Boat comparisons, your thoughts and opinions!

Hello!

I am new to this forum however I have been watching this website for over a year. I am just now getting around to posting some questions.

I am wondering what everyones opinions are regarding the best fishing boat to purchase. I have 4 kids (16, 14, and 3.5 year old twins)

I am looking for (probably a new) 18-20 ft, Lund, Crestliner, or Alumacraft boat. I would like it for doing things with the kids, fishing, pulling a skier, cruising with friends etc…

I have been looking at different boats for a couple of years and have been leaning towards a crestliner mirage 1800 or 2000. I don’t know a whole lot about them and am looking for some tips. I grew up fishing out of a Lund Tyee and a number of my friends have alumacraft.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give me!

Opened a can of worms here this should get interesting!
Lund for no other reason than thats all I have used

Oh ya welcome to the forums!

A Crestliner Sportfish should accomidate the entire family well!!!

You’re going to get a lot of very brand loyal answers here. The only person who can really answer this question for you is you. Find dealers who are willing to get you a test ride in the rigs you’re looking at.

Find dealers with good reputations for excellent customer service. Find dealers who put your wants and needs ahead of their sale. All the brands that you mentioned make very nice rigs, compare them (climb around inside of them, drive them if possible) and compare dealers. That’s more important than somebody elses opinion.

You are the one who’s going to be making the payment on this rig, shouldn’t you be the one who gets to have the fun of picking it out and making the decisions.

As I stated earlier, they all have nice rigs and I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them. Enjoy, and teach those kids to enjoy for years.

Welcome aboard, cuz. I’ve run Crestliner and Lunds and liked both so I’m no help.

By the way, you eat lutefisk, right?

Ive had Lund my whole life and just got my first Alumacraft last spring. IMO Alumacraft is the best bang for the buck..

All 3 manufacturers you have listed make quality boats and I wouldn’t have a problem with a boat from any one of them. Since I have an Alumacraft I will cast a vote for them.

All that aside welcome to the site!

Eyehunter

I think the first thing you need to consider is the size and bodies of water you are going to fish. Big lakes like Mille Lacs, Leech, Winni, etc, I would go with either a deep v aluminum, or a fiberglass boat like a Warrior, or something similar.

If you are going to be hitting local lakes, a smaller boat with less draft may be a better option and get you into lower waters. There are better guys to answer that then me on this site.

I run a 16.5′ Alumacraft with a 50hp on it. I would prefer it to be bigger, and to have a Yamaha motor on it, but most if not all new motors will work great for what you are doing. I would not go with much less then the boats rating for HP, as you can always back off the throttle if needed.

Personal preference is going to come into play big time on this, as what I like, you may not.

Good luck with you purchase, and welcome to IDA .

Thanks for all the posts already! I should maybe rephrase this a little bit. Those are the 3 brands I am looking at. I liked the last post regarding type (Deep V, engine size, etc…) for different types of lakes. I could be on some larger lakes like Mille Lacs. Woman Lake is a strong possibility. Otherwise just on some of our smaller lakes here in southern MN.

I understand being biased towards a brand. (for instance I ride polaris snowmobiles)

I leave near Mankato Minnesota, who or where are some dealerships that you know of that have good reputations?
Thanks again for all the quick replies!

Don’t you guys work? *laughing*

I just bought the Crestliner 1700 Mirage w/ 115 merc opti, and I love it. The options of this “fish-n-ski” are like no other i’ve seen. Great fishing boat

Also, if you want a 20′ boat this one just gets better

Where did you purchase your crestliner? I am not too familier with many dealers. CrystalPierz?? Thoughts?

I would like little larger boat since I could have 5-6 people with me all the time. Like the room!

no matter what brand you choose what you really need to look for are the little things in the design as in wieght distribution (weres the gas tank, weres the live well, were do all the batteries go if they are all towards the back of the boat and then you through a big motor on you will have a wieght distrabusion problem)that being said take the hole family shopping for the boat pile in and see what works best, take some buddies along pile in see how it feels everybody looks for differant things, this is the approach i took about a year and half ago and seen some things i never would of thought of.
good luck

P.S. i bought an alumacraft and couldn’t be happier

I would talk to LaCannes in Faribault

I have a Lund and it’s a great boat. But, Like these guys have said, all the brands you mentioned build good boats. With a large family and fishing large waters, just make sure you get a boat that is large enough. Although the full windshield can get in the way when fishing, it is sure nice for the wife and kids to be protected from the water and wind. Consider that option. Probably the most important factor in your buying process is which DEALER to choose, not which brand. Ask around to find out who is the best dealer in your area. Make sure they have good service after the sale. We have a few site sponsors here who sell boats and they might be a good place to start (look to the top navigation bar under “boat dealers” on this page). Otherwise, post the question here and ask members who they trust when they go to purchase a new boat. Good luck in your search!

I have a Lund 1800 Fisherman. I can tell you that it works well for me and I have a similar sized family. Even the twins part of it that are now 5. They really love the flip up seats in the back. They think I put these in just for them. The in-floor rod storage is also nice to keep the mess and hooks from becoming a problem with alot of people in the boat.

I 2nd La Canne’s in Faribault, they handle Alumacraft and have the best prices and service in the area.

I live near Mankato, too. I bought my Crestliner at Mapleton Marine. At the time, they were significantly cheaper than some of the others around. They were good to work with, too. I’ve never had a problem with the boat so I can’t speak to the service or anything, but I’d give ’em a call.

I’ve had an Alumacraft, fished out of Lund boats and now have my second Crestliner. I like them all, but liked the price and features of the Crestliner. I don’t think you can go too wrong with any of them.

I would agree with WIMWUEN first and foremost find a dealer that will provide the best service, is pleasant to deal with and allows you to talk with a mechanic when you have issues. (The guy with the wrench in his hand in the back) There is nothing worse than explaining your issue or problem to someone that does not understand or could possibly not correctly translate your explanation, only to have to go back or have something redone.

I have owned both Lund & Crestliner and was much happier with the Crestliner. I own a Triton now and would never go back to a tin boat regardless of the water I fish. As far as motors do not under power whatever boat you buy. Match the max rating on the plate. I own a 225 HO E-tec and absolutely love it and would recommend one in any size. If you are set on a four stroke, Suzuki is the only way to go.

Good Luck

Must at least look at G3 you will be pleasently surpised As Tuckner will atest to!!!Any ?s shoot me or Tuck a PM

Fishcrazy is right on when he says don’t under-power your boat. Bottom line is that is the most important thing. I am partial to Crestliner because it is the only boat I have ever seen in which you can hit a wing dam at forty and do literally only minor damage.

No complaints about Lund. Several friends own them and the boats have been fine. Alumicraft is a bit less and although my son purchased a new one this spring I would not recommend them. My last experience was going out with a guide from Lake City in one that leaked. My alumicraft Jon Boat has also developd leaks.

Unless you are confident in whom you are dealing with I suggest Smitty’s Marine. They carry all but Crestliner and are reasonable, direct and provide goood service.

Finally, I have no relationship to Smitty’s, but did negotiate on a purchase with them this spring. My reason for not buying from them was my location (Milwaukee) and they did not handle Crestliner. Nonetheless, they are good folks and my next purchase might well be from them.

Not to mention another brand here (or start a fiberglass vs. tin discussion), but take a look at the Ranger Reata 1850 (they also have bigger models). It is their fish/ski model. It seats 6. It handles big water well and isn’t too bad to get into smaller lakes either. I found it to be reasonably priced compared to the other brands. I spent a year deciding between Lund and Ranger and I am very happy with my Reata. My only complaint is I didn’t max the horsepower so I would agree to make sure you do that with whatever boat you decide on.

Good luck!

I’ve owned an Alumacraft Tourny Pro before, and I thought it was a very well built boat, and I would put it up against most any other boat. I own a Crestliner FishHawk now, and I really like it too, and also think it’s a well built boat. I’ve only fished out of a Lund a few times, but their reputation precedes them. I think they’re all very high quality boats, so I think some of the more important things you might look at would be the floor layout, engine choices, options, stuff like that.

If you want some real entertainment, though, go into a Crestliner dealership and ask why you would go with a welded hull over a riveted, and vice versa when you go into an Alumacraft/Lund dealership. You’ll get some great answers!

I have a Crestliner 1850 with a 150 Yamaha. Love the boat and would recommend it in a heartbeat. However…. Since I’d have a difficult time getting it with the Yamaha, I’d look at the Alumacraft. I would also take a very hard look at the G3’s. They seem to be a very good boat.

I was in your same spot two years ago. I have two kids and a wife who love to fish and play on the water. I also take fishing trips with the guys a couple times a year to the missouri river and LOW. I settled on the Crestliner 1850 Sportfish with a 150 Yamaha HPDI. It has a conversion bow and a bench that flips down. It has 6 peds in the rear(two under the bench)of the boat and one in the front for pedestal seats. Two livewells. It planes plenty fast for skiing. It is carpeted all the way back to the transom sides, so getting in and out of the boat is easier than in a Lund. My wife likes the look of the boat. She thought the Lund and Ranger are too much of a pure fishing boat. My brothers both own a Ranger 620 and Lund Tyee. Very spacious boat. My only complaint was the rod storage. Mine is a 2004, and it has side rod storage which is tight getting rods in and out, so I built a rod and net holder to clamp on one of the peds. Anyway, I bought mine late september also, which I feel is a great time to find a closeout or a newer used boat. If you buy new, make sure the dealer does not skimp on the trailer. If you go with an 18′ or larger, I would suggest that it has trailer brakes. We have been very pleased with the Crestliner, and have had some great family outings in it.

Look at this G3 V185 that is being sold by IDA supporter Paul Kanz in Red Wing. I ran this boat guiding and in walleye tournies this year. You can fit 4 people in here very nicely and safely with the higher sides and full windshield. It also comes with a T-8 kicker, and a F-150 Yamaha 4 stroke!
Dollar for dollar, G3 offers a lot of bang for the buck!

Thanks again for all the responses! I really appreciate it! I actually stopped in Mapleton this afternoon and looked a bit. The salesman there was preoccupied so I didn’t get to see much but it was nice to see the boats he did have.

Just to throw this out there. What are thoughts on pontoons? (wife asking… not me)

Thanks so much again!

Click here Look for a layout that fits your use. You can fit a lot of folks on them, but trailering and launching can be a bummer, unless you plan to keep it on a lake somewhere. Plus think of storage. That is a lot of boat to put away somewhere for winter.

Do you have a relationship with your local dealer? What boats does your dealership carry?