Looking at buying a 06' Triton 186 with a 150 optimax on it. Has anyone had a rig like this, or have ridden in one? Is there anything I should know about this boat ahead of time?

Is that the model they call the "Texas Tornado"? If so, a friend had one and it was a wet and rough riding boat. I thing the cockpit was too far forward which made it ride bad.

No idea, but it seems like any other boat cockpit wise.

I had an '01 with a 175. It is an 18.5' boat, so it will get you into tight areas. It will not be best suited for open water fishing when there is decent wind, but it can be done. Requires some driving input to get the best performance out of her. I didn't see a big difference when I compared a few of them side-by-side from different years, it wasn't until the 10 or so that they made significant changes to the layout. It will store quite a bit of tackle for a boat of it's size. But you'll always want more storage, no matter how big you go.

In a decent chop, when running hard, yes, you would probably get wet... But that happens in most boats of that size.

I have this exact boat and year model. It is not the Texas Tornado as mentioned above. My 06 is one of the best riding 18 ft boats I've rode in. That being said, it is not going to ride like a 20 ft boat either. The fishing platform is good and the boat is fairly nimble in tight spots. Storage is ok, but not what you hav e in the 20ft boats. The middle storage compartment is huge, but you only have 1 small lid. You can store a lot, but you will have to take stuff out in order to access the rest. As far as lights, switches, gauges, etc I have had very few issues for a 13 year old boat. The fuel gauge is the only thing that sometimes gives me trouble. When it is cold, it won't register. After it warms up outside, it works fine.

Mine does not have a jackplate and will run 56 mph @ 5750 rpm with a 23p tempest plus. Hole shot is fantastic with just me. Add a couple more folks and fill the 36 gallon livewell full and it is pretty sluggish. That is to be expected with a 150 though on this boat.

My boat mechanic said that 150 Optimax is one of the most reliable on the water. Only problems with it so far has been the sensor going bad about every 2-3 years on the oil tank mounted under the cowling. I bought it with 143 hours and now have 467 with almost no issues. Make sure to have water pump done every 2 years or if water pressure drops to 12 psi at wot.

Overall, I have no complaints and would buy another in a heartbeat.

Thank you all for the input I�m wanting to just upgrade, and buy a newer boat. My current boat is a 97� procraft 180, and it performs good but was wanting something a bit newer. From what I�ve seen they have nearly identical layouts the only difference being that the triton is 9 yrs newer.

I have an 04 Triton 186 and it is a great boat. I fish deep water in the wind all the time. It handles rough water just fine.