I saw the thread on fishing boats. I was wondering how many people have new boats or relatively new boats and why you made the choice of boat you made vs. other boats. Pics if you got them.

The Virginia BASS State Team won their regional tournament and were selling the boat certificate for a $38,000 18-foot Triton with a 150 Mercury.

 

The last bid was $25,000.

 

So someone in Virginia will be getting a new boat.

Why I chose my Lund Predator 2010: I owned 2 boats prior to this one for a period of 16 years or so. 10 of those years fishing large local tourneys. A used 'glass and a new tin. I learned a lot about boats and fishing over those years. Learned a lot of what I wanted and didn't want based on my fishing style and bodies of water I fish. I looked for 3 years, at a number of different brands and different styles of fishing boats, before I finally pulled the trigger. I knew I wanted Mercury on the back after 10 years of a trouble free Merc on the last boat. I chose a ProXS over a Verado because of performance and cost. The Vrod was $2500 more and the fuel economy and performance numbers were better with the ProXS. I chose the Lund because of the layout, the deck space, the ability to fish large water safely as well as small water, and of course their reputation. I chose dual console because I fish with my son quite a bit and he insisted on it  I ordered my electronics separately. In the past I had both HB and Lowrance on my boat(s). HB I found to be more user friendly. I chose Minn Kota ipilot for a trolling motor and have since upgraded to a 112 ipilot Link. This choice was also based on past experience. I've had. I've owned MK Ipilot since its *** and prefer electric steer over cable.

 

I've had the boat since March of last year. My only regret is the hull color. Black takes a lot of work to keep it looking good.  

The Virginia BASS State Team won their regional tournament and were selling the boat certificate for a $38,000 18-foot Triton with a 150 Mercury.

 

The last bid was $25,000.

 

So someone in Virginia will be getting a new boat.

Would that someone be you?

tcbass, I forgot to mention. I wish I had researched the dealer I bought the boat from. I am completely unimpressed the way they have handled some warranty issues. Have since found out thru the internet their service dept reputation is less than stellar

tcbass, I forgot to mention. I wish I had researched the dealer I bought the boat from. I am completely unimpressed the way they have handled some warranty issues. Have since found out thru the internet their service dept reputation is less than stellar

 

 

Dang. That sucks.

Dang. That sucks.

It's not horrible, just frustrating. I already have a Mercury shop I've been using for 15 years. The warranty issue is with the paint. After a failed attempt for the dealer to make it right last winter, it's going back to the factory this winter for a repaint. I dropped the boat off at the dealer last November. They parked it on the lot and forgot about it until I called in February wondering what was going on. I contacted Lund directly at that time and it was the first they heard of the problem. The dealer subbed out the work and they did a horrible job spot painting the areas and completely missing other areas. More paint has since peeled off the hull. I will have it winterized at my mechanic and just drop it off at the dealer for Lund to pick up and bring back to the factory. 

I'm about to wrap up my 2nd season with my 2012 Lund Impact 1875.  I'm at the point in my life where I'm going to be a father soon and wanted a boat I could bring my kids in safely.  My dad is unfortunately at the point in his life where it is harder for him to get in and out of boats or keep his balance in them so I was looking for something large, comfortable, and safe.  The goal was a boat that could fit mom, dad, grandpa, two kids and a dog.

 

My boat was a late fall leftover that I was able to get a good deal on, however I wasn't able to choose any options other than trolling motor and electronics of course.  It did luckily have all of the options I was looking for:

 

- Rivets.  Although I'm sure welds are just fine and craftsmanship is going to be good with either on most brands, I figure if I ever bust a rivet while I'm on vacation I can put on some JB Weld and get through a few days.  If a weld cracks I'm screwed.

 

- An aft casting deck/jump seat combo.  Basically two seats which fold down to extend the casting deck.  I wanted this so my wife could have a tanning platform and so that friends could have a good place to stand and fish.  At the time, Lund was the only riveted boat that I knew of that offered this (Alumacraft came out with it the next year)

 

- A deep v hull as this boat lives on Lake Champlain and these waters can be treacherous (the most recent bassmaster magazine has it as the #10 "adventure lake" because of how dangerous it can become.  This proved its worth last week when the wife and I launched from Westport and ran across the lake to Otter Creek.  The wind picked up quite a bit while we were out and there were a few waves taller than the boat! Good for the young and elderly too.

 

- Vinyl flooring for easy cleaning.

 

- A walk through windshield again because this is a Lake Champlain boat and you can't mess around.

 

- Storage nets along the bow and also under the consoles.  Handy for holding bags of plastics, rain gear, and also a handy way to secure trash and keep it in one space.

 

- A boat large enough to be rated for 6 people and actually have a place to seat them.  The 1875 model allows three rows of seating and will let you keep four chairs in WITH the casting deck deployed.  The 1775 and below require you to keep the casting deck up and in jump seat mode when you have four chairs deployed.

 

I ended up getting a Minnkota Terrova for the boat and have no issues keeping it where I want it even in heavy wind.  

 

It "only" came with a 115 hp motor while it is rated for 150 but I'm getting 38-40 mph consistently and 42 in good conditions with a standard aluminum prop.  This is a take the family fishing and get them back alive boat, not a tournament boat, so 40 is just fine for me.  I've had 4 adults and a child in the boat so far and didn't see a noticeable drop in performance.

 

I'd recommend this boat to others.

 

I bought a new boat this summer; a Tracker Pro170 with a 40HP Mercury four-stroke.  I chose it primarily due to my budget, along with the limited towing capability of my Subaru Forester.  I was a little worried it would be underpowered, but I'm very happy with it.  It gives excellent fuel economy and is laid out well for fishing.  I liked the idea that it was pretty much ready to fish... just load up your rods and tackle and go.   I've put a lot of hours on it this summer and have no complaints.

 

http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3576

 

Tight lines,

Bob

I bought one a couple of weeks ago

 

 

I bought one a couple of weeks ago

 

 

Skeeter2.jpg

Specs!

Looks nice.

It's a Skeeter ZX190 with a Yamaha 175HPDI on it.