fishnkamp

Go for the Daiwa Tatula CT. The difference between a CT and a CT Type R may notbe worth the money difference, at least not for someone just getting their first new baitcaster. Both reels function the same in terms of break system, same size and frame. The differences are minor. One is cosmetic, there is a splash of red. There both have a total of 8 bearings, In the CT Type R there are two corrosion resistant bearings + five regular bearings and one roller bearing. In the regular Tat CT there are 7 regular bearings and 1 roller. Those corrosion resistant bearings will not matter. They both will be just as smooth and be fine if you occasionally see some light salt use. In both cases just rinse afterwards. Noe there is one difference in them and that comes if you were looking at a left handed 8-1 like I use for frogging, you will need to go to a Type R. I do not mean top say don't go for the Type R if you like its appearance better, I just did not want you to expect it is somehow a big jump up. The performance will be identical. I use a bunch of Tatulas, some original models, some original Tatula Type Rs, and some Tatula CTs. I am happy with performance of all of them. By the way Amazon has a supplier called ABCD. They have both of these reels from $99 to $140. I have purchased 4 reels from them, been happy with them every time. Now having seen these prices go for the Type R. The regular retail price difference is usually $60 or more, so that was what I was basing my first statement on. Either way, if you get one let me know, these reels adjust different than any other reel out there and to get it to perform you need to adjust it properly. I will give you the links to two videos that explain it easily.

You will find that they will make those loans if they are new enough. It depends on the bank or saving and loan. Shop around for the loan too, since there was differences between them when I did mine.

Hey LoweStinger I own a Lowe Stinger 170 with a Minn Kota Maxxum and about to change to a Terrova, actually a Rip Tide Terrova. If you look at that trolling motor, you deploy it by stepping on a pedal with your foot. I am going with that 80 pound model and adding I Pilot so I get the ability to steer it without standing on the foot pedal all the time. It is a very nice trolling motor, not as nice as the Ulterra but not as costly either. By the way which Lowe Stinger do you own? They were nice boats.

That is cool. I had a conversation with that guy. He should take care of you very well.

No I would stick with the used boat. That Heritage is a limited package and will cost you more overall.

Thank You, but I have to return the compliment. For me, its just fun to watch someone weed thru lots of boats out there and find the one that fits them the best. Boats choice is so personal because it requires a combination of what a person likes, what their waters require and then looking at all the possible boats available at that time. I mention my wife and I have had so many boats over 40 years, but it is because we started out fishing electric only reservoirs, small lakes with no boat ramps and small streams. My two canoes and one 12 foot jon served us well. We moved to an area around the Susquehanna river and needed more boat for safety. That is when the 15 foot bass boat ( set up like a crappie style boat) came in to play It had the 9.9 tiller motor. Next we jumped to a 17 1/2 foot aluminum bass boat and it had a 35 Merc on it. I changed it to a jet lower unit. Not bragging, I had the first jet outboard on the Susqy. This was before Suzuki, Yammy and Merc started selling them as a package. From there they grew bigger for the most part. Once we returned to MD and started fishing the Potomac and Upper Bay we needed fiberglass. Our big one was a brand new Pro Craft 20 foot fish and ski with the 200 Merc. Man I loved running wide open around 73 MPH when I could. Ironically I now have gone back to aluminum. Sort a came full circle. If I had a ton of money I would make either a Ranger Z185 or a Lund 1875 ProV Bass my last "New" boat. I love both of them. Since I am not independently wealthy and Linda keeps missing the lottery number well I keep what I got. LOL

That is why I suggested checking it out while he can compare both rigs at once.

Just a thought. Check out this boat from Lakeside Marine PA in Harrisburg. I know it has a 25 on it but you could do different decals. I did that on my old 25 Merc when I fished lake Marburg. It may be more than you are thinking about but consider the fact that the price includes a boat, seats, some electronics, a trolling motor, a gas engine and a trailer. They are asking $4000. You may end up spending more than you think. That is an older boat but a 2006 motor and a nice trolling motor. Just a thought. http://www.lakesidemarinepa.com/index.php?view=inventory&viewid=847 If you redo the decal, you could fish 20 hp lakes, electric lakes and the river. That covers all your bases up there.

Well lets start with the Tracker. It is in Fort Lauderdale so it will cost a bunch of time or money to get it. Now you need to go sit in both boats at Lakeside. Fortunately they have a large barn so weather does not matter. Call and ask to talk to Barb and tell her Bob Rampolla sent you there. She will get you in touch with her husband. Ibelieve it is her husband that handles sales) Here is the basic differences. I believe the Crestliner will be a bit wider and has one large center storage compartment up front with a side rod box. Take your longest rod and make sure it fits inside it. That boat has a 24 volt- 70# Minn Kota cable steer Maxxum trolling motor. It is the same one I own, it works great. It has two depth finders already on board. It has a 75 Merc 4 stroke which will move the boat fine. I kinda like the 4 stroke idea. This hull is basically the old Triton VT hull which ran well. Now for the G3. My experience is the G3s are a bit narrower, but you will need to see for yourself. It has one depth finder at the console and it has almost the exact storage setup my boat has. There are two large tackle storages and a center rod locker. Again try your longest rod in it. It does have a 90 Yammy on it but it is a two stroke. You will have different things to do to each motor. The 4 stroke Merc should run quieter, but i have never run one. It does have a really nice As far as quality they are close, but I would go for the Chrestliner myself. I say that but they are both much better boats than the first 4 boats I have owned. You can catch a lot of fish off both. Good Luck and let me know if I can help. If I am on my feet again by the time you go look at them, I would be happy to meet you there if you would like.

Both Gary and his son Richard are amazing, they really care about the customers a lot. I have had the privilege to talk to them a bunch. Something to be aware of if you are interested in a Dobyns rod, many anglers are not aware that they have some "Refurbed rods" for sale. These rods fall into two categories They are either used rods sent in for warranty repair such as a reel seat or guide issue, and since the rod was under warranty they replaced the rod or they were rods traded in on another model rod. These rods are completely inspected, repaired as needed and sold at a reduced price. The best part is they have the same warranty as any new rod from Dobyns. For example they have a Dobyn's "Refurbed" Fury model FR735C available. It states "good condition, trade in, no repairs needed" There is a picture with it. It is selling for $80 and shipping is included. It comes with a full warranty. A new one sells for $109.99. That means you save $30 bucks that can go towards a reel. The savings is higher with the more expensive rod lines. If you are interested click on the "store" button on the top menu buttons.

There were more Trackers built probably than other brands. The quality is good but not the same as some of the other brands. I say that, but tons of fish are caught on them. The difference many times is attention to detail or quality of components chosen for a package. Notice they usually are packaged up with 12 volt trolling motors saving Tracker money, and the owner has to buy it that way, then pay to upgrade it later. Your coworker has already done that. He has also upgraded the electronics as well as the trolling motor. The price is right and the condition is good. I would definitely take a good look at it. The "bad rap" has more to do with the packaging and some components than overall quality. The hull is not going to split or anything like that for sure. The Nitro boats get the same "bad rap" per say ( also owned by the owner of Bass Pro Shops) and yet there are tons of guys running Nitro boats that really like them and chose them over more expensive boats. My friend Andy runs one and really likes his. He upgraded all the electronics, added power poles, and made a few other upgrades. His Nitro is about 9 years old and runs and looks great. Something I would consider is this will be your first boat. That engine should push that boat to maybe 25 mph. You can easily learn on it and in a few years from now sell it for nearly the same $4000. Then you will have more experience and know what you prefer or would like.

That is a nice one and the price is about right. Notice that it says 15 amps per bank. Some of the cheaper ones say 15 amps total, which means 5 amps per bank.

iabass8 was dead on about screen size. I originally put a HB 788 and 798 on my boat when I purchased it, due in part to the images I had seen in advertisements, you tube videos etc. What I realized later is that they always show that stuff on 10 inch units (the biggest available at that time). I was sorely disappointed at the results on the 5 inch screen. Think about it this way. With side imaging you can choose to see both left and right or just one side and you get to go from roughly 30 feet to over 180 feet with many. If you choose to only see the left hand side the graph will show you a minimum of 30 feet of water in a 5 inch diagonal screen. Imagine what a 6 inch fish sitting next to a 1 foot tall stump would look like 25 feet away from your boat. There might be something on the screen, but I bet you could not be sure if it was there. It was totally useless so I sold it and purchased an Elite7. I had no side imaging but I could use the extra space to display the down imaging, 2d sonar or map. My next unit will either be a 9TI or a 10 inch HB. Thst is my 2 cents. If you have to wait and save a little e more money and get what you will really be happier with.

Forget the nice $400 baitcaster. Go with a nice Daiwa Tatula CT on a matching Daiwa Tatula rod. If you would rather you could choose one from these options: a Dobyns Fury, Powell MAX 3D or Inferno (on sale right now at Tackle Warehouse), or Irod Genesis II or Fiber. All of these are affordable and would match well. In fact you could have 2 combos for that $400.

Roughly the same boat made by two different companies. These are just well made jon boats. More important is what you are looking for and what you can afford? What type of water do you fish and what is your budget. Are you going with just electric motors, or are you adding a gas outboard?

Boy my heart goes out to you! That kind of loss so close together is a huge blow to anyone's balance in life. There are some great members here that enjoy helping others and not for just a second. I know I enjoy it when I help someone and hear back from them much later with info how they are doing. Someone helped me learn and I get to do the same and pass it on. Well bodies of water need to be considered when choosing a boat. If you had said you might make the occasional trip to say Lake Michigan, then my suggestions would be totally different. That size lake being so close to you is why you see so many deep V boats with full walk through windows I am sure. There are lots of guys on here that will chime in with their knowledge. One of those is slonezp. He runs a bigger deep V style boat than I do. Mine is very much like the two boats I pictured. The first one is nice, but I would have a professional check out the motor since it is an older Evinrude using Fichte fuel injection. They had a lot of trouble with those motors, However, there are many owners who love them. It is a nice boat so if you were interested I would talk to the owner and arrange to get a ride on it once your water turns soft again. I did not do a ton of research but dug them up in just a few minutes. I think the boat that fits your needs and fits your budget will be a 17 1/2 to 19 foot aluminum bass boat like those, but if you can find a deeper V bass boat like a Lund then jump on it. Something like a Lund Impact or if you find a Lund Renegade that would be awesome too. The Renegade is more or less the same basic boat as I showed you just built much better. Of course I am not sure how long they have made them, so I am not sure how easy it would be to find one in your budget. There are plenty of Lowe, Chrestliner, Alumacraft, Triton VT, G3, Polarcraft etc. to find. If you see a Sea Ark they are nice to. It is easier to find these boats a little south of you, but if you are really ready we will find you something nice.

Well then a place like I shared with you in Florida that rebuilds them and also has controls as well as offers installation might be your best option. Besides it might make a great short vacation. Trailer it down, have it installed and test run it in one of the local waters. Oh by the way make sure you get a fishing license and take some rods. LOL You may go down for an engine and come home having caught your lifetime personal best bass.

Hi Aaron, Welcome to the agony all first time buyers go thru. It is funny you are in Iowa because I helped another member find and buy a really nice used boat out there a year ago. Boy we worked to find him what he wanted, but we persevered and he loves his rig. First, I am going to ask a few questions that you need to think about and answer. What type of water do you most see yourself fishing? Is it small lakes, larger lakes, but not huge bodies of water, is it small rivers or perhaps rocky rivers, maybe really big rivers? All of these help draw a picture of what will work for you. If you are looking to mostly fish local it looks like you have a few mid sized lakes around Des Moines and a series of rivers there as well. Please let us know those answers as well as what would your budget might be. Now lets tackle the question "how to find a good used boat" That takes a willingness to be a detective. You need to check with dealers, Craigslist, and places like Boat Trader, etc. Because of your location you will find the deep V boats most of the time. Do not dismiss all of them. Lund, Alumacraft,Tracker, Lowe, Crestliner all make good deep vee side console boats as well as the typical Mod V bass boats you regularly think of as a bass boat. I did a few seconds of looking and found several boats I would look at. https://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/boa/d/2002-lowe-180w-bass-boat-for/6458220247.html https://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/boa/d/2007-triton-vt-17/6444558362.html Anyway I would be happy to help you further. Give me an email a fishnkamp@comcast.net Here is one more thing. A friend of mine wrote the best article about buying a used boat I have ever read. Now, when you read this it is important to understand he is a Ranger fanatic but also was looking for a BIG bass boat. It does not matter his process, and information on aluminum and fiberglass bass boats is spot on. Check out Bryan's article. I would get a glass of my favorite beverage and sit in a comfy chair and enjoy this article, it is in depth but worth evey second of the time spent. http://www.baybass.com/node/200

By the way, you said the boat had no motor. Does it have the steering control cables and the throttle control box still on the boat? If it has the throttle control box on the boat it will be cheaper to stay with that brand of used motor. Otherwise you will need a motor and controls. I would start checking with all the bass boat dealers in your area to see what they may have, check Craigslist and even E Bay. My Mercury 75 HP 3 cyl motor came from a company in Rhode Island and they shipped it to MD. My dealer charged me about $300 to be the shipping destination, take it off the pallet and install it on my boat. I paid them a few hundred dollars more to reseal the trim tilt cylinders that began leaking later and to replace a water pump and get everything working nice. It was well worth it to me since I had no idea when the motor had been service last. It came from a salt water boat so I had the zincs replaced new plugs and a few other things. I am still running that motor and it works great., Best of all I spent less than 1/2 of what a new motor would have cost. I know you said you live in NC so check NC, SC and man there are more engines in Florida so you may have to do some looking but they are out there. Check out Boat Trader. I did and came up with some rebuilt engines down in Florida. You could ship it up or take your boat down and have them do an install. They had a 2002 Yamaha 70 rebuilt with a warranty for $4200. Look here: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2002-yamaha-70-hp-102153088 Here is his inventory page http://www.boattrader.com/dealers/Outboards-Unlimited/2879864

No more like 3/8 to 3/4 plus a big trailer.

I would stay with a 75 hp to work well. The standard package was probably a 50 and options ran a 75 and a 90.

If you go with the Daiwa be sure to watch this video. Many of the Daiwa reels have a breaking system called Mag Force Z and they adjust differently than any other reel. Think of the break system like the governor of a lawn mower. Here is a video that explains what it is and how it works and how to adjust it. Otherwise you will not be happy with them. https://youtu.be/Zj-7DUpJLGI It is simple to do, but it is adjusted different than any other brand reel.

Keep your eye on Towne Marine and Highway Marine in PA as well. Both of them get nice boats in on trade and are worth the drive. Highway is near Philadelphia PA and Towne is west of there. One thing to keep in mind, often these dealers prices are somewhat set but they can and will deal on accessories. So you if they do not accept your first offer below their price you say well I really wanted this depth finder or that wizbang what could we agree on with this or that done. You may be surprised.

I had my foot surgery last week. Once this stupid foot heals I am inviting out several members from this site to fish the upper bay. I can not wait till you and I can share a boat and I can help you figure this all out. That Crestliner is a better built hull than I own even though the two companies are related.

The MVX is a fine boat to start with and here is a BIG question. Where do you want to fish the most? I ask this because you live in a state with a lot of 20 hp restricted lakes. You need to determine you fishing waters first. Every time Linda and I changed boats it was to fish certain type waters best. If horse power restricted lakes are on your list I would set up a boat to fish them, so a 20 hp makes sense. That means the MVX is even more of a better option. If you intend to fish local waters and they are not HP restricted or you intend to travel a lot then bigger hp comes in top play. Instead of going that MVX route, perhaps something like this used boat from Lakeside Marine might be an option. Keep in mind, I set my Lowe up special with a tilt/trim plate and fished my big aluminum in 20 hp waters and lakes as huge as Dale Hollow ( 60 miles long and 4 major rivers feed it. Take a look at this listing. http://www.lakesidemarinepa.com/index.php?view=inventory&viewid=858 Go check the list of options on that boat. It costs the same as the brand new MVX but has a 75 on it and some goodies. They also have a nice used 2003 G3 Guide 175 with a Yamaha 70 on it. They want $6500 for that one. I can assure you a brand new Ranger is not needed to catch fish. My first three boats were a 12 foot jon boat, and two canoes. We caught a lot of fish in all three. I was 25, newly married and living in my own town house before I bought my first aluminum bass boat. You really need to think this through, study your local waters and talk to your dad. See what waters you are going to fish and decide what you are allowed to use in them. My big Lowe hull weighs 1000 pounds and with a 20 hp outboard it ran around 18 mph. No speed demon, but with the tilt/trim plate and some tweaking my setup fished great on PA's limited HP lakes. I love Codorus State Park/Lake Marburg. By the way that dealer in Harrisburg is a personal friend that i have done business with for over 3 decades. If you ever want something she has let me know as I will call her and ask her to work with you.