Solid advice needed please 2024
Chug Bug reply :
I am buying a "real" bass boat this year and need the advice of experienced boat owners please. This decision seems like a no brainer to me, but perhaps you guys can clue me in to something I'm missing. I have shopped Nitro, Ranger, Stratos, and Tracker. Seen every boat I'm interested in in person, and weighed the options down to the minute detail. My price range is 22,000 dollars. The two that are in contention are below and once again the tracker seems like a no-brainer to me. Are there any inherant problems with aluminum that would make the stratos a clearly better choice.
2006 Tracker Avalanche. Formed aluminum that makes it look exactly like glass. Looks nothing like trackers other models.
18"2"
Aluminum transom
135 Mercury Optimax
24 volt Motor Guide 70lb thrust trolling motor
Dual console.
Dual aerated live wells, lockable rod lockers port and starboard, lockable gear lockers ice chest etc.
Bow electronics area with remote trim and tilt control.
2006 Stratos 285XL
18' 6"
90 Mercury Optimax
12 volt Minn Kota 40lb thrust trolling motor.
single console
Same live wells, lockers etc.
No built in provisions for bow electronics.
Looked at both boats carefully, locker hardware, seats, carpet etc looked better to me on the Tracker.
To me this seems like an easy decision with the motor and trolling motor options. Am I missing something? Thank you guys in advance for your replies. Needless to say I can't sleep I'm so excited.
One more thing, the tracker max horsepower rating is 175, the Stratos is 150. so I guess that will also play a part in possible motor upgrades in the furure. Thanks again guys.
Al Wolbach reply :
I can't offer an opinion on either boat. I haven't owned or fished from either.
One piece of advice I would offer is to get the maxium horse power engine recommended for either boat. Tracker is famous for selling underpowered boats. I'm sure this will offend some but is common knowledge in this area. Not so sure about Stratos.
A friend of mine bought an Avalanche and I believe his has a 115 on it. He tells me it is underpowered and is not very happy because the local Tracker dealer can't make it handle or perform properly. The problem may be the dealer(not sure). Insist on a test ride/drive in a boat exactly like you plan to purchase and see for yourself.
Whatever you decision, good luck............Al The Tracker is a good looking boat.
Way2slow reply :
Never had any dealings with those Formed hull trakers, so don't know how they perform and can't comment on them.
I will say a Stratos 285XL with a 90 HP anything will be a 100% guaranteed disappointment. I think it was a mistake when they dropped to HP rating on that hull from 175 HP to 150. Don't get me wrong, that 285 is probably the best fishing platform on the water in 18' boats. Storage and fishing room makes it seem much larger than it is, but once you get it loaded, you couldn't give it to me with a 90 HP motor if I had to use it. Now, step that 285 up to a 150 OPTI and you'll have a fine ride or at least the 135 but not a 90. Also don't care for the 12V 40 TM, needs a 24V 56 - 60.
In that size boat of either one, I much prefer a single console over the dual. Let the passenger ride in the wind.
Now, based on what you offered to chose from, I would lean toward the Tracker, simply because the 135 on it should give you reasonable performance after you get it loaded, where the Stratos won't. With a 175 HP rating, I would still try hard to upgrade it to a 150. Those new formed hull have only recently been on the market so I would do some serious homework on them before dropping that much money on the table.
Get the motor you want now, upgrading in the future will not be a viable option in the future, you will loose way too much money.
scbassin reply :
Where do you live $22,000 sounds awful high for that Stratos rigged like that. My buddy just bought a 201 pro xl with a 250, loaded for $33,000. He had no trade, he sold his boat himself. I would shop around some more. I would go with the Stratos but with a 150 hp engine & a Minn Kota 24v 80lb thrust trolling motor any thing less & you will not be happy because it will not do the job. That is experience talking so take it for what it's worth.
cart7t reply :
You're wasting your money if you underpower your new rig like you appear to be about to do. You're almost underpowering the Stratos by half. If you can't afford to max horsepower a new boat you need to consider stepping down to a smaller size boat or to a used boat that has the correct HP motor on it. You're going to be thoroughly disappointed in the performance and by the time you decide you shouldn't have scrimped on the engine HP when you bought it you'll take a bath on the trade-in when you go to upgrade.
Chug Bug reply :
Sorry to make everyone so mad about my lack of ability to "afford" anything. These two options that I have described are right from the dealers themselves. I did not say I want that boat but I want an inexpensive motor. These two boats are what the dealer is offering me. Thanks for all the help. You have at least given me the knowledge, albeit in a brutal way, that I need to upgrade to at least a 150. Thank you for that.
I'll make it easier for both me and you. I will spend the extra 4500.00 for a 150. Based on the new motors, with all the specs above the same, which would you reccomend.
Why would dealerships and salesman set up all their out the door boats this way? Maybe I should not buy a boat at all. You have me thinking that all these guys are purposely selling poor performing boats. Examples of dealership out the door boats I looked at, and the motors that were on them.
Ranger175vs Max horsepower 130 motor on boat 90
Nitro 591 Max horsepower 200 motor on boat 135
Nitro 482 Max horsepower 150 motor on boat 90
Stratos 275 and 285 XL max horsepower 150 motors on both boats 90
Traker Avalanche Max horsepower 175 motor on boat 135
Madhouse27 reply :
Chug are these dealers giving you the suggested retail price? Beat these guys up a little bit and make a deal you can live with. For 22 grand I'd be telling him to put a 150 Yamaha on the back of that Stratos and a Minn Kota 70 on the front so we can make a deal. Telling them you've been shopping online, call around, work these guys. That's alot of money. Tell them you won't settle for an underpowered ride. Dealers in the northern half of the country are buried in 2006 bass boats and winters coming. You could get a list of every Stratos dealer in the country and start contacting them. Tell them the model, accessories, hp etc and the price you are willing to pay. Someone will do it and you can walk into your local dealer and say don't make me drive to timbucktoo to get my boat. If they can do it so can you. You work hard for you money, make the dealer work hard to get it away from you.
Chug Bug reply :
Yeah Madhouse, Stratos is suggested retail, both nitro and tracker are those nationwide set no haggle prices that they won't stray from. I did not know that you could haggle boats the same as cars. Thanks for the info. I should be a valuable customer as well because I'm going to put ten thousand down and only finance for five instead of ten. Do you think they will bend. Also, I edited my last post to include the dealer motor packages I have been dealing with here in Maryland.QuoteChug are these dealers giving you the suggested retail price? Beat these guys up a little bit and make a deal you can live with. For 22 grand I'd be telling him to put a 150 Yamaha on the back of that Stratos and a Minn Kota 70 on the front so we can make a deal. Telling them you've been shopping online, call around, work these guys. That's alot of money. Tell them you won't settle for an underpowered ride. Dealers in the northern half of the country are buried in 2006 bass boats and winters coming. You could get a list of every Stratos dealer in the country and start contacting them. Tell them the model, accessories, hp etc and the price you are willing to pay. Someone will do it and you can walk into your local dealer and say don't make me drive to timbucktoo to get my boat. If they can do it so can you. You work hard for you money, make the dealer work hard to get it away from you.
Madhouse27 reply :
Chug you have done your homework on various packages and retail prices. Now the strategy is to walk in and tell them what you want and the price you are willing to pay for it end of story. If they say they can't do it simply tell them that someone is going to get this 22 thousand dollars this week and it appears that it isn't going to be you. Leave your cell phone number and inform them that your offer is good until you find what you are looking for elsewhere. I just did this will a new vehicle last week. Made four phone calls and informed them of my offer. Three dubbed around and tried to work me over. Number four said yes and I drove there and made the deal. While out fishing the next day each of the other three called to say that low and behold they could meet my price after all. I told each of them that they had ample opportunity to sell me a car but that the deal was done. Right now somebody is hungry to sell you the boat you want at your price.
Tom Bass reply :
Chug Bug,
What are you going to use your boat for? Bass fishing? or racing to fish for bass?
No offense guys, but perhaps the man just wants a darn nice boat wthout breaking his budget. Are the options he mentions not worth while for a bass fishing boat?
Bass fishing is what it is, Bass Fishing! Tournaments and contests are another issue. Racing to a spot is the name of the game, in some cases.
Chug Bug,
I would buy what pleased me and have a good time with it. I, like you, started out over a year ago looking at bass boats. My wife got involved and wanted to go along and she wanted a pontoon boat. I like to go fast and in the end I wound up with a Regal 2120 260hp deck boat, which I dearly love 8-)...The bottom line is, I ended up happy yet unfullfilled. Tomorrow I am going to look at a $1000 fishing boat with a 9.9hp outboard and if I get that boat I will be just as happy with it as I would be a $22,000 Bass Boat.
Buy what you like and what you can afford and enjoy it. No one here is going to cough up the extra money it takes for you to get what they think you should have. It's your money and your happiness, enjoy your new boat on your own terms. The guys here bring up valid points from their experiences but in the end you have to live with what you bought. If you don't need to spend an extra $4500 for a motor to be happy then why do it? If it takes you an extra 10 minutes to get to a fishing spot then that is the way it is. It's not like you are fightin' "The High Seas" is it? There is no money riding on getting "there" faster is there?
Some of what I am saying here is "tongue in cheek" and I don't mean to be insulting to the people that have taken time to respond to your question, but the bottom line is that you get what makes you happy, suits your needs and makes you happy.
Buy what makes you happy and enjoy it. That is what bass fishing and boating is all about.
Take care and enjoy your new boat. Invest the $4500 in other things that the Bait Monkey will try to help you out with. 
cart7t reply :
I guess the reason for the advise on maximizing your horsepower would be the same advice I'd give someone buying a sportscar but is trying to scrimp by putting the smallest possible engine they make in it.
What's the point?
My reasoning stems from having run an underpowered boat before plus 30 + years of bass boating experience. After spending the kind of money he's going to be spending, there are obviously going to be expectations from the rig. Being doggy and a gas sucker shouldn't be one of them. Running a boat with an undersized engine results in more gas burnt than if the max horsepower engine were on it. You're having to run that smaller engine at higher throttle settings to get the boat to do what it wants, hence, more gas burned. After he's realized he needs to upgrade it's already too late, he'll eat thousands when he goes to trade in.
Does he want truth, honesty and solid advice from people that have been there before and have experience or just a cheerleading squad?
cart7t reply :
BTW, those manufacturer packages, with grossly underpowered motors on the back are teasers to get you in the door. Will the boat run with the stated engine? Of course. Will it run efficiently and will the boats total performance be realized? Of course not.
BTW, if all this is is about the fishing, why not just buy an 18 ft. johnboat, slap some plywood and carpet on it and drop a 60hp motor on the back. He'll save thousands. Believe me, there's a pride in ownership in a new bassboat and ripping off some 60 + mph runs down the lake is exhilarating.
Tom Bass reply :
If the man has $22,000 to spend he is not going to get what many think is the ultimate Bass Boat.
The bottom line is that he gets his Ultimate Bass Boat! Maybe a few years down the road he'll look back and say "Hey, these guys were right!" OR he will look back and say "Hey, I really screwed up and blew umpteen thousand dollars on some boat that I grew to hate just so I could fish!"
It's all in your perspective.
Madhouse27 reply :
Tom has a point about buying what you like. He may be a bit off with his thinking that everyone has a need for speed mentality. Chug is talking about comparing two boats, some of the guys are warning about buying a boat with an outboard way below the max hp rating and being disappointed, I'm talking about trying to maximize every cent of the $22,000 through tough negotiations. The bottom line is that everyone on here seems generally concerned about Chug getting a fair deal on a well equipt boat and that to me is pretty cool. Back to the original question with no oration: The Tracker.
Way2slow reply :
Didn't mean to sound so brutal, you asked an opinion, I just gave you mine. I've own bunches of bass boats over the years. Small boats with small motors, go together. Big boats with small motors are nothing but an investment in disappointment. Many years ago I bought a 15 ProCraft with a 55 hp motor (boat rated for an 80) because I thought that was all I could afford. Tried the boat out and thougth the 55 was just fine. Got on plane ok and ran about 33 mph. Then I got all my tackle, full tank of gas, and two people over 200 pounds, boat barely got on plane. A few months later I happen to come across a deal on a two year older 115 that I was able to sell my 55 for almost enough to buy the 115. Totally different boat and loved it then, pure junk till then. That was my one and only under powered boat. For the past 20 years, every boat since then has either been powered to the max or over powered (something you can't do in a lot of states).
So, if you don't mind strugling to get your loaded boat on plan and riding down the lake like your in an overloaded barge, settle for the smaller motors. One note, if you have a rather large passenger, you may have to ask them to step to the front of the boat to get on plane.
As I stated earlier, for my personal use, I would not have a single rig you listed. Been there, done that and seen too many others that have made the same mistake. The boat's take a horrible beating when you try to sell or trade them because with those small motors on the back, not many people want them. I would never recommend under powering a boat by more than 10 - 15%, and don't recommend under powering one at all. That's not for the speed, that's for the load handling ability.
scbassin reply :
Chug Bug I did not mean to offend you & I am sorry if I did. I have had bass boats since 1974 & made the same mistake you are thinking about making on my 1st. one. It's not about speed it's about RESALE & PREFORMANCE. I have a Ranger 185vs that I run about 4000rpm which gets most of the boat out of the water & I get my best fuel consumption. If I had a 90 on it, it would be a plow & with todays fuel prices I would hardly be able to use it. I will also tell you to get the bigger trolling motor as I said in my earlier post. You are going to need it to pull that boat around. especially in a little wind or current. I know $22000 is a lot of money & I agree with madhouse that if you shop you will find one close to that if not on it. As I said before my buddy told them $33,000 for it & they said no way but a week later they called him & said ok. Those dealers are trying to fit you in at retail. Play hardball & shop around for sure because the boating season is about over & they know it. In another month they will be having all kind of sales.
Chug Bug reply :
Thanks for all the help you guys, and I certainly did not want to draw lines of division between members. I am not looking to fish any tournaments. I belonged to B.A.S.S in the 90's and have fished my share of local events as a non-boater. Do I want a correctly horsepowered motor? yes. Do I need to race to an area that is 85% no wake zone idling anyway? no. Cart I understand the advise you are giving me, I do not want a cheerleading squad. I currently have a 64 impala ss with a built 383, so I understand a little bit about mechanical things and performance. Tom Bass, thank you for encouraging me to get into whats right for "me". Madhouse, thanks for giving me the demand what I want pep-talk. The only place that this advise has gotten me now, is that I know I'm going to mull over this for another month, because yes I want to be happy. For me, I can see no reason to spend 45.000-75.000 for a Ranger V commanche with a 300 on it for fishing by myself. Yes going fast would be awesome. Once a week I go out with my partner on his 22 ft. Mako with a 250 on it. Going fast is fun. but not that important to me. On the other hand, I don't want to operate a rig that is so vastly underpowered that the handling makes it difficult to pilot. NONE of these dealers tried to get me to upgrade the motor on any of these boats. So I guess my final question is why would they attempt to sell boats with inadequate motors. Thanks again guys.
cart7t reply :
Chug, I really can't advise you on which of those 2 boats would be the better deal. You're sorta comparing apples to oranges, aluminum vs. fiberglass. I'm going to point you towards fiberglass almost everytime except in certain circumstances (lake size, tow vehicle size, etc.)
Question. Have you driven either of those boats in the setup you're thinking about buying. avalanche with the 135 and the stratos with the 90? I wouldn't be spending a dime until you have. You need to get on the water with those boats and drive and decide (Champions motto I know). Until then you're merely guessing whether that boat will be what you want on the water.
Chug Bug reply :
Are you telling me that these dealerships will tow their boat to a nearby body of water and launch it for a test drive? I am also still wondering why these dealerships want to get you out of the door with such underpowered motors? Now boating doesn't seem so much fun. The wind has certainly been taken out of my sails on this whole thing. When I did question them about motor upgrades, alot of them said "No you don't need that, plus it'll take us 3 months to switch out and prep that motor. I am thoroughly confused. I am clear however, thanks to you guys, the higher hp the better. Why even sell a boat that is not rated to the max on the coast guard tag?
cart7t reply :
Would you spend $20,000 on a new car without taking it for a test drive?
If these guys aren't willing to let you test drive a boat or put you in touch with a customer that has one of these boats that you can go out in I'd try finding a dealer that will.
As for why they're selling these so underpowered? They're probably stocked with the boat and engine and are making a buck on them. If you tell them to take the 90 off the stratos what are they going to do with it? Its close to the end of the boat buying season and these guys are trying to sell off inventory. You have to be the smart consumer. As an experienced boat owner I would never walk in asking about advertised deals on underpowered boats, in fact I'd walk in pretty much knowing what I want and would want the dealer to get down to brass tacks on working a deal with me. Without that knowledge the salesman see's you as an inexperienced boater. Some will take advantage of that and push you into the package boat even though it's performance is subpar, how will you know anyway? After you've owned it a year or two and are frustrated you wind up back at the dealer trading in for a bigger motor (at a loss for you). You'll also pay for rigging, possible new throttle box, oil tank, gauges, prop, steering cable,.......... as you can see it's best to get the right motor on the boat in the beginning when you can work the best possible deal. Waiting till later will cost you thousands.
GeneinTX reply :
I would say this.... go take some boats for a ride. If a dealer won't take you out, find another one. If you feel the need to push more power then ask for a motor upgrade. take it out on a windy day. They all feel good when the weather is good.
That said, I have been boating all of my 40 years and I can tell you this. The bigger the motor you put on your boat, the more fuel you will burn. Even if you are iding!!! A 200 HP will burn more fuel by the displacement of the motor. This is not rocket science. My V-8 car burns more fuel than the same car with a V-6. Ask anyone who runs on salt water and makes a 100 mile run into the gulf with similar boats and different rated motors. The extra horsepower could be a help in certain situations but is not mandatory.
I think that the point is that you are trying to get a good fishing rig at an affordable price. Only you can make that decision. It all depends on how fast you need to go. if you aren't fishing tournaments and serious ones at that then the decrease in horsepower can usually be made up by getting up 15 minutes earlier or lauching closer to where you will fish.
You will save on your motor if you don't need the biggest motor available. The prerigged electronics however is a major point. I would recommend that without reservation. This will save you money and heart ache later.
Some people on here are of the opinion that everyone here needs a top of the line rig maxed out with 300 HP and $4000 sonar/GPS ect. wish some of them would make some payments or put something down for me!!!! Maybe we can start a donate some dollars to our buddies in need forum... LOL
As cart7 says... make them work for the sale. They will most likely want to sell a boat and will bend over backwards if they sense that you are serious.
scbassin reply :
They sell them like that to get that payment low so people think they can now own a boat. As Cart7 said within a year they are back. Been there done that & did not get a "T" shirt. Also if it's going to take 3 months to change out a motor find another dealer as fast as you can. On this last boat I bought they gave me that song & dance. I told them I'll see you later & all of a sudden they could do it in 2 days
Way2slow reply :
Like my pappy always said about advise "A wise man seldom needs it, a fool seldom uses it, so don't waste your time giving it", sorry I got involved.
You asked for some "sound advice" and a number of members that appear to have many years combined experience gave theirs and you've only come back and ridiculed all those that didnt support what you've apparently already decided to do and praised the one that supports it. The bigger motors aren't all about horse power and speed, they're about torque and load handling abitlity.
You're the one that's going to be using it, you're the one that's going to be making those payments for the next whole bunch of years so you're the one that's going to have to decide on the boat you want to buy. Enjoy.
Chug Bug reply :
I din't think that I ridiculed anybody. I am seriously taking more time to think about this now thanks to all the opinions offered. The consensus appears to be a higher hp motor, and I think you are part of that consensus. I will go back and read my posts, and if I ridiculed anyone I seriously apologize. I take the advice on this forum seriously and is the reason I posted to begin with. If I did not care what you guys thought of the matter I would have towed the Tracker home last Saturday. Thanks again for all the advice. I am a grown up, if I want a boat I will buy it. I have chosen to use you as a sounding board, and am now holding off on the boat. More thinking needs to be done.
Al Wolbach reply :
Chug Bug, I don't believe it was the intent of anyone to insult you and I know I didn't mean too. We for the most part are trying to prevent you from making the same mistake we have already made by buying an underpowered boat. Underpowered boats are not like underpowered cars, just takes longer to get there. An underpowered boat will not plane properly and when loaded may not plane at all. They go down the lake with the bow bouncing up and down like a cork in a hurricane because they don't have the power to maintain an even keel.
Whatever you buy insist on a demonstration ride. It is the only way you will know how it handles. If the dealership doesn't want to take you he has a good reason. They are provided with demo boats by the manufacturer, but probably not with the smaller engines. They have a manufacturer suggested retail price and they will come down, usually several thousand minimum.
And no I'm not going to help with the payments. But I would like you to be happy with the boat you are making payments on. Good luck.......Sincerely...........Al
RiskKid. reply :
I, like Chug Bug, am getting ready to buy a boat. This thread has some great advice and info. VERY HELPFUL!
I hope I'm not getting off subject but to expand on the information exchange I am curious to know what folks think about the following:
Is it better to wait for winter for a better deal at boat shows etc... or is now at the end of the season better.
How much mark up is there on new boats? I've always thought that about 10% off MSRP on cars was a fair deal (not counting rebates etc...). How far down can you reasonably expect to get off the MSRP on boats based on your experiences.
Al Wolbach reply :
Riskkid- I wish I knew the answer to your questions and hopefully someone on this thread will.
I got about a little over 10% off on my last boat and in retrospect probably could have gotten more but was a little impatient to haggle any longer. This dealer had taken me on two test drives and my wife and I one additional time, so he was probably becoming impatient as well.
I believe you could get a better deal in the winter rather than a boat show, although I 'm really just quessing. In this area the boats at boat shows are usually sold pretty quickly, normally the first day of the show. I have noticed the for sale adds in the newspaper also increase in the winter which should cause problems for dealerships as well.
Dealership prices for new cars can be located on numerous web sites but I have never seen one for boats. Maybe someone on this site can educate both of us..................Al
guest reply :
For $22,000, you can buy a 5 year old boat thats max powered, has the bugs worked out (be sure to get the motor checked out by a mech.), and still have money left over to actually use the thing.
mferris reply :
chug bug,seeing your post about fishing alone and not needing to speed around the lake sounds like my situation...i bought a nitro a few yrs back and am very happy with it..it's the 640LX with a 60 hp motor,think i spent around $12,000...it goes about 45mph...it does seem like nitro puts the smaller motors on their boats but i the largest lake i fish is around 500 acres and i get around fast enough,i think most of us would like 300hp motors but how many of us really need them
Tom Bass reply :
Howdy All,
I hope my two posts didn't offend anyone. I was just trying to make a point that sometimes a man doesn't need the latest, greatest and fastest, especially when it's his hard earned dollars doing the buying.
I have nothing against people wanting what they want, be it fast boats or race guns, I shoot SASS and IDPA competitions. I have seen the "need for speed" nearly ruin the SASS shooting sports.
Perhaps I mistook some of y'all's input for "keepin' up with the joneses" rather than your experience with boats and motors. Sorry about that. I apologize.
I, on the other hand, just got me a nice little 12' Lowe Sea Nymph with a 9.9hp Merc for my personal excursions on the lake. I have a Regal 2120 but it just isn't a fishing boat. It's my pleasure boat. Funny thing is I started off looking at bass boats and I ended up buying the deck boat....so much for taking your wife with you when you are shopping for a bass boat.
cart7t reply :
I'm afraid I'd have to think about divorce if my wife was insisting on a .......deck boat....... vs a bass boat.
ugggghh.
Way2slow reply :
Ya'll keep refering to the need for speed as the reason for not buying an underpowered boat.
One last time, SPEED HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!!!!!!. What's speed when the boat won't even get on plane with a load in it.
If he ALWAYS fishes buy himself and never carries much of a load in the boat, he might be happy with a 90 on a Stratos 201. Heck, I recently bought a nice 30 hp Johnson for a little of nothing off a guy's 16' glass boat a dealer sold him. He fished by himself on a fairly small lake and thought it worked great for what he wanted for almost two years. Then he started fishing with friend and then the boat would not get on plane with both of them in it. He took it back to the same dealer he bought it from and they wanted almost as much to upgrade the motor as he paid for the boat, and made out like they really didn't want his boat as a trade in on a new one with that little motor. He finally went to another dealer, bought a much bigger used motor, I installed it and gave him a few hundred for his 30.
I think most of us are speeking from the experience of having had an underpowered boat and they are absolutely no fun anytime you want a friend or two along, and they are definetly no fun when it comes time to get rid of it. The lions share of the money you saved up front buying it with that little motor is going down the tubes when you try to sell/trade it because most experienced boaters wouldn't have it. Take it back to that same dealer sold it to you (the one that's bragging about what a great package it is right now) and he's gonna give you a rude awakening when he starts telling you the trade in value of your little motored boat. They are setup that way only to get you on the water at the cheapest possible cost and that salesman will brag about what a great rig it is just to get your name on that contract in his hand.
As mentioned, you can put a Briggs and Stratton in a car and it will get going and probably run the speed limit on flat roads, just don't take it in the mountains. With a boat it's a little different, it takes lot more power to get it on plane just so you can get going than it does once you get on plane, the heavier the load, more this is so.
Al Wolbach reply :
Chug Bug, don't take anything I have said personally, I'm not busting your balls. How your boat performs has no effect on me at all. Same for what you purchase. Yes, I have a heavy bass boat that performs well with a large engine. The dealer I bought mine from will not install a smaller engine on this boat because it would cause performance issues.
In reality what you purchase doesn't matter to me at all. You asked for opinions and you got them. I was only trying to prevent you from making a mistake I had already made. I wish you well with your purchase..................Al
Chug Bug reply :
QuoteChug Bug, don't take anything I have said personally, I'm not busting your balls. How your boat performs has no effect on me at all. Same for what you purchase. Yes, I have a heavy bass boat that performs well with a large engine. The dealer I bought mine from will not install a smaller engine on this boat because it would cause performance issues.In reality what you purchase doesn't matter to me at all. You asked for opinions and you got them. I was only trying to prevent you from making a mistake I had already made. I wish you well with your purchase..................Al
Why do you guys insist on thinking that I am not taking your advice? I have not posted ONCE that I didn't believe you and am going to stick with an underpowered motor. A lot of other members are debating this issue with you. Not me. I am not off hand dismissing anybodys advice on this forum, so please don't make it seem like I am being ungrateful for your opinions. GEEEEZ
BTW my post on the how fast can you go thread was a joke. I think it's amazing that you and way to slow can hit the mid 70's in your rigs. I did not think that post could have been misconstrued as anything other than fun.
hootersdoug reply :
I don't know about either of the boats in question, but would like to ask the "Why new instead of used?" question. For the $22K you could get a relly nice larger platform. My 18.5' Skeeter works fine for me and my roommate, but if you try to fish 3 people off of it you have to be careful. Are you planning to fish solo or with more friends??? (You may find yourself making more friends once you get whatever boat you do purchase)
A lot of the advice in this thread is good. Trust me, once you get whatever boat you buy and get it out on the water, sun coming up, a little mist rising above the mirrorlike surface, you will have a big smile on your face. The best pointers I have seen here are the ones that remind you to be the customer. If you want to give $22K to a dealer, make them earn it. Here is a big apples to oranges comparison, but if a new customer comes in to my Hooters and has never tried our wings, I will give him a free wing and a free shrimp (they are awesome) to earn his $12- $15 in business. Any dealership that wants you to spend more that 1000 times that much should do a lot for you. There is no way that it will take them 3 weeks to swap out a motor. I would run away from anywhere that said that to me. Also, there should be a way that you can test drive the boat. If they are set on a price and unwilling to negotiate, I would shop around, like a few others have said here, you have what they want, a good chunk of dough and the wish to buy your dream. Don't be afraid to be the customer. If they make you happy, you will send them more business, if they screw you, they have made their $ once, and won't get any repeat business from you. Ask some local people who have bought boats from that particular dealer. They sound a little shady to me.
Whatever you do with your $$$$ (You could have paid the $10K for my 95 Skeeter 150ZX with at 150 and still have $12K for a nice used tow vehicle) I hope that you are one of us, whether fishing from you johnboat, you 24' 300 horse pro boat, or fishing from the bank.................a fisherperson who enjoys spending a day on the lake!!!!!
guest reply :
Think of an underpowered motor the same way as fishing a jig in heavy cover or a carolina rig with a 5'6" medium action pistol grip rod. Can you do it? Sure, and probably even catch a few fish. But its highly inefficient, and much more work than it needs to be. And your likely to not last very long, the motor feels the same way working at 100% open all the time just to get on plane.
Tom Bass reply :
Well Cart,
It was a means to an end...My wife hates fishing, but she loves to go boating with me while I fish. 8-)
It worked out real nice! She's the one who suggested me buyin' my new little fishin' boat. So I bought one.
I am a lucky man!
Craw reply :
Chug Bug, I pulled both of them up on-line and like you, it sounds like a no brainer to me. That Tracker is SWEET! Your partners will thank you for the dual console. I have fished a jon boat for the last 20yrs. but Dad has a Ranger that he lets me use whenever. I prefer my jon. I just don't get excited about name brands or monster horsepower. Sounds like you've done your research so get what YOU want. I went thru the same headaches when I was shopping for a truck two years ago. When I finally drove that big 3/4 ton Dodge off the lot it sure was worth all the trouble. By the way...I fought with the dealership for six months before I bought it. Great learning experience but it was a headache. Good Luck
flechero reply :
Chug,
I hesitate to even jump in to this thread at this point...
The only thing I will suggest is to take the biggest friend you have along on the test drive. When you lake test, the boat will have only a few gallons of fuel, empty storage comartments, no gear, etc. So even an underpowered boat can feel decent. If you bring a 200+Lb buddy with you & the salesman and fill the livewell, that will at least be close to your average fishing weight. You won't have to wonder if it's underpowered. And don't ease down the lake in a straight line... pretend you are driving a sports car. (within reason)
When I bought my last boat (19' champion) it was rated for a 200hp. So naturally I thought I had to have 200... my salesman was the one who said this boat will perform well with a 175. (and the showroom teaser had a 150 on it) I test drove same model with all 3 motors, the only difference I saw in the 175/200 was a few mph top end, which didn't justify the cost to me but the 150 was clearly not right. And surprisingly the 175 and 200 had no noticable difference in holeshot. With the 175 mine will jump out of the hole better than most boats, handles like a dream, is very responsive and will run fast enough for me. (60ish) Then once I decided the 175 was enough, we took 4 different props out and maximized what the 175 would do. I've carried 5 people in it (and did not unload my gear) and it comes out of the hole just fine and runs/handles well. The moral here is that you do not always need max rated hp... but you need to be an educated consumer and drive the boats in any configuration you are considering.
In contrast:
A good friend bought a 17'champion with a 90 (rated for 150) and with just he and I in it, I have to lay on the front deck to get it to plane. He test drove it with an empty tank, livewell, no gear and a 120lb guy (who actually sat on the front deck "so they could talk" during test) and said it was "good enough for me" since I normally fish alone. Guess what, he has regretted it ever since and can't afford a motor swap or a new boat.
If you take the suggestions in the first paragraph, and make yourself an educated and aggresive consumer, I think you will be very happy, on whichever boat you buy.
Glenn reply :
Good post Flechero.
I think Chug has enough info now to make a very well-educated decision on what to do next. Great advice and input. Just because there isn't a unanimous agreement doesn't mean the advice isn't sound.
Good luck Chug!
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