# Bass Boat



## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

I've wanted a bass boat for awhile now... as they're the ultimate "dual purpose" boat IMO.
Faster'n sh*t and great for fishing.

I just picked up a 1989 Skeeter SF175 DX Bass Boat with a Yamaha Pro V 150 hp motor.

It's got an electric motor in the front, fish finder up front by the casting stool and another fish finder back at the wheel.
Sonar, 2 livewells, motor controls in 4 places on the boat, built in cooler and lots more.

Here's a couple rough pics taken by the owner, I'll post more on Monday when I pick it up.


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## ICEE (Feb 3, 2007)

Nice pman


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Nice fishing boats are the sh*t


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

Only a 150 on it huh? Are you a bass fisherman? We go for walleye around these parts


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

Great looking boat p-man. 150 HP is more then plenty for that boat! looks like an 18ft boat. My freind jus bought a newer 18ft deep V for walleye fishing on the bay of green bay. I love it! Ur going to love that front bow mount. Those things are tits especially for bass fishing.


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

nice boat pman. im sure its alot of fun.


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## Guest (May 1, 2011)

Looks like a fun boat


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## Johnny_Zanni (Nov 8, 2009)

Lets bring it to the Rio Xingu P_Man


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Thanks for the great posts guys!









Here's a video of virtually the same boat.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Very cool... heading to the Amazon anytime soon ?


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

^^ Hoping to move fairly close in about 5 years.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Dolphinswin said:


> Lets bring it to the Rio Xingu P_Man


That would be the sh*t... probably cost more in gas to haul it down there than I paid for the damn boat!


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

p-man take me !!









screw zanni ill pa for gass


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

How many bones it cost ya? between 2-5k is my guess!


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

3


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

nice im sure your excited to hit the water


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Very.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

Piranha_man said:


> Lookin' forward to trolling, drifting and casting from and simply 'tearin up the water' with this vessel.


Lmao u be trollin even when u out fishin for them thangs??


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

You know it.









Gonna bring along a GPS so we can see what the top speed is.
Hopin' for some kickass speeds.


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Boats are as bad as crack we started out with a old charger and now have a new, 225 Ranger


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Ranger Bass Boats are the sh*t man, got a pic?


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## ZOSICK (May 25, 2005)

sweet







I have a slow ass pontoon 25mph top speed, but I've got a kegerator on mine.


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## Boobah (Jan 25, 2005)

Strap a 300 on that bitch and get a helmet.


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

Piranha_man said:


> Lets bring it to the Rio Xingu P_Man


That would be the sh*t... probably cost more in gas to haul it down there than I paid for the damn boat!








[/quote]

To be honest walleye are a great gamefish, but suck to fight. It honestly feels like ur reeling in a wet sock lol...We troll for them alot and when you get them on they always come in with their mouths open so thats why it feels like a wet sock lol....I'd rather eat them though. They are deliscious! I only eat my walleyes outta Lake Winnebago. The fish outta the bay of GB are too damn big. I throw all my walters away once they start hitting 20"+....Bass fishing will be picking up here shortly too


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

^this.
they arent the best fighters but great tasting.you should easily do 55-60 in your new boat,and congrats!

if theres a skeeter on your peeter,wack it off!


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## Ba20 (Jan 29, 2003)

Piranha_man said:


> Ranger Bass Boats are the sh*t man, got a pic?


Yes buddy took one of me and my dad doing about 65 across the water have to copy/ link it up though


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

65? That's awesome man...

I took a GPS along with me today to check the top speed... not as fast as I was hoping for... 44 mph.

Ah well, that's still pretty fast, and maybe down the road I'll get a new Mercury 200 hp for it and go 65 like you.









All in all it was a good ride... I love the smooth ride it gives and it's gonna be a good fishing machine.
Thanks for all the great posts!


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Just snapped this shot a few minutes ago.


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## greenmonkey51 (Aug 16, 2004)

I prefer a nice deep V, but bass boats have their benefits. Looks like a new GPS/Sonar is in order though. You do have walleye in your neck of the woods. I believe the Columbia has them and most big reservoirs should.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

14 3/4-25 prop would probably give a few MPH on the top end. 3 blade. nice pickup!


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## Gordeez (Sep 21, 2003)

ZOSICK said:


> sweet
> 
> 
> 
> ...












Kick ass boat P Man!


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

if it was me i would do a paint job. that brown is too sickly for my liking.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

HM its a damn bassboat not a yacht player. Anyways Pman enjoy your watercraft.


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## b_ack51 (Feb 11, 2003)

congrats on the new toy man.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

btw...prepare for sticker shock when you go to repower that thing. Haha. I've never seen more expensive motors than outboard boat motors. Iirc, when we went for a new 90 evinrude 4 stroke it was 18k installed!!!!


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Thanks everybody!


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

i love the vintage look. looks real good for the age of that boat. i bet u can get a little more speed by trimming it up. my basstracker gets up to 42mph. with a 70 johnson on it. its also a 17 footer.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

You talkin' about the angle of the motor?

Also, while we're on the topic, the steering wheel turns insanely hard... like a car that's out of power steering fluid.
Is it supposed to turn that hard?
None of my other boats turned that hard...


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

only reason it should turn hard is if it's trimmed up. does it have hydraulic stearing? i'd grease the components with some marine grease and see where it gets you.

14 3/4-25 my friend, you might see 50mph if you're running light, with a tail wind, flat water, and a bit of luck. haha.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Right on... I'm gonna grease the nipple today and if that doesn't do it look into replacing a couple steering cables.
Thanks for the head's up.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

Piranha_man said:


> You talkin' about the angle of the motor?
> 
> Also, while we're on the topic, the steering wheel turns insanely hard... like a car that's out of power steering fluid.
> Is it supposed to turn that hard?
> None of my other boats turned that hard...


yea if you trim the motor up a little bit (tilt up) using power trim you can get the sweet spot where the boat is at its fastest. my basstracker bass boat will go about 37 mph wide open trim all the way down. if i trim it up a little bit it will get up to about 42-45mph and that is with a 70 hp johnson when the lake is like glass. its aluminum so its a lot lighter than a fiberglass version. it will also help steering at top speed. if you trim up too far you will start to porpoise. which means the bow will bounce up and down. that means its trimmed too far up. definitely grease all the steering mechanisms that should help but those bass boats where kind of notorious for being hard to turn the wheel.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

you'll know if you're trimmed too far up when you cut a tiny turn and your boat sits right down in the water and the engine races way up...it's unlikely as i think you have more of a "sports" oriented prop on it currently. you're probably running a low 20's pitch and a smaller diameter, maybe a 14 1/2 or so. a good prop will make a massive amount of difference in both planing speed, and top speed. if you want to stand right up in the water, grab a 4 blade...you will sac some top end though. anyway, you should be able to eek out 50mph on that thing no problem...i looked up the weight on it and it's 1200 dry. i had a bowrider wellcraft from 85 that would get 39mph top with a 2 stroke 90hp evinrude on the back. of course we had the correct SS prop in order to get the maximum amount of speed out of it. the weight on that boat was easily over 3klbs, so you should definitely be able to get 50mph with a 100hp.

is it a 2 stroke? aluminum prop? could be, if its an aluminum prop it could be worn down just enough to take a bit off the top end. does it holeshot seamlessly? no cavitation at all? i know im rambling on and on about a prop, but it really is the most important part...it's like putting wrong sized, bald tires on your car and trying to do 120mph as fast as possible.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

the prop will only mess with the top ens in a few MPH...he has a different issue.
my dads boat goes about 40 with a merc 70.maybe the plates arent set right?????who knows,but youll get it figured out im sure.if you dont het 55-60 out of it,dont stop til ya do.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

muskielover1 said:


> the prop will only mess with the top ens in a few MPH...he has a different issue.
> my dads boat goes about 40 with a merc 70.maybe the plates arent set right?????who knows,but youll get it figured out im sure.if you dont het 55-60 out of it,dont stop til ya do.


his boat is pretty heavy. the old bass boats are and well they still are thats why they put upto 250 hp motors on them to get them to 70 mph. honestly he is getting about as good of performance he can out of it. you could tune it up replace the spark plugs, clean the carbs, and replace the plug wires. but i doubt that boat ever got over 50 mph brand new.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

its fiberglass,and it will do 55 with a 150 hands down.he has a problem.
been fishing bass tourneys for years and years on the mississippi(except the last few years)and seen a shitload of bass boats of all kinds,old and new with all kinds of motors,owned 2,dad has owned 3,countless family members have bass boats.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

muskielover1 said:


> its fiberglass,and it will do 55 with a 150 hands down.he has a problem.
> been fishing bass tourneys for years and years on the mississippi(except the last few years)and seen a shitload of bass boats of all kinds,old and new with all kinds of motors,owned 2,dad has owned 3,countless family members have bass boats.


yea ok. countless family members have owned bass boats lol? ive SEEN a million boats too and owned a few. this boat weighs 1225 pounds. its heavy for that 150. the max HP that boat came with was a 175 HP motor. and that was listed with top speed of 55 mph. and its 22 years old. like i said with a tune up it could go 50 mph with the 150. it doesnt much matter anyways 44-55 isnt that big of a deal. its plenty fast enough for a fishing boat. you don't catch fish at 55 mph.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

uh,yeah....countless.still do.why the lol?



philbert said:


> its fiberglass,and it will do 55 with a 150 hands down.he has a problem.
> been fishing bass tourneys for years and years on the mississippi(except the last few years)and seen a shitload of bass boats of all kinds,old and new with all kinds of motors,owned 2,dad has owned 3,countless family members have bass boats.


it doesnt much matter anyways 44-55 isnt that big of a deal. its plenty fast enough for a fishing boat. you don't catch fish at 55 mph.
[/quote]
this much is true


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

it just comes off funny.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

i think i get it.naa man,my whole family fishes and hunts.you couldnt imagine lol.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Just got back from the marine repair place... $581 to replace the steering cables.









I called the previous owner to see if he'd be willing to go "halfsies" with me.
We'll see.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Why do you need to steer? Just stick your leg in the water and start kicking the other direction


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Why in the hell didn't I think of that?


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

g-damn...they rape. i'd go to the boat salvage yard and DIY it. hah.

muskie, the prop can make a 10-20% difference in speed, both top speed, and/or plane speed. dont overlook a good prop. the one on the boat could be undersized by design, or because it's aluminum and was run through a bank of sand, or worn down from regular use...that's the beauty of a SS prop...biggest drawback is if you hit a big boulder you can kiss your lower unit goodbye, cuz that prop aint goin NOWHERE.

we had a half inch too small prop on our boat and couldn't get out of the 20's, so we went to fays boat yard in gilford NH, they took a look at it, went to the back where the used props are, grabbed a SS prop with more pitch, and 1/2" wider, we saw an absolutely massive difference in both takeoff and top speed. like i say, top spd on that boat was 39 with the SS prop...with the original aluminum is was at or under 30mph.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

Smoke said:


> Why do you need to steer? Just stick your leg in the water and start kicking the other direction


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

you know what boat stand for? Bust Out Another Thousand. lol.

Boats are just wholes in the water we throw money in.

The second best day of a boat owners life is the day he buys the first is the day he sells.



r1dermon said:


> g-damn...they rape. i'd go to the boat salvage yard and DIY it. hah.
> 
> muskie, the prop can make a 10-20% difference in speed, both top speed, and/or plane speed. dont overlook a good prop. the one on the boat could be undersized by design, or because it's aluminum and was run through a bank of sand, or worn down from regular use...that's the beauty of a SS prop...biggest drawback is if you hit a big boulder you can kiss your lower unit goodbye, cuz that prop aint goin NOWHERE.
> 
> we had a half inch too small prop on our boat and couldn't get out of the 20's, so we went to fays boat yard in gilford NH, they took a look at it, went to the back where the used props are, grabbed a SS prop with more pitch, and 1/2" wider, we saw an absolutely massive difference in both takeoff and top speed. like i say, top spd on that boat was 39 with the SS prop...with the original aluminum is was at or under 30mph.


from the pic he posted it looks like it has an ss on it.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

^^ I agree with a lot of that statement.

In the last 5 years I've bought 3 boats and sold 2.
It truly is a good sight to see your boat being towed from your driveway after a sale.









(That's why I don't spend much on boats... I buy a used one for a few thousand and then resell it a few years later for about what I paid for it.)


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

r1dermon said:


> g-damn...they rape. i'd go to the boat salvage yard and DIY it. hah.
> 
> muskie, the prop can make a 10-20% difference in speed, both top speed, and/or plane speed. dont overlook a good prop. the one on the boat could be undersized by design, or because it's aluminum and was run through a bank of sand, or worn down from regular use...that's the beauty of a SS prop...biggest drawback is if you hit a big boulder you can kiss your lower unit goodbye, cuz that prop aint goin NOWHERE.


been there,done that.
and yes,i understand the difference they make.heres a good link for those who are interested.
http://turningpointpropellers.com/propellers_101_cm.htm
at 50 mph,%10 is only 5mph,so even on the %20 end of the spectrum,he would have to have an"out of the hole"prop.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

Piranha_man said:


> ^^ I agree with a lot of that statement.
> 
> In the last 5 years I've bought 3 boats and sold 2.
> It truly is a good sight to see your boat being towed from your driveway after a sale.
> ...


oh yea. and if u don't use the A LOT and take care of them they last a good while and if you go over 10-15 years old there isnt really much depreciation.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

Piranha Man any chance of going GREEN and ditching the motor for some good ol' fashion paddles?


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

It's got an electric trolling motor in the front if that helps...


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

I replaced the steering cables this week which makes it turn way easier.

Also, just took it out for the second time, and was able to get it up to 64 mph on severely choppy water.
That's 20 mph faster than the first time out... simply by increasing the tilt of the motor.

Lookin' forward to seein' what it'll do on some glass.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

told ya so Philbert









good to hear P-Man









do you have a hydrofoil(stingray) on the motor?any porposing and rock?


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

g-damn, that's screaming fast. haha. be careful. lol.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

muskielover1 said:


> g-damn, that's screaming fast. haha. be careful. lol.


Yeah it is...









"Thanks" to everybody who advised I play with the tilt.


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

one should adjust the trim as high as it will go until it starts "hopping" a bit.trim it down slightly until it stops doing that,and that will be your optimum tilt.you probly already figured that out,but just thought id throw it out there.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Actually I hadn't figured that out yet.
The water was so choppy and it was so cold out I really just wanted to wind it out and see what it would do.

Next time I take it out hopefully the water will be calmer and it will be warmer out.
I'll play with the tilt some more and see just what the top speed is.









Thanks for all the tips!


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## ZOSICK (May 25, 2005)

Thats damn quick p-man







hell my 55 chris craft tops out at 53mph and I have an inboard SB 427








I'm lucky if I can get 20MPH out of my toon


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

53 ain't nothin' to sneeze at man...

Yeah, this thing puts my old speedboat with a 455 Olds jet to shame.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

wonder what a 200 with a steep prop would get you...sh*t you'd probably be looking at 80. wonder if your hull is rated for that kind of gas. lol.


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## philbert (Mar 8, 2007)

muskielover1 said:


> wonder what a 200 with a steep prop would get you...sh*t you'd probably be looking at 80. wonder if your hull is rated for that kind of gas. lol.


that boat is only rated to 175hp


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## muskielover1 (Dec 7, 2004)

yeah,i didnt know he didnt know that.im CONSTANTLY playing with the trim as im going down the river until its just right after i get on plane.
and youre right,you gotta know how to take a wave.those fiberglass bass boats usually cut through most waves though.ive been flying through the air more times than i can count,but in a controlled fashon.as long as youre squared up leaving the crest,youre ok...and cant have the nose dive too much.
IME barge rollers are the biggest boat crashers.people take them and dont realize how large and many the rollers are,land on top of another one at an odd angle and ass over teakettles they go.


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

i take everything at 45 degrees, unless im in a pontoon and want to soak the sh*t out of everyone...last year we hit the wake of a 46' carver that was just digging out to plane, caught it pretty square, the wave that engulfed that pontoon boat was unbelievable. lol. cleared the bimini until gravity took over and we got absolutely drenched. all the cupholders were full. lmfao!!!


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Yeah, I usually take waves at a 45 as well.

I've had boats on and off since I was 12 (dad gave me his old one when I was 12... we had a house on the shore of a lake...) but I never knew simple things like how to trim the prop and stuff.

This is new info to me, and very kickass... I can't believe I got 20 more mph just by tilting the motor!
Lookin' forward to taking it out again, maybe Wednesday.









Thanks for all the cool comments and helpful advice!
I knew by posting here I'd get some good ideas on things...


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