I came across a 1994 lund 1850 tyee gran sport with a 4.3 merc cruiser, 74# power drive min kota trolling motor. This boat is in very good condition with new paint job, new custom cover, side curtains, bimini top. Price is around $8,000 or less. Is this a good boat to walleye fish out of? Any comments would appreciated. Thanks.
I had a 1993 1850 Tyee GS. It was an excellent walleye boat. Mine had a 150 Yamaha outboard which worked very well with that boat. I’m not much of a fan of IOs for a fishing boat. An outboard is just much easier to take care of. Plus they are usually more economical to run.
If you havenever had an inboard before then you will find that they have to be winterized each year the bearings gone thru on the lower the bellows checked for leaks the maintenance is expensive then where do you put a kicker on the back? the back makes it harder to bring fish in because its higher. They ride great in big waves are very wide and its a Lund thats a plus there really isnt a lot of room in the back do to the engine I think in the long run they are nice boats but you would be better off with an outboard but for a family boat they are great pull tubes and skiers.sit in it take a pole and see what you think pretend your bring in a fish just get a good feel then make your decision
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An outboard is just much easier to take care of. Plus they are usually more economical to run.
Hmmmm, not sure about that one. Show me a 385 HP outboard that gets 7 MPG like my Wellcraft with the 5.8 efi V-8 Mercruiser. At worst, the 4.3 will be the equal of any 4 stroke outboard of similar HP, but good luck getting a rig of that age with a 4 stroke for 8 grand.
It is true that the I/O needs to be winterized. While you CAN do this yourself, it’s a mess and a hassle and you have to get it right or it’s busted block time. For that reason, many choose to outsource it.
Below-the-waterline items also need to be inspected. bellows and gimble bearing inspections are easy, but eventually the all need to be replaced. Weather or not this is more or less expensive than whatever maintenance would have had to be done on an outboard of the same age is debatable.
The nice thing about I/Os is they are smooth, quiet, and fuel efficient. Turn the key and off you go. If it’s an EFI, then actual engine maintenance is as close to zero as you can get. Change oil/filter.
The downside is that they draft more water because the outdrive cannot be run trimmed as high as an outboard because doing so runs the drive shaft at an extreme angle and is very tough on the U-joints. So for getting out of shallow areas, you’re going to need deeper water in an I/O.
I would agree about the fishability concerns. This was ultimately why I got rid of my Crestliner Sportfish. It was just too high above the waterline.
The question is how much is the ride quality and quiet operation worth to you.
Grouse
I had a 4.3 and it was a great boat, big water, family. Would be a great docked boat or Lake Erie. For general in out fishing not the best. I do disagree with gas consumption. Mine outdid all of the outboards by quite a bit. Heavy to tow.
I have had a Tyee I/O for 10 years. Its a great family boat for whatever type of fishing you do. I am scared of water so I feel secure in it on the big lakes in Canada. I don’t think they take any more maintenance than an outboard and mine does very well on fuel. I had a mount for a kicker on mine for a while and used a 15hp Johnson, but removed it and depend on my IPilot on the MinnKota. it will idle down and troll a little under 3mph if I use the big motor. I replaced the entire lower unit last summer after a little mishap in Canada and that is all I have spent on the old girl since I got it.
Thanks to everyone for your comments. I am in the market for a larger boat so just started looking. I have fished out of a ws-16 lund with a 40 hp for many years.
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