Looking To Buy A New Deep V Aluminum Boat - Opinions Needed

[fishinwrench]

No dissin', Lancer....but a stripping basket is just one more thing to get line tangled around. I know several guys that own them, some bought, others homemade, but nobody uses them after the first time trying, myself included.

[Feathers and Fins]

I use mine still when im buy myself, Strap the belt around the console so the basket is facing forward, makes for a great place to put your fly box pliers radio and drink.

[kjackson]

I think it was Lefty Kreh who used a big piece of netting laid over whatever part of the boat he was fishing in. The fly line would lay on the net and not loop around cleats or whatever was on the deck.

Back when I was chasing searun cutthroat with a fly rod, a lot of guys used those collapsible mesh baskets--they're advertised for use as leaf baskets or clothes baskets and such. I never used one, but they looked like they would work well.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I have mixed emotions about them. I don't use mine all the time, but I do on occasion. The most common place for me to use mine is when I'm fishing from chunk rock or in tall weeds..

[fishinwrench]

If you're on a bite that works with nice laid-back lazy strips then yeah a basket would be cool I guess.....but usually I am stripping like I'm trying to start a 30 year old chainsaw with bad gas, and in that case trying to make sure that all those yanks end up neatly in the basket is like swatting bees.

[two old poops fishing]

i have owned lund boats for several years currently am in a 19 ft lund pro v if you want to look or take a ride let me know be glad to give you the grand tour am on trock at baxter they are as good as they get imo take the kids grandkids and great to fish out of thats my 2 cents

[rps]

I am late to the party on this thread. Sorry. My internet was down.

I am in my third year of an Alumacraft Navigator 165 tiller steer running a 75hp Etec. I have been totally satisfied, It is stable dry and comfortable in all weather. The engine starts on the first key turn. It hardly burns any gas and runs 34 mph (GPS) with the standard aluminum prop, a full gear load, and just me. With three adults top end remains above 30 mph. The side console is rated for a 90hp.

If you want a ride, I am in Holiday Island.

[J-Doc]

Thanks for the offers on rides fellas. If I were to get a new one, it won't be till next spring anyway. At the earliest. Even then is still ........debatable.

I don't have a boat pay me t currently but I do want a new/bigger boat. More room, more storage, A ROD LOCKER, and well.....just new. I spent a lot of time looking at Tracker boats tonight at BPS in Tulsa. I was already here on business so why not go grab some baits, dinner, and investigate the Targa.

The Targa is a massive whaling boat compared to my little glass boat. Lots of storage, nice features, seems to fit the bill if I wanted a small fishing yacht! Lol! I'm just not used to something that large.

Then I looked at a Pro Team 190 with a 115 ProXS. I like the new paint scheme for 2014. I like the 115 ProXS. Good fishing platform that suits MY needs better than the wife's occasional weekend trips and its much cheaper than the Targa.

Here's where I was turned off completely....

I've heard/read/seen issues with Tracker on fit/finish. I've heard/read where people say they are not as nice as other manufactures. That's probably true bit others are higher. Get what you pay for. I'd be happy enough with a Tracker but...... if you pull out the removable storage tray....you see exposed polystyrene!!!! What!!!!! No lip to keep water out of it either. So......when the poly gets water soaked......its not going to dry out quickly. They could have at least lined it with something or made a composite base that the removable tray could fit in.

They also have a new removable cushion for an emergency life preserver. Unfinished plywood behind the seat! Just raw! No weather proofer, no anything. Just some sealant that will peal in about 12mo or less with moderate moisture exposure. Also, under the rear deck lid, there was a lot of overspray from the polystyrene. That's just sloppy. I've seen where some manufactures of glass boats glass the I side and gel coat the inside just because they want every inch to look great.

Just disappointed me. I like the boat. It would work fine for me. I was just disappointed that particular boat showed so many manufactures design flaws and finish/care issues. Granted, I could loom at another one and it could be different.

Again, i like it. I could be happy with it. But i still want a Skeeter TX190 and the wife wants a ski boat or fish/ski. I'd just asume eat hot rocks than have someone GIVE me a fish/ski. So I'm hoping the deep V could be the "compromise". I could at least fish heavily from the deep v. From what I'm hearing/reading, the deep V is the way to go if i want to be able to go across the lake with all the weekend wake makers and not beat your gibblets or annoy the family. :-)

[kjackson]

I don't want to beat the Lund drum to death, but there are fish and skis and there are fish and skis. Lund has some that don't look like a used bar of soap and will fish well. One of the Lunds I had was a 1650 Tyee that would serve as a fish and ski (it wasn't rigged to be one, though) but it was a very good fishing boat. Skeeter also has a decent fish and ski--at least the older ones I've seen were. But again, you might as well get a decent deep vee and avoid all the padded stuff and cushy rear seats in what could be cockpit space.

[WHARFRAT]

Don't just think that the Targa is a cheaper price point than say a Crestliner or Alumacraft. Last winter I was pricing boats basically for the same reason as you. BPS was pretty firm on their pricing. But the Crestliner dealer gave me a price that was more than competitive, for basically the same style boat,(I got $ on fishhawk 17.5 and an 18.5) with the exact same outboard. I really liked the features on the Crestliner a little bit better, plus, from what I've researched and heard from others, the construction is a bit better. So do talk with one of the other dealers, they seem to have a bit more leeway on price points.

And as two old poops talked about his Lund ProV, that's like the boat I've ridden in. That would be the boat of my choice. It's pretty high dollar, but it would probably last me forever.