Horse power rating 2024

Edro reply :

Ive got a bnoat and want to fish a couple local big tournaments. But I have one concernn, the horse power rating on the coat guard tag is for 100 Hp and i have a 115 on the boat. Is there anything i can do or am i just stuck not being allowed to fish out of my boat during a tournament. Might be a stupid question but I'm new to fishing tournaments and was just wondering. I dont want to pay the entry fee and then get my boat inspected and get disqualified.

Carrington reply :

i have heard that the coast guard can give you a good size fine if they catch you going over what the boat is meant to have.

Radical Conservative reply :

NOT telling you to do this... BUT I know many many anglers who have replaced the decals on their motor because of the same problem you have. They took whatever Horsepower decal was on their boat and replaced it with a lower horse. Many anglers also do this to fish in tournaments that have horsepower limits. Don't want to recommend this and I do always play by the rules, but if I was in your situation and had NO other choice, it would be a thought. 15 horse is not a huge difference.

Carrington reply :

ya you are barly over the hp limit so you should be fine to just change the hp rating, i have a 115 hp on my 17 foot that i just got.

K_Mac reply :

Quote
ya you are barly over the hp limit so you should be fine to just change the hp rating, i have a 115 hp on my 17 foot that i just got.

That is like saying a woman is barely pregnant. You are either legal are you're not. There is no gray area. Why risk your reputation by braking the rules?

Brian B reply :

I would have to agree with not changing the decals. While its only 15 horsepower, it is still illegal. The question is this, when is any form of cheating considered "OK"?

Way2slow reply :

If you're concerned, check with other members, most local club tournaments don't check motor hp rating against hull rating, it's kinda like don't ask, don't tell. If you ask, they are going to say no.

Also, check your state laws. Some states will fine you if you're over powered, most don't have laws against over powering.

stratos 375 reply :

my boat's rated for 150 hp, I ran a Mariner 200 with a 150 cowling for 4 or 5 years, before I put a legal engine on it. In retrospect, I will say it wasn't the smartest thing I ever did, but I don't regret it.

If you're wanting to fish some "big" tournaments, with 100 hp, you'll probably be one of the slower boats in the field, and won't draw any attentention to yourself as speeding up & down the lake. That's good.

One of the problems could potentially be, that if you actually won, and ticked someone off in the process,( who knew you had an illegal engine) all they would have to do is cry "foul" , then you might have your hp rating sticker cross checked against your engine serial number and find yourself DQ'd. All highley unlikely, but remotely possible.

Your far greater problem is if that you have a collision, or your rider would somehow become "detached" from his seat, get ejected and run over. If your insurance company found out, they very well might void your policy. It would also leave you wide open to a civil suit, and a very nice citation from the USCG or local fish/boat authority suitable for framing.

RandySBreth reply :

Quote
my boat's rated for 150 hp, I ran a Mariner 200 with a 150 cowling for 4 or 5 years, before I put a legal engine on it. In retrospect, I will say it wasn't the smartest thing I ever did, but I don't regret it.
If you're wanting to fish some "big" tournaments, with 100 hp, you'll probably be one of the slower boats in the field, and won't draw any attentention to yourself as speeding up & down the lake. That's good.

One of the problems could potentially be, that if you actually won, and ticked someone off in the process,( who knew you had an illegal engine) all they would have to do is cry "foul" , then you might have your hp rating sticker cross checked against your engine serial number and find yourself DQ'd. All highley unlikely, but remotely possible.

Your far greater problem is if that you have a collision, or your rider would somehow become "detached" from his seat, get ejected and run over. If your insurance company found out, they very well might void your policy. It would also leave you wide open to a civil suit, and a very nice citation from the USCG or local fish/boat authority suitable for framing.

These are my thoughts, too. Some smaller tourneys don't really care about this type of thing, but most bigger ones do. Check the rules of any you plan to enter. Like was stated, if you fish to win, and do, someone will have it in for you. Trust me on that.

Edro reply :

I agree with all of you on the cheating aspect. I was just looking for options. I will just use my dad's boat. But the bigger tournaments are still pretty small compared to some of your standards. Thanks guys

Way2slow reply :

As for the cheating aspect, if I was in your shoes, I would have a hard time considering that cheating. First off, you are going to be running one of slower boats and way back in the pack to start with. It's not like your'e going to be blasting off and beating everybody to the first hole. Second, a whopping 15 hp ain't gonna make a hill of beans.

You can rest assured, there are some whole lot faster boats than yours, that are way more over powered than your hull. There are a whole lot of the 3.0L 200hp Johnnyrudes on 200 - 225 hp hules putting out 250+ hp. A friend of mine has been running a 200 I built for his 94 201 five years ago that's making over 300hp and pushing his boat 78mph with 2 people and tourny load. He's is just one of many I know like this so don't let your little boat and motor work on your conscience because of the "cheating" bit. No telling how my 2.5, 200 mercs that are putting out a whole lot more than 200hp running around in those local tourney's.

Now, if I was trying to get into nationally sanctioned tourny's I would not risk the penalties, but local club tourny's are mostly just a bunch of guys getting out and having a good time on the lake. Yes, they have rules about overpowered boats and they are going to have to say no if you ask because of those rules but I've never seen a local tourny that strickly inforced that rule. Matter of fact, other club members bragg about how fast my friends 201 is. I have another friend that has a 20' Shaddow thats runs 96 mph and one that has a Bullet running 93 with over powered motors fishing their local tourny's. They are the talk of their clubs because of how fast their boats are and it's very obvious they are running massive more hp than the 225 on the decals to be able to run that fast.

Edro reply :

well one of the tournaments I was talking about was the big bass splash on guntersville. And as far as the decals that just covers the cosmetics, the serial number will tell the true horsepower. Just didnt want to pull my boat all the way down there (8 hour trip) and not be able to fish the tournament. I know there are faster boats and i might get over looked. But what if? You know what i mean. I dont think its cheating, because you still have to catch the fish. So around home i will still use my boat for local tournaments. I asked the question to see if there were any options on getting a new sticker for the hull. But thanks for all the replies and opinions.

George Welcome reply :

If you asked the question than you already know the answer. A violation is a violation.

HP ratings are Coast Guard suggested, not required.

Insurance would be an issue if you had a mishap. If in an accident with a boat that is powered beyond the manufacturer's recommended horsepower, you will lose.

For anyone suggesting that to beat the system just simply change the sticker - shame, shame.

There is no option to get a different sticker. Manufacturers are not going to just give you a different sticker because you ask for it.

TommyBass reply :

Quote
If you asked the question than you already know the answer. A violation is a violation.
HP ratings are Coast Guard suggested, not required.

Insurance would be an issue if you had a mishap. If in an accident with a boat that is powered beyond the manufacturer's recommended horsepower, you will lose.

For anyone suggesting that to beat the system just simply change the sticker - shame, shame.

There is no option to get a different sticker. Manufacturers are not going to just give you a different sticker because you ask for it.

Ya.... they will. How do you think you replace stickers if your engine gets scratched and you want a new one? And even if they didn't you can just go to a sign / decal shop and they can almost identically replicate any sticker you want beyond what a normal human being would notice.

I see this done with 9.9 hp limit lakes all the time. People put 9.9 stickers on 15 hp motors. The funny thing is is that it dosn't make that big of a difference and really isn't even worth it... cause you will get fined for that scenario.

I think the whole boat speed things is hilarious. People driving 80mph for an hour or two down a lake thinking they are going to win a tournament because of it. Fish are pretty much within rowboat distance of every tournament lauch ramp. I've outifished many of brand new Rangers (with 250s) with my 18ft jon with a 90hp. You have to be able to fish for that to even matter so I don't really consider it "cheating". Its more of an ethics and safety thing I suppose.

How did you even get an oversized motor in the first place? Most dealers I know won't install them above recommended HP ratings.

George Welcome reply :

The manufacturer's recommended maximum horsepower is part of the boat, not the engine. Decals for a motor are something entirely different.

J Francho reply :

I thought my boat had BOTH a motor HP and a motor weight limit. It was so long ago, I can't remember.

TommyBass reply :

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I thought my boat had BOTH a motor HP and a motor weight limit. It was so long ago, I can't remember.

Your right, most do. However usually its a HP recommendation and then a total weight limitation of the entire boat (including engine) allowed by the coast guard. For example, no more than 1500 lbs or 4 persons including gear. They usually state if that weight limit includes the motor or not.

The HP recommendation is basically based on three things.

1) Direct weight of the engine on the transom at rest (I believe they base that off the industry average for a 4 stroke but I can't remember)

2) Applied force of the engine on the transom under power

3) Ability of the boat / hull to perform under the peak HP / torque of said engine. Not only does it include the HP force, but the weight that the engine puts on the stern of the boat. (ie a 300 lb motor would make a 12ft jon do a wheely )

In other words if you go over that number you are most likely pushing the structural integrity of your transom by both engine mass and applied force. You are also risking your life in the fact that most likely your boat wasn't designed to be safely operated at speeds that engine is capable of producing.

Al Wolbach reply :

I fish between 20-30 tournaments a year. One series I fish averages over 150 boats per tournament. In all of these tournaments no one would care unless you say something. As Way2Slow said "don't ask don't tell." Many of the guys running the hopped up 2.5s, 225s and 250s don't even know how much horse power they are running and aren't concerned with what you or anyone else are running. In this area I don't think most people would consider this cheating..

That being said, liability issues would be a concern to me.

The larger tournaments will have lie detector test to the winner and normally a draw contestant which could be a problem since they ask if you knowingly broke any tournament rules. But most tournaments don't do that........So.......You decide..................Al

fishfordollars reply :

Agreed some tournaments don't care...

It's called a polygraph.

Winners in the larger tournaments, including the Sealy tournament, are required to pass one and also, the boat must pass an onboard check. They do board and check them.

Instead of trying to work the system, just borrow a boat to fish these tournaments. Lots better than trying to lie your way through.

Insurance is required to fish these tournaments also. If you lied about the horsepower on your insurance application you have just started the ball rolling. You will now have to cover each lie on through. It's not worth it.

Do the right thing.

Edro reply :

I never intended to cheat or lie. I bought the boat when i was 22 not knowing really anything, so i over looked it. I was looking to see if there was any legal way to fish it in a tournament since it is so close to the factory specs, and probably weighs less than a 100 hp that would of been on the boat the boat was new. Thanks for the advice and since there is no legal way around it ill find another boat to fish tournaments out of. Thanks guys......jason

Catt reply :

Breaking laws is cheating period

J Francho reply :

Quote

Quote
I thought my boat had BOTH a motor HP and a motor weight limit. It was so long ago, I can't remember.

Your right, most do. However usually its a HP recommendation and then a total weight limitation of the entire boat (including engine) allowed by the coast guard. For example, no more than 1500 lbs or 4 persons including gear. They usually state if that weight limit includes the motor or not.

The HP recommendation is basically based on three things.

1) Direct weight of the engine on the transom at rest (I believe they base that off the industry average for a 4 stroke but I can't remember)

2) Applied force of the engine on the transom under power

3) Ability of the boat / hull to perform under the peak HP / torque of said engine. Not only does it include the HP force, but the weight that the engine puts on the stern of the boat. (ie a 300 lb motor would make a 12ft jon do a wheely )

In other words if you go over that number you are most likely pushing the structure integrity of your transom by both engine mass and applied force. You are also risking your life in the fact that most likely your boat wasn't designed to be safely operated at speeds that engine is capable of producing.

I could have swore that mine had a both weight and HP for just the motor, not the boat's total capacity. Something like, "75 hp or no more than XXX lbs."

K_Mac reply :

There must be many dealers around who don't mind braking the rules. When I bought my 9.8 Tohatsu this past summer I was shocked that the first two places I called were more interested in selling me a bigger motor with 9.8 decals. When I asked about the serial number, one said,"no one ever checks the serial number." : The second said they would take the serial number plate off, and I could keep it in my boat or truck. :-?

I fish regularly on a 10hp limit lake. There is a local club that has regular tourneys there, and I think based on speed and sound, most of them are running something bigger than legal. I bought the legal motor and race around the lake at upwards of 7.5mph, but if I get stopped I won't be wondering if I'm going to get busted.

TrackerG reply :

If you want to check out some good info, go to mercurymarine.com. i looked up optimax ( i have a 115 optimax). Its the same motor from 75 HP up to 125 HP. same CID, same bore and stroke, same dry weight. There are some different gear ratios. a dealer told me the horsepower is mostly adjusted with tuning. at least on the Optimax. my boat is rated for 90 HP motor, but the guy who had it before had the dealer install the 115. The original 60 HP had a dry weight of about 250 pounds.

TommyBass reply :

Quote

Quote

Quote
I thought my boat had BOTH a motor HP and a motor weight limit. It was so long ago, I can't remember.

Your right, most do. However usually its a HP recommendation and then a total weight limitation of the entire boat (including engine) allowed by the coast guard. For example, no more than 1500 lbs or 4 persons including gear. They usually state if that weight limit includes the motor or not.

The HP recommendation is basically based on three things.

1) Direct weight of the engine on the transom at rest (I believe they base that off the industry average for a 4 stroke but I can't remember)

2) Applied force of the engine on the transom under power

3) Ability of the boat / hull to perform under the peak HP / torque of said engine. Not only does it include the HP force, but the weight that the engine puts on the stern of the boat. (ie a 300 lb motor would make a 12ft jon do a wheely )

In other words if you go over that number you are most likely pushing the structure integrity of your transom by both engine mass and applied force. You are also risking your life in the fact that most likely your boat wasn't designed to be safely operated at speeds that engine is capable of producing.

I could have swore that mine had a both weight and HP for just the motor, not the boat's total capacity. Something like, "75 hp or no more than XXX lbs."

Thats very possible, however, the boats I've owned have not given it to me in that manor.

StatosDadRI reply :

The Manufactures are allowed +-10% so those 200 hp pushing 220 and those 225 Ho's at 247.5 are still legal.

I hope to soon have a 250 pushing a LEGAL 275Hp. Your 115 may be in the 105 to 125 range. If its a older motor the HP may have been at the crank and then you really only have 95 in todays terms. If you are ever caught in a tournament or worse in a accident you will be sorry. You might be able to have the motor detuned or the Coast Guard approve the combinatation.

Way2slow reply :

Motor weight has nothing to do with the horse power unless you are going to a physically larger motor.

In most modern V-6 motors, they only use a few powerheads for the whole spectrum.

In the 3.0 Johnson for instance, the 200hp, 225 hp, 225HO and 250 hp are basically the same motor. They just used a smaller carburator on the 200's than the 225's (even some 200's came with 225 carbs, making the 225's with 200 decals). They opend the 225's exhaust port and changed it's timing to make the 250 and they just changed the decals and lower unit on the 250 to make the 225HO.

Mercury does basically the same thing with the 2.5s.

Evinrude 3.3 DFI's they just change the computer programming and use different lower units.

You can take any 200hp 2.5 Merc or 200hp, 3.0 OMC fishing motor and get 300+ hp from them and not change the weight, other than make them lighter if you want. Just take the know how and a little money. If you don't have the know how, it just takes a whole lot of money.

If you want, you can even adapt a 3.3 block that has be modified to put out well over 400hp (closer to 500 hp) to fit on top of a 200 midsection, all the numbers will say it's a 200 and it will still weigh the same as a 200.

Trust me, this kind of stuff is done all the time. The guys fishing B.A.S.S. Elite's and those level tournaments can't afford to take the chance on running modified motors, but at lower level stuff, bunches do it.

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Horse power rating 2024

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