electric or gas

[c17Lat]

I'm planning on getting a  bass boat within the next few years but i have a problem. I live within an hour from the main potomac river launch site, and i also might use the boat while at my school right at Cayuga Lake in NY. I would think that only normal gas outboards would work for these big waters, and most used boats i've been looking at come with gas outboards. but there are also 5 great electric only reservoirs closer to my house than the potomac that i want to fish also, so i would need all electric motors, and with just electric motors i won't have to worry about paying for gas. So what should i do? I was thinking that with maybe a big fast electric motor (if there is one) i could fish all these waters with the boat. Any suggestions

[Bassn Blvd]

Why cant you use both and just tilt the motor up out of the water when fishing a lake that does not allow motors.

[squid]

YOU CAN NOT USE A GAS POWERED MOTOR ON A LAKE THAT IS ELECTRIC ONLY.   THERE ARE MANY REASON WHY THEY ASK FOR IT TO BE ELECTRIC.  YOU HAVE NOISE..PROBABLY #1...GAS RUN OFF, NO WAKE LAKE, JUST TO NAME A FEW.

IF CAUGHT ON AN ELECTRIC ONLY LAKE WITH A GAS POWERED MOTOR....BIG TIME FINE!!

[Bassn Blvd]

my mistake. I guess some areas are different from others. Some lakes in my area allow it. You dont have wake or noise because you are not using your motor plus it is tilted out of the water. But i guess if your boat and gas tank leak you could leak the gas. In any case, I would not try using a gas powered boat in electric only lakes until I checked with the proper authorities...

[Alpster]

Where I live, if it's electric only, you must remove your gas tank. If you have a built in tank you must remove the propeller. All of the big glass boats must keep the outboard tilted up so the Ranger can see the prop is gone. That's how it works around here.

Ronnie

[striperone]

c17Lat,

If your going to fish mainly in the Potomac river, then by all means buy a gas outboard, maxing the rated hull hp rating. Short of fishing in Mattawoman creek, you would be run over out there.

Electric only bodies of waters are different from place to place depending on what electric only lakes or reservoirs you are interested in fishing, you would have to confirm it to be sure. Triadelphia, Rocky Gorge and Little Seneca reservoirs here in Maryland are all "Electric Motors Only" but you don't have to do anything special to your gas engine to use your boat there as long as you don't fire up the gas engine. You don't have to remove your prop or gas tanks for instance.

If your interested in a fast electric outboard, your best choice is the Ray Electric Outboard. If your interested in purchasing one (?) Let me know. I still have one in stock. 60 volt long shaft.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Can't even have it on the boat here.

Have you considered a canoe or jon?  Pretty cheap to pick one up used.  For less than $500, you can have 2 boats!

[HPBB]

I fish many electric only lake with my boats that have gas outboards on them.

If you only want one boat to do it all. Get one with a gas outboard. The most HP the boat will take and you can afford.

Then buy the biggest pound thrust TM you can afford. This way you can fish the electric only lake and when you fish the unlimited water that bigger TM will help you out big time.

I fish a 17 1/2 footer with a 75Hp on it and a 109# Motorguide Tour 36 volt TM. It pulls that boat around really good and I can fish all day at the electric lakes with power to spare, and when fish other water that TM has helped out greatly. The 109 is a bit overkill, but I bought it because of fishing electic lake and heavy current.