[Stumpgrinder]

I am soft shopping (in other words I'll buy when I find the deal of the decade) for a new flats boat. I am constantly intrigued by the classified responses I see on the site. Invariably people want to know how fast and how shallow will it run. In yall's opinion is it really neccesary for a shallow water capable hull to run 50+ mph and how to justify the added expense of getting the boat to do it?

I currently do almost all of my fishing out of my brothers 23 explorer. It has a 200 Merc and will top out at around 42-45 mph depending on the load etc.. It has no exotic props or trim tabs to increase the top end. Rare is the day when it is realistic to comfortably run over 40 on our bays.

My question is , what is the upside of having the extra top end speed and how much is it worth in resale ?

Finally, how much extra fuel does it take (vs cruising speeds ) to make these 55 mph banzai runs in 8 inches of water ?

 

[InfamousJ]

Bottom line, you can cruise as slow as you want with a fast boat but you can't go any faster with a slow boat.

Fast boats cover more ground on the coast (not limited to single bay systems from a launching point anymore).

 

[kenny]

Bottom line, you can cruise as slow as you want with a fast boat but you can't go any faster with a slow boat.

Fast boats cover more ground on the coast (not limited to single bay systems from a launching point anymore).

I'd sure be limited by the price of gas........and what's the rush? LOL

If you're not fishing tournaments I think a boat that will run in the 40's is perfectly acceptible both in preformance, economy, and resale.

 

[gatorbait]

ding ding ding!

I'd sure be limited by the price of gas........and what's the rush? LOL

If you're not fishing tournaments I think a boat that will run in the 40's is perfectly acceptible both in preformance, economy, and resale.

I agree 100%. I took flak for the power I put on mine. BUT, bottom line is my top end is upper 40's and in Galveston waters its a rare occasion in the year Ive owned it I could do that.

Z

 

[Wading Mark]

I'll bite. I run at 45-50 mph all of the time (Trinity Bay), but my body is young so it doesn't bother me. You just need to know what your body can and can't take. That being said, I have never heard of a person that wishes they had a slower boat.

 

[kenny]

I'll bite. I run at 45-50 mph all of the time (Trinity Bay), but my body is young so it doesn't bother me. You just need to know what your body can and can't take. That being said, I have never heard of a person that wishes they had a slower boat.

LMAO Mark!
Truer words were never spoken..............ahhhh youth.

Just remember everything in life is cumulative, the beating you take today won't bother you for 30 years. LOL
:bounce:

 

[General CoolBro]

Fast and worrying about how much extra fuel are two things that don't work together to well either.


If you are running wide open in 8" of water you will still be turning close to WOT RPMs you turn in 20' of water if propped correctly. You may turn 100-200 more R's, but if you are getting proper water intake it won't be much different until you hit ground and wrap it. At WOT and 6000 r's you are getting in the neighborhood of 1.5-2.8 mpg on any motor pushing a boat 55 mph.

As far as resale on higher HP boats. The market should follow where the Ad money goes. For boats of this type - Redfish Cup Tournaments and such is where the Ad $$$ goes. What are those guys running these days? What do you see on TV? Knowing that, what do you think the average consumer is going to be programmed to buy in the future. IMO a higher powered boat will hold a little more value due to demand. Right now higher power is considered 150 hp and up in this market. I suspect it will gradually change to 200HP and up, especially with the more efficient engines.

I personally want the power when I need it, which is most of the time..LOL. My preference was speed and cut over shallow performance.

Sorry I answered the questions out of your order.

Good luck on your decision!

GCB

 

[mastercylinder60]

heck, i rarely get over 50 mph in my pick-up truck, anymore.

i've always thought it was an interesting paradox how, when you're young and have all the time in the world, you're in a hurry to get everywhere, but, when you start getting old and time is much more precious, you're not in a hurry to get anywhere.

 

[Freshwaterman]

I'm Glad you asked this question,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I used to want the biggest and fastest but what did it ever get me but a hit in the back pocket. I now have a 70 Yammy on a 17 skiff it will do about 25-28 I'm guessing and thats more than I need most of the time.

The big & fast will prevail because the younger set wants it and thinks they need it while the manufacturer's are happy to make and sell it because its more money to them in most cases but the competition manufacturer is also pushing the other manufacturer on and on etc etc etc

Gimme a cane pole ,a river bank and a river with any kind of fish and I'm happy in my old age.

dick

 

[ReelWork]

Well, I can sum it up with one question...

Have you ever heard anyone saying they wish they had LESS power? :spineyes:

 

[Mrs Backlasher]

Maybe it depends on: how far out are you, and how fast is the storm moving that you're trying to outrun?

I don't know much about boats, but I've sat on the water in a kayak among mangrove bushes for 3 hours waiting out a horrible storm and don't want to do that again.

 

[Hooked Up]

Gotta love it!

"If I would have know that I was going to live this long I would have taken much better care of myself" LMAO! I used to have the "need" for speed. Thought I couldn't live without it. Now, I wish I had lived without it! I still believe the when it comes to boats and motorcycles a little extra horsepower is your best friend. I go fishing to slow down and relax but when it's time to "git outa Dodge" I want to be able to do so! Guy

I'll bite. I run at 45-50 mph all of the time (Trinity Bay), but my body is young so it doesn't bother me. You just need to know what your body can and can't take. That being said, I have never heard of a person that wishes they had a slower boat.

 

[Stumpgrinder]

Thanks for the responses, I find it fascinating to hear others takes on things they are passionate about.

I may be missing something. I don't consider power (or torque if you will) and speed to be the same at all. In fact I think generally speaking you have to sacrifice one to get the other. I definatly want a boat to "get up" quickly I just have no desire to spend tons of money in horsepower and fuel for and adddtional 10 mph of top end speed that I find generally unusable. Course I still like my boats to be white and my scotch after the sun goes down so I'm kind of a throw back anyway.

If the kids want NASCAR on the ICW I don't imagine I'll stop it. I guess I'm wondering if it's just a fad. (lots of these young bucks havent experienced a freeze kill or an oil bust .... yet)

 

[williadl1]

As an old salt told me once when I asked him how fast the boat he was selling would go, "I ain't never caught a fish doing 45-50 mph". It made sense then and it makes sense now. I have an 18' Majek RFL with a 115 hp. It does all I need it to do, however if you fish tourny's you may need the speed. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Jeff_S]

My 150 horse V6 just blew and I wanted to repower with a new motor. The first new motor I have ever owned. I got a leftover 2005 125 horse Mercury for $5200 out of Tennessee. If I went up to a V6 the cost would've gone up to about $8000. The old 150 horse was great while it lasted, but when my motor blew, I borrowed my dad's boat which has a 125 horse Merc on a 19 foot center console Nitro. Fuel mileage never bothered me before, but after running around looking for fish for three days and still having half a tank left I was impressed. My V6 would've cost me another $100 in gas on the trip. Speed on his boat is about 42 mph and rarely do I get to run that fast. Fuel mileage is definately a concern these days. My boat is rated for 150 horse Max. The old 150 horse was a mid eighties crossflow Johnson.

 

[capn]

If the price of gas stays where it's at, or continues to rise, the fad for speed will end for everybody but tournament boats. The ones going for speed over the last year, while at the same time paying 30k plus for a boat, can't continue putting all of that gas on credit cards forever.

Fishin sure ain't as expensive as people make it.

 

[bslittle79]

Just something to think about.

What uses more fuel?

A tug boat pushing a loaded barge 10 knots or a tug boat pushing an unloaded barge 10 knots?

A 1 ton diesel pulling empty or a 1 ton diesel pulling a full load? What will his speed be to run the motor the same RPM's loaded verses unloaded?

A boat with an efficient hull traveling 50-60 mph turning 5500 or a not so efficient hull running 30-35 mph turning 5500? Or better yet a efficient hull running 40 mph turning 4000 RPM's or the unefficient hull running 30 mph turning 4000 RPM's? Same motor on both hulls.

Getting shallow means lots of wetted surface area, and usually a tunnel. Both pull major drag.

 

[salty_waders]

I have never caught a fish at 50mph either! I blame the new want for high-speed on the recent tournament craze and influx of bass fisherman turned coastal. I do not fish tournaments, therefore I wont give all my opininons of tournament fishing and tournament boats (they wouldnt like it). I will say that the bays were pretty dam* peaceful without $50,000 over-powered boats zipping across fishable water and burning up shorelines. I've caught A LOT of fish with my little skiff, please dont run over me!

 

[bslittle79]

How fast to catch a fish?

Has anyone ever caught a fish going 5, 10, or 20 mph in their boat? haha

Just curious.

How many people catch fish in 1-8" of water out of their boat that will run in 1-8" of water?

 

[General CoolBro]

The catching fish at 50-70 mph thing, that one always cracks me up.

Quick tournament explanation:

You point A to point B in 35 minutes - start fishing. Tournament clock has been running.

Me point A to point B in 15 minutes - 20 or more minutes of fishing in "your" spot with a couple in the livewell already , you get called a potlicker on "your" own fish and I possibly cut a check.

Better outrunning a storm at 35 or 65 mph?

Not that you use the speed all the time, but better to have it if needed IMO. You can still throttle back a 225 HP engine to 4000 R's at 40 mph and get 3.8-4.5 mpg depending on motor.

BSlittle - how about this for hull efficiency!
http://www.lake-link.com/pressreleases/release.cfm?PressReleaseID=39

GCB