Why Lund?

I’m looking for a used boat. I’ll be striper/hybrid fishing on a 34k acre lake in Texas. After some research, I’ve decided that a 17′-20′ deep V aluminum boat fits my needs best (fishing, room for family, tubing, easy to maintain, etc.). In Texas, most people fish with glass boats and the only aluminum you see is Tracker, which I keep hearing terrible things about. I’ve been coming to Minnesota for the last 15 summers and everybody here swears by Lund. Can you guys tell me what makes Lund so much better than the others? My budget will allow me to get a much newer Tracker but it sounds like I’d be better off with an older Lund. Also, if you guys can give me an idea what models to look for within a $10k-$20k budget, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks for your input.

As a Lund owner…. when I travel to Kentucky as an example, you see far less of them. It may be a regional preference as much as anything. I like my boat – but would not argue against another brand.

The quality is there and Lund has a long-established reputation.

Lund may also owe a share of its popularity to the fact that the midwest is where they are from and where they started their dealer network. You see this a lot in boats, you won’t see a lot of Regulator or Midnight Express boats in MN, but you’ll sure see them in Florida and on the Gulf Coast.

If we’re being honest here, Lund, like almost every boat maker, has had some issues at different times, so no manufacturer is perfect. Even with Lund, do your homework because there have been some times with different models where there are some issues.

Also, be aware that there is a bias when you hear about issues with ANY brand of anything. It’s related to the number of people who own that item. With Tracker boats, they were sold nationwide, at a price point that made them attractive, so there are a LOT of them out there. Therefore the problems can be magnified and also the root cause can become distorted. Lots of guys, for example, blame a boat for what amounts to operator abuse and neglect. Bottom line is a Tracker that was maintained and is in good condition could represent a better buy than a beat down Brand X boat, even if the Brand X has a better “reputation”.

Grouse

Thanks for the info, Grouse and Chuck. I’ve thought the same thing about Trackers – that there are so many out there that the complaints may be magnified. I’ve also heard that they improved a lot a few years ago with new leadership.

Nothing against Lund boats. I have several friends who own them and they are nice boats. I do believe they are overpriced for what you get. There are several other manufactures that make as good or better boat ( IMO ) for less money. Crestliner and Alumacraft to name a few.

Have owned lunds and they are like anything else, prone to certain issues. Personally the pro v fits my needs. If I lived in the south anywhere near the gulf it’d be a flats type boat with a sun shade center console, but that’s just me. One thing irritating would be not having a local dealer anywhere close by if/when problems arise.

Max out the HP. Lunds aren’t speed demons.

Go with a pro v if fishing is your top priority. If not there are better, cheaper models for a dual purpose boat.

Make sure it has a good trailer under it with good tires.

Keep it out of the sun and covered.

I owned a 1995 1775 pro v and a friend has a 2000 Angler SS. In my estimation they are as good as you can buy in aluminum. They have a great ride compared to many others out there. They also hold their value well. I don’t think you can go wrong if you find one in good shape at a fair price. I also owned a tracker which was a good package value as a new boat but I wouldn’t buy a used one. The construction was not as good as a Lund.

The short answer, Minnesotans are notoriously brand loyal. We find something we like and stick to it forever. I’m guilty of that as well.

My family has a 94 crestliner that still works well and can say that my dad hasn’t necessarily taken great care of it. I have a 2011 Tracker and for the price has worked great. It definitely isn’t made with all of the bells and whistles or maybe the same quality of Crestliner, Lund or Alumacraft but to me that mostly applies to inside the boat. It’s more basic inside design and a few accessories are noticeably on the “economic side.” I’ve had mine stored inside at all times and to me it’s as good as the day I purchased it. Only thing that went bad was the Minn Kota trolling motor and needing new bunks on the trailer.

My personal dream boat is a lund crossover xs but that has to do more with features it offers than the fact that it’s a lund. If you take good care of your things, I don’t think you can go wrong with any brand. So I would focus on what the boat is offering you based on features, layout, etc vs. price.

I could have gone with a used lund but wanted to have something new that I new had been taken good care of from the beginning that would last me until I could afford a new lund down the road.

Good luck!

Bought a Lund Predator new in 1987. It never failed me on big waters like Eagle Lake, Lake of the Woods, L. Michigan and Ky. Lake for examples. Just bought a used 2009 Lund Explorer; deal was too good to pass on. Son has just inherited the 1987 Predator that he grew up fishing on. That’s why LUND!

I’ve owned multiple boats over my life time. First two boat were alumacrafts.
A 16′ Lunker LTD was my first then a 16.5′ Magnum 165 which I don’t believe they make anymore.
My 3rd boat was a lund Pro V 1800 SE which I guided out of for 10 yrs.

I took all three boats to fish on Lake Michigan.
I currently own a Skeeter and a Crestliner Jon boat. Love them both.

In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing about a lund that is worth the extra money you will have to pay to own one. The first alumacraft I owned was nothing more than a starter boat. As a whole, alumacraft can easily match anything lund has and if I was to buy another aluminum boat, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy an alumacraft instead of a lund.

I’ve never owned a comparable crestliner so I really can’t say how they match up overall. Especially current models. But the crestliners I road in the one year I fished on the FLW tour, (as a coangler) did not match up to a Lund in performance and ride on big water or for storage inside the boat. That was back in 2003 so things may have changed.

Crestliner and Lund are made by the same company. Crestliner has a welded hull and Lund is riveted.

Friend of mine has Lund angler side counsel and just like my crestliner tiller I used to have , it’s a very wet ride. I get soaked in his Lund whenever I go with him. My fiberglass tiller is dry compared to his Lund. Not comparing apples to apples I know but just stating facts.
Also a guy came up to me at the access last year and was wondering about my boat. he had a 5 year old Lund 20′ tiller and he said the floor was rotting. He said it’s stored inside all the time when he’s not fishing.
Just like stated before, there’s gonna be pros and cons to every boat

The biggest potental issue with tracker boats now is they underpower many of them to meet a price point. If you go that route just make sure as an example a 19′ with a 115 is most likely going to be a slug. My neighbor has a 19′ with a 150 opti and his does fine, but it comes standard with a 115.

I looked and researched a lot before buying a new Lund in 2012.
5 seasons later, I still feel I made the right choice for me.
What I felt separated the Lund was the interior layout and use of space.
I mainly fish. The storage layout does not have any “dead space”.
The other boats I looked at had areas between the storage and livewell compartments that were not utilized. Additionally the rod lockers were long enough to accommodate the rods I use. Other compartments were in a position on the boat where the size and contents of said storage would accommodate items used in that area of the boat.
I went to a dealer that had multiple boats of the target boat size
and climbed around and envisioned where I would store my gear on that boat.
That was the best thing I did.