shorefisher Posted July 30, 2008 Posted July 30, 2008 I'm sure this is a stupid question but why are outboard motors preferred for bass fishing? Why do large fiberglass bass boats have outboards instead of I/Os or inboards? It sure seems like a volvo or mercury V6 would be easier to work on (course i used to be an auto-mechanic). Quote
jdw174 Posted July 30, 2008 Posted July 30, 2008 You might ask Ranger. They built an I/O bass boat at one time. It didn't last very long........ Quote
George Welcome Posted July 30, 2008 Posted July 30, 2008 For one thing: cost factor. An I/O is a very costly piece of machinery to maintain. When I was a youngster most motorized lake boats were inboard. Again cost factor was a reason for change, as was the amount of draft required for an inboard equipped boat. If you hit something with the lower unit of an outboard, damage may occur but it is highly unlikely that the boat will sink. With an inboard if you hit something solid it is more than likely that you will ruin the prop, the drive shaft, and rip out the stuffing box, which will put the boat a bit deeper in the water than you may like it to be. As with the inboard, an I/O has a seal between the water in you: the boot. A hard strike to the motor usually results in a torn boot and the inside of your boat gets as wet as the outside. Quote
J_Zink Posted July 30, 2008 Posted July 30, 2008 If you remember those old I/O bass boats of days gone by, the first thing that comes to mind is the poor guy fishing on top of the doghouse in the back of the boat. Putting a pedestal on top of it would've put the guy in the back w-a-a-y up in the air and made the boat somewhat tippy. Not really a problem with todays boats but the engine inside the boat instead of hanging off the back really eats up needed storage space. Quote
NBR Posted July 30, 2008 Posted July 30, 2008 As said. They take up too much room, they are heavier so slower, the outboard hangs out of the boat and is much easier to service. You have a trim option you don't have on a conventional inboard. If you take out the lower unit you don't sink. I have done it and it gets costly $2200 but maybe not much more than taking off either an IO or a conventional inboard. Quote
Splat Posted August 2, 2008 Posted August 2, 2008 Simple power to weight ratio is MUCH BETTER in a outboard. BIll Quote
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