Hybrid Multi-Species Options?

[FryDog62]

Best out here IMHO are the new Lund ProV Bass and the Tuffy x-190.  One aluminum option, one fiberglass.  What other models have layouts like this that are good for bass but also other species - walleye, muskie, trolling, etc?  

[Angry John]

I want a g3 aluminum boat. A few models would be good for both.

[FryDog62]

I also like the Alumacraft competitor but not sure the front deck is big enough like the x-190 or ProV Bass..

[Tim Kelly]

The Lund Pro guide tiller series have good front decks, but not much of a rear deck.

[slonezp]

[slonezp]

Ranger has a new model this year the Z522D http://rangerboats.com/models.cfm?gid=5&mid=7359

[FryDog62]

Very nice Ranger... a guide I went out with just ordered one...  great bass platform but I'm not sure it will be good trolling for walleyes or muskies, unless the additional length keeps it from spearing.  Then, there's the price tag too (ouch)!

[South FLA]

Surprised how bay boats aren't considered when discussing multi-species boat options.  A 20-24' bay boat with a dead-rise of at least 15 degrees will do everything you want to do and more, Key West makes a 19 degree 'bay reef" boat that would be an awesome multi-species boat up north.  Non-skid decks can get slippery when icing occurs, is an argument against them, but with the new deck materials like SeaDek and HydroTurf slippery iced surfaces are solved. 

 

Will bay boats, take over the multi-species market, I don't think so, but they should be considered as an alternative to "multi-species" boat offerings, YES!

 

EdgeWater,  Everglades, Grady-White,  Yellowfin, Pathfinder, Ranger,  Skeeter, Sterling, and Key West are some that should be considered. 

[FryDog62]

Bay boats are awesome and if I fished big water mostly I might consider.  I'm in the land of 10,000 lakes and most are medium sized...and I fish rivers a ton because they get much less pressure.  So, for me a 17-19 foot multi-species would get into shallower rivers well and out on a much bigger body of water like Mille Lacs or Rainy Lake occasionally.  

 

Wish they still made the Ranger 618 VS !!  Hard to believe no other boat maker has a boat like that any more

[slonezp]

Recon has a nice platform. Joe Bucher has been fishing out of one for years.I looked at one With the new etec at last years local boat show. They're not cheap either. Charger has a nice boat.  If money were no object and big water was my drug of choice. I'd go with the new ProV GL 

 

Lund and Ranger have it dialed in. I believe the problem Lund has had in the past is with marketing. They are a huge name in Canada, the Midwest, northeast and northwest and almost unheard of anywhere in the south, and they have never been able to tap into the bass market. They may have difficulty with the new boat as well. Lund will need to convey that their boat is not similar to an aluminum bass boat nor is it in the same class as a 18-19 foot glass bass boat. They will need to figure out how to justify the pricetag. If a person is in the market for an 18-19foot bass boat with a 35-40k pricetag, most will opt for the glass rig. If I worked in their marketing dept, the first thing I would do is compare an 18-19ft glass hull to the ProV Bass hull while they are sitting side by side on their trailers. The Lund is a deep v at the bow and a modified v at the stern. It loses some of the big water performance that a true deep v would have and gains some of the "speed and handling" performance a bass boat has.  I think this is the message they need to convey for this "go at it" to be successful. A mid 60's boat that will never spear a wave is a good selling point.

[FryDog62]

Yes, I would definitely add Recon to the list... from what I have seen anyway.  I've seen JB on his TV show and like the looks of that boat.  What I'm not sure I like is the fixed passenger  seat.  I'm not sure that would fly (especially in the smaller 17 footer, could be a bit cramped) otherwise really like the boat.  I'm in Minneapolis and have yet to see one in a show room or on the water.  Wish Recon would attend our Boat/Sport Show in the winter... I think they could actually build a following in this area.  

[carlm01]

There's many options out there, just do your research ........

[WIGuide]

Have you looked at the Ranger Aluminum boats? This one looks like it'd fit your needs nicely.

[slonezp]

Downfall of that boat is the HP rating. Honda is the only motor option to max out the HP Otherwise it's a nice platform. Very roomy for a 17 footer. I saw one at the boat show a few years back 

[WIGuide]

Downfall of that boat is the HP rating. Honda is the only motor option to max out the HP Otherwise it's a nice platform. Very roomy for a 17 footer. I saw one at the boat show a few years back 

That's a bit of a downfall, but you can still get a 135 Honda, and they have 135 Evinrude listed on their website as a power option. It's funny though because in that range, they didn't seem to sell a lot of those motors in between the 115 and 150. Like on my boat for example (Ranger Sport R70). It's rated for a 130, but if you're looking probably 19 out of 20 of them have a 115. Johnson/Evinrude had 120's/130's Mercury had the 125's, and Yamaha had 130's so it wasn't that they weren't available then, people just didn't spend the extra to get them.

[slonezp]

That's a bit of a downfall, but you can still get a 135 Honda, and they have 135 Evinrude listed on their website as a power option. It's funny though because in that range, they didn't seem to sell a lot of those motors in between the 115 and 150. Like on my boat for example (Ranger Sport R70). It's rated for a 130, but if you're looking probably 19 out of 20 of them have a 115. Johnson/Evinrude had 120's/130's Mercury had the 125's, and Yamaha had 130's so it wasn't that they weren't available then, people just didn't spend the extra to get them.

Merc used to make a 135  and I have heard rumors they may bring it back.as a 4 stroke using the same block as the 150. Erude doesn't list a 135 on their website.

Only reason I know Merc used to make one, there is a Smokercraft moored where I launch my boat on the Wisconsin River. Has a 135 but I don't know if it is an ELPTO or Direct Injection motor. If I had to guess by the graphics, the motor dates early to mid 2000's 

[WIGuide]

Merc used to make a 135  and I have heard rumors they may bring it back.as a 4 stroke using the same block as the 150. Erude doesn't list a 135 on their website.

Only reason I know Merc used to make one, there is a Smokercraft moored where I launch my boat on the Wisconsin River. Has a 135 but I don't know if it is an ELPTO or Direct Injection motor. If I had to guess by the graphics, the motor dates early to mid 2000's 

Mercury made the 125's and 135's in both the ELPTO and Opti series. E-rude doesn't have it on their website, but on the Ranger website they still have it listed as an option so I don't know if they have holdovers or the website isn't entirely up to date yet or what. 

[FryDog62]

Good discussion, if I had to rank my top 3 for the multi-species category they would be:

 

1) Lund Pro-V Bass

2) Tuffy x-190

3) Recon

 

Tough call between the Lund and Tuffy, I've been a glass guy for years now... could go either way.

[Puggz]

Best out here IMHO are the new Lund ProV Bass and the Tuffy x-190.  One aluminum option, one fiberglass.  What other models have layouts like this that are good for bass but also other species - walleye, muskie, trolling, etc?  

 

I was in the same boat (haha) as you last year and I ended up buying a Larson 1750fx. Its a dual console, has a very large casting platform, and a deeper cockpit area than a bass boat.  I use it for walleye, pike, bass, and muskie and it will get a pair of downriggers next spring for Lake Erie.

 

I compared it to a Lund Impact the same day.  The larson was more fun!  The front deck is also higher, more like a bass boat.  And its Glass!!!

 

Everyone I take out compliments me on how dry the ride is and the performance.  I get just over 50 WOT and it cruises great in the low 40s.  Specs are as follows:

 

2013 Larson FX 1750 DC sport package.

Merc 150 4 stroke

Merc 9.9 Pro Kicker

MK Terrova 80 with iPilot

HB 858c HD Di (helm) - Upgrading to a Helix 9 w/SI

HB 859 (bow)

Navionics +

MK PC345 on board charger

 

Sure its no Ranger FS, but its almost 1/2 the price!

 

Good luck with search. 

[basscatcher8]

Sorry to drag this one back up but I'm starting to really look at the tuffy x190. Looks perfect for bass fishing and is setup in the back for trolling. Has the rails back there you can mount your rod holders to and just go. I also like to travel south a lot to fish and enjoy having something different. I don't see any of them around this area.

[slonezp]

7 minutes ago, basscatcher8 said:

Sorry to drag this one back up but I'm starting to really look at the tuffy x190. Looks perfect for bass fishing and is setup in the back for trolling. Has the rails back there you can mount your rod holders to and just go. I also like to travel south a lot to fish and enjoy having something different. I don't see any of them around this area.

Sick of the Ranger?

[basscatcher8]

50 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Sick of the Ranger?

Not sick just getting bored lol it's a good boat but I haven't duck hunted out of it once since I got it. Just looking for the next project to rig up. That 190 looks perfect for goin to some new places.

[slonezp]

7 hours ago, basscatcher8 said:

Not sick just getting bored lol it's a good boat but I haven't duck hunted out of it once since I got it. Just looking for the next project to rig up. That 190 looks perfect for goin to some new places.

See how Junk Fisherman likes his

 You might want to consider the pro v bass xs, or are you getting away from tin

[basscatcher8]

3 hours ago, slonezp said:

See how Junk Fisherman likes his

 You might want to consider the pro v bass xs, or are you getting away from tin

Yeah I was already talking to him. He invited me up when he gets it to check it out. I've never had a glass boat before figured I'd give one a shot. I'm a ways from doing anything yet gotta get a new truck first but it will be the future project lol

[Junk Fisherman]

On 12/11/2015 at 10:24 AM, FryDog62 said:

Good discussion, if I had to rank my top 3 for the multi-species category they would be:

 

1) Lund Pro-V Bass

2) Tuffy x-190

3) Recon

 

Tough call between the Lund and Tuffy, I've been a glass guy for years now... could go either way.

This is a good list.  Even though I chose the X-190, I am not going to tell someone it is a better choice than the Lund.  Pricewise, they are comparable.  I definitely like the storage on the Lund better even though the storage on the X-190 is more than adequate.  And I LOVE the jump seats on the Lund.  The X-190 has the removable back deck so I can easily have a 3rd passenger while runnning.  The Lund has a 6" wider beam which will make the boat feel roomier yet I read that a 90" beam boat such as the Champion will cut through waves better than the wider boats.  

It really came down to me waiting fiberglass over aluminum.  While this is all based on reviews and reports from others, everyone says the fiberglass will give the softer ride and provide better boat control.  While I prefer the Lund company over Tuffy, Tuffy owners are very brand loyal and I have heard very few complaints.  Another factor was that the X-190 can easily take a kicker motor.  I know this could be done on the Lund but I didn't want to add a bracket for the couple weekends a year that I use my 9.9.    Either boat would have been great but after inspecting both boat at a boat show, I just liked the Tuffy better.  Sometimes you go with your gut.