buying a boat?

[reddog1000]

I am looking for a good fishing boat for the midwest. I boat alot on Table Rock Lake. Is the Tracker Targa WT 18 a decent boat. Or should I be shopping for a Lund? I want it for fishing only. Thanks

[bimeater]

There are several excellent brands of aluminum boats on the market. Take your time, half the fun is looking over the specs and then visiting for a hands on. It can seem overwhelming but take your time. It's better to study up and make a good decision then to rush right out. As far as deep v's go I have owned both Lund and Alumacraft. Both had features i liked and some features i wished they had. Narrow it down, and then sit in the boats and see how they feel. Look over the classifieds and see how others have rigged out their boats. Don't make a brand decision based upon what others have, keep an open mind. I have had many a sleepless night pondering over brands and models. It's all fun.

[nicko]

I went through this process a few years ago. I think you should start with a $ amount. How much can you afford? Then start looking at what falls into that bucket. I think you'll find that Trackers are much cheaper, but that's for a reason. Lunds and Alumacraft as well as some others have a huge following and so command higher prices. I ended up with a Lund 1800 pro-V SE. I had a dollar amount I wanted to spend and found what fit.

My suggestion is to start looking at construction, features and fit/finish. Look at layouts. Since the Lund was my first boat, I was at the mercy of lost of opinion. Go sit in them. Move around, see how easy it is to store rods and gear. Look at Live well design. I have noticed that the Lunds and Alumacraft really shine in some of these not so obvious areas. Live wells is one of them. Yes, they all have them, but there is a big difference in design from a Lund or Alumacraft and the cheaper boats. If that's important, look closely. I've never fished Table Rock, but have been to lake of the Ozarks many times. Similar lakes, will you be Bass fishing only? Crappie? catfish? Walleye? All are a bit different on their needs.

I learned a lot by asking those that fish those species, what they like and don't like. Don't underestimate the accessories. That can easily add $5K or more. If you will be trailering the boat a lot, get a good trailer.

It's a fun process and you will discover a lot you had no idea existed. Good Luck!

N