What would you get, Ranger vs Lund

[Blackmacs]

Like Bardern stated "Another thing is that Rangers hold thier value like nothing else (other than Lund maybe!) and after you buy and deside it is not for you turn it over with no loss." I'd get the Ranger and try it for a while. I know you'd have zero problem getting rid of a bass boat in that area.

[bardern]

One other thing that I forgot to mention is trolling. I don't know if you do troll or if Rayburn has any species that you would want to troll for but setting a bass boat up for trolling is tough. The main issue is the rear casting deck has no freeboard so your rod holders will be at shin height. I know of guys that have their bass rigs set up to troll but bending up and down to put the rods in the holder or if you have downriggers make for an uncomfortable day. Given their low profile, big motor, pad and lack of a kicker your options are using your front troller or throwing out bags to slow yourself down.

The R80 is a good boat. the resale tends to be a bit lower on R boats than Comanche or Apache as Ranger built these as "entry" level boats. They use the same hulls as the upscale rigs they just did not have all the wood grain trim and bells and whistles.

[karpbuster]

I doubt anyone trolls there, they have hybrids and stripers, but that is not a popular method of fishing or fish. Bass, crappie and catfish. So that is another good point no trolling. I am thinking I should keep my Lund here for fishing and buy a bass boat for there at Sam Rayburn. We will be moving down there for the winter at first and staying in NM for the summer, I can always sell one of the boats as said before.

What do I need to tow an R80? I have a Ford F150 6cyl for the Lund, the Ranger should be more weight.

karpbuster

[dutchboy]

Your Ford will drag that Ranger 80 mph.

Heavy fiberglass is an old wives tale.

[bardern]

What do I need to tow an R80? I have a Ford F150 6cyl for the Lund, the Ranger should be more weight.

karpbuster[/quote]

R80 hull weight is 1350 lb. outboard around 400 lb.trailor not sure 500 lbs?

with gas,tackle etc you should be somewhere around 2500-3000 pds.

[Cape Cod Basser]

I have owned Rangers since 1995, including an R70, and currently a 520. I just bought a Mr. Pike 16, with the intention of selling the Ranger. Why? If speed is your priority buy a bassboat. Otherwise, the Lund is designed more as a boat totally dedicated towards maximum fishability. Looking at the boats side by side, the Lund appears clearly as higher and deeper than the much bigger Ranger.

The comment by the other gentleman about trolling is well stated. Bass guys don't troll because 1) they're boats aren't set-up for it, and 2) trolling is not allowed in tourneys so most bass guys just don't bother. I'm sure trolling will catch you some fish down there in the summer and early fall months.

When it comes to boat control I believe you Walleye guys have perfected the science, and a lot of bass guys could and should use your tricks. The square edged transom of the Lund has many advantages over the rounded low sides of a bass boat. Kicker motors and stern-placed trolling motors are important and useful tools. Bass fishing has evolved from primarily shallow water fishing to include deep water drop-shoting and jigging. A walleye boat works better under those conditions where boat control is key.

Both boats are kind of small for that big body of water and it will probably get dicer when it gets rough no matter what. But I would stick with the Lund for safety and versatility.

[Tom S]

I have run both types of boats and I have owned Ranger bass boats since 1995. I currenetly have a 185VS witha 175 Mercury Pro XS on it. I have also fished on Rayburn and it can get pretty rough in the Texas wind. If I were spending a lot of my time on Rayburn I would go with the Ranger. The speed may be important to get off the lake but also to get around the lake. That is a big body of water! You will spend most of your day trying to get to your fishing spots at the speed of your Lund, where that Ranger should do 55 to 60 and you can get around a lot faster.

There is a big advantage to the bass boat in boat control with the bow mount while fishing. It is an extremely stable fishing platform and if you are fishing there you will most likely be bass fishing and bass boats work better for most of those techniques. They are also easier to manuver around in shallow wood and stump infested bays where the bass are. If you want to troll you certainly can in a bass boat. I frequently troll for salmon on Lake Michigan with mine. It is not perfect for that, but it certainly works

I would put a 6 inch hydraulic jack plate on that boat as well. It will add to the rough water handling and work much better in shallow water.

The bench seats in the Rangers are usually pretty good and the biggest part of rough water comfort is learning to drive the boat. It will be far more responsive to engine trim and slight speed and rpm changes than your Lund and you can control your ride comfort with that. The prop on the engine will also have a lot to do with how the boat responds. It is very different to drive, so I would recommend a good long test drive to see what the capabilities are. For what you have described I would end up with the Ranger.

[pwrfshn]

Bill,

Now that I have fished out of a 620 in New Mexico for bass for over a year...there is no question that a bass boat...especially at Rayburn...is the way to go.

As soon as I can move my 620...I will be running a full bass boat. I will no longer be able to troll like I did with my 620, but I have decided that 80% of the time I am bass fishing and the other 20% I can find friends with a walleye rig.



No deep v boat is good for bass fishing I have learned. We can fish when the wind is blowing and it is almost impossible to hold our boats in the wind. I've gone from a Terrova to a 36V Maxxum and that has made it tolerable.

My .02 pesos,