fishkid Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I've heard many people talking and seen many pictures of some members out on lake erie in their boats. What I'm wondering is what kind of boat do you have that you go out on Erie with and how does it fare when the weather starts to turn on you? I do go out often in the boat that I have now, and it does manage rough water fairly well but the main thing is that it's very, very wet. lol. And cold!! The keel comes up at a very steep angle on the bow so instead of cutting through the chop it tends to just catch it and throw it right into my face. I have no problem getting on plane when it's rough and I usually run at 25-30mph in big rollers and just skip across the tops of them but I still get a shower no matter what. The transom is also pretty low so I have to make sure I'm facing the waves when sitting still or else I get backwash over the back and into the bilge. First and foremost I would like a bassboat, with a close runner up being a tourney style walleye rig. 18 feet or bigger, 115-125HP. I've seen a couple 18 and 19 ft stratos bassboats that I liked but I don't know how they would be with choppy seas. I don't want to buy a boat only to find out that its worse than what I have already. (18ft, 80hp). I know they have deep(er) V-hull bassboats for big water. So, what do you have and how does it do for you? Thanks for reading and for any suggestions. <a href="http://s1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd384/Chris_Lavigne/?action=view¤t=P4090098.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd384/Chris_Lavigne/P4090098.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucketmouthjohnny Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I have a triton 18' 6" with a 150, handles the rough stuff alright... the driver is one of the most critical parts when navigating rough water..knowing how your boat handles and how your motor responds are also vital. Don't believe any bs about my boat is a dry ride etc... when its rough, everyone gets splashed depending how you have to run the waves!!! a longer boat will help you skip across waves that may be too far apart for a shorter boat to skip. hardly ever a problem on kawartha lakes. most bass boats can run around 17 mph straight into 4-7 foot waves, suck a lot of gas doing that though. some guys swear they run over 4 foot waves . well, all i can say is, i am glad i am not in your boat , i like to be able to fish when i get to where it is i am heading, and i like my rods to be still intact..not broken or creating structure. You never want to expose the rear end to big waves, that can only lead to peril. i throw a big sock out and tie to front cleat and a second smaller sock off rear cleat , raise motor till its a little higher that normal on plane, no need to leave it trimmed down to let water crash all over your motors cowling. what boat launch is that in your picture ?? If i could have fit a 19 foot bass boat in my garage i would have gone with that but could only fit a 18 6" in garage.i would have liked the extra 6 inches (front deck) but its been 10 years now and i still love my boat... Hope you find what you are looking for, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geotech Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I run a Stratos 219W (Walleye Series)and it handles the big water good. As Johnny stated it is how the driver handles the boat. Some days I do get wet depening how the waves are and the direction I am going. My boat is not a rocket like some bassboats but it can get throught the rough stuff. The deeper hull is a bonus when it is rough but limits where you can go in skinny water. Over all the boat rides smooth, you dont feel all the little bumps when driving in small chop. When fishing in rough water it gives you the stability you want and rarely takes water over the bow when bobbing up and down with the noe into the waves. Storage could be a little better in these boats but it has lots of livewell room. 1 Large (4 ft long) 1 small and a bait well. Big slow gas guzzler but a smooth, nice ride. If you are looking at boats, ask around and see if you can go out as a passenger for a drive, to see how boats compare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnow killer Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I've got a 19.5 foot searay bowrider, 140 mercruiser, it's a great dual purpose boat, take the kids tubin, and then go fishin. It handles the big lake erie swells pretty good, but i do get the odd wave over the bow when ya dont have it up on plane, or when pullin the anchor in swells. I was out on erie on friday with some big rollers comin from the east with chop on top. it did good. I would prefer a higher bow, but this will do me just fine, I grew up on erie with a 12 footer and a 3 horse, so ridin the rollers is fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walleyemen Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 I have a 22 ft stratos, i find its great in rough water ,very stabile and tons of room, if you have the space go as big as you can, again everything boils down to the driver and conditions, compared to my buddys 19 ft lund my stratos is a cadilac,but again nowing your boat and its limits is important!stratos are great boats, Rangers are amazing a 621v would be my choice if i could ever afford one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lund-SS Posted September 30, 2011 Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/classifieds.asp?a=68529 http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/classifieds.asp?a=68100 thats what i would buy if i were looking for a glass boat for our big lakes a tad slower than your typical Bass boat but its not to often around here you can run those boats WOT , lots of room great in big water stable , and just NICE lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denis Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonnethead Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 I've got a sTRATOS 17 1/2' 275 xl W/ A 115 hp YAMAHA and its a very dry boat. I wouldn't go for the narrower176 XT as it gives up lateral stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hometownhandyman Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 My Ranger 370V does fairly well in big water, but I rarely go out in it. I have the policy of "if you don't come back, it does not matter how good the fishing is" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishkid Posted October 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Thanks for all the input guys! This is all just confirmation to what I was already thinking. I've really been getting into the search lately but some people on kijiji are really making me antsy by not replying . I've got my eye on a few. Stratos 273 (18ft) w/ evinrude 115 Nitro DC2000 (20ft) w/ merc 175 Triton TR-17 (17'6") w/ merc force 120 Hopefully one of them turns out to be the real deal. The stratos would be my first choice as an all around package that would suit me well but the length of the nitro is making me question that. But then I think again that the 175 would be a bit of a pig. My boat that I have now is an 18ft and I think that extra space would be a nice luxury so it's a toss up as to which would be better. I'm sure I wouldn't regret the 175 once I had it and start ripping around a bit at 60mph . Bucketmouth: That's LaSalle park in Burlington. Hamilton harbour. Fantastic launch but limited as far as fishing goes. I really only go down there to work on my boat or take the girl to the beach for a day. lol. Bondar: You hit the nail on the head with that first pick there man! I'm only a couple paychecks away from that one. Haha! One day.... one day. If anyone knows of a boat for sale similar to what I'm looking for please let me know!!!! I'm ready to buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptoracer101 Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 I run an 18'6 beeline pheonix with 150vmax. Dont forget that the motor is a very important part to. If your motor inst reliable then there is no point in fishing big water. do your research and dont just buy the first boat you see or you may have more headaches then its worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptoracer101 Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 http://s1121.photobucket.com/albums/l512/raptoracer101/?action=view¤t=264027_10150243385614271_518229270_7035036_115808_n.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishkid Posted October 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Nice boat. Yeah I've learned quickly that a boat is only as good as the motor that's on it. I'm no stranger to working on outboards for my friends that buy junk and expect me to fix it for them. lol. If only they had brought someone with them BEFORE they paid for a lemon.... Oh well. It's unbelievable what some people will try to sell you. ALWAYS TEST BEFORE YOU BUY!!! I had one friend that bought a boat with a transom that was held on by only the gunnels. If a motor comes back with sub par pre-checks (compression, impeller, oil quality, spark) then it's a no go. No matter how sparkly the paint is. I make myself a checklist before hand of every thing that needs to be looked at when buying a boat so I don't forget any details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptoracer101 Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 then you r well on your way. goodluck and enjoy all the hardwork!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew30 Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Damn sounds like some nice boats on here! What do I gotta do to afford me one of those beauts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishkid Posted October 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Damn sounds like some nice boats on here! What do I gotta do to afford me one of those beauts! You can buy mine when I get a new one. Payment plans considered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Elphinstone Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Thanks for all the input guys! This is all just confirmation to what I was already thinking. I've really been getting into the search lately but some people on kijiji are really making me antsy by not replying . I've got my eye on a few. Stratos 273 (18ft) w/ evinrude 115 Nitro DC2000 (20ft) w/ merc 175 Triton TR-17 (17'6") w/ merc force 120 Hopefully one of them turns out to be the real deal. The stratos would be my first choice as an all around package that would suit me well but the length of the nitro is making me question that. But then I think again that the 175 would be a bit of a pig. My boat that I have now is an 18ft and I think that extra space would be a nice luxury so it's a toss up as to which would be better. I'm sure I wouldn't regret the 175 once I had it and start ripping around a bit at 60mph . Bucketmouth: That's LaSalle park in Burlington. Hamilton harbour. Fantastic launch but limited as far as fishing goes. I really only go down there to work on my boat or take the girl to the beach for a day. lol. Bondar: You hit the nail on the head with that first pick there man! I'm only a couple paychecks away from that one. Haha! One day.... one day. If anyone knows of a boat for sale similar to what I'm looking for please let me know!!!! I'm ready to buy! Of the three boats you are looking at I would choose only the Stratos. The triton is too small and will get you in trouble and I wouldn't touch the nitro. If you are looking for a boat that is built for the big rough water it will cost you. These boats have specific hull designs to help cut the waves when the boat comes down and prevents the damaging jaring the can crack your hull and destroy trolling motors and electronics. Every boat has it's limitations and some are much higher then others. Lake Erie can turn into a monster in minutes and in a small boat you can find yourself waist deep in water in no time. If you can only afford something in the 17foot range in a bassboat I would stick with something like a Lund that has much taller sides and would keep you much dryer then a 17foot bass boat. If you really want a bassboat for lake erie you need to be looking in the 20foot range like a ranger 520 or a champion 198 or even a triton TR186 or TR20. These boat will be considerably more then what you are currently looking at but will do the job for 90% of the conditions you will be seeing out there. If you don't intend to fish Erie much then any of those boats will be fine and will certainly do the job out there when the weather is nice and the lake is calm. Finally, don't buy a bassboat as a fixer upper. This is the worst thing you could do and in the end it will cost you much more then it would have to just buy a boat for a little bit more and just go fishing. Keep your eyes open for great deals in the USA. You can find amazing boats over there for about 1/2 of what they cost here. Good luck in your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walleyemen Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Check out bassboat central, they have a huge classied listing on all makes of bassboats and owner reviews as well! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boats4salestratos.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishkid Posted October 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Pete & Wayne: Thank you. These are the kinds of tips that I need. The triton was originally one of my choices until I actually looked up the specs on it. I'm looking for one at least 18.5ft. And yes a commanche or the like would be awesome but my budget puts a quick halt on that. Is there a particular reason why nitro is one to stay away from? I've heard some stories about tracker as far as workmanship goes, so is it the same kind of deal with nitro? The difference being aluminum versus glass since they're the same company? Another thing that I'm wondering.. fuel consumption and motor size. Really I don't need anything much more than a 115 for power and speed. I don't fish tournaments (yet) and I don't see the logic of burning twice as much fuel going balls out with a larger motor. But alot of the boats I see have a 150 or bigger. So say there's two identical boats. One with a 115 and one with a 200, both doing 30mph with the same prop. Does the 200 go through more fuel? Because I'm thinking that they would be almost the same at the same speed. The only difference being that the 200 has the ability of a faster holeshot and higher top end (where all the fuel dissappears). Do I have this right? Or would the bigger motor burn significantly more fuel at all rpm ranges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickyy33 Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Damn sounds like some nice boats on here! What do I gotta do to afford me one of those beauts! Unless you make good cash, you cant afford a nice boat, i myself can only dream, but my plan is to slowly work up for one, i started with a row boat, did some work to it, sell it for more etc, im now at a 12ft alluminum with a brand new yamaha 9.9 4 stroke, eventually will sell for a bigger boat and so on so on.. im just a dreamer for now lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucketmouthjohnny Posted October 4, 2011 Report Share Posted October 4, 2011 Nitro's decks and i believe, transoms, are made of wood meanwhile almost every other manufacturer uses composite which doesn't rot supposedly...hope not.. Don't worry about fuel costs, if you have a 115 on a 19 foot boat and a 200 on a 19 foot boat, which engine is going to be working the hardest ?? Fuel costs only add up when you are running at wot or plowing water.In an average day you might travel 15 miles , sometimes more, sometimes less...if you run a two stroke gas guzzler at 3/4 throttle (4400-4800 rpm) and on a 19 foot 200 hp you would be doing around 48-54 mph, if you consider gas consumption at about a buck a mile you should be pretty close to actual gas consumption. At the time i purchased my boat, i bought the 150 carbed engine for a few reasons.. i know how to winterize, fairly bulletproof (knock on wood) and it was 3 grand cheaper than the opti..which by the way, at that time (2002)were blowing up every other day..guys could not believe i bought a gas guzzler engine..i figured out, if i fished 20 times a year and say avg. 30 miles round trip, i would have used up roughly 30-35 bucks in gas. if i had an opti, i would have used up 20 bucks...so 15 x 20 = 300 savings per year if i had gone via opti. take into consideration that the oil for the opti is roughly double the money, yet burns a little more... i would have had to take it in to winterize yearly, about $100 or so.. So just in the gas case, it would have taken me 10 years to recoup the 3 g's..but i think it would have cost me much more in maintenence and oil.. Man thats a lot of typing.. If the boat is rated for 200 hp and it has a 115 hanging off the back end, i would not even consider it.. that engine is working and has worked too hard...i wouldn't look at anything less than a 175 on a 200 rated boat and a 135 on a 150 rated boat.. imo... Also, if you are looking at older boats, prior to 2000, make sure they are composite and if not, make sure the transom is rock solid and decks are solid... happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Elphinstone Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Nitro and tracker are basically the same company and treat their customers the same. From my experience the quality of both boats even though one is aluminum and the other glass is the same, poor. My opinion to you with what you are saying here is to look for a Triton TR186. These boats are well built and the hull is deeper then all in this size range. 99% sure, not including walleye boats. I have been in this boat on Erie when it is rough and it comes down fairly smooth off of waves and is a dry boat for its size. The only issue where this boat will not be so good is when running in 2 ½ foot waves; the shorter length of the boat will sometimes fall into the gaps and will cause you to spear the odd wave. This is where the long 20 foot plus boats excel. As for motors, Johnny is almost right on with post. I tell the same things to all new guys that I know that are looking to buy boats. If you are planning to do lots of long distance running in your boat you want to get an Opti or E-tec type motor that gives you fuel efficiency but if your runs will just be short and you really just care for reliability then get a carbureted or EFI. I started out with a carb engine and it was very reliable, spark plugs were dirt cheap and I never once had an issue with it. Next motors were Opti’s and Fichts, the fuel efficiency was twice as good but there were more mechanical problems. All mechanical problems were covered under warranty and these motors ran great for the rest of the time that I had them. Buying a bass boat is a big decision, there are lots of boats out there look around and don’t just buy the first one you see. Put up the price that you are looking to spend on your future boat maybe somebody here will know someone that has the right boat for you in your price range. Believe me, there are lots of boats available out there right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishkid Posted October 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 Thanks for the posts. Still lots of great info coming out for me!! I hear what your saying about the motor. It really depends what kind of running I'm doing, but for me that changes every time. Mostly it's short runs to and from spots. And a carbureted motor would definately be more my cup of tea. I'd feel much more confident doing emergency repairs to that then to an EFI. The boat that I'm looking for would be 18-20ft, capable of handling a somewhat windy day on erie with some chop, fit 3 people comforatably (sometimes) with a motor 115+. Trolling motor? nice to have, but I do have one already that I can put on Graphs? nice to have but I'm not picky. That's always something I can add. I have a 587ci HD that I could put on it. Rod locker dual live well dual console (must) Structurally sound- good solid hull is a must. I've done the whole rebuild thing and I'm not looking to do it again Cosmetics in average or even fair condition. It's gonna get banged up anyway. I'd like to be in the 8k-10k range so I know some things like an 1187 graph are a stretch, but I can always wish. lol. I'll probably have to weed through a few junkers to find one at that price but I know there out there. Right now I'm working on a date to go check this out on Friday: 1997 Stratos 282dc- dual console, 18'6", 91" beam Some worn gel coat and carpet. No hull damage, leaks, etc. 2 lowrance graphs- console and bow (no gps) Minnkota 70lb- looks newish but don't know the model 2005 mercury XR6 150hp What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Elphinstone Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 The XR6 is the Merc carb engine and is a reliable motor. That is not a bad boat either, probably very similar in hull and design as an early triton. I would look this boat over,take someone with you that knows what to look for in damage to boats. Things like cracks through the gel coat and in the transom area. Excessive damage to the keel. Water damage from being stored outdoors. Obviously the boat will be used and will have some scuffs and imperfection, you just don’t want to buy someone else’s junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin Posted October 5, 2011 Report Share Posted October 5, 2011 I couldn't imagine sitting at water level in a bass boat on lake erie when it blows up!!! I'll stick to my 4 ft gunnels and 30mph top speed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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