What do you think ? With the sky high price of gas, are big boats, big motors, along with big trucks going to go the way of the dinosaur ?
Roger

My ski boat is a dinosaur, 30 years young this summer...It has a Mercruiser 228 (Chevy 305)...We'll still be taking it out...And yes, until people become financially responsible, large boats with large engines will still be in production and still being bought...

Our boat actually gets fairly decent mpg, so I don't complain too much...That being said, the tow vehicle and boat now stay at the lakehouse instead of driving the truck back and forth...

I have simply slowed down on the water and tend to fish fewer spots. But when I need the power, I still have it.

Just buy a bigger trolling motor.

My 23.5 ft CC with a 200 opti gets about 4 times the mileage as my 17.5 ft aluminum with a 75 force

Their not bad on fuel if you just cruise from spot to spot. Thats if your not in a tourney.

i have both a big rig and a little one, both are equal once the trolling motor hits the water,my frontier gets about 21 pulling my little boat and i can fish all over athens on 3 gallons, my superduty gets 15 pulling my big rig which can easily go through 15 to 20 in a day, the smaller rig is better on smaller water ,or if on bigger water trailer , i use my little rig 10 to 1 hope that helps

ski boat?
Fishin' forum?
Does not compute.

No Way. Just less people will have them. Some people have so much money they can't be priced out of anything.

My 200 Opti does real well if you watch the Smart Gauge and run it sensible which I do more often with high gas prices.

My 200 Opti will run 72 mph if I wanted to. I generally run around 35 to 45 for 10-15 minutes to go where I want to go then spend the majority of the fishing day in that area. I have several spots on Aquilla or Fork that are close enough to each other that I can idle back and forth. Actually I have the problem my gas being in my boat too long and I worry about it going bad. However my wifey informed me today that she was ready for a ski trip so I am sure that problem will go away.

Love my 150 HDPI Yahmaha. Can run 60 on my 185Zx,and gets good gas mileage. I don't understand the fascination/cost with 200+ HP motors.

run slower on the water, drive slower on the road- saves gas. I fish less areas now, more thoroughly. Last tues night was an exception.. I was scrambling for A fish, so I wouldnt have a goose egg... I got the egg! didnt taste good!

I went to Fork yesterday and burnt less than $25 in gas and fished where I wanted. We put in at the 154 public ramp and went as far as Birch and fished our way back.

I have a 250ProXS and I know for a fact it burns less fuel than my 150XR6 and 200EFI did. Plus, I have all that power to run upper 70's if I want

The thing that is getting me right now is getting the boat to the water...diesel in the truck is KILLING me.

It depends. Smaller motor=smaller boat. Smaller boats in Texas will limit your fishing days. I have a 21' Skeeter I use around the area but when I go to Texoma I use my CC with twin 150's on the back. I'd rather pay for the extra fuel and be safe than take Texoma on again in that Skeeter.

I'm not seeing anyone fishing less. What I'm seeing is the way a lot of people are fishing. They trailer around the lake vs. running it. They aren't driving quite as far when they do go on vacation, but they are still going at the same rate.

I posted this earlier, that the average boat has a 36 gallon tank. If fuel is 3.85/gallon this year and 2.35/gallon last year, here is the difference when someone uses 1/2 a tank of fuel in the course of a day.

36 X 3.85 = 138.60
36 x 2.35 = 84.60
= 54.00 per tank difference.

$54 X 1/2 tank of fuel = $27.00 more for a 1/2 tank of fuel over last year.

So I haven't seen many people quit fishing because of $27.00. They change their habits, skip the McDonalds on the way to and from the lake maybe, but not quit fishing.