Certainly two schools of thoughts on what a walleye boat should look like. We have outstanding walleye fishing out in the estuarys out of Lake Michigan, but it is so much like trolling for salmon with the big boats, down riggers and big water. I've gone the other way and caught thousands of walleyes in Canada mostly using a 14 or 16' Lund aluminum boat with a 10-15 hp outboard. A buddy of mine fished the walleye tournaments up north and he knew the river system so well that he was always in the money using his 15' Grumman Sport Canoe. He tells about nearly being swamped by the big boats going by on their way out to fish the way bigger water. My buddy's son did buy a big Hewes boat that he found in Ohio, but my buddy is right now in the process of refurbishing an S16 Lund with a Honda four stroke for his walleye boat. That tells me what his preferred method of fishing walleyes would be. Mine too.
Lots of truth there. For a long many years the norm for the groups I’ve handled across Canada was a 14’ with maybe up to a 20hp motor. Easier to fly those in to camps and easier on fuel which had to be flown in as well.
The bigger lodges on the bigger lakes went more to 16’, primarily as a guide and two customers per boat was a lot.
I see now more 16’ in the far north and big lake lodges like up on Cree, Slave, Ath, Reindeer etc are now going 18’ with 40-50 hp motors. That’s big.
My son was running a 17’ tiller down on Flaming Gorge, which was fine but he sold it because the waters closer to SLC where he fishes the most don’t need that size. He has a 14’ now with a 25hp.
To the OP, it really is all about the size water you will spend the most time on, and what keeps you relatively safe there.
Good luck with it.
Osky
