OutdoorDan

FWIW I can see how without any experience those fish could be hard to differentiate. The pictures in the Fish Eating Guide or the regs, for example, do not reflect how the fish look in reality or the major differences between them. If you know that all the trout/salmon species are open and took time to find that out, I see no issue here.

Yeah, I guess since they pled guilty party fishing or whatnot was likely dropped.

Good to hear, although I'm curious about the technical implications. The 3 of them were all fined for 54 fish over the 3 person limit, which kind of implies party fishing is OK (ie if the 3 of them were caught with 90 crappie in one bucket, it would have been ok).

Potato, tomato.

100% Rainbow. Nice fish.

Those I know for a fact I need to avoid - I've read up on that. As for brand recommendations I'm all ears as long as they make a boat that meets my specifications... Although I am getting the feeling that it's against forum rules to mention specific brands?

Hey guys, I'm really appreciating all the input. As you can understand, I have a lot to take into consideration and am extremely confused by the amount of information I have to process. Irish, I took the Crestliner hint and will research those boats, as well as Alumacraft as suggested by Pigeon. To help everyone help me, what I need is a 19-20 foot boat with a full windshield, a full height rear splashboard, and it has to been deep inside. One of the reasons I was looking at the Starcraft Fisherman and the legend 20 Extreme was because they are 31" deep inside. Having a full top would also be good, but not a necessity. I'm likely not being open minded enough considering all my options, but I am taking my time with this and I am certainly not locked into one of the two boats I mentioned in the OP. They are just ones that I am considering strongly at the time because they seem suitable, if I come across something better through your suggestions I won't have trouble changing my mind. By the sounds of the general consensus of this board, Legend isn't the greatest way to go. Please don't think that by saying this you are ruining "my parade". On the contrary, I would like alternate suggestions so I can make the best choice. Thanks everyone for the input so far, Dan

I agree that it is ridiculous that they sell their boat underpowered, however in terms of overall quality they seem fine and as a few dealers told me are made by Smokecraft anyways. Clearly it's their angle (selling underpowered boats to create the illusion of huge savings) but as far as I'm concerned they can do whatever as long as I'm aware of all the issues and can solve them. As for raining on my parade, I welcome that. I'd rather hear a lot of criticism an make changes while I still can! Thanks, Dan

Drifter, 115 is the highest HP that Merc makes in 4 strokes. Except the Verado series, but those are very expensive: a 150 Opti with a Pro Kicker would be cheaper than a 150 Verado. lookinforwalleye, Thanks for your input! my thoughts were much on par with yours in terms of power, unfortunately. I had no idea that and Opti would be up there if not beyond a four stroke in fuel consumption though. I guess that will be made up with the oil I will need to put into it though.

Hi all, I recently made a thread about towing the new boat that I am planning to get. Thanks everyone for the help! I've made the decision to dock the boat at a marina for at least this year, then later on either keep it docked someplace if that suits me, or upgrade vehicles. Right now I am deciding on a boat and I am somewhat stuck at crossroads, mostly because of outboard decisions. It's between a Legend 20 Extreme and a Starcraft 196 Fishmaster. I like the 20 Extreme more and it comes with a smaller price tag even with an upgraded motor, but things turned out to be very complicated. As far as I understand, the 90 Merc ELPTO which the boat comes withis way too underpowered for the 20 Extreme. So, I can upgrade to either the 115 Merc 4 stroke, or the 150 Optimax. I want a four stroke so that I can troll for salmon and not use a kicker, because it's quieter, less maintenance and I will be burning less gas and won't be burning oil. However, I think the 115 4 stroke might be underpowered for this boat. With the 150 Optimax, I'm sure I will get enough power, but I assume it will be much louder, less smooth, and I won't be able to troll with it. Legend won't put a non Merc on the boat, and the Verado series seems way expensive. The Fishmaster comes with a 150 Suzuki four stroke. This suits me fine, but I like the Legend boat more aesthetically, and it's about 6k cheaper even with an upgrade to the 150 Optimax. It also comes with more features and is more of a complete package. Can you guys give me some opinion and input? I feel a little lost. If I could confirm that the 115 4 stroke isn't underpowering the 20 Extreme, I would go for it, but I don't have experience in the area. Most of the time it will just be a few small guys in the boat, but sometimes the boat will be packed full with people and equipment. I'll be using it on Georgian Bay. Thanks a lot, Dan

You can't just take out part of the food chain and expect the monsters to hang around. As for having a test, I'm really split on it. Theoretically I think it is a good idea, but in practice the way the test would be done and administered would be butchered by our wonderful government, so I would rather avoid it.

Very healthy, I'd just leave them in there. Just don't tell anyone at the dinner table!

Everyone, Thank you a lot for all the input. From this thread I gather that it's doable, but not exactly a great option or viable long term option to tow the boat with the van. For now I think that I will move on to deciding on the boat specifications, and deal with car issues situationally (meaning either upgrade to another car if/when needed or store the boat where I will be using it). I don't want to make a sacrifice for a smaller boat based on the vehicle as I essentially expect the boat to be a one in a lifetime purchase and want to get it right. I also want to be able to take the boat out on big water (Georgian Bay) comfortably, and fit my family and various equipment depending on time of year. Beyond that: who the hell ever wishes they had a smaller boat?! With that said, I have a lot of questions with regard to the boat itself. Mods, is it okay to start a new thread with my boat questions, or should I continue that in this one? Thanks, Dan.

People may be doing this out of ignorance of the law, so if you are a very good judge of character and know the situation wouldn't escalate, I would explain that bass are OOS to him. If this isn't the case, call the tips line. They are very unlikely to come right then and there, but if they get enough calls from the area they will become more likely to have COs on duty there or to respond more promptly to future calls.

OP, Are you sure those payments you mentioned are not bi-weekly? That would make more sense.

Thanks everyone for the responses - keep them coming! I also appreciate the discussion with regards to the Legend being a good choice. It's something I am strongly going to consider in the near future, but I need to sort out my vehicle situation first. Spincast, What exactly do I do to check if my car is equipped with a transmission cooler (in the sense that all cars have transmission coolers, so I assume I would be checking for an after market version). The car was bought used a few years ago. It had a hitch already so I am wondering if it may already have it installed by the previous owner. Thanks!

I'm not from Waterloo but I have friends that go to UWO. There are a lot of places that rent and are within walking distance of the school. Also, it is going to be very difficult to get full occupancy during the summer months.

Hi all, I've been lurking for a little and finally decided to join! I'm currently in the process of purchasing a new boat. The front runner at the moment is the Legend 20 Excalibur, and while I have more questions about the boat and motor, that is for later. First I have to deal with figuring out how to tow it. I currently have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. As far as I understand, they have a 2000lb towing capacity (which would be right around the weight of the boat). I've also found that you can have a towing package installed on the car, which will get the towing capacity up to 3800lbs, which would seem plenty. However I understand that there is a difference between "can tow" and "should tow," so I would really appreciate commentary on the matter. If I can't tow this boat, what is the biggest boat I can safely tow with my car? Are there any other implications I should be aware of? I understand I'm asking broad questions, I'm trying to get a good all-round understanding of all the issues at hand. Getting another car instead of the caravan is not completely out of the question, however something I would very much like to avoid. Thanks all for your help. Dan.