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

Status
Not open for further replies.
 
I haven't looked at used fishing boats in quite a while. I'm surprised at how expensive they are.
 
Ryan said:
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/boa/d/2014-lund-1875-crossover-xs/6492129607.html

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/boa/d/ranger-boat/6481333543.html

I grew up with Larson boats, but that was many moons ago. This one seems well equipped.

Ryan,
Thanks for taking the time to put these links up!
These are some nice boats!

We are really struggling with the concept of putting some dollars in it and get what we want, or pick up an economical boat and live with the shortcomings. We have not figured out the retirement window yet, so not sure how much lake time we will have in the short term? and...I have also recently discovered, I am not so young anymore...did not see that coming! :( But, at least my Orthopedic Surgeon has a boat at Page, so we do get some "water" talk in...lol.

Thanks again Ryan, I enjoy your posts!
I grew up in Western Missouri, Bird hunting near Salina Kansas, and worked on a custom wheat harvest crew in Nebraska right out of High School, so your bird pictures take me back! I especially like the one close up of your dog staring at the camera with the bird at his feet...amazing shot!

BarzArz
Click to expand...
 
Just my 2 cents. I would never buy a new boat. I have owned all kinds and sizes. There are some good deals out there on used boats. Get the biggest and most powerful you can afford for Powell. Deep-V is the way to go with a wide beam. When people start moving around it makes a big difference, also it will tale rough water better. Fiberglass rides and fishes better but requires more maintenance. I went from a 21' Bass boat with a 225 HP to a 16 1/2' Tin boat with a 50 hp. It's great for local lakes but was underpowered and outgunned by big boat wakes at Powell. I have been on Powell in everything from a 15' Basstracker to a 395 Ranger and various other boats.
 
27751820_10209809720753918_8236544690457768418_n.jpg
 
that z520l with a 75hp is going to be a screamer!!!!! looks like new Basspro/Ranger /cabelas merger is out to great start advertising that stupid stuff, really nobody caught that before printing!
 
Dungee Fishing said:
We are entering our fourth year with our new boat, 1750 Crestliner Fish Hawk with a 115 Mercury four stroke. I'd love fishing off drift wood if that's all I had but I seriously love everything about the boat, the only thing I would like differently at rare times is a 150 so I wouldn't have to worry as much about weight when fully loaded with gear and people heading out to boat camp. I love the size of our boat, and like Ryan said I've never felt unsafe in it, we can also maneuver in and out of tighter coves, over and between boulders but that's how we like to fish, a bigger deeper draft boat would hinder that a bit. We fish a lot of people out of our boat, especially for how we fish, I've never seen anyone else like it ha, so we'd be crammed even on a 20+ footer but that's how we like it.

There are countless brands and countless features you might be particular too, the biggest factor for us was our fishing style. We like our deep v with the wrap around windshield (and a few other options) because it provides the most variety. We can troll out of it, cast out of it, load a ton of camping gear in it, and take on some pretty crazy weather. Many options, brands, and preferences out there but here is a list of no brainers I think every fishing boat on Powell should have and what we've loved since getting our new boat.

-Outboard Motor (and if you can help it budget wise don't go anything below the max allowed), at some point you're going to be working on your motor while at Powell, an in-board is much harder to deal with on the water plus its a massive waste of deck space on a fishing boat.
-Live-well, I cant believe we went so long without one, countless fish were lost because stringers were forgotten to be pulled in ha.
-Vinyl Flooring, easy to clean and very tough.
-Rod Locker, maybe lower on a priority list but certainly one of if not my favorite feature we now have.
-Trolling motor, at least 24 volt, and at least 80lb thrust. I'd also certainly recommend a model with a form of spot lock on it.
-Cooler space, a cooler on your boat at Powell is a must, it might be lower on the priority list but think about where you could have a dedicated spot for one while maintaining maximum fishing space.
-25+ tank, Powell is huge, even in small fragments (Hite to Ticaboo say). This one is thing that is usually out of your control based on the size of the boat and motor but just something to keep in mind.
-Maximum deck space. This one is probably more just for us and might be lower on the list, but a selling factor for us was the conversion bench seat that provided a lot of extra deck space in the back of the boat. Again this suggestion is based on your fishing style, some guys certainly value cockpit space a lot more than deck space.

Good luck, boat shopping is fun but can be overwhelming and exhausting.

Oh and on the aluminum side of things I've loved it, lighter, easier to tow, you can also beach it pretty much anywhere. Ride isn't an issue at all, maybe that's an old guy thing. ;)

Preston
Click to expand...
Yeah, easy to spot you out on the lake. Smaller boat, Lots of heads big and small, and lots of rod bending going on.
 
Ryan said:
This one looks like it has potential. The older 2-strokes aren't known for their fuel efficiency, but man 200 HP would make the ride from Bullfrog to GHB a lot faster.

https://denver.craigslist.org/boa/d/2004-alumacraft-for-sale/6503626602.html
Click to expand...

That is a modern DFI 2-stroke so it should not drink the gas like an older 2-stroke. It should be on par with the 4-strokes. It also meets tougher environmental standards as well. That could be a good buy, but be sure you look over everything really well and that you listen to the engine actually run. Unfortunately some times when you buy a used boat you're simply buying another person's problem, so be careful. I'd crawl underneath it to look at the bottom side of the hull for any signs of abuse.

One other thing you might consider is looking for is dealer leftovers - new boats that are 1-3 model years old and have been just sitting on the dealership lots. Most dealers will let these rigs go for thousands off their original price, and the best thing is you get full new boat and motor warranties. You might have to compromise a bit and settle for something that's not exactly what you've been looking for, but to save thousands of dollars off of an essentially new rig one can learn to make adjustments. That's how I bought my boat. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but I've made it work and have had many enjoyable hours fishing from it (and caught tons of fish from it as well). :)

Ed Gerdemann
 
The Larson dealer in Layton, has an FX1850, with a 150 four stroke, it has the full windshield, multi-speci model, it's a brand new 2015, for$29995.00, it was a $47995.00 boat. Might be worth checking out, they hold there value pretty good, I looked into them last year. THey come with the same warranty as a 2018 would.
 
All good advice.

I'll venture a different point of view!

For what it's worth, we have a 22.5' Bow-Rider Stingray 225LR.

It's not a fishing boat, but it's also way more capable for exploring long distances and water-sports on the lake, which are two things friends & family (and the kids) love amore than fishing.

A purpose-built fishing boat is certainly a better choice if you're confident you'll never want or need to do anything other than fishing. So if you're sure, don't put another thought into it.

But choosing a nice bow-rider that's properly equipped to fish (including a bow-mounted trolling motor) can also be a viable and affordable option that is much more versatile and the wife/family will appreciate since everyone can get enjoyment out of it.

These will usually have inboard engines with outdrives, V-hulls capable of going great speed at great distance, and tons of space and seating, room for storage, coolers, and at least 6 to 8 people including fishing gear.

We've outfitted ours with 4 x rod-holders mounted to the Bimini supports (metal rods), and various rod-holders on multi-purpose mounts from Railblaza, which you can mount anywhere you're comfortable doing so inside the boat, gunnels, bow, swim platform, etc.

It's heavy (3800 lbs fully laden), has a 54 gallon capacity giving it 150-200+ mile range, has 350hp Volvo Penta with dual prop outdrive and 60+mph WOT. We can get from Wahweap to San Juan in 65-70 minutes on clean water... (and when the wind picks up, get home before it's too rough!)

It rides well on Lake Powell, is compact enough to explore and get into pretty shallow areas, has a windshield, tons of storage, a nice stereo, and can pull wakeboard, water skiers, tubes, etc.

All things considered we'd love to have a purpose built fishing boat, but for all-purpose use and recognizing we will only have one boat in our remaining lifetime, we felt this was a great choice enabling us to enjoy the lake all year round for fishing, exploring, and water-sports with friends and family. IMG_0011.JPG
 
Another option is a fish and ski, which is built for both fishing and for family fun. I have enjoyed them for the last 36 yrs myself and often wonder why they are not more popular, best of both worlds in my opinion. Plenty of room for 4 adults and 2 children behind the windshield, rod lockers, ski locker and plenty of storage space for snacks, tackle, life jackets etc. As well as shelter from the weather. replace55.png replace53.png
 

Attachments

  • replace56.png
    replace56.png
    439.3 KB · Views: 38
  • replace58.png
    replace58.png
    334.7 KB · Views: 34
Last edited:
Well, after many months of research and great advice from you all, we pulled the trigger on a new (to us) Lake Powell fishing boat! My wife and I left after work the weekend before last, drove to Anaconda Montana, finalized the deal on the boat and headed home. Beautiful drive, nice people, we were thinking about retiring there until they described the 7-8 months of winter! lol However, that seems to fit the low hours on the boats in that area.

We were followed home (with only one stop to replace an alternator in the O'Rilley's Auto Parts parking lot in Dillion Mt.) by a 2005 Crestliner Tournament Series 202 Aluminum Fishing boat! It had most of my wish list: 20' 2" in length, 100.5" beam, 60 Gallon gas tank, walk thru dual console with windshield, 225 HP Honda 4-stroke, Mercury 9.9HP Prokicker 4 stroke, electric start and all controls from the console, 36v Minn Kota Terrova Ipilot US2 trolling motor, NW package Vinyl floor, hydraulic steering, full walk through sport top with full top set canvas enclosed, 57 gallon wet well in back...for my wife's fish..... there is an aeriated baitwell in front that should take care of mine, :cry:…. lots of storage, in really nice condition, has a bit of dock rash and some of the decorative tape covering peeling away in the bow area. All on a nice tandem ezload custom trailer with disc brakes. Oh, and on board battery chargers, stereo and speakers, older graphs on bow and console that will be replaced. we are pretty excited, should be our last boat. We still have our Tracker Bassboat. but not sure for how long...

Anyway, thank you all very much for all the great advice and encouragement, you all were very helpful and it is very much appreciated....now got to get it registered and rigged up!
The BarzArz's
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3187.JPG
    IMG_3187.JPG
    448 KB · Views: 93
  • IMG_3112.JPG
    IMG_3112.JPG
    614.2 KB · Views: 92
  • IMG_3287.JPG
    IMG_3287.JPG
    398.9 KB · Views: 90
  • IMG_3149.JPG
    IMG_3149.JPG
    386.1 KB · Views: 91
  • IMG_3184.JPG
    IMG_3184.JPG
    386.5 KB · Views: 91
  • IMG_3322.JPG
    IMG_3322.JPG
    361.8 KB · Views: 90
BarzArz said:
Well, after many months of research and great advice from you all, we pulled the trigger on a new (to us) Lake Powell fishing boat! My wife and I left after work the weekend before last, drove to Anaconda Montana, finalized the deal on the boat and headed home. Beautiful drive, nice people, we were thinking about retiring there until they described the 7-8 months of winter! lol However, that seems to fit the low hours on the boats in that area.

We were followed home (with only one stop to replace an alternator in the O'Rilley's Auto Parts parking lot in Dillion Mt.) by a 2005 Crestliner Tournament Series 202 Aluminum Fishing boat! It had most of my wish list: 20' 2" in length, 100.5" beam, 60 Gallon gas tank, walk thru dual console with windshield, 225 HP Honda 4-stroke, Mercury 9.9HP Prokicker 4 stroke, electric start and all controls from the console, 36v Minn Kota Terrova Ipilot US2 trolling motor, NW package Vinyl floor, hydraulic steering, full walk through sport top with full top set canvas enclosed, 57 gallon wet well in back...for my wife's fish..... there is an aeriated baitwell in front that should take care of mine, :cry:…. lots of storage, in really nice condition, has a bit of dock rash and some of the decorative tape covering peeling away in the bow area. All on a nice tandem ezload custom trailer with disc brakes. Oh, and on board battery chargers, stereo and speakers, older graphs on bow and console that will be replaced. we are pretty excited, should be our last boat. We still have our Tracker Bassboat. but not sure for how long...

Anyway, thank you all very much for all the great advice and encouragement, you all were very helpful and it is very much appreciated....now got to get it registered and rigged up!
The BarzArz's
Click to expand...

You will love it!

I have a 192 Tournament Series that I have been fishing from at Powell since 2008 and it is a great fit.

John
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top