2025 ProV

[Michael]

Went to the Walleye Expo in the Twin Cities over the weekend and ended up looking over this boat and comparing it to others of similar size and price range. i.e. Ranger 619, 620, Triton 205 & Tuffy 1990. My question to those that own this boat or considered buying one, WHY?

This boat had chairs that belong in a living room, with about 5 different knobs for adjustment - not to mention dual armrests. The thing has a dashboard that should be in a Suburban. This boat had a 225 Opti and I'm sure it would still only go 55mph with all that horsepower behind it. And to top it off this boat was $34k!

Would this boat ride better than any of the others mentioned? Would it be drier? Would it be cheaper? Is it better built?

Hmmm.

[jon]

Michael,
Glass is going to be faster,drier and handle better than aluminium. See another post on this board about the cost of Lunds. Drive each boat before buying before you make a decision but, and I'm sure most will agree, if you can get a better handling,quicker and superior finish on the boat for the same price glass is the way to go. Ranger or Triton make a nice boat besides - you can't go wrong with either.

[dave]

Doesn't make sense to me either, maybe in the smaller classes but when aluminum approaches the price of a quality fiberglass manufacturer then you have only one choice and it's fiberglass. I also think a Ranger or Triton would outperform in about every situation compared to a 2025 lund. The big lund also weighs about the same, so much for aluminum being so light.

[Greg P]

One of the reasons I have an aluminum boat it because I do a lot of remote camping and the shorelines are sometimes not so good for landing. It is not uncommon to have a sandy/rocky bottom and the boat sits and rocks on this all night. It is my impression that aluminum will hold up to this better.

I have done this sort of thing for many years, and all it ever does to the bottom of my boat is put some slight scratches in the surface of the aluminum.

I will sometimes arrange a mooring rope and let the boat float, but this is not always feasable.

Also, for how I use the boat, I like the layout of my boat better than any others I have seen, fiberglass or aluminum.

[Matt]

I have them big seats with all the knobs and levers on them, yes they are big, however I have and still do have lower back problem and these seats have helped me out a lot with the lower lumbar,and high backs and the arm rest is just an added comfort. the additional cost over a regular seat vs the larry chair's is about $325.00 and I can stay out on the water an extra 3-4hours more per day I will put them in any boat I own be glass or tin

[PJM]

Michael

The boat you are describing is a 2025 limited with the nice seat and dash. That is about a $2900 option and if at had a duel console add maybe another $500 or so. If you buy the standard LE or SE you are looking at around $29,300 range. That is not even close to the price of a 620. I looked at a boat that Frankies had which was a 620t for like $27,500 and I though that was a lot of money for a tiller boat with a 125 Merc on it. It was a nice boat but I think you could get more for your money. I would not buy the limited because I think it is over priced and the standard model has more dash space for mounting electronics. I have fished in both boats (620) in rough water with wind and being drier is a matter of opinion. Both boats are nice and have there good points and bad. Every time the glass and aluminum comes up, the glass guy slam the aluminum boats because they think they bought a superior boat. People have to buy what they can afford and when you go to the boat show they always put a boat out there that is an eye grabber with all the good stuff to attract you regardless of what brand and the price shocks you. All the boats you mention are nice. Good luck..............

[T-Mac]

The "Captain's Chairs" are optional...LOL .... You can get the boat with a normal type seat.
What you saw must have been an "LTD" model. You can get the same hull in other interior lay-outs. It's a great boat to ride in and to fish out of. I surely liked mine.
Many, many of them out on the pro circuits.

[Michael]

PJM,

Yes the boat was a limited, so I agree this is Lund's top offering. With that said however a limited would be a good model of comparision to the Ranger which is to "very nicely equiped". Price wise the ProV was $34k and some change and the Ranger 620 w/225 motor is about $35k . . . isn't that pretty close? I mean it's both Ranger's and Lund's most expensive model.

In my humble opinion I can't for the life of me figure out why someone would opt for the Lund considering all the other options one has at this price range. And were not even getting into performance of hull, dry ride or overall driving characteristics which will all be in favor of the glass boat.

p.s. I also saw the 620t and agree that with a 125 Merc as the motor - $27k is way too much for this boat!

[PJM]

Michael

The price that I gave you on the 2025 was with a Yamaha and I know that the Mercury are even more money. If you bought the Limited model for the extra money and sold the boat you would not get you money back. As far as drier that is a matter of opinion. If I was going to spend 34 or 35K I would go Ranger, but I could go the a standard 2025 and for the difference in price, I could add a kicker and some extras. Does the Ranger have a kicker on it for 35K. What kind of price do they have on that Triton 205.It looks like a nice boat also.

[Mt-1]

If you can't afford a lund then quit crying about it. I love mine!!

[Michael]

MT1,

It's not a function of having the money, it's more an issue of value for the money or I should say lack there of. Really glad your happy with yours however, appreciate your valuable insight.

[Michael]

Sorry PJM you want to stay with the regular Prov and I keep going to the limited. I guess I should elaborate further as I was looking at a RCL edition of the 620 at the boat show in MPLS which could be had for $31k - this was last year's model - but brand new none the less. This boat actually was cheaper than the limited ProV which makes no sense to me since it is my belief that these two boats are in totally different classes.

I see your point regarding the regular ProV and being able to add on kickers and so forth - no doubt these things get expensive.

Yes the Triton is a very nice boat, it goes for about $33k - $35k similar to the 620 or ProV limited.

[Mt-1]

Michael-I'm sorry I might have hurt your feelings. The boat has a great layout, plenty of storage, handles the big waves with no problem, plenty of room for electronics on the dash, etc etc.. and your right it's not as fast as a ranger or triton, but can take a beating a whole lot better than a glass boat.
So what was your question???

[steve]

Like the previous poster said, the boat has good storage(it's wet storage, compared to the other boats you've mentioned) and you take a beating compared to riding in a glass boat.

[Matt R.]

I can't bite my lip any longer. I have ridden extensively in a number of glass and aluminum boats, including the 2025, 620's ect. To suggest that the ride is so much different suggests to me that you weren't familiar enough w/ the boat to know how to drive it properly or road w/ someone who didn't know how to drive.

I remember pre-fishing at Bismarck for the PWT on a particularly windy day. The guys in glass boats didn't run any faster, nor did they come in any drier, or wetter. Now I will agree that certain boats perform better in particular situations. But to suggest that a glass boat is always faster, drier, and smoother is ludicrous in my opinion.

[Jay]

I've read enough of the garbage on this thread and as long as the original intent was nothing more than to slam Lund, I'll bite and now put in my 2 cents on the subject. (FYI - I'm not sponsered by anyone.)

Last year I bought a 2025 after looking at, driving and, most importantly, fishing out of many 20' walleye boats (and several 19') - Ranger 620, Triton 205, Warrier 2090, Targa 2000, etc. Money was not a factor as all the boats are within a few thousand $ of each other - could have bought any one of them.

Aside from being an extremely tough, well-built boat, the number one reason I bought the Lund was because it has flat out the BEST LAYOUT and is the MOST FISHABLE walleye boat on the market. It's not the fastest walleye boat (didn't care about that - 60 mph never impressed me) but to say that the ride and handling in a glass boat is so much better, smoother and drier, is a load of BS. I've driven them all - and they're all smooth on flat water and if driven fast in big water will knock you around. Choosing a glass boat based simply on a misconceived notion of a smoother ride, tells me that person knows little about what makes a great fishing boat.

While some of the 20' glass console boats are nice walleye boats (some are just glorified bass boats) they tend to lack interior space and are designed to troll and work from the bow. Most are poor for working from the back. The 2025 will fish any method very well.

Some posts have said that the glass boats are in another class and a better value - true if they were entered in a beauty contest. If it makes someone feel like a better fisherman to drive a glitsy Hollywood boat, then by all means go with whatever blows your hair back. They are all very pretty and you look great in it.... but somehow I don't think walleyes care.

While no boat is perfect, including the 2025, the Lund will out fish them all. Sorry for going a little nuts on this, just get sick of all the tripe about the superiority of glass boats. I used to like a few glass boats, but threads like this push me more towards metal. Guess I'm not cut out to be a walleye pretty boy.

[PJM]

Michael

That is a very good price for that boat at 31k and being a RCL boat. Does it have a lot of extra things on it which seem like most of those RCL boats do?

[erie addict]

Michael, I am gowing completely against the stream. I just sold my Beutifull, sparkely, shiney bass boat (ranger) for a 2025 IFS. Why would I do this? I loved my Bass boat, but I am tired of being extremely carefull around docks, beaches, shallow water and not to mention roads. You spend time waxing and shining (that you could have spent fishing). Ever been cruising down the highway doing 60 MPH and hit a road crew paving a road in august. I have and the results aren't pretty. a mess all over the exposed hull, and little tiny chips out of the gelcoat. I have ridden in many of the above mentioned boats and "rough ride" depends on the individual at the helm. If you want a smooth, dry, fishable ride in 6'+ waves. Take a look at a 30+ foot Tiara. Thanks for listening.

[Big Dog]

micheal it kind of sounds like you already decided not to buy a lund so do the post. By the way i love my 1900

[s.f.]

very well, and factually said. in a race on flat water, the glass might win by a nose. but when you compare apples to apples, EVERYONE,
EVERY BOAT, is basically the same in the waves. just come along anytime and i will be glad to you show you. same speed, and same spray.

all the boats are great boats. pick your best floor plan, resale value and price. done deal. besides..you run the boat at high speed 10 percent of the time and fish the rest...that's where you concentrate your decision making. which one is best designed for the fishing you plan on doing.

ya gotta have a lund!
#49

[PJM]

SF

Your post was very well written and I could have not put any better myself. You are right about the 10%, and when you fish big water it's hard to go wide open in five foot waves and not get wet..........

[StoneyPteTom]

Can anyone really explain in engineering details why a glass boat would give you a dryer and smoother ride than an aluminum boat?

I was coming back from Put-In-Bay, Ohio once on a 29' Larson. There was a 3' chop and the driver took off like a bat out of #####. We may have got close to 40 MPH. All of us but the driver were holding on for dear life! He had both hands on the steering wheel and was standing. The ride lasted about 5-10 minutes before he slowed down to a more reasonable speed(20). The boat took a beating. I think he ended up breaking 3 or 4 things down in the cabin.

I can not believe anyone thinks they are going to run wideopen in a 20'fishing boat in 3' waves. I think they are all telling fishing tells. Either the waves were really 1'6" or they were really only going 15 to 20 MPH tops!

I agree with some of the other post that the ride has more to do with the driver, how the boat is trimmed, and most importantly the wind direction vs direction you want to go for dryness. I would bet that all the above mentioned boats will perform equally well.

[BigBass]

I went from fiberglass to a LUND. I did notice a wetter ride. But I chose the ALUMINUM(Not just LUND) over a TRITON(A very SWEET RIDE!) because of the room. The interior space that my Aluminum boat has for my fishing partner, or 2, so we can walk around and help each-other land that fish or take a picture of that big release, exceeds any glass boat.

I really miss the dry-storage of a glass boat though.

BB~

[CL]

I've fished in them all in the roughest conditions imaginable, could afford to buy any boat on the market, and I choose to run a 2025 (my 3rd ProV). To say the Ranger is in a different class from the Lund...well, I will agree they are different types of boats, each with advantages and disadvantages. Choose what's right for you. Ranger makes a fine product. But, to say the Ranger is in a completely different class is an opinion that alot of very experienced walleye fishermen (including me) just don't agree with.