Boat show

[3geese4me]

Just got the green light to purchase a boat at the boat show in March. It is a toss up between the Crestliner Fish Hawk and the Lund Adventure.

I understand the Adventure is a new line from Lund. However, does anyone have any experiences with the Fish Hawk line of boats from Crestliner?

Will be looking in the 16-18 foot range.

 

[5575]

Get a boat that's at least 18, every foot rides so much better than the next. Don't limit yourself to two units.
Heck I'd buy used 9 out of 10 times over new. You can get WAY more boat for the same money! 19-20 ft fiberglass..hint hint.
But no matter what congrats on getting a boat! :;:thumbsup

 

[Lungdeflator]

I'm in no place to buy a boat as of now, but I have been following the Walleye Boats for Sale on FB for awhile now. Lately there seems to be some good deals, 18-20ft fiberglass boats in the 30-40k range.

Downsides of buying used right now is you might have to travel and drag the boat home through winter weather and lakes are froze so no chance to "test out" a used boat.

 

[Red1Delta]

I bought new back in 2016 at the boat show. The reason I did was I had to finance it and wanted the piece of mind of knowing exactly what I was getting as there was no previous owner. Lot of the boats in my price range didn’t have the right size trolling motor to handle a lighter boat in the wind or good electronics. I was able to upgrade the trolling motor and add some really nice electronics into my financing which is something you should do if you buy new! I found it really convient to have them set my boat up with a more powerful trolling motor and the latest electronics so it was ready to go when the ice was off. I bought aluminum 18’. It doesn’t take on waves as well as a glass boat obviously and it is difficult at times with wind. I would find myself being more limited to fishing with a 16 foot verusus 18 foot aluminum. Long story short I agree with 5575 and would pursue at least an 18 footer with upgraded trolling motor to handle the wind! Good luck!

 

[5575]

Absolutely!
Best batteries you can buy and the newest most powerful trolling motor they make are the most important thing on a walleye boat to me!
I always tell folks that, heck you use it 99% of the time.
That and a hummingbird with a lakemaster card, can't live without that either it seems.
And if your on the river you can't live without side imaging these days, either they are there or they aren't!

 

[shorthairsrus]

lund if i had to pick from only those two --- i would probably add some more brands into the mix

 

[RustyTackleBox]

i would go to the boat show and look maybe... but if you have not been on the water in those boats i would not buy one with out getting it wet first... I have a general rule and that is if the boat shop won't test drive a boat on they don't have faith in the product they are selling... the day i test drove a warrior 21-21 it was sustained 30mph winds out of the west gusts were near 40mph and it was on the east end of sakakawea... it was rough but the boat handled beautifully and was smoother than I could have ever expected

 

[AaronJ]

Actually 3geese there is a smaller boat show this weekend in Minot (Thurs-Sat). I believe it is at the fairgrounds. Being much smaller than the KX may lend itself to be easier to spend more time in the boats digging around thoroughly. I also believe admission is free.....

North Country Marine and Pure Powersports will have their full boat lines there which include Yar Craft, Larson, G3, Alumacraft, Warrior and a couple pontoon brands. They will also have the other items they sell on hand like SXSs and ice houses. Quality of dealership is nearly as important as the boat itself. Both of these dealerships pride themselves on customer experience (usually better after the sale than during).

If you show up look for the grey haired guy in his mid 40s in the North Country section

 

[3geese4me]

Actually 3geese there is a smaller boat show this weekend in Minot (Thurs-Sat). I believe it is at the fairgrounds. Being much smaller than the KX may lend itself to be easier to spend more time in the boats digging around thoroughly. I also believe admission is free.....

North Country Marine and Pure Powersports will have their full boat lines there which include Yar Craft, Larson, G3, Alumacraft, Warrior and a couple pontoon brands. They will also have the other items they sell on hand like SXSs and ice houses. Quality of dealership is nearly as important as the boat itself. Both of these dealerships pride themselves on customer experience (usually better after the sale than during).

If you show up look for the grey haired guy in his mid 40s in the North Country section

I'll make sure to stop by!

 

[raider]

i had a fish hawk i bought new bout 10-15 years ago... i really liked the boat - had a big bow which i always want as that's where i fish... i was gonna buy another one but they changed the floor plan and cut out a little over a foot from of the bow...

it was a light boat - too light to fish well on big water, so i had to pick my spots and times...

number 1 rule for me with boats is i want it to suit how i fish... the shine seems to wear off for most ladies in a little while, so i make sure to have it set up 90% for me and 10% for others... for me that's a big bow, big trolling motor, and entry level electronics... the electronics that are going for top dollar this year will be 1/3 the price in 3 years, so whenever i upgrade i go with the cheaper (not cutting edge), cuz it's way better than i had in the last boat and a huge upgrade to me...

my advice would be to have fun shopping and be selfish with your taste as you might spend 90% of the time without who you might be trying to cater to now...