Hello, longtime reader, first time poster. Straight to the point:
Looking for a new boat to be used for inland lake fishing chasing walleye, perch, lake trout, and the odd slimy pike across the prairies and into Canadian shield areas. Lakes size and location varies, some examples include - Alberta, (Lesser Slave, Wabamun), Sask (La Ronge), Manitoba (Wekusko/Tramping, Clearwater, Rocky), Ontario (Lake of the Woods). Looking to get into a boat that is near indestructible and low maintenance as it will be used hard during open water season and parked outside under a tarp during Edmonton winters.
Current boat I have is a 2008 Bass Tracker 17 Pro Team mod v hull, 50HP Merc 2 stroke. Decent boat for 2 people, however it is quite limited. On a choppy day waves come up over the bow/trolling motor and swamp the front deck, also there are no sides/freeboard which makes for a dicey ride when I bring the wife and 2 sons out fishing. Have used/owned Lunds, Crestliners etc over the years and none of them really impressed me that much in terms of longevity and durability.
Truck used to tow is a 2012 Ford F-150 V8.
Been looking at a Silver Streak Carmanah soft top to fill both roles for family fun weekend fish/camping as well as a no nonsense fishing machine used by retired Army guys that treat fishing trips like a military operation. I have never seen this model boat on a lake or in a dealership parking lot here in AB so the only information I have to go on is pictures and online posts people write. I did talk to the owner Andy on the phone for a few minutes about customization to accommodate a bow mounted trolling motor and extra battery storage, all doable. However $80K plus is a lot to drop on a (type of) boat that you have never fished out of.
If anyone has owned/used a Carmanah for lake fishing and tournament fishing I'd love to hear about the pro's and con's and overall functionality.
Transom live well, no wood all aluminum construction, open rear deck, 16 deg deadrise are some of the features that really stand out. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Looking for a new boat to be used for inland lake fishing chasing walleye, perch, lake trout, and the odd slimy pike across the prairies and into Canadian shield areas. Lakes size and location varies, some examples include - Alberta, (Lesser Slave, Wabamun), Sask (La Ronge), Manitoba (Wekusko/Tramping, Clearwater, Rocky), Ontario (Lake of the Woods). Looking to get into a boat that is near indestructible and low maintenance as it will be used hard during open water season and parked outside under a tarp during Edmonton winters.
Current boat I have is a 2008 Bass Tracker 17 Pro Team mod v hull, 50HP Merc 2 stroke. Decent boat for 2 people, however it is quite limited. On a choppy day waves come up over the bow/trolling motor and swamp the front deck, also there are no sides/freeboard which makes for a dicey ride when I bring the wife and 2 sons out fishing. Have used/owned Lunds, Crestliners etc over the years and none of them really impressed me that much in terms of longevity and durability.
Truck used to tow is a 2012 Ford F-150 V8.
Been looking at a Silver Streak Carmanah soft top to fill both roles for family fun weekend fish/camping as well as a no nonsense fishing machine used by retired Army guys that treat fishing trips like a military operation. I have never seen this model boat on a lake or in a dealership parking lot here in AB so the only information I have to go on is pictures and online posts people write. I did talk to the owner Andy on the phone for a few minutes about customization to accommodate a bow mounted trolling motor and extra battery storage, all doable. However $80K plus is a lot to drop on a (type of) boat that you have never fished out of.
If anyone has owned/used a Carmanah for lake fishing and tournament fishing I'd love to hear about the pro's and con's and overall functionality.
Transom live well, no wood all aluminum construction, open rear deck, 16 deg deadrise are some of the features that really stand out. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
