bankes 19 crusader

P

PeteRenzi

Member
Does anyone have a 19 foot banks boat? Do you use it for more than just duck hunting? I am looking to buy one need some feedback on anyone that has one.. Want to know if it is good to use for other things ie fishing, family fun etc or is it too specialized..

Thanks

Pete
 
I've always used my Duck boats for fishing and family boating on water. Whether it was my broad bill,tdb or dwangler 17. Rather have a duck boat designed to hunt from an ocassionally fish/boat from then a shiny flashy boat to do reverse. I've read of guys on the ch.bay that have bankes,tdb and dw's fish with them. I believe Steve at Dwater even built custom rod holders to fit in blind support holes on more than one boat for off season. If I recall correctly.

Gene R.
 
we have the 21 goliath pretty much the same boat. we have a fishing boat as well so it doesnt get used for much more than duck hunting. It could be a good boat however for crabbing, stripers, blues, fluke clamming etc.
 
Can't speak for the Bankes, but a buddy of mine who guides sea ducks as well as stripers and inland trout and salmon uses a TDB 17 for much of his work. He has fly fisherman casting for stripers from the TDB, and I've seen him use it trolling inland lakes in the spring, too. He also has a center console, but uses the TDB a lot for fishing.
 
Pete, I have a DW 19', when I'm not using it for duck hunting, I use it for fishing. I have it rigged with
downriggers for lake Ontario salmon in the summer. I rather have a duck boat I could use for fishing than
a fishing boat I could use for duck hunting.

Dean.
 
There was a guy from PA who sold his to upgrade to a 21 and I believe he fished the Chesapeake out of his quite a bit. Do a search on here or the REFUGE (he goes by elktrout) and you may find his boat and story. Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Jeremy Mercer is "Elktrout". I've let him know this conversation is going on and expect him to stop by. I've hunted and fished along side his 19' a number of times.

I have a 21' and have fished as many hours as I have hunted with it. Two weeks ago I was out at the ice breakers catching Tog.

The open layout makes anything possible. I schlep lumber and grass to work on duck blinds, hunt in 1' of water, fish in the ocean, hunt the bay about 20 days a season. I have put my boat through it's paces and it's taken everything I have thrown at it.

Bankes boats are definitely specialized, specialized for just about anything a duck hunter and inshore fisherman can dream of doing.

-D
 
Pete
I had a 19 Crusader for two years, begged Michael to get the first hull for years. I had a poling platform on it and ran a push pole along the side of it. Used it in Outer Bankes to chase trout and reds, to Virginia Beach to chase Cobia and chesapeake bay to hunt and chase stripers. Great boat! Duck hunting i used to it to run 15 miles one way many many times to get to the places where i duck hunt across open water. fishing i will put easy 40-50 miles on it in a day. Rides just like the 21 goliath, only difference i find that a 21 golaith is long enough to ride over a wave to wave. Hunts 4 guys comfortably and you can fish 3 guys but 2 is alot better. You can pull skiers or tubers. I would get a 115 for the boat, I had the 90 motor and 115 yammie on the 19 for a year each. I liked the 115 for longer cruises and better gas mileage. A 115 four stroke yammie will push it to 47 mph which tells you its plenty of power there. If i had to do it again, 115 Etec! I have sold it after two years and went bigger 21 Goliath 150 Etec. Good luck with your decision, i tell folks to make the effort to jump in those boats and see for yourself the performance of the crusader or goliath.
 
Thank you all for your help.. It helps a lot getting everyones input.. You try to have one boat to as much stuff as you can? ( okay that is impossible). I think I will order one!..
 
I spent a bunch of time on the phone with Jeremy before buying hull #2 as well as driving Dave's 21 footer. I think you'll find any Bankes boat to be a great boat. I regularly hunt 3 from my 19 footer. I use it for family cruising and some fishing. People always ask the question can you fish out of it and I find that a really strange question. I don't see how fishing out of it would be any different from any other boat. You could easily mount downriggers or rod holders. I just spent the better part of 2 days cruising on the Columbia River with my wife. The Yamaha 115 burned about 12 gallons of gas in a little more than 100 miles of motoring.
 
Either movable seats (bases and seats available from Cabelas and others) or buckets. I use 7 gallon buckets and they are perfect.
 
Well i finally got the boat! WOW this thing is nice.. Going to try it out tomorrow on some sea ducks!.. it is amazing how many decoys you can store in it.. (still think I need to get rid of a few of them) .. I will post a picture once i figure out how to make it smaller size..
 
I have a Crusader and I have no problem filling it up with decoys. I added some David Clark gunnel bags and still run out of deck space.

Enjoy the boat its a great tool and Michael builds them tough.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top