BeyondLegendary The Lund tradition runs as deep as the rivers and lakes of the north S TORY BY JENNIFER CHESAK | PHOTOS BY MIKE CALABRO Catalog photos provided by Lund Boats When G. Howard Lund built his first aluminum duck boat in 1948, he had no intention of creating a legacy. His simple goal was to build a stalwart boat that could stand up to the rocky lakes and rivers of the north. Howard’s accomplishment, which took about a week to build, led to a boat brand championed by serious anglers plus everyday fishermen and their families, who were looking for a safe, solid boat. “Lund is probably the most well-known fishing boat,” says Mike Oyen, part owner of Soo Sport Sales in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I would associate the Lund name with tough. Lund is the Cadillac of fishing boats.” Mike owns Soo Sports with his wife, Cindy, and her brother, Rick. Their parents, Fred and Gladys Stauffacher, founded the dealership in 1970. “We grew along with Lund,” Mike says of Soo. The business still has a photo of its first load of Lund boats, which customers quickly snatched up. “If Lunds couldn’t take the abuse the Dakotas give them, they wouldn’t have earned that status of being tough,” Mike says. “With our reservoirs, there aren’t a lot of trees to block the wind.” Those prairie winds carried Lund’s growing reputation far and wide, and the brand evolved into more than just a way to fish; it became a culture. Whether it’s the Lund spirit or the actual boat that’s handed down from generation to generation, once Lund is in the family bloodline, it’s there to stay. Take Alaskan Jeff Baker, who owns and operates Kenai Kryptonite guide service (www.guideofsteel.com). He still owns the 17-foot Lund his father gave him when he was 12. “He owned a Lund previously,” Jeff says of his father. “I remember the Lund red.” As a child, Jeff would tow his Lund to the launch with an ATV. The ATV would often get stuck in the mud, so his dad bought him a truck to tow the boat before Jeff had even obtained his learner’s permit. “We lived right across from the launch, and I was only allowed to drive there and back,” he remembers. Now, after countless trips up and down the Kenai River, the Lund is still in great shape and the perfect platform for stalking salmon. “The Lund is bulletproof,” Jeff says. “It’s been trouble-free, doesn’t leak a drip of water and has survived 23 years of Alaskan winters, not to mention all the mistakes I put it through as a kid.” “Lund is a tradition. It’s all I’ve ever owned and all I’ll ever own.” Now Jeff ’s children use the Lund to ply the wide and rocky Kenai. “The coolest thing to me is that it’s a three-generation boat,” Jeff says. “Everything I learned about fishing, I learned on that boat. And now my son is doing the same thing.” He adds, “It’s actually a four-generation boat. My grandfather caught a lot of fish on it, too.” G. Howard Lund built longevity, durability and dependability into that very first duck boat. In World War II, riveted aluminum had been used to construct aircraft. Howard wanted to design a boat light enough to throw on top of a car, yet strong enough to handle anything. Those qualities caught the eye of a salesman from (Clockwise from here) Black-and-white photos from an early Lund catalog; Jeff Baker runs the same Lund his dad gave him when he was 12 years old; the Nipigon model, a walleye and bass boat from the past; the Kenai River by Lund; a client of Jeff’s and a big one from the Kenai. Inland Marine Corporation, who tracked Howard down after seeing the unusual riveted aluminum boat strapped to the Lund family station wagon cruising down Minnesota’s Highway 10. The salesman wanted one, too. Howard explained he had built it himself and that he would make more, and the salesman ordered 50. Howard ran the company out of his garage in New York Mills, Minnesota, with three employees. From the first model crafted by Howard and his small crew to today’s modern lineup, Lunds have always been built by men and women who spend time on the water themselves. The designers and engineers who work at the factory —— — ——— 22 | LUND www.lundboats.com www.lundboats.com LUND | 23 (Clockwise from left) Guide and Pro Staff member Gary Nault in one of his many Pro-Vs; Gary aboard his first Lund; the 314 and 315 Sportsman from the 1973 catalog. in New York Mills, fish the same lakes Lund customers fish, talk to Lund boaters every day and understand the importance of a safe, quality boat. Their dedication to the company sets Lund apart from other brands, and shows in the premium craftsmanship of every boat that comes off the line. “We have these Pro Staff meetings,” says Lund Pro Staff member Mark Christianson, who lives in Walker, Minnesota. “The point is to get ideas from the guys who spend every day on their Lunds. That is one of the smartest things Lund has done.” Lund acquires input from professional fishermen, as well as longtime customers, to make sure new models continually provide the ultimate fishing experience. Guide and Pro Staff member Gary Nault of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, agrees with Mark. “I’ve seen the development of the Pro-V line,” he says, “and I like knowing that I might have had a hand in making something happen.” Ever since Gary joined the Pro Staff in 1988, he’s fished out of a Pro-V—including his current 2075 Pro-V IFS/SE. Gary notes that while a Pro-V might be the ultimate Lund to own, the design tweaks made to the line each year also help to evolve other Lund models—where it makes sense— ensuring that the entire lineup stays fresh. Lund works hard to maximize storage and provide advanced livewell systems on its boats. While Mark appreciates the dry storage incorporated over the years, Gary is partial to the exceptional storage layout. “I can put my hand on everything I need without question,” he says. “They’re very user-friendly,” adds Mark, who runs Moore’s Lodge on Minnesota’s Leech Lake and guides all summer. “The key thing for a walleye fisherman is boat control because you’re fishing on these sharp drop-offs, and the Lund hull is built for controlled drifting and backtrolling.” Both guides agree that no other boat out there compares to a Lund in getting the job done. “I consider the Lund boat to be the most fishable because it has the most floor space,” Gary says. “To me, as a guide, I consider that important because I can get more people on it and they have room to fish.” Of course, one thing will never change with Lund: The boats will always stay just as tough as ever. “I’m not sure there’s much more you could do to make them more solid,” Mark says. “Even back then,” he adds, remembering his first Lund, which he bought in 1986, “that boat was a great fishing boat. I ran the crap out of that thing.” Thanks to this superior construction, boaters from all over know Lund as a top-shelf brand. “I’ve fished with thousands of people,” says Mark, who has guided for more than 35 years, “and those who don’t own a Lund, envy it. Lund has an awesome reputation. I don’t think there’s any doubt that Lunds are the best built.” A durable, well-made and well-recognized fishing boat has great resale value, no matter what kind of abuse it takes. “You never see a used Lund sit in the paper for very long,” Gary says. “What I always tell people when they’re in my boat or if they’ve bought a Lund is that they’re in one of the most solid and most fishable boats you could own.” As a guy born the same year G. Howard Lund constructed that first steadfast, indestructible vessel, Gary says it best: “Lund is a tradition. It’s all I’ve ever owned and all I’ll ever own.” — —— 24 | LUND www.lundboats.com