I went with Alumcraft, but, a little over 25K
Must be able to hold at least
Four people comfortably. Kids would swim off it occasionally so
Needs to have a ladder. I mainly crappie fish so far looking at Lowe and crestliner. Budget is less than 25000
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Last edited by Rfunkhouser; 10-27-2019 at 06:57 AM.
big waters almost mandate deep v hulls. if you don't have to deal with big waters then go with semi v hull. ill probably be an aluminum hull guy the rest of my life also. brand and layout id a personal thing only you can decide. also go at least 2 ft bigger than you think you want.
imo stay away from merc motors too.
Hanr3 LIKED above post
Best boat is one that'll meet all your needs ,and one that'll fit in your budget. Be careful and don't let yourself go OVERBOARD !
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Rfunkhouser LIKED above post
Check out the Excel Boats line. They make a wide variety of hull styles and layouts. Don’t look any further than Suzuki Outboards.
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I have tried many including a very nice pontoon, brand new carolina skiff, al. bass boat and a couple of deep vs. I now have returned to a lund deep v and love it. I also had a crestliner deep v that I loved. They are roomy, very comfy especially as I get older and wider. I mostly troll or pull out of the back so all I have to do is spin the seat around. They have deep sides to keep the grandkids in and my wife feels safer in them. I love them.
trypman1 LIKED above post
I would look at a center console I've had mine a little over a year and it does everything I need including what you described I have Ranger RB190 but every brand makes one and I would look at all of them.
I always told myself I will be buying Tuffy's semi deep v osprey. Occasionally they come up for sale used and can typically get one 10 years old in that price range. the benefits of a deep v but not as tall to allow it easy to reach the water and the most bow space ive seen or dual seats. Downside, they are a boat most known in Wisconsin which isn't a problem if the warranty is expired. These boats are designed for muskie fisherman.
I went with the Tracker 190 with the mercury 115 PRO XS with vinyl floors instead of carpet and I love it, it has a deep V front and rides great and it was under 25K
skeetbum LIKED above post
I have a 16' Deep V tiller and my sons and grandsons went swimming off it this past summer. It was cramped with three adults and 3 boys under 5yr. in her. I too am looking at a new boat. I want a 17-18' boat, tiller, deep-V, aluminum, and prefer E-Tech engine. I Crappie/Walleye fish and make a trip to Canada Boundary waters every couple years. My current boat meets all those needs, however it's a 1997, time to upgrade.
$25,000k will put you into an entry-level type Deep-V boat. Room for 4? If you are all casting for Bass or bigger? There isn't a boat under 25k that will work. It won't be big enough. Tossing jigs, spider rigging, pulling cranks, slip bobbers, and 4 is doable in a smaller boat (16'-18'). Have you looked at Ranger Boats? The guide series specifically? They are reasonable priced and you could get into one that meets your budget, barring electronic upgrades. You can put $10k into electronics and trolling motor pretty quickly. The Rangers come with decent electronics, nothing real fancy or expensive, however they get the job done. Ranger is a decent boat, especially for the entry level budget.
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