Cayuga, Oneida, Otisco, St Lawrence, What Boat?

[KeepinItReel]

I'm in the market to upgrade my boat. I currently just have a small old flat bottom tracker. I will be buying used and am starting to look. I'm debating between a few options. I really want a bass style layout inside and am not interested in a boat without a front and back deck. I'm having trouble deciding. Aluminum I can go much newer for much less money, but I'm worried about being pushed around. I'm much less worried about the ride than I am being pushed around by wind or wake while fishing.

 

I just moved up this way and have limited experience on these lakes/river. I do not want to get a boat and be thrown around constantly. I'm not sure how many days between April-October these lakes/river are calm vs when they are not.

 

I do plan to get a spot lock trolling motor like the Ultrex, so that needs to be taken into account. I'm looking to spend somewhere between 15-25k with the trolling motor.

 

If I go glass, what size is the minimum recommendation for the lakes/river I mentioned with use of Ultrex or similar?

 

If I go aluminum, could I get away with a mod V aluminum boat like the 175/185/190 trackers with an Ultrex or similar? Do models like the tracker 195 or tracker tournament V18 do better on rougher water?

 

What year/model motors are the most gas friendly? 

 

Any and all input will be greatly appreciated. 

[Tim Kelly]

Tracker tournament 18V, Crestliner CMV, Tuffy X190 would be the sort of thing I'd be looking for if I couldn't stretch to a Lund ProV bass or Crestliner Bass Hawk.

[RichF]

You'll definitely want, at the very least, an 18 footer. Could get away with a smaller boat on Otisco but the others are massive and get rough. My dad and I run a Z-7 up there and most of the time it's ok. Oneida can get the craziest so definitely watch the weather before you hit that one. 

[KeepinItReel]

 

15 hours ago, Tim Kelly said:

Tracker tournament 18V, Crestliner CMV, Tuffy X190 would be the sort of thing I'd be looking for if I couldn't stretch to a Lund ProV bass or Crestliner Bass Hawk.

Unfortunately I cannot stretch 15-25k more into my budget at the moment. Maybe in a few years I will upgrade to a Lund ProV bass or Crestliner Bass Hawk, they look extremely nice. Thanks for the advise on other aluminum models to look at.

 

 

10 hours ago, RichF said:

You'll definitely want, at the very least, an 18 footer. Could get away with a smaller boat on Otisco but the others are massive and get rough. My dad and I run a Z-7 up there and most of the time it's ok. Oneida can get the craziest so definitely watch the weather before you hit that one. 

Do you think I need anything more than a Z-7? I have looked at a few of them and considered it. Which lakes in the area do you fish more often than others? Have you ever wished you were able to get out and fish and been unable to due to running a Z-7?

 

It seems to me like the north end of Cayuga and the west end of Oneida are the places to be. If I launch there and am not running the whole lake is it still a big issue dealing with the rough water?

 

Do either of you use spot lock trolling motors? Does it make a huge difference when it is rough/windy out?

[RichF]

2 hours ago, KeepinItReel said:

 

Unfortunately I cannot stretch 15-25k more into my budget at the moment. Maybe in a few years I will upgrade to a Lund ProV bass or Crestliner Bass Hawk, they look extremely nice. Thanks for the advise on other aluminum models to look at.

 

 

Do you think I need anything more than a Z-7? I have looked at a few of them and considered it. Which lakes in the area do you fish more often than others? Have you ever wished you were able to get out and fish and been unable to due to running a Z-7?

 

It seems to me like the north end of Cayuga and the west end of Oneida are the places to be. If I launch there and am not running the whole lake is it still a big issue dealing with the rough water?

 

Do either of you use spot lock trolling motors? Does it make a huge difference when it is rough/windy out?

I fish the river more than the others since it's basically in my folks' back yard. There are times when I wish I had a 20 footer but not very often.  Those are the days you likely wouldn't venture out anyway. The Z7 has been great. It would serve you well especially with an ultrex (I don't have one but wish I did). 

[Shimano_1]

Some of the bigger aluminum rigs are hard to beat for the money. If you're putting an ultrex on it I wouldn't worry so much about the wind. I personally would be looking at one of the rigs mentioned maybe a few years old should fit in your budget.  The glass vs aluminum debate is one only you can answer.  I've had both and am leaning more in favor of the aluminum rigs at this point.  The pros outweigh the cons for me and my fishing.  The pro v type boats should serve you well and handle the rough water much better. If fuel economy is a concern I'd look for the newer 4 stroke motors.  I've got a newer Triton 18tx with a 115 pro xs 4 stroke and the fuel economy is amazing compared to the 2 strokes I've had in the past. Your budget should allow you to find a really nice rig that will fit your needs. I'm sure the z7 would be fine. My buddy has one and it's a nice rig and handles rough water pretty good for its size.  Good luck and be patient!