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thats awesome- glad it all worked out for you. Been so busy moving only been out striper fishing once but did very well on the mackerel and stripers but no keepers. I am in the process of moving to Weirs beach permanently and retiring here. I am second on the slip waiting list at the AKWA Marina which is located next to the house we bought. I am already thinking about upgrading to a bigger boat! Is the 20 foooter big enough for you? Lake Winni can get rough and make a rough ride on the Hewescraft Sportsman 18 footer I have. Maybe trade it in for a new bigger Duckworth?

How do you like the Duckworth so far and the dealer?

Sounds perfect! let me know if you ever need a deckhand-!'ve never been out tuna fishing before and that would be pretty cool!

The reason I mentioned mackerel is because where i fish for them near Breaking Rocks off the NH coast or the bouey between Portsmouth and Isle of Shoals everyone usually drifts and then before you know it, you have to motor back to where you started from and repeat the drift. With the Spot lock trolling motor mounted on bow, you can stay in the same spot without anchoring and no drifting saving much more fishing time. This makes chumming more effective because the mackerel stay right there.

I put in my paperwork for retirement on May 29 and my wife and I just purchased a new home in Weirs Beach! We will be moving there this summer and are second on the waiting list for a slip at AKWA Marine yacht club on Lake Winni! I knew I should have bought a bigger boat but they sure do get expensive after the Sportsman!

Congratulations!!- looks like an awesome boat. What is the name of the Duckworth dealer and where are they located? I have Honda's on mine as well but Yamaha's are just as nice. An Ulterra trolling motor with spot lock and cruise control for trolling make easy work for salmon in the lakes and mackerel in the ocean!

looks very similar to my Hewescraft Sportsman

I enjoyed ordering the options I wanted with Brian. Then you get exactly what you want- I had them hook up the Ulterra trolling motor and Humminbird finder and had everything shipped to him. I think it took about three months to get my boat after placing the order. There was a problem with the live well leaking which sucked but Brian at Erie and Hewescraft stood behind it even though I was far away.

What happened to the Hewescraft? You can order the options and boat you want with Brian at Erie Marine. Then very easy to pick it up. My parents live in Farmington NY near the thruway. I drove to their place, spent the night, then picked it up at Erie Marine next day, test drove in lake, and returned to parents house to spend the night. The next day I drove back to NH! I would even go with you! I don't get to see my parents often.

I was looking at Starcraft and Crestliner. Then I went to the Hewescraft forum and found a Hewescraft locally in MA that I could look at. I was sold! One look at the welds, down rigger mounts, ladder, etc, and thicker aluminum was all it took to convince me to drive from NH to Erie Marine dealer in Ohio to pick up a Sportsman. It was even cheaper! Love it- works great in ocean for in shore fishing as well. Any water over the bow goes right out the scupper holes!

I have the Sportsman 180. I compared it to a Lund that was for sale locally and it was a no brainer for price and quality. I bought from Brian at Erie Marine, just west of Cleveland and trailered it back to NH. They have some nice new Hewescraft boats for sale or you can order to your liking and wait, which is what I did.

I have a Hewescraft, a Pacific Northwest boat and agree the welds and thicker aluminum are much more substantial. Funny thing is they cost less than the Starcraft and Lunds.

Yes Hewescraft makes the Sportsman model in a 16, 18 or 20 foot size. Mine pictured is a 18 foot with a Honda 100 and 8 kicker with Minn Kota i-pilot trolling motor. Starcraft was my first choice over Lund until I saw the Hewescraft. There was no doubt these boats are built better- one look at the welds will convince you. The price was actually cheaper as well- it was a no-brainer.