O.K., I'm getting a new boat. I had already made up my mind and purchased a new Dave Scadden North Fork. But, the company is in the process of giving me a refund. It seem that they won't have any North Fork models in stock for at least 1 month. I called 3 shops and they all told me the same thing.

So, that leaves me thinking to spend a little more and get the OE VV? The Standard LRS is the limit on my budget. I know it's a good boat, but it's more then I wanted to spend. I found the DS NF for $750. It retails for $999. So my total with shipping was only $800. With the VV, I'm looking at about $900-$950?

If I get the VV, what else do I need to order? Can I get the Versa Deck if I order the Standard LRS? :) I have to have the deck. What about the oars? Do they offer oar rights or is the VV oar setup different then most boats? I saw a couple at the Open and it looked like the oars were 'locked' into place. I guess that would eliminate the need for oar rights.

Hey Jake, don't forget about Jay's new company Kick 'N Bass as he is making things with the tournament angler in mind. Also, as you probably know, he will be able to customize EVERYTHING.

I personally still think my Bronco is second to none :P

Todd

Thanks Todd. Hadn't really thought about that. x(
One of my main concerns is the weight. One of the places I fish the most (Haiwee) requires me to carry my boat 30-40 yards to the water. I have to turn it sideways to get it through the walk-in gate. To much weight with my bad shoulder can make for a real quick day of fishing.

And of course, I'm not wanting to wait another month to get a boat :P If I have to wait, I'll probably still get the North Fork. It has a lot of real nice qualities like the VV. Each one is hand made and it has a lifetime warranty.

IFISH say's,

Do It, Do It, Do It ! :+ Dude, you'll be way happy with the VV ! The oars are locked into place and give you a great oar stroke. I used to have a Buck's Bag's Alpine Series boat, it had the Scotty brand oar rights and I didn't like them at all. There was " give " when you were rowing, so you really had to work to get a good stroke. I get about 6 ft per stroke in my VV. That's honestly what sold the boat to me, was how much more stroking distance you get per stroke, amount of weight it can hold, and it's awesome stability. Plus, do you know of any other kickboat that can house a " Bimini-Top " ? Ask FISH JC about his, and he'll tell ya those Hot, or funky rainy days don't stand a chance against it. Go VV ! Go VV ! :+ }( :+ }( You'll be happy bro, promise!

IFISH

Can I add the deck to the standard model or will I have to fabricate one? The Expedition is just toooo much for me.

You should be able to add the deck, they can tell you for sure, but I do think they offered me the deck when I ordered mine. I don't know if you will still need to ask for the extra bar for a livewell if you get the back deck maybe someone else knows or they should be able to help you. You won't be disappointed, there sweet fishing machines. On another note, I like your craws, I got a pack while Lake was throwing plastics at the open, I rigged it up on a jig and went and played with it in the swimming pool and they are pretty sweet, especially a nice fall rate.

cz

Thanks for the compliment on the craws! I'm working on a zipper style body (per requests at the Open) for them with about the same dimentions and rate of fall.

I was real close in buying another VV.
Honestly I didn't need the Expedition model for my needs of tournament fishing.
The LRS will do just fine and cheaper in price.
When buying ask for the live-well bracket.
Also see if they'll throw in a extra saddle bag in.
Not sure if you need the deck???
All pending on how you going to setup your boat?
Rod racks, Live-well, tournament ready, Cadillac pimping??? Sorry its been awhile :)

I didn't see the livewell bar, what is it? I just assumed that all the boats I saw had the deck on the back.

Joe, I'm just looking to be able to carry a livewell, 6-8 rods, a small cooler and tackle. I fish all still water lakes, no rivers.

Now I think I remember the deck is a mesh deck that comes with the boat.
Good to use when joy riding carrying stuff.
The deck comes off and replaced with live-well deck - Basicly just a frame. You need to build a live-well onto it. Easy/Fun stuff :)
The live-well bracket is a extra piece of material for the frame to help support a heavy live-well.
Thinking your going to want to rig your boat up with a live-well out of the water for less drag.
The fun part comes when designing a live-well.
There are some tricked out live-wells these days.
In hope we can get people to send in a pic or two of their live-well set ups.