Bass boats.....?

[QBhoy]

Whaw.....constantly amazed at the performance of these bass boats you guys have.
Only ever seen one across here in the U.K. perhaps for obvious reasons like weather and sea and lake conditions being mainly choppy, so never really seen the hulls up close.
They are so quick. Been watching boattest.com reviews on things like the ranger and nitro models.
21 foot boats with only 200/250hp outboards and running 70+ mph full of fuel.
Clearly built for purpose and speed, but presumably useless in a chop ? And lightly built ??
only thing that could compare over here are the famous ring and phantom 18’s and 21’s but they have rough water capability too.
Anyone of you guys have one ?

 

[Scott Danforth]

I work with a guy that makes more money fishing tournaments than he does at work. his boat is a Ranger with a 225 on it, not quite tripple digits with this boat, just 92mph, his last boat was 105 on the GPS.

they are built to get from the starting line to the fishing hole and back in the shortest amount of time so you can fish just a bit longer because there are tens of thousands of dollars on the line.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I had a Mac tool dealer that just paid his bills and quit coming to the shop. I owed him a grand and I’m sure another 100 of his customers did to. New Mac guy shows up says he won some big bass tournament got sponsored paid his bills quit cold turkey and none of us owed a dime.

 

[southkogs]

They use 'em a lot around me, and on the overall I'm not a big fan of the boat type. BUT watchin' the actual tournaments, you know why they exist. Scott's right, some of those crews can make it to the "honey hole" in short order! And Dear Lord watch over ya' if you're trying to port in 2 minutes to weigh in time ... it's like watching the finish line at Daytona.

 

[dingbat]

You want fast boats with rough water capabilities look no further than the boats of the Southern Kingfish Association or any offshore fishing tournament boats for that matter.
Quads pretty typical anymore

 

[Blind Date]

I work with a guy that makes more money fishing tournaments than he does at work. his boat is a Ranger with a 225 on it, not quite tripple digits with this boat, just 92mph,

225 HP to push a 2500 lb. Ranger into the low 90's??? Funny how everyone else's Ranger runs in the low 70's. Maybe that's the top speed on the trailer behind his tow vehicle!......LOL

 

[QBhoy]

I work with a guy that makes more money fishing tournaments than he does at work. his boat is a Ranger with a 225 on it, not quite tripple digits with this boat, just 92mph, his last boat was 105 on the GPS.

they are built to get from the starting line to the fishing hole and back in the shortest amount of time so you can fish just a bit longer because there are tens of thousands of dollars on the line.

As good a reason to have a fast boat as any, haha.

 

[QBhoy]

225 HP to push a 2500 lb. Ranger into the low 90's??? Funny how everyone else's Ranger runs in the low 70's. Maybe that's the top speed on the trailer behind his tow vehicle!......LOL

Does seem outrageously fast, even for a bass boat.

 

[QBhoy]

I suppose speed is always a compromise (unless you are a millionaire). These boats and the ring and phantom I used to have (mentioned earlier) are one trick ponies. Good fun, but I like things like canvas canopies, comfy seats...good stereo and a full windscreen, haha.
My wee boat will do just fine for now...doesn’t quite manage 70, but will be surely one of the quickest open bows available at mid 60’s on occasion. A fair accomplishment for its bulky build and shape, compared to these things !

 

[southkogs]

225 HP to push a 2500 lb. Ranger into the low 90's??? Funny how everyone else's Ranger runs in the low 70's. Maybe that's the top speed on the trailer behind his tow vehicle!......LOL

I'll admit I've never had a radar gun on one, but there are a few that I'm relatively certain are bustin' 70 wide open. A 100MPH bass boat would not be a surprise to me based on what I've seen.

 

[QBhoy]

Lightweight hull and big v6 power. Strong combination.
This is the wee ring 18. Did over 70 with the 200 and just shy of it even with the 150.

 

[QBhoy]

Not for the novice trimmed up, haha. Would run with just the gearcase in the water and totally aired out. These things are raced down the south coast with guys wearing helmets and intercoms ! I preferred Bermuda shorts and sunglasses !

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I've ridden in a Pete Fountain Off Shore racer with twin 750's hanging on a piece of plywood and strapped in with a 5 way harness with coms through the helmet on The Gulf of Florida. That wasn't me screaming in fear I was screaming in joy. And that is as close to being excited as being on the top of an operating Blast Furnace 30 stories off the ground when the furnace decides to slip. 250,000 cubic feet per minute of Blast Furnace gas escaping at 40 PSI that contains 65% carbon monoxide by volume in air at 1100 F. Red hot Coke is blown into the atmosphere an additional 50' the size of softballs at 600 feet per second. Now those 2 things are exiting, going 75MPH in a Bass boat 18" from the waters surface would put an Ironmaker to sleep. I have been in a 20 something foot Ranger doing 75MPH. That boat is basically a few sheets of 4X8 plywood being propelled by an angry 300 horse power. OK, I admit, it's exciting. 75 or 90 MPH, who's counting when you are giving yourself a colonoscopy.

Another saying I have is "I don't pay to get excited, I get paid to get excited."

 

[Faztbullet]

225 HP to push a 2500 lb. Ranger into the low 90's??? Funny how everyone else's Ranger runs in the low 70's. Maybe that's the top speed on the trailer behind his tow vehicle!......LOL

Yep .....All ride average speed. But its all in the set up. My old 17 1/2 Bullet with 200Hp,14.5x28 Triton labbed prop,2 persons,18gallons fuel,300lbs fishing gear was a verified 88MPH on Metro Police radar gun.

 

[Blind Date]

I'll admit I've never had a radar gun on one, but there are a few that I'm relatively certain are bustin' 70 wide open. A 100MPH bass boat would not be a surprise to me based on what I've seen./QUOTE]

Agree. I think most/many will run 70 MPH but not 90+ MPH. Not with 225 HP. Boat Test got low 70's with the 20' Ranger below and it was propped for top speed.

Ranger Boats Z520C (2016-)
(w/ 1 x 250-hp Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O.)

 

[spybot]

Lightweight hull and big v6 power. Strong combination.
This is the wee ring 18. Did over 70 with the 200 and just shy of it even with the 150.

Nice wee boat are/were they built in the UK ?

 

[QBhoy]

Nice wee boat are/were they built in the UK ?

They were built down on the southcoast, as with the other famous phantom make. Ranged from 16-21 feet generally, with high power outboards, trim ballast tanks and foot throttles etc. Out and out race boats. Hard to get a good one these days.