Tuffy Boats…

Please give your opinion on these boats. How are they viewed in the fishing community? Are they known to be a high quality fiberglass boat? I am looking into an 06′ 1760 GT Esox Deep V w/ a 70hrse 4 stroke Suzuki…

I’ve fished out of two Tuffy tillers. Both offered nice rides. I’ve never really crawled around one, poked through the storage compartments, or thought about the rigging, so I’m not going to be much help there.

I assume you’re looking at the boat that was posted yesterday in the classifieds. When I first saw that boat, I thought, “now that would make a nice river boat”. You’d surely love that Suzy 4s tiller. If it were an 18′ boat I’d be looking at it too.

These are great boats…

I’ll echo docs’s reply, Tuffy makes a great boat (as do many other companies). They make a quality fiberglass boat. Tuffy’s parent company, Fiberdome, has been making fiberglass products for agriculture and industry for a long time, not just boats. These guys know their fiberglass. The “GT” or “G” series boats are really getting some serious attention lately. I think they provide something a little different than what other manufacturers have to offer (just my opinion). Not having a gunnel cap really opens up the interior of that boat and makes it seem bigger than one with a cap. I have owned two Tuffy 1760 Ospreys. They have the exact same hull as the boat listed in the classifieds, 1760 Esox. Very nice hull and ride for a 17’6″ boat. That hull has been around for a long time and is proven performer. If you have any other questions about Tuffy boats, feel free to personal message me and I will be more than happy to answer them.

2 guys that i fish with alot both have tuffy’s. one is a ’04 esox deep-v 1990 with a 200 hpdi, the other is a 2060 tiller with a 150 yamaha 4 stroker. living here on lake mille lacs i have a 2025 pro-v with a 225 opti. the tuffy’s are great boats. i have fished in most top brands in all weather conditions and the tuffy is nice. there isn’t a boat, including ranger, that can keep up with a tuffy in 3 footers here on mille lacs, they have a great ride. the only problem with tuffy is try and find a dealer here in minnesota that has one to sit in and look at. as far as the boats go, they are laid out for fishing, have a dry ride, and are a fast hull. that 1760 looks to me, to be a great boat. i wouldn’t think twice about pulling the trigger on that one…………tom fellegy

Tom is right about finding a dealer in Minnesota with a Tuffy on the lot to kick the tires, it’s difficult. I know West End Sports in Red Wing has an 1890 Osprey and Esox Magnum (I think?) on the lot. I believe that Riverview Sports in Elk River will have some current models on their lot shortly, if not already. Much of their dealer base is in WI. They have a list of dealers on their website http://www.tuffyboats.com I have a new 2060 that will be here in a few weeks. If anyone here on IDA ever wants to look at a Tuffy, but can’t find one at a dealer, feel free to personal message me and we’ll set something up. If this ice ever melts, we can even take a test drive. Thanks.

So, in layman’s terms. What is the difference between the Osprey and the Esox in the 2060 models??

I feel pretty strongly about giving it a good test ride before purchasing it. I hope it is still around in 4-5 weeks to do so. Thanks for the info guys! RR

I believe the only real difference in a 2060 Osprey & 2060 Esox, is the Esox model has a rear deck. Both models come with the same hull and bow/storage configuration. Both are available in a tiller, single console, dual sport console, or walk-through windshield. All other general features are the same as well. I believe the Esox is geared more for the musky angler, therefore the need for a rear deck, and the Osprey more for the walleye crowd and the need for more floor space for trolling applications. Hope this helped explain the differences.

Perfect.

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So, in layman’s terms. What is the difference between the Osprey and the Esox in the 2060 models??

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since it’s my boat in question for sale, i won’t comment on quality in general since i’m obviously pretty biased! i’ll leave it for others to offer more objective opinions good or bad for you to read, and i don’t want to turn this into an ad hoc classified.

but i can answer the question about Esox/Osprey differences. Coot has it pretty much right. regardless of model (1700, 1760, 1890, 2060):
the “Esox” line is geared for us muskie heads with the addition of a removable rear-deck extension (pops in/out in about 5 minutes via 4 bolts). it’s got gull-wing lids for below-deck storage.
the “Osprey” model does not have the deck extension, leaving the rear seat posts exposed for extra seating and a larger cockpit area.
functionally, they’re the same boat, just designed to appeal to different demographics.

one thing worthy of note: both side areas of the splashwell are coated with non-skid material and angled to the middle only slightly – allowing you to stand back there for casting. with the livewell/rear deck combined with the splashwell it’s spacious even without the deck extension.

now that i think about it, my boat is technically an Osprey model since it’s a tiller and doesn’t have the deck extension all the way across the back (it does have a partial extension/electronics lockbox). i forgot that i had them put “Esox” stickers on it since i like the smell of muskie slime. lol.

Could I ever buy a boat from a packer fan? Sounds like a pretty nice boat from what you guys are saying so I’m hoping its still around in a month for a test spin. Sounds like a nice rig for the pond …RR

Well I will add my 2 penneys here, I bought a 1890 from West End Sports, first of all Greg and Scott are good guys.

After I was all set to buy a Lund I just happened to catch a glimpse of this boat, like you say it is hard to find a dealer with one to kick the tires on, but I found one at West End and after scouring the boat top to bottom front to back, I thought it was a awsome boat, I also got a test ride in one awsome ride.

It is extremely smooth and dry, fishes nice, wiring is laid out nice for rigging.

Let me know if you have any questions

Bottom line I got one in garage