Help me find my ultimate fishing boat

[sneakylunker]

Originally Posted by Bobby Winds

Again, how so ?

Aluminum dents easy. Paints scratches very easy on aluminum. Harder to clean than fiberglass. Rivets leak. Welds crack. Rocks chip paint on aluminum when towing on road. Aluminum makes ride rigid and rough.

Hopefully that list helps you but, knowing your usual responses, I'm sure I'm in for an education.

[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by sneakylunker

Aluminum dents easy. Paints scratches very easy on aluminum. Harder to clean than fiberglass. Rivets leak. Welds crack. Rocks chip paint on aluminum when towing on road. Aluminum makes ride rigid and rough.

Hopefully that list helps you but, knowing your usual responses, I'm sure I'm in for an education.

I never had a dent in any of my aluminum boats so I can't agree they dent "easy", and I can't see why paint would would scratch any easier then on glass boats. Rivets do leak, never had a welded boat but I do know fiberglass also cracks and chips. Aluminum doesn't have a gel coat to fade and look like ship. Glass might ride a bit better in rough water but aluminum tows a lot easier giving the owner a more broad choice of vehicles to tow with.

I hope I didn't disappoint you, and you got your education you were waiting for........

Bob

[grizzley]

Although maybe a little more than you would like to do, here is another option depending on your skills and how much time you have.
Buy a good hull that needs floors and other work, then rip and tear and custom build what you want the way you want! I have never done it on the type of boat you are considering, but have done it on Jon boats, as have many others. If done right you will have a boat that will rival a lot of factory setups and exactly the way you want it.
Don't hear about doing this very often on the bigger deep V boats, usually just floor replacement, transom replacement, and a few other things, but it can be done.
Don't think you want to do this, but it is an option!

[cobaltboatfan]

Originally Posted by S.Larson

I'd think a 2025 Lund Pro V LE might check most of the marks your looking for,.....

+1 to this gentleman. I own a 2005 Lund 2025 and would highly recommend it. I live on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas and also fish in Canada. IMHO, this is THE boat to own if you want a do-it-all unit. Yes, it has it's drawbacks but after weighing all the facts, this is the boat that best fits my needs.

[pan-man]

Originally Posted by cobaltboatfan

+1 to this gentleman. I own a 2005 Lund 2025 and would highly recommend it. I live on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas and also fish in Canada. IMHO, this is THE boat to own if you want a do-it-all unit. Yes, it has it's drawbacks but after weighing all the facts, this is the boat that best fits my needs.

Since I have never sat/fished out of a Lund 2025LE-what are the drawbacks?
Thanks

[Miami Vice]

For over 25 years I had a glass boat and a tin boat at the same time. Gel coat is fragile. I had to wax the glass boat much more often than the tin boat. The sun's UV rays just wreck havoc with gel coat. A tin boat is painted like a car, and stands up to the sun's UV rays much better than a glass boat. Gel coat is improving all the time, but I have seen lots of spider webs on glass boats over the years. If you scratch your hull, it's much harder to do a gel coat repair, compared to just touching up a tin boat with automotive paint. A glass boat will give a better ride than a tin boat, but it's like a woman and needs more TLC.
Miami Vice

[cobaltboatfan]

Originally Posted by pan-man

Since I have never sat/fished out of a Lund 2025LE-what are the drawbacks?
Thanks

The following comments are just my opinions and not based on any detailed scientific study.
1. My Lund feels heavier in the water than my former Skeeter glass boat. It just doesn't feel as nimble. Think racehorse (Skeeter) vs workhorse (Lund).
2. Many Lund detractors don't like riveted hulls (they think they are more prone to leakage.) I've never had a single loose rivet or experienced any water in the boat. Personally, I think that Lund has this whole riveted boat controversy under control.

Those are the biggest "issues" I have with the boat. Please understand, these "distractions" were not enough to keep me from selling a very nice Skeeter and going to a Lund. For my own needs and style of fishing, the Lund fits the bill perfectly and I would happily buy another.