FLW Top Ten

[ColumbiaR]

I was watching the FLW championships the other evening and noticed two things about the top 10 pro's boats.

1. All are Ranger
2. All had the Fortrex or similar bow mounts.

I have always used an autopilot. The autopilot feature can be so helpful that I'm wondering what the advantage might be to the pro's using the Fortrex. I've never used anything but the autopilot and it looks like most other amatures use the Terrova. Why would the pro's choose something other than the autopilot?

As for the boats, it was interesting to notice that Robert Crow was running a Ranger. He lives right down the road from me and ran Lunds for most of his career so he has definately made a change. Is the fact that all 10 pro's ran a Ranger just mean that Ranger is spending more money on sponsorships or is the glass boat better suited for pro fishing? In Columbia River country, most of the bass boats are glass but rarely do I see a glass multispecies boat. These seem to be at least 95% alum.

[Juls]

Up until this past season, the top ten at the Championship were given boats to use, so whatever equipment that was on them was what was ordered by the dealers that were taking the boats home from the Championship.

This year they were able to use their own boats for the final two days, and used their own equipment.

[Topwater]

David Anderson was running a Warrior 2090 with a big merc tiller. Most have been running Rangers because of the contingincy money.

[ColumbiaR]

Originally Posted by Topwater

David Anderson was running a Warrior 2090 with a big merc tiller. Most have been running Rangers because of the contingincy money.

I saw that tiller but mistook it for a Ranger. Good point.

[maxxum]

Ron Seelhof was running a 1775 pro-v tiller, but I think Juls said he had his 2075 in town also.

[walfshmn]

As for the boats, it was interesting to notice that Robert Crow was running a Ranger. He lives right down the road from me and ran Lunds for most of his career so he has definately made a change. [/quote]
Are you sure it wasn't a Yarcraft? That is one of his sponsors and 2 years ago Bobby Crow and Kimo fished the Governors cup at Kettle Falls out of a tiller Yarcraft.
As for 95% tin, that has changed drastically in the last 4 years in the walleye tournaments as a lot of people are fishing out of Rangers in the Washington and Oregon circuits now. Maybe because the closest Yarcraft dealer is over 300 miles away LOL.

[ColumbiaR]

Originally Posted by maxxum

Ron Seelhof was running a 1775 pro-v tiller, but I think Juls said he had his 2075 in town also.

Your're right. Seehoff and Anderson were the only ones in the top 10 not running rangers. I wonder if Ranger is just paying out more or if the pro's just consider them better boats.

[ColumbiaR]

Originally Posted by walfshmn

As for the boats, it was interesting to notice that Robert Crow was running a Ranger. He lives right down the road from me and ran Lunds for most of his career so he has definately made a change.

Are you sure it wasn't a Yarcraft? That is one of his sponsors and 2 years ago Bobby Crow and Kimo fished the Governors cup at Kettle Falls out of a tiller Yarcraft.
As for 95% tin, that has changed drastically in the last 4 years in the walleye tournaments as a lot of people are fishing out of Rangers in the Washington and Oregon circuits now. Maybe because the closest Yarcraft dealer is over 300 miles away LOL.[/quote]

Nope. Crow ran a Ranger. After Lund, he did run a Yarcraft for a very short time but now he's a Ranger/Yamaha pro.

I wonder why so many tournament guys are going to glass boats like Ranger. It seems like not so long ago that Lund was the main tournament boat. I seems like when I purchased my Lund in 1997 that it was the most used tournament boat. Could it be because the PWT which I think was sponsored by Lund is now defunct?

[I Walleye]

[/quote]
I wonder why so many tournament guys are going to glass boats like Ranger. It seems like not so long ago that Lund was the main tournament boat. I seems like when I purchased my Lund in 1997 that it was the most used tournament boat. Could it be because the PWT which I think was sponsored by Lund is now defunct?[/QUOTE]

I think it is because when you compare a fully rigged tournement ready 20-21 foot Ranger to a Lund the price is about even, Ranger pays contigency money in more tournement series than Lund does, you can have your choice of motors and once you get out of Minnesota the Ranger will sell better along with a better dealer network. That and small things like being able to pick every color on the boat, instead of just having a couple of packages to choose from. It all adds up.

Not that Lund is a bad boat, they are a great boat (I am a Lund guy) but most guys I believe are going with the contingency program and the ride.

[walfshmn]

Also about 4 years ago Lund and Crestliner cut way back on the number of pros that they sponsored. In the little tournament circuit in Washington and Oregon I know of 4 people that got cut from Lund or Crestliner and were picked up by Ranger and 2 others (the Romigs)that went from bass boat style to the Ranger Fisherman on a sponsorship deal. Seams like Ranger was getting pretty aggressive with sponsorship deals a few years ago.