Ultimate Utah fishing boat.

[Troutster]

I’m currently a bank/floatuber.  I fly fish, spin fish, worm fish. I just love fishing. I am saving for a fishing boat in the next few years. I’m curious what fishermen who have boats think would be a great boat. I want to be able to hit Willard, Mantua, Strawberry, Flaming Gorge. Price is relevant but I can buy used. More interested in length, motor size, brands to get or avoid. Gas trolling motor for trolling and electric bow? Full windshield or not. Bass boats (flat shallow hull) don’t do well when the chop kicks up so they are out. Don’t think I need twin screw 250 hp out boards but how much is enough? I had a 16 foot Crestliner with a 50hp outboard. I


loved that boat but it was a little small and slow.  I have an idea what I’d like, but I want to hear what the “pros” think.

[Fritzfishin]

I currently have a 16' flatbottom bass tracker i love it, but I'm looking at a 22' Pontoon as a family fishing boat. We don't do water sports at all just fish. I don't troll so it'll have a ipilot on front then some sort of outboard on back 150hp maybe. Not much help but somethin.

[BearLakeFishGuy]

A Lund, Crestliner, starweld, Tracker, among other brands, in a 17-19' (depending on your need) with a deep-V hull. Personally, I have a 17.5' Lund Tyee with a 150 Yamaha main, 8 hp Honda kicker, and MinnKota bow mount electric. It has a walk-thru windshield and can sit up front for jigging or mount my downrigger and troll. Its an all-round fishing boat that you can tow skiiers or tubers with when the fishing sucks. Perfect size for launching and retrieving by myself. I like the Yamaha main motor but not a big fan of the Honda. Only one place in northern Utah will work on them and I've had shoddy work done on it. If I could find a small Yamaha or Merc I would be much happier. I like the big motor to get home when the wind comes up. There are many other brands out there but Lunds hold their value like no other.

[muirco]

Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it! Minn kota ultera.

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Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

We have a weldcraft 240 dv, 300 hp

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Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

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Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

We have a weldcraft 240 dv, 300 hp

Get electric downriggers and big boards (Planers) you will love them for those lakes

[Mooseman75]

I currently have a 16' flatbottom bass tracker i love it, but I'm looking at a 22' Pontoon as a family fishing boat. We don't do water sports at all just fish. I don't troll so it'll have a ipilot on front then some sort of outboard on back 150hp maybe. Not much help but somethin.

I don't know what price range your looking at but out driving I saw a sun tracker 22 dlx fishing barge that said it came with dual fish finders and a few other things. Looked nice but $38,000 is out of my price range....it was a 2017

[RockyRaab2]

I upgraded to a boat last year, but I define "fish" as anything except trout and I do not troll with downriggers, so my Tracker Classic XL bass boat is perfect for me.

All the trout trollers I see have Lunds, Crestliners, or larger Trackers with big and small engines, plus electric motors. About the only other advice I can give about buying used would be to avoid an Evinrude engine, as they are out of business and parts are disappearing fast.

[Paddler]

Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

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Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

We have a weldcraft 240 dv, 300 hp

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Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

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Weldcraft Maverick dv... As long as as big of a motor as you can afford! You won't regret it!  Minn kota ultera.

We have a weldcraft 240 dv, 300 hp

Get electric downriggers and big boards (Planers) you will love them for those lakes

I disagree with the advice to buy the largest engine your hull will allow.  I have a Mercury 115HP on my 20' Hewescraft Searunner, no kicker, and it's perfect.  I fish the ocean, and it's rare I can open it up out there.  Mine isn't an all around boat as I don't have a bow mount motor, but I've caught everything from Kokanee at 1.4MPH, to chinook down over 300', to tuna 50 miles offshore in it.  Pardon my attachments, this site is unfamiliar to me.

[RockyRaab2]

I'm sure he'll consider that advice when he fishes in Utah's ocean.

[dubob]

I’m currently a bank/floatuber.  I fly fish, spin fish, worm fish. I just love fishing. I am saving for a fishing boat in the next few years. I’m curious what fishermen who have boats think would be a great boat. I want to be able to hit Willard, Mantua, Strawberry, Flaming Gorge. Price is relevant but I can buy used. More interested in length, motor size, brands to get or avoid. Gas trolling motor for trolling and electric bow? Full windshield or not. Bass boats (flat shallow hull) don’t do well when the chop kicks up so they are out. Don’t think I need twin screw 250 hp out boards but how much is enough? I had a 16 foot Crestliner with a 50hp outboard. I loved that boat but it was a little small and slow.  I have an idea what I’d like, but I want to hear what the “pros” think.

I have owned several boats and the one thing I can tell you for sure is this: you WILL want to have the maximum hp motor your boat is designed to handle.  My previous boat was a 16ft, deep-v Tracker with a 75 Merc Optimax outboard that I ran for 11 years.  The MAX hp for that boat was 90 hp.  I was sorry for not getting the 90 hp motor 2 months into ownership of that boat.  My current boat is a ThunderJet 185 Explorer with a 150 Merc 4-stroke which is the MAX hp for that model.  Happy, Happy, Happy with the overall performance.  I run about 3/4 throttle 98% of the time when conditions warrant (no wind).  But having the extra power when NEEDED is very comforting.  And you will just have to trust me on this - there WILL come a time when you NEED it.

In no particular order,

Good Boats: Lund, Crestliner, Tracker, etc.

Better boats: ThunderJet, Duckworth, Hewes, North River, etc.

All can be found used on the Net.  When you have a choice between similar products with different motor sizes that are within your budget limits, I recommend that you prioritize motor size first.  If buying new, the first added item to the boat should be the MAX motor for that hull. Then add the other frills until you hit your budget limit.

Good luck in your search and good fishing after the new ride is a reality.

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I'm sure he'll consider that advice when he fishes in Utah's ocean.

Yes - our 'ocean' can be very treacherous.  

[Paddler]

In rough conditions more power will not help you. I've been out on Strawberry in thunderstorms whipping up 2.5' wind waves. Going faster was not an option and most definitely not the answer. Instead, I trolled slowly across Strawberry Bay and boated my last fish. We got caught out 20 miles offshore in a squall once, couldn't go more than 8MPH. That's about 2000RPM in my boat, we had no use for the other 4000RPM.

Maxing out your hull HP rating is very common advice on threads like these, guys say "Go big or go home", or other stupid stuff. My boat will do 37MPH on flat water at 4200' elevation. Fast enough. Very economical, too, cruising at 4500RPM yields 6MPG. 700RPM troll is 2.8MPH, great for walleye, wipers and ocean salmon. I cannot think of any conditions in which being able to go faster than 20MPH increases safety. Quite the opposite. You'll have to forgive DU and Rocky, they mean well but lack critical thinking skills. Ask them who won the last election.

My previous boat was an Alumacraft Magnum 16 with a tiller steer 50HP Mercury 4S. Loved that boat, and caught more fish in it than the boat and motor weighed. Sold it after 10 years for more than half the purchase price. I even fished it in the open ocean for 6 years before buying the Hewes. I thought at the time it offered quality equal to or better than Lund at a better price. We caught 35 walleye one day at Yuba bottom bouncing, and a 4 fish limit of kings once out of La Push. If I wanted a new boat for fishing local waters I'd look at something like an 18-20' Alumacraft, Crestliner or Lund.

Rather than wasting money on too much HP for your main engine, buy one that will push your boat ~35MPH at WOT and put the money you save into an autopilot. I can fish solo effectively running 7 lines for tuna. Even just fishing Kokanee or trolling cranks for walleye it is extremely helpful. I can leave the north marina at WB, run a short distance, throttle back to idle, adjust my speed with the troll control on the Smart Craft, push the button on the AP, deploy my gear and I'm fishing. If you can troll at ~2.5MPH on your main, you don't need a kicker, which will save thousands and simplify your fishing. Good luck in your search.

[RockyRaab2]

Not wishing to start a whizzing contest, but my critical thinking skills tell me to distrust a person who knows all and disparages any other opinion.

[nofish2]

I would recommend a boat that will let you fish as many different ways as possible IE vertical jig, throw lures in the shallows or troll in deep water. As for motor size I would get the biggest motor the boat will handle. That way you can beat the storm off the water. I went from a 140 hp to a 150 hp years ago and my 150hp will use  about half the fuel as my 140hp  did. Just because you have all the motor dosen't mean you have to use it all, but boy is it good  to have when you need it.

[Troutster]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I actually agree with both the “go for the max hp” and the “big hp isn’t necessary “ arguments. When the wind and whitecaps came up on Willard with my 16’ Crestliner, all I could do is slowly work my way back to the marina. HP didn’t matter. BUT, on a nice day when a friend on the other side of Willard called and said the wipers are boiling over here, with my 50hp Merc, it would take me 20 minutes to get over there. Frustrating. I’m going to look more closely at some of the suggested brands, a couple of them I haven’t even heard of. On Crestliner boat builder I’m up to 38K with just a 115 4 stroke and I haven’t even looked at fish finders yet. They are practically giving these things away! (NOT). I’m not sure about the battery charger banks and the battery chargers. Any clarity on how important those are? I’ll save the fish finder discussion for another day.

[MrShane]

As for charging batteries, buy the charger that has a bank for every battery in your boat, including your starter battery.
A fishing boat is going to have up to three positioning motor batteries and at least one starter battery.
So, if the boat you buy has a 24 volt electric positioning motor and one battery for the big engine, buy a three bank charger.
And for pure convenience, install the charger up in front of your boat and add a charging plug port in the extreme front portion of your bow.
I beach camp out of my boat on Powell and I don’t even get my feet wet to plug in my charger to my generator at night.
Even if you just charge in your garage or at a hotel, having the charging port up front is easy, as you only have to undo a snap or two to plug in. You can do all this while not having to enter the boat (will add pics later so check back in tonight).
P.S. The best fishing boats ever are ones that are paid off.

[MrShane]

[Paddler]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I actually agree with both the “go for the max hp” and the “big hp isn’t necessary “ arguments.  When the wind and whitecaps came up on Willard with my 16’ Crestliner, all I could do is slowly work my way back to the marina. HP didn’t matter. BUT, on a nice day when a friend on the other side of Willard called and said the wipers are boiling over here, with my 50hp Merc, it would take me 20 minutes to get over there. Frustrating. I’m going to look more closely at some of the suggested brands, a couple of them I haven’t even heard of.  On Crestliner boat builder I’m up to 38K with just a 115 4 stroke and I haven’t even looked at fish finders yet. They are practically giving these things away! (NOT). I’m not sure about the battery charger banks and the battery chargers. Any clarity on how important those are? I’ll save the fish finder discussion for another day.

Trust your experience.  More HP doesn't increase safety.  Also, my old Alumacraft with a 50HP Merc would do 28MPH.  So if your buddy is 5 miles away, it would take you 10:43 to get there.  In my Hewes I could be there in 8 minutes.  At 45MPH it would take 6:40.  The price difference between the Mercury 115HP and 150HP is about $3200, to save 1:20.  Your choice.

Can't help you with battery chargers.  I run a single main, no kicker, no bow position motor.  My main stays on all the time, so my battery charges continously.

[Mooseman75]

Paddler makes some decent points but when a person comes out throwing slams at long time members he does more to discredit himself like a democratic presidential idiot does than if he just comes out and makes his points let them do the talking.

[Redrebel]

Whew tough crowd… personally, I don’t think the fish have a political position… with that said I just wanna share my opinion on boats. Storage was an issue for me. I can fit the red rebel in my 3 car garage with plenty of space for my truck and car. Biggest thing I wanna set up is side and down scan. Currently have 2 finders and Down scan only. Not much help in shallow water.

[MACMAN]

You’ve done poked a hornets nest. This is the Classic Chevy, Ford, Dodge. Opinions are like…you know the saying. I can tell you what works for me and why. I fish big water (Bear Lake/Flaming Gorge/Powell) and usually at bad weather times of the year. For those waters I prefer a deep V, over 17’ with a kicker and electric on the bow. That set up meets all my needs. I just replaced my 1650 Crestliner Superhawk with a 1950 Superhawk. I’m a big fan of welded boats over riveted- but that’s another poop storm you may be better off not starting. In this style boat Crestliner and Lund lead the way- most others seem to be the next level down (smokercraft, Tracker, alumaweld/craft). I settled in on another Crestliner because of the hull, layout and resale value. My 1650 sold for the same that I paid for it 19 years earlier. On my 1650 I had a 90hp which was max hp. I always felt underpowered and undersized. My 1950 has a 200 hp Merc XL and flat out flies. I can get close to 50 mph which is plenty for me. It could have a 225 as max hp, but I’m not sure I need more. The 200 eats enough gas as it is. So I’m not sure on the “max out your hp theory”, other than I’ve never heard anybody say they have too much hp. My advise is get as big of boat with as big of motor as you can afford and as soon as possible. Owning a fishing boat is the best decision I’ve made.

Rocky, you may have deserved the return fire for the sarcastic, shot across the bow “Utah ocean” comment. Although funny, you gotta be able to take it if your willing to dish it.

[fishskibum]

most of the the fly fishing bros and pros i know run
the drifty


i have +2 decades in my foam encased rotomolded hdpe hog island most durable vrs glass, wood, or metal
rubber has its place in versatility, packability and when it gits spicy
i dont use my 14' arrie puma a lot cause the drifty fishes way better and next raft id probably go 16 or 18'





personally i havent needed a motor or electronics to catch enuffs fish to make me happy on still or moving water
but thats me
and there is something to say about watercraft that can fish any water the oarsman skills allow
and both will take a motor if needed