, boated and fished and had a great time...again, wife LOVED it. I mentioned a new boat a few times...and pretty soon she was asking when I was going to pull the trigger. There were a few good boats on FB and craigslist, but prices were not what I was willing to pay...and the trolling motor and electronics were not what I was looking for. I found this 2021 Adventure 1775 at a dealership in Iowa...customer purchased new...it's got 64.5 hours on the 90hp 4 stroke and two years of warranty left. And the Lund warranty can transfer to me. His wife didn't like getting spray...so upgraded to a full windshield. So I had a blank slate to set up any way I liked. I'm mirroring my brother's Alaskan...Ulterra iPilot Link 80lb with MEGA DI/SI, a Helix 9" MEGA SI+ G4N on the bow, and another Helix 9" MEGA SI+ G4N on the console. They are networked together and have lake map chips. Comes with travel cover, auto bilge, stereo, tilt wheel, slider seat, ski pole base, load guides, and spare. I'm adding an extra seat, & Lund Bimini top. The wife even likes the color! Now I'm sitting here, well past my normal bed time...stoked about tomorrow. Going to try and get some sleep...tomorrow is going to be a good day!

Had some time yesterday to work on the old Tin Boat...sealed up the bottom with 3M 5200, and looked at the electric starter set up I scored from eBay. While it would be cool to have electric start, and say "I did that..." I quickly realized needed to abort that mission. Thought the starter would bolt right in...turns out I need to remove the pull start / upper of the motor...nope. Didn' want to spend the time and energy messing with it. Thankfully I am within 30 day return window...messaged the seller, and he's going to issue me a refund on return. So I fished the old boat one more time today. Managed 20.3 MPH top speed, fully loaded with all my tackle, two deep cycles, and gear. Most I've ever seen from this boat and motor was 23 MPH, that was before I added all the decking. I'll take 20 MPH. Caught two nice 2-1/2 lb. bass, a small 13", and one that measured 19" | 4lbs. 8 oz. Good times. Spent some time running around the lake at full throttle. I've owned the boat for 23 years. Lots of good memories. Things I dislike: leaks a little...nothing huge, just annoying. Only big enough to fish me...if I take anyone with me...it's tight and awkward. The old 2-stroke Merc loves to guzzle fuel...and the 3 gallon tank doesn't last long. A larger tank wouldn't fit in the space...so I managed. When it rains, my stuff gets really wet. Things I really like: It's small, light weight and can get in places other boats cannot. The cable steer 40lb Minn Kota is easy to maneuver, and quick to change directions. I can drive without looking. It has been a relatively inexpensive boat. The Merc has been to the marine mechanic once time in the years I've owned it...replaced all the bottom end seals. I really like how I am able to lay 6 or 7 rods behind me on the decking...makes for quick switches. The old Merc takes about 4-5 pulls to start in the morning...after that it's one pull and she's fired and ready to roll! Fished a lot with my Daughter, Dad, and brother in this boat. It will be missed. Looking forward to breaking in the Lund.

You are going to get a lot of opinions on here. Fish with both, and see what fits your needs best. I started bank fishing...wanted to be on the water. Got a belly boat...that was cool and fun, but a lot of work, and limited my range. Fished with a buddy who had a canoe....much more range, and out of the water...but hard to fish sitting down all the time, limited storage, and had to manually paddle and maneuver the canoe. Got a boat in 2000, immediately installed casting deck and foot controlled trolling motor. Fit my needs almost perfectly. Three years ago built decking, installed two fish finders, one with side imaging, etc. Even better. This coming Saturday I am picking up a new-to-me Lund Adventure 1775. Cannot wait! You will find your path to fishing. Enjoy the journey.

#Truth! My family is very close...I talk with my Dad, older sister and younger brother often. We enjoy hunting and fishing together, and hanging out at my sister's cabin. I'm still very close with my lottery-pick college roommate. I was from the city, played HS sports, hunted and fished...he was from small town, raced motocross and worked at Cabela's...never hunted a day in his life. I have pictures of his first duck hunt...his "team Honda" jacket, 80's rock-band mullet. Hilarious! He went on to a 35+ year career with Cabela's working his way up the corporate ladder. Amazing how he quickly became the expert at fishing and hunting. We have a core group of friends from those days in college...we still gather 2-3 times a year to chase fish, shoot at waterfowl, etc. A man can do well in his life with God, Family, and Friends!

Happy Born Day! Keep grinding!!

Started running hi-visibility yellow PowerPro braid to fluoro leader on my spinning rigs a few years back, and really, really like it. I've been running braid on my brait-casting rods for years. Thinking of doing yellow PowerPro to fluoro leader on my bait caster....

Thoughts and prayers @A-Jay!

Appreciate the words here! I would be ecstatic to get $2k out of it. I posted on another site and got everything from $1,500 to $4,500 (which I think is insanely high!) Amazingly, getting parts for the old Merc has not been a problem. I ordered OEM carb rebuild kit, impellers, and my mechanic found a lower unit re-rebuild kit pretty easily. It has been a fun project for the past 23 years. Lots of great memories...and some frustration. I learned a lot building the decks and doing the "build." Finalized the deal on the Lund today. I pick it up next Saturday. Pretty stoked!

Lots in my area like this, priced around $3k...