Your Flowage boat

What do you currently use? What boats have you used in the past? And most importantly, how do you like your set-up, both current and previous?

I'm currently looking at upgrading. Will be fishing both big and small water. From 200 + acre lakes in Illinois to Vermilion in Minnesota, and of course the Flowage and various other lakes in N. Wisco.

I've searched around on other forums and have read pros and cons to glass and aluminum boats. Would like to hear your first-hand experience in either on the Flowage.

I have run 2 Lunds a 16 and now a 17 Mr.Pike. First was a tiller now I run a counsel. Both boats have done well on the Flowage. They have a low draft handle well in everything I have been in. I like tin boats over glass but each have a purpose. Plenty of room and storage live wells are good. I have run both boats on cooling lakes in Illinois and the weather can change fast and waves really kick up always felt safe in them.

Attachment 24524 This is my boat. 1999 Princecraft DLX 178. (17'8") 115 Evinrude (2014 e-tec not shown) MinnKota Power Drive 2 with iPilot. We are on a roughly 100,000 acre Canadian Lake. Handles the nasty water really well. One 42 inch livewell and one 24 inch. Also, the electronics have been upgraded as well.

I've gone from 14' resort boats with a 10hp on them, to a 21' tin bowrider with a 150, and am back down to a Lund 1650 Rebel XL tiller w/a 60. For my brother and I, it get's the job done, is easy to tow, and uses roughly 10 gallons of gas for the week we are on the TFF.

HRG

Attachment 24525

I used to have an old 14ft Alumacraft with a 15hp Johnson that I would take up annually. This coming weekend I'll have my '88 Ranger with 200 Evinrude. Should be a little bit of a difference.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mkoeh475

I used to have an old 14ft Alumacraft with a 15hp Johnson that I would take up annually. This coming weekend I'll have my '88 Ranger with 200 Evinrude. Should be a little bit of a difference.

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With the TFF down 2-1/2' since spring, I'd be careful out there,,,,,,,

Good time to mark a lot of stumps that we'd be driving over at full pool though.

HRG

I agree with HRG, be careful...with the water level down, stumps that were not there yesterday, may very well be there tomorrow. I was up there in early August and hit a stump (2x)that I never hit before in 15 years of fishing the TFF. GO SLOW!!!

My flowage boat...again ...similar to HRG. I pretty much just fish the TFF. My rig is a 16.5' Alumacraft with a 60HP Mercury tiller. Lots of room for two people. Would buy a similar rig again....really enjoyable to fish out of with one or two people. I do not allow more than two in my boat.....just gets too crowded with more than two....

Fished out there last night and it's down more than 3'. The marker stick by the Springstead landing is almost out of the water. Got to punch in a few more stumps on the GPS!!

My right is a 16.5 Tracker Deep V with a 50 Merc. Always could use a bigger boat but it's done it's job... Fished with a buddy earlier this year in his tiller boat and it sure was nice to have the extra room. If/when there's a next boat for me a tiller model will get a close look. As far as the question of glass vs. aluminum one big factor would be if you camp or not. A lot of the campsites have rocky shorelines and that doesn't seem like it would be good for glass.

I have an 18 ft. Lund Alaskan. Works great on the flowage and Lake of the Woods. Good in big water,and skinny water too. Lots of room with the tiller model. Fits a family of 5 and a Labrador. Muskie fishes 3 comfortably. Put anti-fatigue mats in the bottom. More comfortable and less slippery now. We spend a lot of time dragging it up on the beaches. Tough boat, but not glamorous. Works perfect for me.

1750 Fishawk, 90 horse Merc. Great boat for flowage IMHO. More horses would be better but it can get me off the water fairly quickly. Top speed is 37 mph on GPS

My everyday rig for the flowage is a Lund Guide Special 315. 1979 hull with a 28hp Evinrude SPL. I've been using it since 2008 and before that I grew up with a 14ft tin with a 10 horse Johnson. This boat is perfect for me as I have to travel 45mins from Minocqua thus it's not bad on the towing load and 90 mile round-tripper. I navigate with caution but if I bump a stump it won't be a big deal. I have it well equipped for bass fishing and muskies. Gets me around at 25mph and I can fish just about anywhere out here unless there's a big wind....... then it gets a bit uncomfortable. This boat I use a lot for lake hopping and exploring across Vilas, Oneida, and Iron.

Attachment 24548 Attachment 24549

I also have a Ranger 681 with a 115 Evinrude. This is my primary boat now. I haven't been out on the TFF much this year in general but only plan on using this rig if I'm fishing with multiple people or have a bass guiding assignment.

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http://www.outdoors911.com/reports/s...ght=alumacraft

Was looking around and reading reviews on a new boat coming out & who's reviews do I stumble upon on a different forum? Hot Runr Guy. Haha. That 20 foot Alumacraft Competitor tiller looks pretty sharp.