What does it cost?

[Blue76]

I am planning on purchasing another boat before spring. I have been looking around trying to decide what I want and will get real serious after the first of the year but I am fickle I guess. Started out looking at different 20 foot boats with HP in the 200 range. Gas prices go up and I find myself looking at those Aluminum Triton/ Ranger boats with a 115 HP. Then I read that a 150 isnt that bad on fuel so I start looking at 18 to 19 footers with a 150.

Just wondering ... what does a typical day at Chick cost you guys in fuel with your boat? If you can reply with what your setup looks like and what kind of fuel costs you have per day. I know it depends on how much you move around the lake but an average would be fine. It has been a long time since I had a boat and fuel was just over a buck.... I have no idea what kind of mileage these new engines get now.

I dont plan on being on a tournament trail but I do plan on using the boat often and fish a few tournaments... I figure it will be like donating money to charity since I know I couldnt win anything...

I just dont want to buy a boat that cost so much to go fishing it limits how often I can go. I have two kids in college... it is a wonder I can afford to even buy a boat.

Thanks in advance...

Greg

 

[mocs-tr20]

Just depends on how much you want to run. You can spend as little as 10$ a day if you want to trailer to an area to practice. I find that this is the best way to utilize your time and money.

 

[mocs-tr20]

and we have a 20 foot tr-20x with a 225 optimax

 

[south599]

if you are that worried about fuel the most efficient setups are lightweight boats with small motors. for example theres a guy on fastbass that recorded day that he did 95mph and got 4.58mpg in i think a 20ft allison w/ a 250 pro xs. a very cheap way to go would be get a smaller 19 to 20ft bullet without a motor and put a new 150 proxs on it set it up and you will have one of the best fuel efficient setups. the lightweight boats have great hull designs that don't just mean they go fast. i think with the setup i have in my sig im getting around 3.0 maybe 3.5 mpg w/ my 30 year old motor. The best benefit of the newer motors is using the ability to use ethanol gas and 87 octane gas.

 

[churly]

Get a used 20ft bullet hull and an optimax 150.

 

[jbh3]

I can usually go 6-8 trips on 20 gallons of fuel. My rig is a Triton 19XS with 225 Pro XS Mercury. I don't tournament fish and normally launch pretty close to where I plan to fish. Which ever way you go, don't under power the boat thinking you'll save gas money that way. Overall performance will suffer and you will find you're having to run wide open to get around. You also will take a hit when you trade or try to resell the rig if it doesn't have the HP it's rated for. IMO, the best plan to get the HP the hull is rated for and back off the throttle to find the best cruising MPG - usually ~4000-5000 RPM. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Blue76]

So evidently... your wives must frequent this board because no one yet has offered a dollar amount they spend on a typical day. I know it can vary but what would it be if you added up the fuel cost from your last 5 or 6 trips? Just wondering.... it may not be an amount I even would worry about. If it is 100 bucks a day then I most certainly need to go small motor... If you are saying 20 to 30 bucks per day with your 200hp motor then I would be ok with that.

Greg

 

[Blue76]

I will add this... I am interested in a Bass Cat Sabre FTD with a 150 and a Skeeter 190 ZX with a 175. These boats are both used and most likely will not be available when I am ready to purchase but I am wondering how much those boats will cost to operate on an average ady at the lake.

Greg

 

[smughal31]

I can run around pretty good in My 200 optimax and ranger for about 30-40 a trip.

 

[smughal31]

If I could afford a new one I would love to have one of the new ranger aluminum boats with a 115 optimax those things are amazing how nice they are and I would imagine 30 bucks in one of those things would last me a good while

 

[Blue76]

smughal31 - 10/16/2013 12:28 PM

I can run around pretty good in My 200 optimax and ranger for about 30-40 a trip.

Thats what I was looking for... Thx

 

[churly]

19' ranger with 175 opti. I can do a local day trip for $25 if I dont run hard or far

 

[Blue76]

smughal31 - 10/16/2013 12:30 PM

If I could afford a new one I would love to have one of the new ranger aluminum boats with a 115 optimax those things are amazing how nice they are and I would imagine 30 bucks in one of those things would last me a good while

Thats what keeps tripping me up.... I have looked at the Triton 18 foot aluminum which is exactly the same boat as the Ranger Aluminum and really like the layout. I imagine that 115 pushes it pretty good as well. It pretty much has everything I want but I am skeptical that the aluminum will handle and ride like I want. I would love to ride in one if you guys have one. I would think they would be good enough for local toutnament fishing as well.

 

[TnBullet]

What your asking is hard question to answer. I have a 20' Bullet with a 225 Optimax on it, and I have used as much 30 gals in 1 TX, but at the same time I have fished many a TX for less than $20 in gas.

Dont buy a boat that is underpowered, you wont save anything, bec the motor is working too hard to push it.
The newer motors Optis, Etecs, SHO's, 4 strokes are much better than carb'd motors

I would first decide on length, and if I wanted alum, or glass, then decide motor size.

My .02

 

[Hook1]

This may be a little too far off the beaten path for you but I have a 90 on a 19' Tracker. I've won pretty good money over the last two years and rarely use more than $30-40 in a full day. However it is slow. I only gps at 40-45 mph but you can't catch fish while running. I don't run WOT often simply because it doesn't do me any good. I put a good stainless prop on it that lets me cruise at 36-38 MPH at 4800 RPMs and it uses little gas.

 

[Blue76]

Hook1,

How is you boat in rough water? Does it ride rough over choppy water?

Greg

 

[Carl]

My heavy ranger with a 250hp cost 1.00 a mile with gas at 3.5

 

[Javelin33]

I have a 17 ft javelin with a 90 on it and I use around 10-15 dollars in gas a trip and I run around quite a bit. I normally run about 40.

 

[shadow2]

I have spent plenty of days on the water for less than 20 bucks in gas. Triton 20x3 with a 250proxs

 

[Hook1]

Blue76 - 10/16/2013 2:49 PM

Hook1,

How is you boat in rough water? Does it ride rough over choppy water?

Greg

It does ok but there's a point when it gets too rough. I don't have enough weight to cut into the waves like a v hull so it can get pretty bad some times.