Small bassboats

[buckyowen]

I am thinking about buying a Stratos 176 or a Nitro in the same size range. Anybody here own or ridden in one of these smaller boats?

The Stratos has a 75hp E-TEC, the salesman says it will run 42mph with that motor.

I don't know much about the Nitros, but they look nice.

I have an aluminum boat now and I want to upgrade to a fiberglass boat that has more power and storage.

Thanks

[Rod Martin]

I down sized from a 20' Champion to a 16' Champion. I love it, lower cost, easy to control, storage is not great but stability is compared to a tin boat if you're getting new you might want to look at a ProCraft 165 . Very nice for the money

[ash]

Bass Cat Sabre - wow there is a little boat that SCREAMS!

The only issue with the 17' boat is casting spinnerbaits into the wind, RIght Johnny G?

[bassindon69]

If the Max HP is 90 or 115 then up grade to it. You will like it better.
I think the Stratos has more room. I have a 17' Javelin that is about the same as the Stratos. With my 90 I GPS at 48 mph.

Don.

[Dave A]

Their is much to be said about small boats. I have a 17 foot ProCraft with a 115.

With the smaller boats be prepared to get pushed around in the wind more than a larger vessel. I upgraded my trolling motor to a more powerful 24 volt system which made a huge difference, however, the added weight meant a reduction in overall speed. I find myself always thinking about what I put in my boat and how much speed I will loose.

When the water is rough your gonna get tossed around quite a bit and likely get a little wet.

If you fish tournaments be prepared to eat the wake of the larger boats who come screaming bye you at 65 mph. It can be scarry at times.

You will likely not have much in the way of storage and your rods may not be able to lay flat on the casting deck. This ultimately leads to a cluster $%!$ of rods tangled together.

With that being said, there are some good things:

1.You don't have spend a ton of money to fill the tank.
2.You can fit your boat in the garage.
3.You can get into those tight spots with ease.
4.You have more money for tackle/electronics

My advice is to buy the rig that you like and most importantly can afford.

Dave

[Cesar L]

I own a Ranger 170vs with a 115 merc and I can hit 51.3 mph on my gps with just me in the boat average speed is about 45-47 mph. I have a 70lb minkota 24volt system and I still tend to get pushed around in the wind. I fish Clear lake and the delta alot it s not that bad but I sometimes I wish I had bought a bigger boat. As far as storage goes I can put up to 10 rods in the rod locker up to 7 feet long. The cool thing is it comes with a running rod rack that I can put 6 rods and reels on and that saves me tons of room. The gas I save is awesome it has a 25 gallon tank that get me through a full day at the delta going top speed from Kings Island to anywhere I want and back. The only thing you really want to worry about is the 5-6 ft rollers at clear lake on a windy day, its fun but scary and your back wil definatly be sore the next day.

[Smile_n_Jax]

I saw the Stratos 176 at the ISE show in Sac. Very nice boat. I would agree with Don. If you can upgrade to a 90 or 115, do so. I have an older Stratos 269V, 16' 9", with a Yammi 90 and can do about 45 flat out. Probably due to the stock, aluminum prop I have. Need to upgrade to a high performance stainless.

My boat runs really well in good water and is very stable. Rough water creates a problem as I can't get up enough speed to skim the waves. But then, newer hull designs may have solved a lot of that problem.

I would strongly suggest that you test ride any boat you are interested in. Don't just go by looks, etc. Get one you're going to be comfortable in.

[buckyowen]

Thanks for the replies!

The maximum hp for the Stratos 176 is 75.

Thanks

[MIKE VAN WAGNER]

Make sure you look at Rangers New 177 TR 40th Anniversary Edition. You can see it on line at Ranger Boats Web site. We will also be getting one in stocks soon. boat has a 115 HP rating.

Mike Van Wagner
C&C Marine2
7812 Auburn Blvd
Citrus Heights Ca. 95610
916-729-0590

[Chris J]

I have a Stratos 176, I have a 75 opti on it and have topped out at 46 mph on the GPS with the wife and golden retriever. Lots of storage, and rides well in the slop. Fishes two people very well.

[FATGUY]

I HAVE A 17FT CHAMPION WITH A 125 MERC.. I'VE HAD SEVERAL NON BOATERS TELL ME THAT ITS THE BEST RIDING ROUGH WATER SMALL BOAT THEY HAVE BEEN IN .. I GET 54 MPH WITH THAT COMBO . I GET PASSED BY I LOT OF THE OTHER GUYS IN OUR CLUB WITH BIGGER BOATS BUT I ALSO PASS THEM WHILE THEY ARE IN LINE AT THE GAS PUMP .. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CHOICE BUT TRY TO GET A RIDE IN A SMALLER CHAMPION BEFORE YOU BUY ..

[SVBasser]

Since I have only had my first Boat for about a year, I am anything but an authority on the matter... With that being said.

I have owned a '84 Ranger 320V since last August. It has a the original 115 merc and a 70lb motorguide up front. For the price I paid, I can't be happier. The 320 is officailly listed at 15' 10'' . Though the rod locker is a little small, and there is limited amount of deck space, the boat is sure a pleasure to use in tight spaces.

When I next to some other boats, (say maybe a 21 footer), I kind of feel like I'm in a dinghy. However, its not like having a nicer boat is going to help my abilities. Not to mention, the low cost to operate is a plus. The biggest drawback with my little dinghy I have seen has to be rough water.

It Still Beats The Hell Out of Bank Fishin!!!

[Matt Moreau]

The Nitro 640 is what you are looking for! Says it goes 46-47 with a 90hp Merc. Here is the link that has all the information you could want;

http://www.nitroboats.com/boat/index.cfm?boat=2123

My tournament partner ran a 750 for a long time and just loved it! These are great little boats and you cant go wrong. If you want a ride to see how they feel let me know. I have a 901 and its a bit bigger, but it will give you an idea of what you are looking at! Shoot me a pm or email. You can always call Gone Fishin Marine for any questions. They guys in their are great and will help you out. Ask for Wayne or Sean;

http://www.gfmarine.com/html/team.htm