Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

Hey fellas....anyone own a newer 200 or 201 Pro XL? Wondering how they fish and ride....They seem to be the only boats out there with E-TEC's (which in my opinion is the best engine on the market).

Lemme know!

The Stratos is a nice running and riding boat but they haven't updated them much in the past few years. They really have been trying to hit a lower price point on thier boats in the past few years and haven't spent the money into Reaserch and Design like many other maufactuers.

As far as the E-Tecs go they seem to be doing a good job on the ones that we have sold but I wouldn't be afraid of Mercury or Yamaha. There are so many more Mercs and Yamahas out there and most are problem free. We can also rig an E-Tec on a Triton for you so you may want to look into one of those. You can send me an E-mail if you have any questions. Take care.

Decent boat for the $$ and some really neat creature comforts. Just like the Procraft, Stratos storage compartments are unbelievable. If you are looking at getting one, find a good dealer. Remember, service after the sale is paramount. We're fortunate in Socalif to have some of the best retail boat dealerships in the West ~ right in our own backyard.

thanks for the info JT...I was wondering if there was a dealer out there that could rig a E-TEC on another kind of boat. From what I've seen and heard, those are great boats....but are they $10,000 better than a Strat? Decisions, decisions....

I would think that they are closer than $10,000 appart but I am not sure what boat you are looking at. If you are looking at a Stratos 285 with a 115 that you see advetised for $18,995 you won't be able to get that boat in California. It has a Carburated engine on it. Send me an E-mail and let me know what you are interested in and I will see what I can do. If you are definetly stuck on a Stratos I can direct you to a good dealer on the west coast. Thanks for your time and I will talk to you soon.

Champion has a HOT new boat coming out. It is a 183 and is rated for 150hp. Both Champion and Stratos are built in the same factory, but Champion has always had the worlds best rough-water ride and a much higher resale value. Come in the shop or call 714-666-2628 and let our salesman show you why 75% of all so cal bassers own Rangers or Champions. Have a great holiday. Rick G.

That new Champion 183 should be a good selling boat. It looks like the new 210 elite should be a good big water boat as well. Did they make the center rod locker a standard or is it an option? All of the Bass Boat companies are always trying to one up each other. I can't wait to see what bass boats look like in twenty years.