Going Fast

[Flatrock]

I write this purely for discussion sake and not to judge...

 

I had the privilege of meeting up and fishing with a new friend a few weeks ago, we live a half a state apart.  Actually I have to say he has helped rekindle my love for fishing and convinced me that buying a boat is not a bad thing, expensive but well worth the expense when you factor the benefits from a high stress profession.    Which leads me to boat speed and the need for it.

 

Now I purchased my lil ole Bass Tracker PT 175 TXW with a 75 Merc.  Top speed 40 mph.  Considering 30-40 yrs ago I have always fish off the bank, or fishing in a old v bottom alum boat with a 15 Evinrude with my father.  So to me my Tracker is like, "yeehaaaa"  look at me go...   Which leads me to my friend which owns a Triton with a 200, without a doubt a beautiful boat and no I can't even begin to compare it to my Bass Tracker except the fact it gets you on the water.  I'm sure my buddy was doing a little showing off, but here I found myself hanging on for dear life while he opens her up and we're doing 70 mph across the water.  I'm finding myself hanging on to what I call the "Jesus Handle" with one hand and the bottom of the seat with they other hand while we're literally just barely skimming the waters surface.  In fact I'm not sure we were touching the water as I felt the ass end of the boat going side to side.  I'm thinking we're gonna die if this flying machine goes air borne.  (I could think of worse ways to go though)

Why does a boat need a "Jesus Handle"  ?

 

30 yrs ago I'd of been on the bow of the boat face in the wind hollering... "can't you get this barge to go any faster" ? 

 

Now in my silver yrs of life, I'm happy with my nice stable sure footed 40 mph water craft...

 

Now...  With the understanding that when in a tournament, it's important to reach your spot across the lake first, I get that...  but for the weekend  fisherman, why does one find the need to run so fast ?    I'm asking this with the mindset that fishing is supposed to be relaxing and fun.  Don't we run the rat race enough with our daily grind ?  

 

I suppose it could asked why I bought a BT 175 w/ 75 hp when I could have bought a canoe or a yack.  All I can say is one can't stand up and walk around in a canoe or a yack and a Tacker is lighter craft compared to a fiberglass barge... I'd say its a compromise between all the choices from a canoe to a $70,000 top of the line Ranger.   

 

I will admit during a catfishing tourn, I was rather thrilled when my aluminum boat with a 75 was able to keep up with a fiberglass being pushed by a  115 Johnson.  I had figured he would have left me in their wake, but he couldn't out run me.

 

But still why does anyone need a 60,70,80 mph "Bass Boat" when this sport is all about the environment and relaxing ?

[dodgeguy]

It depends. Some guys like the thrill. Some are weekend tournament fishermen and are in competition. Some like you are happy going 40 and feel safer. Nothing wrong with how you feel. I fish out of a rowboat so I get it.ive been on my friends bassboats and I wish I could afford it. Enjoy what you purchased and smile when you catch fish. That's all that matters .

[Mike L]

You Haven't lived until you've been in a 21ft Bullett with a warmed over Merc 250 going 88 mph!!

That'll wake you up.!

Aa a tournament co angler for the last 9 yrs I've been in them all. 

 

Anyway, they do it because they can. I don't know anyone with a 175+ motor who doesn't open it up once in while. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Tennessee Boy]

I’m also one who’s happy at 40MPH.   I bought a new boat in 2018 with a 90HP motor.  I spent $2600 on a trolling motor,  over $5000 on electronics.  For $1700 more I could have upgraded to 115HP but never really considered it.   

 

Some people like fast boats just like some people like fast cars.  I don’t care for either but to each his own.

[A-Jay]

It's a time & distance deal for me.

Being able to do a little less than a mile a minute adds to my fishing time; especially on some of the larger lakes.

Don't get me wrong, safe speed is cool, but adding 20 minutes of fishing time to every spot I fish adds up over the course of a season.

Which is already short enough in my world. 

More casts = more opportunities. 

A-Jay

[Brew City Bass]

For the same reason I've owned fast cars, it's fun. 

If you can afford it, there's really no reason not to go as big as you can. Same argument can be made for length of a boat. Is 21ft necessary? Nope, but it sure is nice to have that extra room! Same for the ponies in the back. 

[Russ E]

where you fish has a lot of bearing on what you need.

I no longer tournament fish and most of the places I fish are less than 2 miles from the boat ramp.

my boat has a 115 and will peak right at 50mph. 

most of the time I cruise around 40 42 mph. it gets a lot better gas mileage in that range.

if the water is calm I do open it up once in a while.

I'm sure if my boat would go faster, I would probably run faster. Just because I could.

[WRB]

Nearly every lake in SoCal has 35 mph speed limit and the only time I see bass boats cooking over 70 mph is during the weekends or a tournament. Speed is a competitive factor "my boat is faster" then yours. 

Running WOT for a few miles is very common and most tournament anglers bring the speed down around 65 mph for more effiencent gas mileage and safer ride after they clear the starting area.

Any speed over 70 mph requires good driver skills things go very bad fvery quickly. It sounds like the OP's buddy was chine walking indicates low driver skill and showing off.

Tom

[BassThumb]

30-40mph is the perfect cruising speed.

 

It's safe, I'm not beating up my gear/electronics, there's little risk of something going flying out of the boat, if there's a steering malfunction I'm less likely to get tossed, and nobody is thinking I'm an a-hole for showing off. 

[livin2fish]

Running 25 mph I glanced to the left toward a cove, and had the thought "haven't fished that one before", looked back and there was a 20 ft log crossways in front of me.  Hand was on throttle, reaction was stop, front end of boat went up, middle of boat came down on the log.  Busted seam in my 17 ft. aluminum bass boat.  I don't want to think of how far I could have flown going 70 mph.

[clark9312]

In his defense it usually doesn’t seem as bad when your the one behind the wheel but I know what you mean. I went with a buddy of mine and he was hammering down trimmed all the way up and I came to terms that we were going to crash lol. I don’t think he was showing off I’m pretty sure that’s just how he runs it because he just wants to start fishing. My aluminum boat will do around 50 when I want it too but I usually stay mid 40s maybe just a little slower if the water is rough or a lot of boat traffic. 

[hawgenvy]

I used to think going fast was to reach the fishing spot sooner during tournaments. Now that I've been fishing tournaments with a local club (as a co-angler) I realize it's to get back to the ramp on time!

 

On the other hand:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eeyG2WUS5Y&t=124s

[Flatrock]

Don't get me wrong, he knows his boat and I felt safe.  But as someone that drives for a living its hard to be second seat and not have control... that includes riding in a 4 wheeler as a passenger.

 

My post wasn't so much about the experience of going 70 mph for the first time in a boat. I mean it was exciting...   I was going on the philosophy that fishing is supposed to be laid back and relaxing.  Your not relaxing when your adrenaline is in over drive...  LOL

Like I said earlier, I'm not judging just wondering.

 

[Dirtyeggroll]

7 minutes ago, Flatrock said:

I was going on the philosophy that fishing is supposed to be laid back and relaxing.  Your not relaxing when your adrenaline is in over drive...  LOL

 

 

Fishing puts my adrenaline in overdrive and I love every second of it. My mind and body are on full alert and focus when I am fishing which is what makes it fun for me.

 

[OCdockskipper]

If I fished large lakes like Mead or Havasu, I could understand the interest in getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible.  I don't, so I am in the same boat (pun intended) as the OP.

 

The two times I marshaled for BASS events, it was a white knuckle ride in the passenger seat no matter the pro.  Ish Monroe had it wide open on Havasu with a 15 mph wind blowing, I kept hoping the next point we saw was the one he wanted to fish.  Dennis Tietje and Alton Jones both actually told me "hang on" when they made their runs, they did have a concern for their passenger.  On Lake Travis, Gerald Swindle actually drove faster than David Fritts did, however Swindle was able to make the ride seem more in control (I found out later GMan enjoys fast cars as well, so he may understand speed even better than they typical pro).

[Bluebasser86]

My boat will run 55, but I usually cruise around 40 and it does that with ease. I don't usually make long runs, and big waves usually keep me from putting the pedal down, but when I get the chance I will because the sooner I get there, the sooner I fish, which is what I'm out there to do. 

[Catt]

I aint as good once was,
But I'm as good once, as I ever was.

 

Is 70+ necessary for bass fishing...nah!

 

At 68 I'll still love putting the pedal to the metal  ?

[WRB]

There is a lot of different fishing experiences from back packing into remote lake, flying into remote wilderness lakes and portaging into a chain of wilderness lakes where quite serine astmophere watching nature at it's best is part of the experience.

Launching a fast bass boat at dawn in a major tournement waiting for the starting gun and racing off to a preconceived pre fish destination is a very different experience but full filling in a different way.

I have been fortunate to experience all types of fishing experiences from the wilderness to multi million dallor off shore yatchs racing each other to the hot Marlin spots and fast bass boats on the pad running to the first stop tournament fishing. 

Fast is always on the edge and racing drag boats and fuel dragsters in my youth speed was part of my life. A few of my bass boats were very fast. Speed kills and I know that well.

I know serveral bass boat owners who shouldn't be driving their boats over 70 mph and refuse to fish wirth them unless I drive. Be safe and enjoy the roses above the grass.

Tom

[Harold Scoggins]

Three years after I started kayak fishing, I sold my glitter boat. I get it, they are fast and they are nice, but after living many years in the fast lane, I was ready to slow down and take in everything that had been passing me by. "Mushin" brothers.

[j bab]

13 hours ago, Flatrock said:

$70,000 top of the line Ranger

If only they were that cheap  

[Way2slow]

It's like buying a car that runs over 100 mph.  Not many places have speed limits over 70mph.  Doesn't mean you have to drive it as fast as it will run, but it's nice to have the power to pass when you want to.

 

Normally boats that run 70+ mph is just fact they are larger boats, it's takes a lot of horse power to get them up on plane with much of a load in them.   Then like most cars, these boats are built for low drag and fuel efficiency so you afford to feed them.  Speed is the result of this, but doesn't mean you have run as fast as it will go.  

With the modern day hull designs and the new fuel efficient motors, that boat that runs 70+ mph can cruise at 45-50 miles per hour and burn less fuel than a 18ft aluminum boat with a 90 running full throttle at those speeds. 

Plus, when you fish a 77,000 acre lake like I do, and my want to go 25 or 30 miles, it's nice to be able to go ahead and there if you want to.

The true scary part about these 70+ mph boats is the operators.  A whole lot of people that have never even owned a boat, get one.  You are in a whole different realm of skill level to drive a boat at those speeds versus one at 50mph.  A boat that is fully up on the pad with only a couple square feet of hull in the water, is nothing like a boat where 2/3rds the hull is running in the water, but you see these idiots jump in take off.  These are the ones you see on U-tube being fished out of the water or reading about in the paper.

[Catt]

4 hours ago, Way2slow said:

The true scary part about these 70+ mph boats is the operators.  A whole lot of people that have never even owned a boat, get one.  You are in a whole different realm of skill level to drive a boat at those speeds versus one at 50mph.  A boat that is fully up on the pad with only a couple square feet of hull in the water, is nothing like a boat where 2/3rds the hull is running in the water, but you see these idiots jump in take off.  These are the ones you see on U-tube being fished out of the water or reading about in the paper.

 

Everytime someone asks me to show them how to run a boat I always reply wait until the next front hits. 

[J Francho]

16 hours ago, Flatrock said:

But as someone that drives for a living its hard to be second seat and not have control... that includes riding in a 4 wheeler as a passenger.

This, to me sounds like the real problem, and not simply going fast.  You're not comfortable with what goes along with going fast, and the resulting effects.  That's okay.  If you told me (I had an 85 mph Bullet) you didn't want to go too fast, I would respect that and not run fast, and keep it around 40.  Most of the places I fish, that will be fine.  I want a happy partner.  That said, If I go screaming by you and the other boats in the tournament to get to a spot, I think you know why: because I can.

[Flatrock]

On 5/20/2019 at 2:21 PM, J Francho said:

This, to me sounds like the real problem, and not simply going fast.  You're not comfortable with what goes along with going fast, and the resulting effects.  That's okay.  If you told me (I had an 85 mph Bullet) you didn't want to go too fast, I would respect that and not run fast, and keep it around 40.  Most of the places I fish, that will be fine.  I want a happy partner.  That said, If I go screaming by you and the other boats in the tournament to get to a spot, I think you know why: because I can.

Maybe you're right, but to be honest it was more of the instability of the boat. My boat remains in the water and his ..?  I think only the prop was touching..  LOL

[TnRiver46]

I don’t much care for going fast, it’s kind of the reason I’ve  only ever fished one bass tournament. I used to like going fast on backroads but apparently pickup trucks aren’t too nimble and a few trees and guardrails later I don’t do that anymore. I’ve also never been on a roller coaster and don’t care for airplanes, I’m a big wimp. Plus I’ve hit plenty of floating and submerged stuff at 25 mph and went through some lower units and props. I’m following Jacob wheelers YouTube channel for the BPT this year and he has been through at least 3 lowers