When it comes to Walleye boats, none have more of an aura of excellence than the brand Lund. More than one angler has spent their lives scrolling through a pamphlet or website, looking at their “dream boat.” Even so, are Lund boats any good – or is this a case of lust vs. love?
Granted I’m biased, as I’ve owned by Lund Impact for over a decade now, but I’d emphatically answer, “Yes, Lund Boats are good – very good – the kind of good that deserves a way better hook than this.”
Let’s explore why.
Impressive Lineup
One of the main reasons Lund makes such good boats is that they’ve got the perfect one for you. Lund is one of the few brands out there that has a model that can suit pretty much any need.
If you own a camp and want some good utility boats for your customers, they’ve got you covered.
If you’re a family man and want something that can fish but also pull the kids around on tubes, you can find that in the Impact XS lineup. Not quite ready to make that financial commitment? Try the Adventure – it’s a great entry level boat that will turn heads.
Finally, if you’re a hardcore fisherman, they have the perfect boat for you. Want to troll for salmon and lake trout on the Great Lakes? The Tyee and Baron are your huckleberry. Want to fish bass tournaments? The Pro-V bass is the best aluminum bass boat ever made. Finally, want the ultimate fishing boat that can do anything you ask of it? Well, the vaunted Pro-V class is for you.
Reputation
Lund has an extremely good reputation that it received by continuously pleasing the sort of folk who concentrate on every last detail: anglers. It would be impossible to sustain this reputation if it wasn’t warranted, especially in the age of the internet where everyone has a voice. Lund makes boats worth the reputation (and money) and tends to go out of their way to help people who have issues, assuming they’re polite and the issue really is Lund’s fault.
Resale Value
Unless it’s your last boat, you’re going to want to factor in resale value when deciding what to buy. Here again, Lund Boats prove why thy’re so good. They tend to have significantly higher resale value than competitors of value brands like Tracker, for example. This is because they’re coveted – people want them – and because they hold up very well being of such high quality.
Another important element to why Lund Boats have such good resale value, in my opinion, is who the first owner was. At least for the more expensive models, you’re typically going to get a dedicated fisherman who knows what he’s doing as the prior owner. In my experience, many of the problems folks have with boats have very little to do with manufacturer error and a great deal to do with user error. If you buy a boat from someone who isn’t on their first rodeo, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding this.
How Much Are Lund Boats?
There is no way to sugar coat it. Lund boats are expensive. Take a look at their boat builder site. Setting aside their Jon Boats, the Fury is their most basic offering and it comes in at $12,797 as of writing. Then you see the Baron’s at $97,987 and you can see that there’s quite a range. There are also some Pro-V models that start at over $100,000. Bear in mind these figures are with the smaller motors that they can run, which you probably aren’t going to want to go for. Upgrading that can add tends of thousands of dollars to these prices. Clearly, these are expensive boats.
Why are Lund Boats so Expensive?
Lund boats are clearly more expensive than most of their competitors. There are a few reasons for this, but primarily it comes down to quality and reputation. Built in America by professionals who often have decades of experience, these boats stand up to the test of time. No one is going to send tens of thousands of dollars on a used boat just because it is a certain brand – it needs to actually hold up and be worth it.
Lund’s fit and finish is second to none. If you don’t believe me, go poke around one and then compare it to some of the value brands. It’s just a quality you can see and feel.
Lund’s also are expensive used boats. Why? Simply because people want them and are willing to pay a premium for them. In that respect, when you buy a new Lund, a good portion of the extra price is to account for this. There are many tales of folks on the internet selling these boats a short while after they bought them for more than they paid for them.
Are Lund Boats Worth the Money?
If you’re set on buying a boat, a Lund is definitely worth the money over most competitors. First, it’s a product that is going to hold up over the years and provide immense entertainment to your family. Secondly, if you take care of it, when it’s time to sell it, you stand a great chance of recouping a huge percentage of its original sale value. Because a Lund does not depreciate as rapidly as other brands like Tracker, the overall cost of ownership can be much more competitive when you go to sell it and recoup some of your investment.
This of course assumes you actually use the boat. Unfortunately, boats have a habit of being an expensive lawn ornament for some people. If that’s the case for you, your boat will never be worth the money.
Where are Lund Boats Made?
All Lund boats are made in the same place they’ve been made since 1946: New York Mills, Minnesota in the United States of America. When you buy a boat from Lund, you’re supporting American workers building their (and your) piece of the American dream.
Where to Buy Lund Boat Seats?
While your Lund is likely to hold up well over the years, one area you might want to upgrade are your seats. These can take a lot of abuse after a lifetime of fishing and replacing them is the quickest way to sprucing up an old boat.
Your dealer will be able to source boat seats for your Lund, but if that isn’t an option, or you want to try and save some money, your best bet is going to be Amazon, which has a Lund Fishing Boat Seat with screws. People reviewing the seats there have been impressed with the quality, though it doesn’t seem there are many different color options, and the gray that is available is darker than the gray that came on many Lunds. My Lund boat seat is a much lighter gray, for example.
If you really want the best match, you can also try E-Bay, or Facebook marketplace. E-Bay is going to be hit and miss, but at least you have some seller protection there. If something doesn’t arrive or has issues, E-Bay will tend to work with you to make it right.
Facebook, on the other hand, can be a dangerous place to purchase Lund boat seats. For whatever reason, there have been several scammers over the years on various Facebook groups. Reputable sellers won’t be opposed to doing something like putting a newspaper or a sheet of paper with their name on it in the photo so you know it’s the real deal.
Conclusion: Lund Boats Aren’t Just Good, They’re Great
If you’re in the market for a new or gently used boat, you really can’t go wrong with Lund. They have high quality controls, are made in America, have extremely strong resale value and hold up for years. You can buy one and know you can get a good portion of your money back even years after the purchase – and that isn’t bad. I’d definitely encourage you to head over to the classified section at Walleye Central and see if you can find a used Lund that’ll fit your family’s needs.
I hope this helped!
John Paxton
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