hey all just wondering why the bass boats you guys use have such big engines on them?? just curious...

LOL...It has to do with wanting to get to 'their' spot on the water before someone else in a tournament...I have a large engine on my ski boat, because we ski...I personally think it's a waste of gas, but hey I don't fish in tournaments...YET...

all that got me thinking it was that here on a similar sized boat a 110hp tops would push em fine but like you say if its tournament then i guess its different,they're all fuddy duddys here and not many places you can go more than 15mph lol

it's called the need for speed

'more power' an all that ??

same reasoning for having to have the new tundra and 400ftlbs with 380hp (what ever it is, i dont care) when back in 1994 a 351 with 200 hp and 300 ftlbs would pull anything you could imagine... gotta pull it faster then the guy next to you

Because they are rated for it.

We are in a hurry to get to a place and not catch fish.
Johnny

something else to think about.

a bigger engine on a boat, will also get better gas mileage cause it doesn't have to work as hard to accelerate the boat!
you can always back off the throttle to save fuel.

like my ole bullet. it will run 70 at 3/4 throttle and just cruise!! big fuel saving.

Hey Steve, I was wondering...I have 1978 Chaparral Ski Boat it's about 21 feet long...It has the Mercruiser 228 on it...I have a prop that was manufactured in 1986 (3 blades), new when I put it on last year, on it now...It's either the 19 or 21 pitch, whichever one is for power...Is there something else out there?

Oh yeah, if you haven't figured it out, we keep things forever in my family...

Here is the real reason for BIG engines. IF (I said"if") your fishing bass tournaments or fishing for money and prizes, for every minute you drive, it is that much time that the lure is not in the water. I have yet to have a fish come out of the water, into my boat, look for a lure, hook himself, and allow me to put him in the livewell to be weighed later. Here is a prime example. Too tournament fish you must be making one cast per minute, at least. The law of averages states that for every 60 cast or one hour, you should catch a fish. If we have a 30 mile run and your boat goes 30mph, my boat goes 60mph, we fish the same area, I will beat you by 1 fish. I have been beaten by 1/100th of a pound. The guy that beat me took home a check for $1000.oo, I got a reel fill pack of Stren fishing line, that I promptly disposed of on IH35.........

Mike, my wife told me this morning someone threw out something that looked like a fishing line spool out their window last month and it broke her windshield. Can I send you the bill?

Not to mention that you can stay out longer when a storm is approaching because it will not take as long to get back to shelter.

so heres another one, why are the boats so low??

Hey! nanny-nanny. that tournament took place several years ago. So now you got to go after those gravel trucks for that windshield.

For every 1 boat where the owner does frequently tourney fish, there are probably 9 boats with the big motors that don't. I know a few that have big motors but don't tourney fish and they tell me it is just a matter of time management. They are busy guys who have limited time to fish. The big motor means more time will be in the spots they actually want to fish.

I can see their point. My 17 1/2' tracker with a 50hp will only run 35mph wide open and cruises at about 30mph. One of my buddies bassboats can easily run at 60mph. It takes him half as long to get where he is wanting to fish as it would for me. On small lakes like grapevine, it really doesn't save much time. On bigger lakes like texoma, it can make a big difference. Some fishermen are willing to spend extra on gas and initial motor cost to spend less time running on water and more time fishing. My last bass boat was alot faster than my current one but I traded down to a smaller motor so I burn less fuel which just means I can go alot more often now

i do not agree with the whole go fast to a fishing spot, its like saying you're gonna go 130mph to a Best Buy 30 miles away and i'm going to the Wal Mart 5 miles on a bike and we're in serch of a DVD player... the end results are the same, we both find DVD players

fishing at the coast, i've experienced many well equiped boats go fast and make a lot of noise but produce no end results.

mouldy - its the same question on why some people buy so many rods and reels, maybe its because they can, more power to them though. i am however quite glad no bass boats are seen fishing salt water... the air boats are bad enough as it is, they have big engines and no speed, haha.

because it's just more fun!!

it's all about the TOYS!!

either that, or they're compensating for something........what could it be??????

Tha fun and tha toys.......... At my age tha "sumthin' don't matter near as much as it use too.

...........T

well i can honestly say i dont know of any boats that look like yours here, and i dont know why, cos from what i've seen they seem to handle well and are well equipped only thing being here though is we couldnt afford to run engines of that size no way, ok maybe if you're commercial or a millionaire but not for joe public. what sort of money are one of those setups? (ie the boat engine and electronics)
cheers
phil

For a new 21' with a 250 fully setup 40-55,000 depending on the brands

Sounds like sour grapes. Why is it every time someone starts talking about big fast bass boats, there will be someone who has to bash the good folks that own such a rig to the point of junior high school name calling? The fact is you can't always just cruise to a nearby fishing hole that will produce. If a guy wants 100 rods and reels, who are you or anyone else to comment negatively about it? You choose your way and Bass anglers choose their way. We all know the rig and the tackle do not make an angler, but they add to it. The reason for big motors on bass boats is the same reason someone would want an 8 cylinder in their truck over a 6 cylinder, more power and more speed. I have a big motor but I do not bash people who fish out of a flat bottom boat with a 25 HP on it. Why do people who have less always bash people who have the nice tourney rigs? This thread topic was about the size of motors on bass boats, not the fishing ability of anglers with big motors. Someone always seems to go back to the abilities of the angler. Who cares how good of an angler they are. The topic was about motors. One thing about Bass anglers driving hot rod rigs, they don't put others down because of what kind of boat they have or the way they choose to fish. A class act in my book. Boasting about self proclaimed superior abilities is 0 class.

Built for performance, less wind resistance, and they don't need to be a deep V. They are for fishing on inland lakes and do not require to be deep. Plus, they look cool. That last comment was said jokingly but it holds some truth. And before someone bashes it, why did you buy the car or truck that you did? I am sure the looks had a big part in the decision making.

I could care less about running over 50 MPH unless I'm in the Gulf and a storm is chasing me. But if I do put myself in that position, I have no business being offshore in the first place.

Like anyone else, I too, enjoy speed and acceleration just for the thrill. But if I really want a thrill, I'll take a Zodiac into the North Sea. Anything less is child's play in comparison.

I dont fish tourneys cuz it "aint my thing".
I just love being on the water....and 35 MPH is just fine with me most of the time. I remember that each time I fill up my tank.

I'd rather have a fat bank account and know that I can buy most anything else I want at anytime I want. It's a game with me, I guess. I need a new Jeep right now, but every time I pass by the dealer, I say to myself: " You wont get my money today, either. I'm going to hold out as long as I can. You will just have to wait for your money a bit longer."

As long as someone's not endangering others on the water...they can go 200 MPH for all I care. Just dont make excessive noise while doing it.

LMAO kena.

$20,000 to $60,000+.

Here's some used ones.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forums/33/1/Boats_4_Sale

I have a 21' bass boat for a couple of reasons. First, it makes riding in rough water MUCH easier, especially when my family is with me. Second, it is fun going down a smooth lake at 70+ MPH. My kids laugh like there is no tomorrow when we can do that. It doesn't happen too often because I only do it when there is no traffic and no wind. But seeing their smiles is worth quite a lot to me as a Dad. Most of the time, we cruise from spot to spot at 30-35 MPH or so.

I also have a 10' flat bottom jonboat with a trolling motor. Both help me get to and to catch fish - just one is a lot more fun than the other....

TRUE.. and thats funny as heck... Have fun in your pie pan in the wind,

I have a lil boat, 17ft, with a big ole motor on it, 2.5 promax, and I got it so I wouldnt have to get to the lake an hour before the rest of the bass club. Before this boat I ran a 15ft duck boat with a 25 merc on it and tournament fished out of it. It was quiet good on gas and the fastest slow boat Ive ever bass fished out of. On the other hand with a 6am start time, I would get to the lake at 515 just to get beat to my hole by someone in my club. Now I am the fastest in my club, I still get to the lake at 515, to my spot at 516 and get to take a nap. My boat is good on gas, was quiet till today, and I have a trollin motor so I dont spook fish like this salt water guy thinks all us fast boat guys do. Needless to say, I still catch the same amount of fish as I did in the slow boat. Now I get to catch em in my spot and not a different one.

no, no ,no , because you wont make a wake going 70mph in a no wake zone !

I'm not so sure thats good logic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50tBPVkz1zM

look fellas, i didnt wish to start an argument on the subject, sorry. i'm just interested in boats in general as me and my dad have owned several in the past but never anything like you guys drive, i wish i could but truth is i just cant afford it. i love the look of them, as mentioned before, you wouldnt buy a car if it didnt look good now would you, if i could afford to run a big engine i would but i cant. i never pass judgement on anyone if i cant take it in return, i always treat others as i like to be treat. so to me, if you like the boat you've got and you're happy with it why judge other folks boats? big or little, its what makes you feel good inside.
are the majority of boat engines you use petrol or diesel? as i know theres alot of diesel ones on the market over here now and are very economic as far as boat engines go.
cheers
phil

mouldybits,

Your question should not have started an argument but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

High performance bass rigs are designed for just that. Nobody NEEDS to have a 80 mph rig to catch a bass but look at it this way, if we only bought things that we NEEDED, it would be pretty boring.

Learning how to "drive" a high performance boat is almost as much fun as catching the bass. There is a lot of driver participation required when handling a boat in excess of 70 mph. That is a large part of the fun of owning one.

I have not seen a diesel outboard yet but I know they exist. The new Merc Optimax motors are as fuel efficient as the newest four strokes and have actually beaten them in tests in BWB magazine. This is a good thing with the price of fuel now a days! I am not sure how much it is in the UK but I am sure it is more...

I will be the first to admit that there is a lot of angler ego involved when I pick out a rig. This is the great state of Texas, you know! We almost always do it bigger & better here but we will invite you to join us for dinner and treat you like a long time friend as well. We are friendly to strangers and will almost always lend a hand to someone in need.


Hope this answers your question.


Ken

Well said Ken - esp. the last paragraph. I totally agree!

i also agree.

as anglers, we're mean as all get out on the lake.. but when it's all said and done, and weighed in. we most certainly can sit around and chat about the day on the lake.
like said in some commercials. "getting there is half the fun".
and for some like me it's more than half the fun..

steve.

cheers ken, to me the american (or texas) way has always been bigger is better (or more power if ya like lol) so i can see where ya's all come from.
petrol here is currently around $10.50 per gallon and diesel is around $11.50 per gallon if i've done my math correctly...i stand to be corrected.
i bet those larger engines sound lurrrrrrrrrvly when they're opened up like :-)

Because its America. You can do what you want. Earn the $ and spend it however makes you happy.

That's because you don't catch any fish!

You know I love ya, Bro!

Ken

allison 1, it was ment to be a joke, not logical.