Need help deciding on Lynx vs Eyra

[Ken Jester]

Little about me , have had about 7 bass boats . Nitro , Ranger, Triton 21 xb merc, Legend alpha 211. I’m 60 years old and fishing club tournaments out of Chesapeake area and like going small mouth up Thousand islands area. Which boat would recommend and why 2019 2020 what I’m looking at.

[mike464]

The Lynx is a big water smallmouth machine and will still run in the seventies. I like the big deck and great ride. I've been in an Eyra and driven one, you really need to drive both, they are 2 different outfits. The one that fits you will jump to the front.

[Ken Jester]

Thanks

[printman71]

The Lynx is a 750iL BMW.
The Eyra is an M5 BMW.

[Bill2e]

Both of the above are correct. Both awesome boats, but total different.

One's a Big SUV and the other is a sports car.

[adchunts]

I was going to use the Cadillac versus Corvette analogy, but I guess the Beemers will work.

[Kittycat2012]

Ken I responded to your email.

[Blue Steel]

The Lynx is a 750iL BMW.
The Eyra is an M5 BMW.

Totally agree

[Phil Addison]

So i've owned a Lynx now for 10 days, the engine has 5 hours on it, and I've fished approximately 15-20 hours out of it. Just had an Eyra that i ran the latter half of 2019 and half this year. Here's what you need to be aware of from my brief experience of owning a Lynx.

The Lynx is a white cap crusher! Best riding boat that I've owned. It will absolutely crush 2-2.5 footers and there is no worry about getting "jarred". It will be interesting to see how it performs when the waves get larger and maneuvering troughs is the better method for getting from one place to another. I already know the Lynx won't be as responsive to driver input as the Eyra.

Fishing wise in open water the Lynx is a better boat to fish from. I was fishing water that a 52" ultrex in the all the way down position was coming out of the water regularly and there was no waves coming over the front deck. In an Eyra there would have been some coming over the bow enough to get your feet wet. The Eyra will be a better fishing boat in ultra shallow water, in stumps, or in bushes, etc. The Lynx is set up better for two on the front deck as it is a much bigger boat!

Top end speed and acceleration no comparison. The Eyra is the faster by at least 5 mph and will get there much quicker than a Lynx. What one needs to be aware of is the Lynx has about 5 times more storage space than an Eyra. If you don't look out, one can store so much in a Lynx that it will inevitably slow it down even more. Comparing apples to apples with weight loading where my Eyra would run 78-79 loaded with two people, the Lynx will run 73-74. Though the engine has only 5 hours on it and i expect after more time on the engine and some prop playing those numbers will improve.

As far as the storage itself, it will take some time getting use to the layout as the rods and reels are stored in the center and i imagine I will use the right and left boxes for main tackle storage. As i said above, there is so much storage area in the Lynx that you can quickly start carrying way more than you need. The Eyra storage is nice and has more than enough storage area to carry what you need to carry.

The Lynx seating behind the console is more like a puma or cougar and you will set higher than in an eyra. So if you're a big guy or a short guy you will like a Lynx better. At 5'8" tall I struggled a little behind the steering wheel as i couldn't see over the windshield and had to look through the windshield. This was due to the lower "sport car" seating in the Eyra.

It will ultimately be your decision what you end up with. To sum it up you can ask yourself if you want a large front deck with a ton of storage and the ability to run straight through rough water or a boat that is large on performance.They both will have pros and cons when it comes to fishability.

More to come at a later date and it will be interesting to see what i think after a year of fishing from the Lynx. I've always been a regular sized front deck type of guy!

Good luck with your choice!

[printman71]

I was going to use the Cadillac versus Corvette analogy, but I guess the Beemers will work.

Cadillac has changed so much over the years and they really don't build a "tank" anymore but a Corvette is still a Covette.

[Ken Jester]

Thanks all

[mike464]

Ken, if you're running small backwater type areas the Lynx is not going to be the boat for you, but if you're fishing the Great Lakes for deep water smallmouth it's going to be the king. The Lynx will walk away from a Cougar when it gets rough, I've got 140 hours on my 2018, with 110 of that on Fort Peck Reservoir in NE Montana. Peck gets about as bad as anywhere and it's been the best running boat I've been in on that lake, that's including a gen 1Jag, Puma FTD, Pantera Classic, Pantera IV, Cougar FTD, and the Eyra.

[Louie]

Phil's write ups are always spot on and I've chatted with him a bit on face book and hes always had sound advice.

As for fishing up in the Chesapeake/ Thousand Islands primarily... I'd look at the lynx or maybe even the 203 hybrid- or the new cougar top cap... If you can get the 203 hull with a new cougar top cap... now that would be the ticket up there. You could move the pedal back and it would do well in the rough water. I was up there running my puma last year about this time, did fine down towards A bay.. we did push out and fish Chaumont bay and it got blowing out there the puma did well in all of that 3' stuff. I would of rather been in a lynx or had the ability to move the tm pedal back..

With that said I just ordered an Eyra, and its more suited for fishing docks/ rivers and stuff down here in Charlotte NC area... I'm sure it will do fine up in TI when I go back up there but sounds like your into some bigger water than we have here the eyra is narrow at the nose and I wouldn't want to be cramped up there. I'm 36 and occasionally would lose my balance in my puma, but never my caracal which was nearly a foot wider at the tm pedal.

[Rick McFaul]

I have a 2019 Lynx and consider the Chesapeake my home waters. PM me if you want to discuss the boat in greater detail.

[Ken Jester]

Thanks saw your message

[kickerbass10]

As everyone mentioned, it's personal preference. I'm now on my second Eyra and dont think there is a boat better suited to fit my needs. I'm up in NY and have had my Eyras on Champlain (TI + Plattsburgh), Oneida, Thousand Islands, Ontario, Cayuga, Hudson River, etc and it does great. Not saying the Lynx isn't better, but the Eyra is no slouch in the rough stuff.

[Luke]

we have some pretty rough water lakes here also (Lake of the Ozarks=Nasty boat traffic wakes)
if it were me and I had my choice of either boat I would be going for Lynx. just due to ride and big decks....and im a Tackle Hoarder and love the storage in the Lynx.
sure its gonna be Slower than an Erya but im not a speed demon anyway I want to fish period.

[SP1973]

I fish all the North Alabama lakes. It can and will get rough. Lynx is good there. I also fish some other North Al lakes a little less knows. They're creek lakes, man made reservoirs. My Lynx also does surprisingly well in very, very skinny water. It’s heavy getting off stumps but maneuvers very well in the stump fields. I have been in water less than 18”, maybe less. Very pleased.

[Ken Jester]

Thanks all i think going with Lynx

[scotty34]

Ken
might want to consider the hybrid 203