new boat

[Smartbass]

First time posting on any web site-you guys here seemed more civil.-I'm about to order a new Lanier after 2 years of researching and soul searching. I've never ridden in one, but the one or two people that have driven them raved about the boat. I'm convinced this will do 95% of what my bass boat and bay boat used to do, but in one boat. I have a couple of questions and I'd really like some owner feedback. I've noticed the trolling motor installations I've seen have it mounted center of the front deck; this limits safe deck space if drifting across a bay for speckled trout or a pond for bass-anyone mount it at angle? I got to finally see an older boat today and loved it! However,there were a couple of cracks in the top corners of the front storage locker and I also noticed the rod lockers and a couple of storage lockers were wet ( this boat had apparently sat outside today in a hard rain) Has this been addressed on newer boats? Any gaskets on the storage compartments? I saw somewhere that 52" trolling motors are the recommended length-I had to buy one today that's a 50" or miss a great deal.I know it sounds silly,but will those 2" make a difference? Anyone carpeted,say, just the front deck area? I fish the federation here in La. and club tournaments-the last thing I need is more noise. I also noticed the prices of some used boats that were on the web site-seemed like a big drop in value for a couple of years-certainly NOT Ranger-like value retention.What's been some owner's experiences? No particulars needed, just generally whether they hold their value. Sorry for the long post-I've already annoyed Troy to death and also thanks to Steve for his correspondence in the past!

[BassBUFF]

Welcome to UB Smartbass! I've always had an interest in these boats after Steve had introduced us to them. I'm looking forward to seeing some responses.

[Smartbass]

In the couple of  years looking into this boat, I've NEVER come across any negatives.
I've spoken to Errol and Troy on the phone and you can't ask for more down to earth guys. The style,safety,performance,fishability and saltwater worthiness make this the ultimate boat. Other than probably not being able to get in a couple of trenasses down river or in Lafitte, I can't think of any negatives! I'm looking forward to some owner responses, but I don't expect any negatives. Thanks for the welcome and good fishing!

[getthenet!]

Hey guys, am new to the forum but not to the laniers. I got to run their boat this year on the redfish tour and really got the chance to put it through it's paces! was so impressed, i'm selling my boat and will be rigging one with troy and errol hopefully next month!
i own a very nice boat but it pales in comparison to the performance and comfort of these rigs. after an IFA event I typically spend hrs/days putting things back on my boat that rattled loose during long runs in rough water! not  a concern with their boats! I punished the one i had this year in 6ft sloppy seas for 2 hrs straight and then did it again on the trip back in with no problems       (wasnt the funnest ride, but she took it!). ran her across lake borgne in 3ft slop at 60+ passing all others with no problems and stayed dry! other bay boats reported taking 1 to 1 1/2 hrs to cross that day and we did it in around 35-40 minutes! rthese boats rock! smartbass, you will not need another boat, this one will do what you want and then some!

tips i can recommend
1 in rough water it gets smoother the faster you go, dont slow down and let er slap the next wave, get on top and let her go, takes a little bit to get used to but it is smoother this way! and a lot drier!
2 the front hatch inside liner is a thing i wish was on the boat i had
3 mount the trolling motor on one side or the other, if not it gets inthe way of front hatch and can hit the trailer bunk when loading. i have tested trolling motors in both positions and the boat still trolls perfecly with the side mounting.
4 if you mount your gps unit in the dash, make sure it is slantes/shimmed enough so you can read it while running without haveing to lean over. the boat i had was a used one and the previous owner didnt get it at enough of an angle.
5 have troy and errol set you up with both the dials and blinker switches for trim and jack plates, i liked the dials but my partner liked the blinker style .
6 the larger fuel tank will be one my new one, as i need it, if there is any chance of you wanting to make long runs i would suggest it.
7 50 inch shaft should be fine, but if you go with a longer one you wont have to bend as far to adjust speed, not as big a deal on these boats in choppy water since you wont be rocking near as bad as you used to

hope this helps, you are buying one hell of a boat, cant wait for mine!