How much is really too much?

I’ve been fishing walleyes for 35+ years. Twenty years ago the average fisherman could spend $7-10,000 for a 16ft boat and a 50hp tiller and feel good about fishing any walleye tournament. Now, you need to spend $40-60,000 for a 20ft boat and a 200hp tiller. The way its going in 20 years, you’re going to need a 500hp tiller and a 30ft boat. In my opinion, this is too much. They are pricing the average fisherman out. They are the future of walleye tournaments. How much is really too much?

It’s all about priorities. If it’s important to you, then you’ll make sure you spend what it costs.

I spent way more than I wanted to on my new rig this year. But such is life. “It’s only money, you’ll make more on Monday.”

I’ve witnessed many tournaments won in $7,000-$10,000 boats.

As long as your not dealing with a very large body of water, I think you’d be just fine with a smaller boat. I’ve been through hell and back with my 1750 Crestliner. Although it’s not the boat I would like to fish out of, it’s all I can afford at this point in time and I sure won’t let it keep me out of the game.

Thats the nature of the beast and why I quit fishing tournaments… Justin hit it on the head… You must choose carefully the water you can handle.

I know I would have struggled with the rough water on Green Bay at the AIM last week… and I also run a 1750 C-liner with a 115 Yammy.

I did it, spent over 40,000.

I started out with a young family and had to rent boats in order to go fishing.

My first purchase was a jon boat,I worked my way up from a 14′ jon boat,to a 16′ Lund, then a 18′ Alumacraft, and now a 21′ Skeeter.
I still have three

I am constantley being asked at the boat ramps why I have a boat like that?
It gets kind of old

Is it worth it? yes. Would I do it again? maybe. Will it be my last boat purchase? I highly doubt that.

And what seems to be a theme here is, the price that I paid for each boat seemed ridiculous at the time.
Another thing is they don’t get any cheaper.
And yes I am currently contemplating buying a new rig next year.

My theory has always been that a person can have anything they want, they just need to figure out what their priorities are. I know a number of people who live in a $5,000 trailer house, drive a $1,000 car in the winter and have a $30,000 Harley.

I currently run a 17′ Alumacraft with a 50 HP motor. I would love to upgrade, but other things have become more important right now and it will be a few more years before a new boat is a reality. I refuse to finance a boat or something else that I don’t need. Just the way I was brought up, so until I have $15gs sitting in the bank, I won’t even start to look

Oh I hear yea, new boats have gone through the roof. I have done just fine buying used and now have a loaded 20 footer that cost me at least $25K less then new. It maybe 8 years old but it looks like it just came off the show room floor. I also could use a new truck but sure I’ll just find a good used one. It’s all about what you think is important. I for one find it odd seeing a new truck and boat sitting in front of a ratty old trailer house but whatever turns you on.

Those dudes that fish in those tournaments are professional fishermen. As a weekender, you don’t have a chance to win. They have the best electronics, and often sponsors whose money they wouldn’t survive without. Why spend the entrance fee to get your tail smoked. Big tournaments have become places for companies to show off their stuff. The pros have time to scout and they have a great advantage over a regular guy who fancies himself competitive enough to take it on. There are small clubs out there that have smaller deals. I used to be a member of the falling rock walleye club and they put on a few round ups each spring and fall. They were fun and you might win a small prize and some bragging rights. Even a cheap boat once in a while for first. I don’t know any boat owner that doesn’t have his or her eyes on a better rig. I look every day for that deal with the right peices. The Jones’es will always have something better. I once popped 6 big smallies on this bank right after these two dudes in 40K ranger fishing a tournament worked it over and they were mighty pissed off but didn’t have the right bait.

You don’t have to out run them – Just outfish them!!!!

Nothing is ever to much.I will always have the best I can afford.I’ve heard it tons of times how the best days of your life are the day you buy a boat and the day you sell it.Ive loved all the boats I ever owned and will own many more.Having newer,high quality designed boats with the options you need for what type of fishing you do are well worth the money if you spend real time on the water.If you dont spend enough time on the water better off to spend the money on good guides every time you go on the water.

Same here, New Truck, New boat, I will always buy the best I can afford, and will probably always keep upgrading every couple years!

There is an 1890 Warrior just posted in the classifieds that would be a very good tournament boat on any inland lake and I think its only $10,500.

Like others have said, its all personal opinion what people want to spend, but to say someone can’t be competitive in tournaments out of a smaller boats is just not true.

If you looked at pictures from the NTC / MWC tournament on Winnebago a few weeks ago, you saw everything from 14 foot beater boats with a 15 or 25 horse up to big 20+ footers with 300s. There were even pontoon boats. It isn’t the boat that wins you a tournament. If you are fishing out of a smaller rig, you just need to be a smarter fisherman and find your fish closer to the ramp. All the guys in the big boats are blowing right past a lot of nice fish close to the launch.

You don’t need a high dollar rig to win tournaments. I’ve been fishing tournaments for 40 years and have seen many “big shots” fall victim to the local in a 14″T-14 with a 9.9Merc. One of the best fishermen I’ve ever met probably win most tourny’s with a decent trolling motor on a swimming raft. Also don’t feel intimidated by these “big shots”. Go into the tourny with your winning game plan and just do it! Believe me it’s nice to hear “Who is that guy?” Boats don’t catch fish!

yes, it is necessary…..if you need to compensate for something…

My theory is when I’m on my death bed the two things I won’t be thinking are “I wish I would have worked more” And ” I wish I would not have spent X$ on a boat” but thats me!

Lot of these posts are right on the money.

I’ve been fishing the FLW Walleye Tour as a Co-Angler the last two years now and have definitely seen some interesting things.

The Miss P4 event last year, Ron Seelhoff shows up in a non-current 18′ Pro-V with a 75hp tiller (maybe 90hp?). Next event he’s in a brand new 2075 Pro-V with a 250. He fished the Championship out of the little tiller Pro-V as well. On those bodies of water, Ron had a preference to the type of boat he was using for the particular presentations utilized. Obviously he’s got some options but he did well, and chose to use, the smaller boat on certain bodies of water.

Another example is Dusty Minke is leading AOY in the West Division this year and he runs a Ranger 618T w/ 90hp Yamaha 4 stroke tiller. He’s probably the smallest boat amongst the touring guys and he’s leading AOY.

I could find more examples if I thought hard but you obviously don’t “need” or “have to have” a new 621 Ranger w/ a 300hp to compete on a high level. Although I have fished out of one and WOW!!! What a boat!

You do need to be a good fisherman with a capable boat however. There’s definitely more to it than how much you spent on your boat.

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How much is really too much?

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Only the person looking back at you in the mirror can answer that question. Like others have already stated above, it’s a matter of priorities and boats don’t catch fish. Also – it doesn’t matter what kind of boat and/or equipment that you have on it if you don’t know how to use it properly. However, if an angler thinks a $60,000 rig will help them catch more fish – more power to them and I certainly don’t judge them for it. I bought a new rig last year and I can honestly say that it doesn’t help me catch more fish. However what it does, is allow me to fish rougher conditions, keeps me more confortable and keeps me dry! That’s exactly why I bought it in the first place and not because I thought it would catch more fish.

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How much is really too much?

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Only the person looking back at you in the mirror can answer that question. Like others have already stated above, it’s a matter of priorities and boats don’t catch fish. Also – it doesn’t matter what kind of boat and/or equipment that you have on it if you don’t know how to use it properly. However, if an angler thinks a $60,000 rig will help them catch more fish – more power to them and I certainly don’t judge them for it. I bought a new rig last year and I can honestly say that it doesn’t help me catch more fish. However what it does, is allow me to fish rougher conditions, keeps me more confortable and keeps me dry! That’s exactly why I bought it in the first place and not because I thought it would catch more fish.

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Exactly X2

I don’t think I should have to explain to anyone why I have the boat I have.

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You don’t have to out run them – Just outfish them!!!!

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I agree, even the guy fishing from the old beat up lund is better off than the chump sitting on the bank.

It doesn’t have be pretty, it just needs to be seaworthy

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There is an 1890 Warrior just posted in the classifieds that would be a very good tournament boat on any inland lake and I think its only $10,500.

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Dude. I want that boat so. freaking. bad.

But, I can’t afford it right now… I have other priorities.

Sorry for the poorly worded post. What I was trying to say was: “How much will the price of boats have to go up before boat companies price themselves out of the market?” $100,000? $200,000? 300,000? The other point I was trying to make is the price of boats discouraging young people from getting into the sport?

Perch_44

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Yes, it is necessary….. if you need to compensate for something

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I think in most cases you are right on. They had a choice. Spend the money on a boat or on a shrink.

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Sorry for the poorly worded post. What I was trying to say was: “How much will the price of boats have to go up before boat companies price themselves out of the market?” $100,000? $200,000? 300,000? The other point I was trying to make is the price of boats discouraging young people from getting into the sport?

Perch_44

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Yes, it is necessary….. if you need to compensate for something

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I think in most cases you are right on. They had a choice. Spend the money on a boat or on a shrink.

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Sorry???? Then another last jab!!!

take it easy Boo

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The other point I was trying to make is the price of boats discouraging young people from getting into the sport?

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I’m not sure about that. You can find deals like this one on Craig’s List all the time, and for most kids that boat plus a couple paddles or a trolling motor on most local lakes is gonna be perfect. It’s small and light enough a couple older teens to car-top and just right to knock around most lakes in the cities and south.

New boats? Sure. Used boats are the ticket.

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There is an 1890 Warrior just posted in the classifieds that would be a very good tournament boat on any inland lake and I think its only $10,500.

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True true. Damn sharp boat too, from the looks of it. That’s a boat that will handle quite a bit of good water, no doubt about it.

But as many have already stated, it really comes down to priorities. It’s where you want to put your $. Maybe THAT’S why I’m single these days….

When it is all said and done: It is all about how you look and not how you do.

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When it is all said and done: It is all about how you look and not how you do.

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I don’t care who you are, that there is funny.

I think anyone can do well.

The tourney that got me hooked was on the pond at the wharf… as we putted towards the walking bridge, Team Cabelas (50k Ranger & Nifty Matching Life Vests ) had a total weight of 0.00lbs. My friend and I had fish to weigh and finished top 20 out of 130ish. Not too shabby. And it taught me that ANYONE can do well in these things.

One more quicky tourney story… 4-5 years ago I’m fishing the Red Door with my father in law. After day 1 we were in something like 5th place – in the money and feeling good. We went back to our trailer at Castaways that night and due to our excessive celebration never actually made it out to fish day 2! That’s some SERIOUS tourney fishin!!

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I think anyone can do well.

The tourney that got me hooked was on the pond at the wharf… as we putted towards the walking bridge, Team Cabelas (50k Ranger & Nifty Matching Life Vests ) had a total weight of 0.00lbs. My friend and I had fish to weigh and finished top 20 out of 130ish. Not too shabby. And it taught me that ANYONE can do well in these things.

One more quicky tourney story… 4-5 years ago I’m fishing the Red Door with my father in law. After day 1 we were in something like 5th place – in the money and feeling good. We went back to our trailer at Castaways that night and due to our excessive celebration never actually made it out to fish day 2! That’s some SERIOUS tourney fishin!!

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FDR