Why are Skeeters so slow?
Mark D. Hall
a 200HP motor is 51-55, and then they say the top speed of an Allison
(always known for speed) is 80 with only a 150. What would make the Skeeter
so much slower v. a lot of the other boats. I have an 18' aluminum Lowe
that goes 64 (GPS) with only a 115.
We're thinking of getting a fiberglass boat & wanted a combination of
fishability and speed. I'd like to go in the 70s. I kind of liked the
Skeeters but wouldn't want one if they're slow. What makes one boat so much
faster than another? In the magazine, there was a discrepancy of sometimes
15 MPH or more between nearly identically configured boats.
I've looked at Skeeter, Triton, Stratos, Ranger & Champion, and they all
seem to cost roughly the same once configured with the same options. How
would you recommend narrowing it down to a couple to chose from? I know
Champions are slower but very good in rough water. How about Ranger? Are
they fast? I see them at in all the tournaments, but are they fast? Good?
Thanks for any help...
--
Mark
CT BASS Fishing -->http://skippermark.com/
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eric ryder
Ranger is known as somewhat a slower boat (than Allison, Bullet, et al.
no flames plz:) but most of their hulls are pretty good in rougher
conditions.
Could any Stratos owners out there comment on the hull weights and rides
in their 20 footers powered by 200-225's please.
thanks
eric
--
__________________ ______ __
___ ____/___ __ \___ //_/
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Tyler T. Brinks
>in their 20 footers powered by 200-225's please.
I do not own a stratos, but I have ridden in two of them and they are very
smooth. I have fished a 20 footer with a 225hp on Lake Mead during rough
waters and it seemed great, I'd say as close to a champion I have seen, and
they are alot faster than a champ. The other one I have been in was a 18'6
with a 150, and that too was fast.
Tyler Brinks (TTB)
Mark D. Hall
smooth. The water was pretty rough with 18" swells, and the boat had
no problem crusing at 55. He took it up to 75 (according to the
speedometer) for a couple minutes, and it rode pretty smoothly at that speed
too, though it was quite a lot faster than anything I'd ridden in before.
He said it would do 80 by himself, but I don't know if that was true.
I think Warren has a Stratos & would probably love to tell you about it...
--
Mark
CT BASS Fishing -->http://skippermark.com/
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eric ryder <ery...@bassboat.mv.com> wrote in message
news:3836CA13...@bassboat.mv.com...
> Weight's the biggest factor, along with the amount of wetted hull.
> Ranger is known as somewhat a slower boat (than Allison, Bullet, et al.
> no flames plz:) but most of their hulls are pretty good in rougher
> conditions.
>
> Could any Stratos owners out there comment on the hull weights and rides
> in their 20 footers powered by 200-225's please.
>
> ___ ____/___ __ \___ file://_/
Montgomery D. Bonner
then I don't know what fast is. I have ridden/driven in two of them. I
drove a 519DVS 1999 Ranger with a Mariner EFI 225 and I drove it at various
speeds on the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. There was not
much wind, however up river from town, there was a tidal chop and I just
trimmed in the motor to smooth the boat out. The top speed I hit was about
70. When I hired a guide on Lake Mead, he let me launch the boat and later
in the day I was given permission to drive. I pushed it right on out to
about 75, it was a Mercury 225 Optimax and again the lake was smooth. I was
impressed with the top end on both of these boats. I am curious how they
will do in a rough water situation.
Monty
jim crowley
real good boats that you mentioned. I dont know why the skeeter would be
so slow, they are usually fast. If you have all those boats to choose
from, I wuld go to te dealer who you feel most comfortable with. The
dealer can make it great or a nightmare, if you know what I mean. I have
the new Ranger R81 I have a merc 175 on a 6 inch plate set off the built
in 8inch setback. Its a rocket out of the hle and does 73. It has plenty
of storage and rides beautiful. The dealer I have is Bedford Sales in
Morris Ill and they are awesome. They treat me great and service is
excellent. It must be the same for everybody, because tey are the larget
ranger dealer in Illinois. I guess i'm just telling you, I've had good
dealers and bad. That is what made the boat.
www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/3607/
best of luck to you.
Ron Solinski
bass boat (ZX Series) and also a 21' center console "bay" boat. To which
are you referring? I own and drive the ZX202c (20' 2" ) with a Yamaha VMAX
200. The specifications from Yamaha and my personal experience have the
top-end speed for this setup in the upper 60s mph. The max HP for the
ZX210c (21' ) is 225. I have not seen the specs for this rig, but I've got
to believe that the performance is similar and would not downgrade much if
the outboard HP was reduced to 200.
Mark D. Hall <mar...@NOSPAM.skippermark.com> wrote in message
news:F0xZ3.30429$YI2.1...@typ11.nn.bcandid.com...
LoansharkX
boat........
Richie Boyd
I'm 23 and don't know alot about boats but my first bass boat is a 17 foot
97' Skeeter and it only has a 115 on it and it will do about 48mph w/ only
me and a full tank of gas. (On smooth water of course)
I love my Skeeter and it gets the job done (as of right now.)
Mark D. Hall
cars...then I'd be all set. :) So you like your Ranger Sport, heh? I
didn't really look at them because the dealer made them sound like an
inferior product, probably to try to get me to spend $10,000 more on a
Comanche. Is a 175 the biggest you can put on there? 73 is pretty fast.
That's where I'd like to be...somewhere in the 70s, though the speed limit
on most of the lakes I fish is 45 during the week and 30 on weekends. :) I
like our Lowe, but I want a little heavier boat for rougher water and don't
want to spend $37,000 really.
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jim crowley <crank...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:755-383...@storefull-232.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Mark D. Hall
the top speed between 51-55 with a 200 on the back. They say the max HP for
this boat is 225. I'm figuring a 225 would boost it closer to 60, but I
really don't know how much speed 25 HP gains.
To me, it seems like they made a mistake because most of the other boats
similiarly configured ran in the mid to high 60s. My current boat goes 60 &
I've had Skeeters blow past me, though I don't know the exact model, but I
know they had a big VMAX on the back.
--
Mark
CT BASS Fishing -->http://skippermark.com/
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Ron Solinski <ron.so...@daytonoh.ncr.com> wrote in message
news:3839...@rpc1285.daytonoh.ncr.com...
> I'm not sure you're comparing apples to apples here. Skeeter builds a 21'
> bass boat (ZX Series) and also a 21' center console "bay" boat. To which
> are you referring? I own and drive the ZX202c (20' 2" ) with a Yamaha
VMAX
> 200. The specifications from Yamaha and my personal experience have the
> top-end speed for this setup in the upper 60s mph. The max HP for the
> ZX210c (21' ) is 225. I have not seen the specs for this rig, but I've
got
> to believe that the performance is similar and would not downgrade much if
> the outboard HP was reduced to 200.
>
Bob Redding
page and select marine products, listed at the top of the page, according to
the first letter of the boat name you are interested in.
-- Go fishing. And may your fish be as big as your tales!
Ron Solinski
like they've mixed up the ZX210 and ZX202. I don't know where they got the
'top speed' info. You can see the performance specs for the ZX202c/VMAX200
(and many other Yamaha rigs) at:
http://www.yamahausa.com/marine/marine.html .
Mark D. Hall <mar...@NOSPAM.skippermark.com> wrote in message
news:Hsj_3.37483$YI2.1...@typ11.nn.bcandid.com...
Mark D. Hall
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Bob Redding <bobre...@email.msn.com> wrote in message
news:er9eb8ZN$GA.188@cpmsnbbsa02...
Mark D. Hall
handle a 225. That was the first thing that threw me off and then the
speeds were really low, which also surprised me. Thanks for the web site.
I'm going to check it out.
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Ron Solinski <ron.so...@daytonoh.ncr.com> wrote in message
news:383a...@rpc1284.daytonoh.ncr.com...
Gilbert Archibeque
I have a 171/135 merc. and it will go 60 mph at 5300 rpm.
I've had it up to hair raising 67 mph at 5500 rpm.
This always gives my passingers a thrill!! yippeeee!!!
I still don't know what is the hull speed for this boat.
But... like they say... it's not how fast your boat will go.
Can you put the bass in the box?
see ya at weigh-in
Gill
Mark D. Hall wrote:
>
> In my Bass & Walleye magazine, they say the top speed of a 21' Skeeter with
> a 200HP motor is 51-55, and then they say the top speed of an Allison
> (always known for speed) is 80 with only a 150. What would make the Skeeter
> so much slower v. a lot of the other boats. I have an 18' aluminum Lowe
> that goes 64 (GPS) with only a 115.
>
> We're thinking of getting a fiberglass boat & wanted a combination of
> fishability and speed. I'd like to go in the 70s. I kind of liked the
> Skeeters but wouldn't want one if they're slow. What makes one boat so much
> faster than another? In the magazine, there was a discrepancy of sometimes
> 15 MPH or more between nearly identically configured boats.
>
> I've looked at Skeeter, Triton, Stratos, Ranger & Champion, and they all
> seem to cost roughly the same once configured with the same options. How
> would you recommend narrowing it down to a couple to chose from? I know
> Champions are slower but very good in rough water. How about Ranger? Are
> they fast? I see them at in all the tournaments, but are they fast? Good?
> Thanks for any help...
Gilbert Archibeque
I'll bet this setup gets great miles per gal. of gas.
I have a champion 171 17' 1" with a 135 merc.
If I had done my homework I would have chosen the everude 115 with fuel
injection.
Gill
MiketheMad
all of those boats are very fine products. What matters a whole lot
more than how fast the boat will go is, How stable is the boat at
speed. I have ridden in many bass boats, 99% of the time no matter who
I am with we run 50 to 60 mph. All of these boats have different
handling characteristics, test them out and find the one that you feel
the most comfortable in. If it costs a little more/less than the
others, chalk it up to your personal taste. Running 70mph on the
water in a Bass Boat ( any Bass Boat ) just isn't safe no matter what
anyone tells you. I've seen a lot of guys hurt themselves and their
friends by running too fast and then hitting an underwater obstruction
or catching a wave they weren't prepared for.
However, let me say this, Motor Size does play a role in
performance/reliability. I have a 225 Merc EFI, I have ridden in a lot
boats with 200 EFI's. There is a big difference between the two motors
with respect to the out of the hole horsepower and running 50 to 60.
The 225 doesn't work near as hard as the 200 does. As long as I keep
my motor throttled down between 4500 and 5000 RPM I get great gas
mileage and I'm also going 50 to 60 mph. The 225 Merc is built on the
300 block so it's a little more stout than the 200.
Hope this helps,
P.S. - If the boat dealers don't want to do "test drives" with you,
leave and find somebody else who will. It's the only way you will know
if that is the boat for you.
Ciao,
Mike
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Mark D. Hall
Ever since we got our Lowe, I've been catching far more fish than before. I
think the fish since the "BASS" boat presence and repond accordingly.
Seriously, you're right. I caught a lot of fish with our previous boat -- a
car topper. It's just that with a faster boat you can get to more places &
have more choices.
TO reply to me directly, remove the NOSPAM
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Gilbert Archibeque <rza...@email.sps.mot.com> wrote in message
news:383BDAF4...@email.sps.mot.com...
Mark D. Hall
Mark D. Hall
pretty fast for me. I'd just like to be able to go 60 without having to run
full throttle, thus my desire for a "faster" boat. Like you I mostly run at
"cruising" speeds to save gas & to be able to respond faster to any
problems, however when I cruise at 4000-5000 RPM, my boat goes around 40
instead of 50-60 like yours.
I like our Evinrude a lot (have always had them), but I'm really starting to
like the Mercury's a lot too. They seem more performance oriented where
Evinrude is more "sedate" I guess you could say. Have you checked out the
new high performance 200 that Merc has? I think it's a real high
performance motor but with OptiMax technology. I'm like you in another way
too. I'd rather get a bigger motor that can run at a lower RPM comfortably
rather than have a smaller motor & have to rev it higher to get the same
speed. Thanks for the great reply.
--
Mark
CT BASS Fishing -->http://skippermark.com/
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MiketheMad <msdavis...@informix.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:004aa0e3...@usw-ex0102-016.remarq.com...
ripsomelips
> Gill? I don't know if that's really true about how fast your boat will
go.
> Ever since we got our Lowe, I've been catching far more fish than before.
I
> think the fish since the "BASS" boat presence and repond accordingly.
> Seriously, you're right. I caught a lot of fish with our previous
boat -- a
> car topper. It's just that with a faster boat you can get to more places
&
> have more choices.
You can spend more time riding than fishing even with the fastest boat on
the market . Having a fast boat does expand your options , but you still
have to make smart decisions for it to pay off . Give me the pole sitter's
car in a Nascar race and watch how poorly I do . While I have a really fast
car , I'll make poor decisions and end up with a DNF . Having a really nice
boat should help your confidence and that alone will probably help you
catch more fish . And at least you can look "cool" and give the impression
that you are a pro . Size doesn't matter , it's how you work that thing .
William Anderson
the same thing. In the October 98 issue of B&WB they took a Skeeter 185c to
63 mph with a V-Max 150. Two years ago Trailer Boat magazine took a Skeeter
210c with a 225 V-Max to 73 mph on the GPS. A 20' Allison weighs 500-600
pounds less than most 20' bass boats so they require much less horsepower to
reach scary speeds.
Mark D. Hall <mar...@NOSPAM.skippermark.com> wrote in message
news:F0xZ3.30429$YI2.1...@typ11.nn.bcandid.com...
> In my Bass & Walleye magazine, they say the top speed of a 21' Skeeter
with
> a 200HP motor is 51-55, and then they say the top speed of an Allison
> (always known for speed) is 80 with only a 150. What would make the
Skeeter
> so much slower v. a lot of the other boats. I have an 18' aluminum Lowe
> that goes 64 (GPS) with only a 115.
>
> We're thinking of getting a fiberglass boat & wanted a combination of
> fishability and speed. I'd like to go in the 70s. I kind of liked the
> Skeeters but wouldn't want one if they're slow. What makes one boat so
much
> faster than another? In the magazine, there was a discrepancy of
sometimes
> 15 MPH or more between nearly identically configured boats.
>
> I've looked at Skeeter, Triton, Stratos, Ranger & Champion, and they all
> seem to cost roughly the same once configured with the same options. How
> would you recommend narrowing it down to a couple to chose from? I know
> Champions are slower but very good in rough water. How about Ranger? Are
> they fast? I see them at in all the tournaments, but are they fast?
Good?
> Thanks for any help...
RGarri7470
>Could any Stratos owners out there comment on the hull weights and rides
>in their 20 footers powered by 200-225's please.
>
>
I have a 1997 19 foot Stratos 295 with a 200 Johnson and love it. It will run
68 on a gps and handles rough water well.
In the state Top Six two years ago at Eufaula, I left a creek at the dam and
hit rough water - wind blowing right down the lake. I heard two boats were
sunk by those waves and everybody at weigh-in that had been in it were wet -
several talked about spearing waves in 21 foot boats. My partner and I were
dry but he had back trouble from the pounding.
What had been a 22 minute ride that morning took us 38 coming back, and we
almost did not make weigh-in . I ran the Alabama bank from the causeway to
Lake Point, something I had never done before. I hear it is safe, there is
only one big stump out there to play gottcha, but running in five feet of water
wide open is scary! I did not have time to make the turns to follow the
channel. My four bass in the livewell put me in 27th our of 600, so I guess it
was almost worth the ride.
Ronnie
fishin...@about.com
http://fishing.about.com
RGarri7470
>speedometer) for a couple minutes, and it rode pretty smoothly at that speed
>too, though it was quite a lot faster than anything I'd ridden in before.
My 97 Stratos 295 witha 200 Venom Johnson shows 78 on the speedometer top
speed, but the gps shows only 68 or 69. At 55 on the speedometer gps shows
about 52.
Ronnie
fishin...@about.com
http://fishing.about.com
RGarri7470
>the top speed between 51-55 with a 200 on the back. T
I think that is a poor estimate. I hae run alongside Skeeters in tournaments
and they are at least as fast as my Stratos, maybe a little faster. It tops
out around 68 on a gps.
Ronnie
fishin...@about.com
http://fishing.about.com
Lee Greer
speed demons, especially over at the Bass Fishing Home Page!
William is right about the Allisons. They are lighter and the hull
design is meant for speed. Allison is way out of the class of boats
you mentioned here for speed, but also sacrifices some traditional
bass boat layout. NorrisCraft(sp?) is really the only other "bass boat"
that could compete with Allison in stock raw speed.
William Anderson wrote in message
<81l2ah$fpp$1...@bgtnsc01.worldnet.att.net>...