Boats

[TRYTOFISH]

does anyone have any experience with stratos or nitro boats? looking at new boats but dont know anyone who has one. i want to buy local and thats all we have around here. we do have a ranger/skeeter dealer but as you know, pretty pricey. any input would help.

[NitroZ9]

I highly recommend Nitro. I have been running one for a number of years. My current boat is a Z-9. You will hear a lot of Nitro bashing from people who don't know anything about them or only know about them from years ago. Nitro has come light years in quality and construction, and in my opinion, is as good a boat as any on the market. Compare quality, construction, features, etc, against other comparable boats you're interested in. Then compare prices. I think you'll find there is no comparison. Nitro has been able to keep its costs down by using extremely efficient production methods. That's why you're seeing a lot of Nitros on the water. Do an honest comparison between the brands you're considering, ride in different boats if you can and get honest information from current owners. Then choose the brand that's right for you. Just don't listen to people who want to bash a brand without any first hand knowledge of current models.

[TRYTOFISH]

i mis-poke on the stratos. its triton that i was considering. i would be looking at the z7 more than likely. rod and tackle storage is my main concern. there are a couple of 2009 rangers available, but $20000 seems a little steep fo a used boat. thanks for the input.

I highly recommend Nitro. I have been running one for a number of years. My current boat is a Z-9. You will hear a lot of Nitro bashing from people who don't know anything about them or only know about them from years ago. Nitro has come light years in quality and construction, and in my opinion, is as good a boat as any on the market. Compare quality, construction, features, etc, against other comparable boats you're interested in. Then compare prices. I think you'll find there is no comparison. Nitro has been able to keep its costs down by using extremely efficient production methods. That's why you're seeing a lot of Nitros on the water. Do an honest comparison between the brands you're considering, ride in different boats if you can and get honest information from current owners. Then choose the brand that's right for you. Just don't listen to people who want to bash a brand without any first hand knowledge of current models.

[grampa1114]

I've had my TR-175 Triton DC for 7 years and it rides and fishes great in most conditions. It is a little small for consistent big water use and rod storage is limited to rods less than 7' otherwise the quality is excellent and I would recommend the brand highly. I think that you'll find any quality rig will hold it's value well for at least a few years.

[NitroZ9]

The Z-7 is extremely popular. It has a huge amount of storage and is very wide and stable.

[grampa1114]

Didn't they run Z-7's in that World Series of Fishing? They looked pretty good there. A friend of mine had one for a few years and loved it.

[Nitrofreak]

I have friends with all different makes and models, one of my best friends has a Z-8 and absolutly loves it, he had a Ranger and blew the engine, tradded it for his new Nitro Z-8 and found it to be better in a few ways, he has compaired the rides and says it is very near to the way his Ranger rode on the water.

I have a "90" 17' Nitro with a 115 Rude, other than a power pack and a steering cable it has never given me any issues, if I were to ever get another one it would be a Z-9.

[Fishing Rhino]

For the money, it's tough to beat a Nitro. I had an 09 Z7. I traded it in last spring for an 11 Z8. The only options on the 8 were retractable tie downs for the stern, a custom Nitro cover, and most importantly trailer brakes on all four wheels. There is a world of difference between the 7 and the 8, though I did like the 7.

The 8 has the rapid planing system. The main drawback with the 7 was that it could be sluggish getting up on plane. The 7 was powered by a 150 Merc EFI. The 8 by a 200 hp Optmax Pro XS. Never had a problem with the EFI, but the Opti is much smoother and quieter.

The 8 is about 5 mph faster top end. 58 mph vs 62-63 mph.

The 8 has hydraulic steering, lighted compartments, larger livewells with pumps for each section,

The 8 rides much smoother in a heavy chop. It's much easier to access the batteries, oil reservoir, and battery charger on the 8.

Having said all that, if it's too rough to fish in the 7, I don't want to be on the lake with the 8 either.

Just for jollies, when I got the 8, I priced a 7 using the build your boat feature on the BPS website. With tandem wheels and brakes for the trailer, 200 hp engine, And some of the other standard features on the 8, the 7 costs more than the 8.

If you pay attention, you can get some good deals at Tracker Marine between now and the spring. My 8 was a leftover. They reduced the price by three grand, and tossed in a thousand dollar gift card. That made the 32,000 dollar boat a 28,000 dollar boat. In addition, when you buy a Nitro, you get a VIP rewards card. It gets you 20% off of BPS brand merchandise, and 10% on most everything else. Does not include electronics, or certain brands such as Shimano. Once in a while they have special deals for "preferred" customers.