good?
bad?
what?

i might be able to pick on up foir a deal.

i dont know anything about em

Never rode in one. Mean looking machine, kinda serious looking like they would pass you in a second. I bet they are a good boat.

If you buy it give us a report on speed, ride, fishability, etc.

I have been fishing out of a 19.5 Gambler for about 3 months now and have been surprised at the ride. I figured it would not handle rough water very well being a light speed hull and I was wrong. This one with a 200 XRI runs faster than I want to go. Hold it down to 55 or 60mph and its real good on fuel. Main complaint I have is lack of storage in rear and this one needs hyd. stearing. They are a well built boat and like said they just look fast.

The new Gamblers aren't that light; they have a very efficient hull design. I always thought they rode well. They are very pricey, so if you are getting a good deal, I would look it over with a fine tooth comb.

Gary, you might consider installing a torque tab on your skeg. I wouldn't drive my boat without one. It takes alot of the steering torque out, especially at high speeds. And because it makes the lower unit run straighter in the water, it may actually increase your top speed slightly. You can probably get one online somewhere for less than $15. I just rivet it on and apply a little epoxy to it, also. It makes a big difference running on pad.

Artie

I owned a 19 ft. gambler intimidator with a 150 efi, supped up. would run over 70. That boat took the rough water better than any boat i've ever rode in.
Gamblers are heavy boats. they have a 3 pc. hull. Very well built. The pad on a gambler is different than any bass boat ever built. they have an inverted pad, which helps it pack air and seperate the boat at high speeds. makes it very fast and stable.
their only drawback is the rear deck. some of them have their livewell lids that open to the outside and can be a bit difficult to handle fish.
their seating is the best. most comfortable boat to drive in rough water, with a very safe feeling.
the reason for limited storage in the back is because they want you to put your heavy stuff in small compartments in the back,and the rest of it up front to help the holeshot and handling.


Now, the biggest downside of a gambler is when fishing in the stumps. because of the inverted pad, they do have a tendency to hang on every stump.
yes, i do love gambler boats. extremely well built, and very fast.


p.s. not sure about the torque tab deal. mine had a modified 23p tempest,no hydraulic steering. i ran the engine at 2" below pad, and never had a torque problem. i could let go of the steering wheel at w.o.t.

Steve, I'm running a modified 25p Tempest with the prop shaft 3" below the pad on my 18' Champion, and I only let go of the steering wheel if I want to go swimming. The torque tab helps quite a bit, but it still pulls to the right. Can I do anything to eliminate the torque steer?

Artie

BTW, I have a friend with a Hydrostream Varmint bassboat that is 17 feet long and runs well over 70 with a 150, and it also has a concave pad.

The only issue I've seen with the Gamblers is the transom on the ones that are a few years old.

Most of them have a 10-12 inch Jack plate, and some of them have REALLY bad cracks around the transom. Be sure to look at the boat carefully.

However, the newer ones, I haven't seen any issues with, but then again, they are a nitch market boat and not that many of them out there compared to some of the others.

artie.

i owned a 191 elite with a 200 efi. ran the engine at 2 1/2" below pad with a 4 blade prop. could let go of the steering wheel with that one too.
the key to running engines that high is not to over trim the engine. that's where the excessive torque is from.
the higher you run an engine, that's when you have to plug off some of the intake holes on the lower unit, and just not use as much trim.

Absolutely fantastic boats. Quality is as good or better than anything else out there. If you look over a Gambler, attention to detail is top of the heap. Below are the positives and negatives, but that is due to the focus of the design, not to any weaknesses in manufacturing. They truly are amazing.

POSITIVES:
1. Very fast for their weight.
2. Require very little trim to run their fastest. Easy to see over the bow for that reason.
3. Shockingly, very, very, very good rough water ride. By looking at the boat, you'd never think it, but they are awesome in the rough.
4. The front trolling motor/foot well/graph location setup is the best in my opinion. The motor is mounted parallel to the boat improving aerodynamics and visibility, protecting the graph underneath it. The foot well is recessed.
5. BOAT WITH TRIM TABS - Easy to set up to get out of the hole. Planes at a very low speed.
6. Amazingly, very stable fishing platform. I always thought this would be a weakness prior to being in one, but it's actually a strength. I was very surprised on their stability at rest.
7. I already mentioned quality. Top notch.
8. Strong hull that won't have stress issues due to stumps like some have had in the recent past. I can't say for sure, but probably on par with Basscat in that area.
9. Great seating position while driving. Very safe and protected.
10. Windshields don't inhibit flipping/pitching. The front deck is longer than other boats, and the seating position is so low and swept back, the windshields are lower than most other consoles without the windshields of other makes.
11. The fishing setup is actually very well thought out. What would at first appear to be a limited amount of storage, is actually quite a bit and well thought out. The front lockers are shallow, but they are large enough to fit 3700 series Plano boxes, which is what typically goes in those areas anyway. The extra depth is usually wasted on other boats, or some folks cram other stuff on top making access to tackle difficult anyway.


NEGATIVES:
1. Those who typically put 12" - 15" of setback on their Gamblers begin to have a nose high issue when at rest reducing the at rest stability and creating an "up hill" experience while fishing. Some curb that problem by sticking two basketballs or foam in their Bob's Machine 10" plate if that's what they have.
2. BOAT WITHOUT TRIM TABS - May not be a problem, but typically due to the high pitched props required at the high end, and due to most of the weight being in the rear, Gamblers can be tough to get on plane without tabs. They also like to nose up at first. Two things that significantly help those without tabs are something like a Brian's Foil, and certainly a skid plate on the bottom of the jack plate.
3. Those individuals that are quite large may find it hard to squeeze into the "cockpit" of a Gambler.
4. With the 10" Bob's Machine, two basketballs, and no additional spacers for set back, the nose position at rest is good. Anything other than that, and people coming from a Skeeter or a Ranger may not care for the attitude of the boat at rest while fishing.
5. Rear deck storage is very minimal, but based on the layout, personally, I don't think this is a problem or a weakness, but I realize some might.
6. Due to the hull design, stumps can lock in the hull and be more difficult to get off of.
7. The rear sits fairly low, so deeper stumps cause problems that may not on a boat like a Skeeter.
8. While they do feel spacious on the front, the rear is small. I actually prefer this layout as the front is the most important by far.
9. Thinner than other boats of the same length, so while they don't feel small due to the long front deck, they certainly aren't as wide as a Ranger or Skeeter of the same length. Can be a bonus when negotiating stumps.
10. Console is constrained for installing the newer style large screen GPS/sonar combos (I wanted to add something here. If I were to get a new Gambler and go with Lowrance, I'd get a separate GPS and sonar unit, both mounted at the console. Gambler has a space for two 332 sized units at the console to fit flush mounted.).

They drive like no other boat. You cannot compare them to other boats. You will need to learn how to drive it. They are a go FAST Boat......