LP Fishing Boat suggestions/ideas? seeking input...

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I fished LP in an old Lund 1850 tyhee for a few years and it worked well but there is a trade off with every boat option. I upgraded from the Lund to a pocket cruiser - a Sea-Ray 250 with twin engines and a 100 gallon fuel tank. It was very comfortable, would haul a ton of camping gear and passengers and would blast through the chop. It's downfall was it was a substandard fishing platform, hard to handle in tight spots and shallow water. Now I've gone back to a smaller boat, a Crestliner 1850 super hawk but I've only had it out once on LP. I know that I prefer an outboard engine because winterization is so much easier and I like to fish a few different Idaho lakes late in the fall when freezing becomes a concern.
 
BarzArz,
You have received a wealth of great advice that matches nearly perfectly with the criteria Mary and I used 3 years ago when we sold our 16 ft Boston Whaler and bought a used 21 ft North River Seahawk for our retirement boat. We fish over 100 days per year, mostly trolling for salmon in Colorado but about 50 - 60 days on LP. A bigger boat and engine to match make LP much more enjoyable. Perhaps AL doesn't ride as well as glass but upkeep is a snap. With a 1/4 inch welded hull we don't hesitate to beach the boat, even on gravel. Our boat had a lemon size dent, probably from a dock very hard, when we got it, so we've never worried much about a few more scrapes and bruises. A non-slip, not carpet, easily cleaned deck was a must for us.

So far no one has mentioned camping on the boat, which you might not have considered as an option. Our open rear deck easily accommodates two air mattresses and we can put a 65 qt Pelican cooler on each side bench seat. Combined with a Honda generator, electric skillet, 5 gallon bucket with approved bags for human waste and we are good for 10 days on LP. We only go ashore to tie a line to the rocks when anchoring for the night and to take day hikes. With a 70 gallon fuel tank we have a 225 mile range, so we frequently fish Good Hope and the upper San Juan on week+ trips. The two biggest downsides for a boat like ours are windage when working the shore for bass and initial cost. We found the cost of a new North River prohibitive but eventually found in Oregon a little used, 8 year old boat with new Yamaha 225 for about 1/2 the price of a new, tricked out 20 ft Lund. Each trip to LP is 700 miles for us, so a good trailer is important. I'd recommend a galvanized or aluminum trailer, sealed hubs and electric over hydraulic disc brakes.

Have fun picking out your boat.

Roger
 
Just a thought... I purchased my '92 Maxum 2300 for 5 grand. I put tires on the trailer, a new GPS / fish finder, a large swim deck and some new vinyl here and there. It has a pump out head, fridge and sleeps 6 (if you like each other). With the metal carport I put up for it, I am still into Powell for less than 10 grand! If it sinks, I already got my money out of it (60+ days at Powell)...
 
Thanks again for all the great information!
Some great boats in the links also. Most of them are out of our current budget for a fishing boat, lol.
Just for fun, I got on the Lund site and did the "Build your Boat" exercise for my ideal fishing boat...so I got that settled. Now just have to dig through my container I throw my pocket change in when I change clothes and see if I have $87, 000 accumulated yet!!!:)

In the meantime, I will keep looking!

Thanks again to all of you for your input and great suggestions!
It is greatly appreciated.
 
kokanee64 said:
BarzArz,
You have received a wealth of great advice that matches nearly perfectly with the criteria Mary and I used 3 years ago when we sold our 16 ft Boston Whaler and bought a used 21 ft North River Seahawk for our retirement boat. We fish over 100 days per year, mostly trolling for salmon in Colorado but about 50 - 60 days on LP. A bigger boat and engine to match make LP much more enjoyable. Perhaps AL doesn't ride as well as glass but upkeep is a snap. With a 1/4 inch welded hull we don't hesitate to beach the boat, even on gravel. Our boat had a lemon size dent, probably from a dock very hard, when we got it, so we've never worried much about a few more scrapes and bruises. A non-slip, not carpet, easily cleaned deck was a must for us.

So far no one has mentioned camping on the boat, which you might not have considered as an option. Our open rear deck easily accommodates two air mattresses and we can put a 65 qt Pelican cooler on each side bench seat. Combined with a Honda generator, electric skillet, 5 gallon bucket with approved bags for human waste and we are good for 10 days on LP. We only go ashore to tie a line to the rocks when anchoring for the night and to take day hikes. With a 70 gallon fuel tank we have a 225 mile range, so we frequently fish Good Hope and the upper San Juan on week+ trips. The two biggest downsides for a boat like ours are windage when working the shore for bass and initial cost. We found the cost of a new North River prohibitive but eventually found in Oregon a little used, 8 year old boat with new Yamaha 225 for about 1/2 the price of a new, tricked out 20 ft Lund. Each trip to LP is 700 miles for us, so a good trailer is important. I'd recommend a galvanized or aluminum trailer, sealed hubs and electric over hydraulic disc brakes.

Have fun picking out your boat.

Roger
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Kokanee64,
Thank you very much for your information, that is pretty impressive and I think fits pretty well with what we would like to be able to do!
That gives us more excellent information...
Thank you very much for taking the time to share this!
I hope we run into you along the way!!
 
Just a thought... I purchased my '92 Maxum 2300 for 5 grand. I put tires on the trailer, a new GPS / fish finder, a large swim deck and some new vinyl here and there. It has a pump out head, fridge and sleeps 6 (if you like each other). With the metal carport I put up for it, I am still into Powell for less than 10 grand! If it sinks, I already got my money out of it (60+ days at Powell)...
Click to expand...
BSBOULEVARD,
Thank you! we have actually given that approach a bit of thought as well, and I think it has a lot of appeal, especially in the fish per dollar calculation! I like it!
Thanks again for input!
 
I have a 20' Champion bass boat. Advantage is it is good in rough water and goes 70mph. My buddy has a Ranger Reata which was designed for walleye fishing in the great Lakes. That is much deeper and very solid in rough conditions. It is fairly fast and holds more people. The heavier glass boats do better in rough water IMO and I have had both. There are some great deals on the used Reatas around the west as bass fishermen don't really want them.
 
BarzArz said:
Thanks again for all the great information!
Some great boats in the links also. Most of them are out of our current budget for a fishing boat, lol.
Just for fun, I got on the Lund site and did the "Build your Boat" exercise for my ideal fishing boat...so I got that settled. Now just have to dig through my container I throw my pocket change in when I change clothes and see if I have $87, 000 accumulated yet!!!:)

In the meantime, I will keep looking!

Thanks again to all of you for your input and great suggestions!
It is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Ha, that's how it starts first you build a lund then a ranger then Triton then a skeeter etc and the next thing you know there's a shiny new boat sitting in the garage . happy shopping.
 
Ringer said:
My buddy has a Ranger Reata which was designed for walleye fishing in the great Lakes. That is much deeper and very solid in rough conditions. It is fairly fast and holds more people. The heavier glass boats do better in rough water IMO and I have had both. There are some great deals on the used Reatas around the west as bass fishermen don't really want them.
Click to expand...
This ^^

Ranger isn't just a "bass" boat maker.

I have a Ranger Reata 1850LS. I LOVE IT.
We regularly have 4 people in the boat, and troll 3-4 rods. 4 guys going bonkers over a boil isn't a total cluster.
I can sit 6 people behind the windshield in seats.
I've had 7 anglers at the dam and Navajo doing the bait thing for stripers. It works.
The boat handles Powell great. It cuts through the waves nicely. It's a great ride.
The 150hp 4-stroke is nice. It's quiet, and fuel efficient. I do, however, wish I could get a little more than 40mph out of it. It's hard to watch those guys with the 300hp's zip by doing 60 when you're trying to get from Bullfrog to Trachyte. But I love packing the boat with all our camping gear for a multi-day camp trip. I have tons of room.

The front and rear decks are awesome. I'm not a bass fishermen. I'm a flyfishing trout guy. The front deck is a perfect fly-casting platform. And the rear deck works too. The entire boat is configured great for those looking for a boat for general fishing.
My wife and kids like it too. It handles pulling a skier / wakeboard / tube / kneeboar nicely. It actually puts out a nice wake for those sports.

My biggest gripe with my Ranger is: It's too nice! When it comes time to beach the boat, I break out in hives and a cold sweat. If the wind blows, I sit up all night long in the tent watching the boat. She's my baby.
 
Meatwagon said:
Ha, that's how it starts first you build a lund then a ranger then Triton then a skeeter etc and the next thing you know there's a shiny new boat sitting in the garage . happy shopping.
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LOL, Meatwagon, before this is all over, you may be the one that hit it on the head...lol

The growing question for us...
Do I retire, so I have time to fish???
Or keep working, so we can afford to fish???:confused:
 
Wayne,
The last time you announced your retirement date it was 2052. did you transpose a couple numbers in your latest announcement?
Inquiring minds want to know since plan to be at your retirement party!! Chuck
 
cfulton said:
Wayne,
The last time you announced your retirement date it was 2052. did you transpose a couple numbers in your latest announcement?
Inquiring minds want to know since plan to be at your retirement party!! Chuck
Click to expand...

I transposed those numbers the first time when I said 2052 when I actually meant 2025. That gives me 50 years total managing the Lake Powell fishery. Check with me in 2024 to make sure I can actually give up the best job known to man just because I am getting a bit older.
 
wayne gustaveson said:
I transposed those numbers the first time when I said 2052 when I actually meant 2025. That gives me 50 years total managing the Lake Powell fishery. Check with me in 2024 to make sure I can actually give up the best job known to man just because I am getting a bit older.
Click to expand...
well said. I loved it for ten years while working on the lake. Somehow I have forgotten the storms, feeling like my chair is flipping over when I got home, The dicey night time stuff,all that. I loved it and I know you do too. 50 years managing the fisheries is unbelievable. Getting paid for what you love is the E ticket ride for sure.
 
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