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Advise on boat

Jeremy Goodison

Jeremy Goodison
in This Old Boat

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Jeremy Goodison

Jeremy Goodison

Posted
Posted

Searching for a new boat. Boats I'm stuck on is crestliner commander or StarCraft fishmster. 99% is trolling lake Ontario. Anyone own or ride in these models in 18-20 foot length? Cost from 18-21 feet is crazy but I only want to buy a new boat once. StarCraft Titan 186 looks nice also.

Thanx with your experiences

 

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ifishy

ifishy

Posted
Posted

I'm still a bit of time away but have been doing the same search crestliner has a new model the authority that looks like a nice option there are other options in that same style to I thinks it's smokercraft has some to look at and for a more utilitarian feel duraweld has a decent model I do love the fish masters though

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bandrus1

bandrus1

Posted
Posted

my personal advise is this..... buy a used boat you like and repower it.... get away much cheaper and the big money item (power) will still be new. I personally think fancy hulls are money down the drain

bettieanne

bettieanne

Posted
Posted

Do yourself the favor and don't settle for anything other that a 19 to 20 ft. Especialy since you are coming off that bigger boat that you had. I am on my fourth aluminium  boat in 8 years and wish I had went with a 20 ft model I an fishing out a 17.8. My cousin bought a 20 ft new 0n 06 and wish I had  done the same when I got my first new boat.This joe b, I bought quad a way bac.

Sk8man

Sk8man

Posted
Posted (edited)

Jeremy - I think Joe offers some real good advice and especially since most of your fishing is done on Lake O. There is a significant difference between most of the 17 or 18 ft boats and those at 20 ft. It seems to be a real point of departure in terms of floatation, roominess,  freeboard depth, weight capacity, and and in some cases handling in rough water. The 20 ft range seems to be close to ideal for solo fishing/launching too (which may be real important to you).  Over the years I have ridden in a bunch of boats in this class size and talked with a lot of folks who have moved both  up and down and it has only reinforced this view. Bandrus hit it right when he said that if you get a good quality used hull in good shape (Deep V important for Lake O)  and then repower with a new motor you'll have reliability for years and be a "happy camper" because the boats themselves are nearly like cars in terms of depreciation (i.e. drive them from the marina and they lose value immediately:lol:).

Edited by Sk8man
potsie225

potsie225

Posted
Posted

Jeremy my friend Ron bought a used starcraft fishmaster 196.  I have fish with him in Erie and Ontario in some 3 to 5 ft waves and it handles great.  He has a lot of most have in this boat bought it used.   Give me a call and I will give you his number to call.  GL Mr. P

Jeremy Goodison

Jeremy Goodison

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks guys. The hunt is on. My trophy 2359 is basically milking me at this point. I'm ready for a "maintenance free" outboard. Reality for me is over 4' waves I'm staying home, so the boat needs to be comfortable to that point. I fish year your round so a boat that squeezes up the Genny would also allow me to sell both my boats.

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bandrus1

bandrus1

Posted
Posted

Hope it works out jeremy.. I have a 1987 sea nymph 19.5 and put a new 90hp etec on it as soon as I purchased it....

 

I got a fully rigged boat with a brand new motor for 14k all in and am very happy.... I bet you can find an early 2000's for 10-14 and swap the motor in or sell on your own and repower and add a kicker and be all in for 26 or 27 and it will be fully rigged and have 2 new motors

Xxx

Xxx

Posted
Posted

I would take everything that was said seriously, only because I've been there, meaning for years I owned a 18 foot Troller powered by a Evinrude 88SPL deep V boat. Troller was made in Erie for Lake Erie, out there I got lots of compliments, this boat handled waves very well, but I spent many a day's watching the 20'+ rumble out the shoot where there's no way in hell this 18fter was going to handle what Mother Nature was going to throw at her, I sold that boat and bought a 22ft cuddy Sea Ray, with an I/0 350 Mercrusier boat handles LakeO well. I don't know, if I would ever go the inboard way again, lots of moving parts that need to be spot on in order for it to be mechanically sound, from the shift handle to the out drive. Seems to me these newer outboards have all the bells and whistles, right down to trolling speed.

Jjwbny

Jjwbny

Posted
Posted

I've owned two different crestliners and will never own anything but a crestliner. I've not owned a Starcraft but have a close friend that does, he wants to trade boats constantly ... lol he says the aluminum on the Starcraft is flimsy and dents and creases easily. Mine is a 18' Sportfish, it's a 2000 and we re powered with a E-etc in 2015. Couldn't be happier. I will admit in a perfect world a 20or 22' is better suited for big lake outings. The authority model is a sweet rig with TONS of storage , their best designed fishing model ever in my opinion. I may not have answered you question because I am 100% crestliner bias . Lol . Good luck and post pictures of your new rig!!

King Slammin

King Slammin

Posted
Posted

I'll chime in with a Starcraft bias. Lol. The absolute best big water aluminum hills period. I fish for anything from crappie and perch in inland lakes, jigging lakers on the Niagara bar, nighttime trolling for eyes in a crowd of 100 boats, bottom bouncing eyes in front of the windmills, and trolling Lake Ontario depths for kings or in shallow for Browns. I chose the Superfisherman 196 platform to suit my needs for room and multispecies, but the Fishmaster is a trollers dream. I've owned a few older Starcrafts, a tracker, fished on many Lunds, a couple crestliners, and looked at a bunch of smokercraft and Alumacraft. In my opinion they are all lacking in one way or another. Lunds are too narrow and have too much bow space for trolling. Crestliners are not a deep enough hull, unless you move into the Authority or Commander. Smokercraft was a close second for me as far as multispecies but lacked that 19-20' hull. At the end of the day, it's going to come down to that one or two things that will sway your opinion to the perfect boat for you. I hope to have my hull until I am no longer able to fish. I paid $10,000 last year and the boat came with 135 hp Optimax with Smartcraft, Lowrance elite 7, Bluetooth audio, 24v terrova w/ ipilot, trailering cover, and was clean and garage kept. I had to drive to Chicago to get it though


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jimalbert

jimalbert

Posted
Posted

Jeremy,

 

I own a Starcraft Fishmaster 196 and love it.  Mine is a 2001 that I bought used a few years ago and is immaculate.  The boat itself has no wood anywhere.  Everything is aluminum and a composite deck material (Sort of like HPDE).  The boat handles extremely well in rough weather (5 footers no problem).  Even the flotation foam under the deck isnt sprayed in, its blocks of foam cut to fit each section.  Mine has the 4.0 litre Mercruiser and is extremely fuel efficient and I can get 40MPH WOT with 3 guys and all of my trolling gear. The back "deck" of the boat has the same composite material under the aluminum where you would mount your downriggers and such.  The only thing I didnt like about the boat was at the helm.  They used those stupid plastic push button resets for each switch on the dash.  Not that any of them have tripped, but they all broke and are starting to fall into the dash.  Its not a big deal as I am going to replace them in the spring, just something that I thought they could have pondered on for a while before they chose that route.

 

Jim

 

hawkeye625

hawkeye625

Posted
Posted

Try to get on the water with whatever your looking at for a day. Maybe offer up gas to one of these guys with a starcraft or book a river/bar trip with a captain that's in their boat daily. They'd have a Great idea of pros and cons. Not sure what Vince runs but he'd be a solid choice for advice. Matt yablonsky would also have good input. He runs river and lake ontario charters in a lund. I know he had , starcraft for 1 season and went back to Lund. Guess my point is...try before you buy....buyers remorse in painful especially if you are looking to go new. Good luck in your search. I have an older Crestliner if you ever want a test run your welcome aboard.

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Fishmaster 196

Fishmaster 196

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Posted

I just bought a 2016 Fishmaster 196 new last year powered by a Yamaha F200.  I bought a new boat and motor so that I wouldn't have to worry about fixing things every week like my old boat. I have no complaints whatsoever.  The aluminum on mine is not thin or flimsy at all.   Send me a PM if you have any questions.

Xxx

Xxx

Posted
Posted

I don't think that the one boat in the pics is the same, look at the pic with the new canopy then look at the pic from the transom front, not the same motor, I had a 88spl the one in the pic with the new canvas is either polished like hell or it isn't a 88spl I don't remember the sides as strait as it looks in the new canvas pic the color stripe wasn't that blue, they were grey. I might be wrong?? But 6 bills is way to much for that clubbed together thing.

Xxx

Xxx

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, L&M said:

Its the same boat, pics taken at different times/locations but its the same boat

looks can be deceiving. Amazing what a little elbow grease can do. 

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