16' hull for 25hp – boat for MN restricted lakes

I got the go-ahead to purchase a new 16′ (or so) tiller with a 25hp. I’m pretty set on an etec for the motor. I’m really up in the air about which hull I should go with. What are the drawbacks of using something that is more of a jon boat like this:

http://www.g3boats.com/gator-tough-15-dlx

vs. a more traditional v-hull like this:

http://www.g3boats.com/outfitter-v150-t

I’ve got a bit of familiarity running a lund 16’sv with a 25hp and like how it fished. I’ll be using this for remote camping and fishing on restricted lakes with 2 people. Any favorite hull you’d suggest for a 25hp?

Depends on a couple more factors. Will it ever need any portaging? What about ramps? Meaning carry downs, have to drag it a short distance to the water, or able to back it in? Remote means different things to different people.

I have two favorites and both are v-hulls for more versatility. It’s all about weight

Light for when you may have to move it by hand: 14-16 bench seat, no frills v like the Lund you referenced. Combined with a smaller motor that can be removed by one person which means not a 25hp.

If you can back the boat in with the truck. I like to have some more amenities like a floor, livewell, electronics, and close to that 25hp limit.

Had the same thoughts three years ago and went with option B.

Not sure what happened, 2nd try for the link

14′ w/25hp for restricted lakes

I like the 16′ Lund rebel hull. The lakes with the restriction are large lakes and the rebel does well in big water. Stick with a 2 stroke 25 or better yet get a 30 and a sticker kit. The Yamaha 30 3 cylinder 2 stroke and Mercury 30 efi 4 stroke push the boat well even with three big guys.

I have spent quite a bit of time in both hulls.. The v-hull I ran was a rebel also and loved it!!!

The only time we use the john is if we are going be dealing with shallow water where you will have to drag the boat or slide it off the trailer for any reason by hand. The john is a lot lighter and great in the right application. The john is a pretty rough ride and no where near as stable and big water friendly as the v hull.

If you are planning on fishing remote lakes think i would choose a more reliable motor.

Mike W wrote:

If you are planning on fishing remote lakes think i would choose a more reliable motor.

I got a good laugh out of Mike’s comment…

I recently bought a new to me Lund WC and 25 Hp Merc 4 stroke with EFI and have to say I am really happy. Boat weighs about 450 lbs and motor is about 175 lbs, so still not light but it is a replacement for the 14′ with bench seats that was just to small.

Mike W wrote:

If you are planning on fishing remote lakes think i would choose a more reliable motor.

Is there an issue with the Etec 25? All the reviews are fairly positive.

I’m not looking for a boat for extreme remote lakes, I have access to a sqaureback and a 6 hp for that.

I have owned a G3 mod v Jon boat with a 25 hp 2 stroke Yamaha . That motor was bullet proof. The boat was great however they are a rough ride. They are pretty hollow and loud as well going across the water. Than I owned a express 16 foot mod v with a Honda 4 stroke and that thing was mint. Evan going across a little chop those boats are built well the whole boat is spray foam under the aluminum so it is super solid.
However my family has grown and now I got a 18ft Lund Alaskan and I wouldn’t trade it for nothing out there. This boat is huge and can handle almost any water I want to bring it on. I fish lake vermillion and western Wisconsin also a lot on pool 4 and the st.croix. As far as the e-tec I’ve never owned one but my buddy has a 40hp and has had some issues.
I would go with the G3 outfitter if it was me they seem like great boats. Still light enough to get out and drag a little if need be for duck hunting but yet with that v hull the ride should be a bit more dryer then a mod v Jon.
Good luck on your search.
Ps. I would maybe try a Yamaha motor. Or Suzuki

Thanks for the input Matt. I’ve got a reata with a Suzuki, so my family rig is pretty set.

I was leaning towards the Etec for fwd slow speed adjustability and I liked the increased alternator output. I plan to fully rig the boat for fishing, but I’d like to be able to pull it up on shore too. I’ve seen a 16’ssv with floor and 2 seat pedestals in addition to the benches that was appealing. Is something like that an option directly from Lund?

I know I have seen some with benches. However I like the pedestal option so if I am by myself I can take them out and have the whole boat wide open.
And my wife likes it with no benches as well so she can sit on the floor with the baby.
My Yamaha has troll down. If that’s what you are referring to. E-Tecs are nice but my other buddy that owns one says he likes it however some computer went out and it was a arm and a leg to fix. I have heard they are spendy to maintain but idk

Long hours trolling seem to be rough on Etech motors. I would make sure to have some extra plugs with and know how to index them. Was also told not to run mine in temps below 45 degrees. That would solve the cold weather starting issues. Best thing about my Etech was it was easy to get rid of. It also had a fantastic warranty. Used it over and over again.

______________ wrote:

I’ve seen a 16’ssv with floor and 2 seat pedestals in addition to the benches that was appealing. Is something like that an option directly from Lund?

I think you can get the Lund SSV with a flat floor as an option from Lund but think the seats would be something you or your dealer would have to add.

I looked at the G3 15′ outfitter with a 30 hp Yamaha and really considered buying one until I found my boat used. The 30 hp Yamaha I believe is the smallest motor they make with efi and rpm adjustment is an option. I think the 25 and smaller are carbureted and don’t offer rpm adjustment. Merc and Suzuki offer efi in a 25 hp 4 stroke.

Do the 25hp mercs have rpm control? My Suzuki 9.9 kicker has been a nightmare.

Mine does not have it and I don’t believe that it is available on the 25hp Merc.

I believe the Merc motors 30 hp and under are made by Tohatsu, but not 100% sure.

I am not sure this gives you any different options as I see Tohatsu has some recent updates, but I could not tell you where to buy a Tohatsu or if it would have a price or feature advantage.

If I were to re-power the boat I have today, I think I would be looking at a Yamaha first. Not that my Merc 24 has been bad, just that the Yamaha 30 hp is a really nice motor.

Are 25hp stickers available for the 30hp Yamaha?

I really need a 25hp setup. I’ll risk the Etec and put a few extra lithium batteries into the deal for spare mayhem.

Mike W., btw, which size Etec did you have?

______________ wrote:

Are 25hp stickers available for the 30hp Yamaha?

They just might be…

I have a deep 14ft Crestliner Canadian tiller which was repowered this last spring with a 25hp etec. I had the same idea about using it on restricted lakes in and around the bwca but have not gotten around to that yet.

I really enjoyed the new motor and thought it ran great-granted it is still relatively new. I fished it from opener until late November in some chilly conditions and it never let me down. Starts reliably. Never killed even at a low idle. Trolled down nice and slow. I looked at Mercury, Suzuki and Yamahas in the 25-40hp range and thought the Etec tiller handle was the best, with power trim/tilt under thumb and the micro RPM adjuster was a nice feature too.

My boat which is relatively heavy and likely exceeds 1250# rigged was woefully underpowered with a 15hp yamaha 4 stroke when I bought it used but for a great deal. With only me in the boat (~200#) it struggled to get on plane quickly and even when it did I could barely hit 20mph going with the wind/chop. Add another guy and I couldn’t get on plane or much above 15mph. Now I think the carb could have been cleaner but…

I was really impressed with the performance with the Etec 25hp. No more struggling to get on plane with 1 or 2 guys. In fact the second body in the boat didn’t seem to phase the motor. I now top out around 26mph by myself and 25mph with a passenger.

There was a recall on a cooling system part on my motor which Hannay’s promptly took care of for me. Other than that-I really have nothing but good to say about my Etec.

Fishwater-I am in the New Brighton area and you’re more than welcome to check out the motor. It is (obviously) out of the water now and winterized but depending where you’re at an how soon you want to buy it could be worth your time. If you want to wait til open water season or put me on a bite now to our south or on the river you can see it in action.

I can’t comment much on other/newer hulls but the Lund Fury, G3 Outfitter and Crestliner Discovery are pretty similar to my boat and seem like functional boats for a variety of applications-but they are probably too heavy to move around much without a trailer.

Cheers-
Rich

Im sure you’ve considered this too but I steered away from the Yamaha 25hp 4 stroke because its the only one of the bunch that is still carburated (recognizing that some people might like that) and not EFI. The 30hp Yamaha is EFI but a big step up in price and technically not legal on certain lakes. I definitely looked at the Mercury and even the Suzuki (with a better warranty) but heard some horror stories about parts availability with the latter.

tg again

CBMN wrote:

I believe the Merc motors 30 hp and under are made by Tohatsu, but not 100% sure.

I am not sure this gives you any different options as I see Tohatsu has some recent updates, but I could not tell you where to buy a Tohatsu or if it would have a price or feature advantage.

If I were to re-power the boat I have today, I think I would be looking at a Yamaha first. Not that my Merc 24 has been bad, just that the Yamaha 30 hp is a really nice motor.

30 and under Mercs are Tohatsu,as with Evinrude 4-strokes.

Putting 25 stickers on higher HP motors,outboards do have a serial number.A good warden can find out fast that the motor is a 25HP imposter.Better off tuning a 25HP for more power.

I would go with the 25 E-TEC,most smaller 4-strokes are lacking in performance.Especially the carbed models.Mostly under heavy loads.

Full circle. If I go new, looks like I’m likely getting a mercury 25hp on either a Lund ssv16 with the bow storage and 20″ transom or Crestliner 1450 Discovery. I did get excited about the new suzuki inline 25 and really want the etec tiller handle and RPM control, but I gots to get a mercury.

Anyone know the beam of the ssv? I’m not seeing it on the web, the quick specs lists beam with no value given? What would the advantage/disadvantage be of the 15″ transom on the 16′?

How about the 25hp mercury, is the shifter integrated into the tiller handle throttle? I’ve ran a 9.9 configured that way. The motor had other issues, but I don’t remember loving the turn clockwise fwd, turn counter reverse. I’m a lefty. Any hints on min fwd trolling speed on either hull?

Any differences I should consider? I’m not worried about transporting off the trailer. I’m seeing these as pretty similar. The ssv16 + options is maybe 250lbs lighter and 1.5′ shorter? Which would you consider as more durable when log rolling up onto rock? Many thanks!

The Mercury is a great motor. The three cylinder is much smoother than the 2 cylinder motors of other brands. 2 mph in gear forward when it’s calm. Shift in the handle is a nice feature once you get used to it. Aftermarket programming is available to upgrade the 25 to a 30+ hp.

______________ wrote:

Full circle. If I go new, looks like I’m likely getting a mercury 25hp on either a Lund ssv16 with the bow storage and 20″ transom or Crestliner 1450 Discovery. I did get excited about the new suzuki inline 25 and really want the etec tiller handle and RPM control, but I gots to get a mercury.

Anyone know the beam of the ssv? I’m not seeing it on the web, the quick specs lists beam with no value given? What would the advantage/disadvantage be of the 15″ transom on the 16′?

How about the 25hp mercury, is the shifter integrated into the tiller handle throttle? I’ve ran a 9.9 configured that way. The motor had other issues, but I don’t remember loving the turn clockwise fwd, turn counter reverse. I’m a lefty. Any hints on min fwd trolling speed on either hull?

Any differences I should consider? I’m not worried about transporting off the trailer. I’m seeing these as pretty similar. The ssv16 + options is maybe 250lbs lighter and 1.5′ shorter? Which would you consider as more durable when log rolling up onto rock? Many thanks!

A few thoughts:
SSV 16′ is getting a bit big for a 25hp motor, might want to try one first as I would guess you might get a top speed of around 15 – 20 mph.

SSV 16′ is listed as a 72″ beam and SSV 14′ is listed as a 70″ beam for the current model year, but you can look at Lund’s website for old specs int he archive if you are looking at an older boat.I don’t see an advantage to the 15″ transom but that is just me. Maybe if you already had a short shaft motor or wanted to save a few lbs but I prefer the 20″ for rough water use.

I am not quite accustomed to the tiller handle forward and reverse gear switch either. I think I would prefer the traditional gear shift lever but think I will get use to this and it will be fine. No exact idea on speed with this motor combo but guessing between 1 mph and 2 mph low trolling speed.

I see that Yamaha has a new 25hp available this spring.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/hotnews/marine-outboard/all-new-lightweight-f25

Ive got a Lund Sv With s 25hp 2 stroke Yamaha. 3 guys gps at 19 mph. 2 guys 24 mph.