Fishing Boats top speed?

[kumma]

While coming back from a week of fishing the UP we passed quite a few boats with outboards of 200 - 250 horsepower, we started wondering about the top speed. Now my 14' Mirrocraft with an old 18hp evinrude did 19 mph per the gps. Im wondering what these 20 foot lunds top out at with 200 plus horsepower. 50 mph? 60? anyone?

[TrailFndr]

Not sure what those 20 footers do, but my 17 ft fish and ski with a 115 on the back will do 58 MPH on smooth water according to my Etrex Legand...Of course, thats faster than I really want to be moving on the water lol

[dtg]

My bro has a 16' Walleye type boat w/ a 50 hp o/b and I've seen 36mph, when everything was perfect. So I think those boats with the stilletto hulls and 250hp o/b can probably do 70+ easily

[wecker20]

I know of a few bass boats w/ 250's that'll go into the 80's. Put a 250 on an Allison and you'll be in the 90's. My boat w/ a 200 will do 67mph.

[Jason Adam]

I can do mid-high 40's in my 2600 Striper with 130 Gallons of fuel and 4 people on board. My buddy has a Triton bass boat that can pull almost 90...

[POLARBEAR]

saturday i was in a new stratos that has a 250 yamaha on the back. we did 60mph to our destination. it only took a few minutes to get there and back. i did the same run on sunday in my boat and it seemed to take forever. lol

[waterfoul]

I know a guy with a brand new Nitro that he put a Merc 300 pro max on. He's seen 95 on the GPS with more throttle to go, but that's where his nerve runs out and his senses kick in! Probably a 100 mph boat... with the pedastal seat in the bow even!! LOL!!

[bklompy]

I own a 97 lund pro v with 150 2 stroker merc me ,1/2 tank of fuel, about 47 to 48 on gps not fast but she moves lunds are heavy and solid boats not some thin tin stuff

[k8vol]

04 1400 angler crestliner with 60 hp 4stroke 33mph . steve k8vol

[bolodunn]

115 mariner, on a sheet of glass 51mph. w/ 3 men. thats a 17.5 ft. aluminum tracker.
don't really think it matters how big the motor is if the boat can't handle real ruff water your not gonna max out anyway. imho.

[kroppe]

My 17 foot Lund with 90 hp Honda does 41mph on flat water with just me in it. That includes a 9.9hp kicker motor and a reasonable load of fishing gear. With 2 men and same gear load I can get 38-39 mph.

[wecker20]

A high speed boat will go faster on choppy water than it will on smooth water. Tested that out myself. I'll gain 2-3 mph w/ a chop because there is less water resistence on the pad. I've seen 67 mph gps w/ my boat. There's more speed to be seen w/ my boat w/ a different prop but props aren't cheap.

[greg123]

17' Lund, 115hp 4 stroke Merc, full gas tank, 2 guys and all our stuff tops out at 41mph gps. Plenty fast enough for me.


Greg

[MGV]

Going by the fish finder (i don't think is accurate) I have a 40 hp Mercury Classic. One person we can get 38mph but we porpoising. On a regular day with two guys it shows about 32-34.

[captain jay]

I have a 22' Lund with a 225hp and I can get 43mph. I could probably get more with a different prop, but that's fast enough for me.

Captain Jay

[chamookman]

Lund Pro-V 1800, dual console SE w/ 175 Opti. With a slight chop, just Me, the Planets lined up just right and 1/2 a tank of gas + trimmed to perfection - 51 mph (gps). Bob

[1fife]

1895 yarcraft dc 200merc efi -2001
loaded down a bit
5 batteries-15 kicker etc
best ive seen 52.5

normal conditions 2 guys tackle 50

[kingfisher 11]

Only two reasons you really need high speed in a boat. To out run a storm and if you are in a tournament and time is key. Other then that going 40 on the water is all you need when you are heading out fishing. Once you start getting to big so does your gas bill.

When I bought my 19' Sylvan I told the dealer I just wanted the 90 hp merc. I wanted good fuel economy and to be able to troll down. He talked me into the 115 HP merc that was 4 cylinder with 2x2 system. I will tell you I am very happy with this motor. I consider the fuel economy to be excellent and I can troll down to 2.0 MPH all day long without loading up.

[1fife]

king -true about speed

BUT

i usually run about 40 mph

my 200 will get better gas milegae and last longer than a 150 on my boat that is going 40(that happens to be wide open)

also resale is a lot better if boat is maxed out or close to it

[kingfisher 11]

Mine tops out around 49 MPH. I usually find I don't go over 25 MPH on the big waters due to waves. if it is flat I run at top end if possible. I don't object to big fast motors. I just think if the money is tight a person should not feel the need to spend alot of dough to go real fast. Just need enough speed to get in safely....and common sense.

Some of those big motors are awesome if you can afford them.

[wecker20]

Not sure what the big motors use at wot. I ran mine across Mitchell and back then ran Cadillac and back on a tourney and guzzled a 1/4 tank of gas. Don't even know how big my tank is, most I've ever had in it is a 1/2 tank. I've heard at wot, something around 20 gallons per hour w/ the 225-250's. That's a lot of money!

[kroppe]

I also agree on speed. On Erie it's unusual if I get up to 30mph, most of the time it's closer to 20mph due to waves.

[Ugottaluvit]

Fun topic...Small fishing boat.. 14 ft. Smokercraft Deep V, 15 hp Merc. 24.8 on GPS... just me and some equipment in the boat.

[2PawsRiver]

15'7" WaterQuest, no wind, on a flat lake, after a bowl of wheaties, I'm thinking I can paddle up to 5mph. :)

[TimT]

19.8' Lund with a 250hp 350 merc I/O. Low 40's is what I get. Doesn't matter if I have nothing in the boat, or loaded with the rigger board and 4 other fishermen. Low 40's at WOT, which I go to very rarely. (It's a 1998, pre-IPS hull.)

[Northcountry]

I have two boats that I fish with....

Lund 18.5 Tyee, 90HP 2-stroke, 3/4-to-full tank of gas, 4 people, 36mph.
In the best condiitions (low gas, 2 people, glass surface) I have jus
barely broken 40mph. Plenty fast for my fishing holes, which are normally
within 3 miles of the launch.

My 12' aluminum rowboat with 6HP Johnson tiller motor and a 6-gal
can of gas, an eye-watering 13mph on the GPS !!! :)

-NC

[TrainFisher]

28 when we need it :).

[The Whale]

16' Sportcraft with a 115 HP Evinrude. Two people, all the gear, 18 gallons of fuel (she has 3 - 6 gal. cans under the transom), trim everything out on glass she'll do 36 MPH by GPS. Boat/motor are 1979 models, big and heavy. This thing has less than 200 hours on it, stored for 11 years. I'll cruise at 22 MPH 93000 RPM) and get three (3) miles to a gallon of gas. Pig. :lol: Dang she does run ssoooo sweet though. Troll all day and then run like a champ when you hit it. Never loads up or bogs down. Funny when your hauling butt across the water and you hit the empty mark on a tank, she shuts down NOW. No sputtering saying "I'm about to run out of fuel, change my tank", I mean she goes from all's good to your empty and stalled in two seconds she is sucking that gas up that quick. :yikes: :D Get out the wallet,.....again. :fish: :fish2: :fish:

[wecker20]

I'll cruise at 22 MPH 93000 RPM) and get three (3) miles to a gallon of gas.
I hope your not turning that motor at 9300 rpm. If you are, how is it still running?

[Spartazoo]

2004 Lund Alaskan 1800ss with four stroke Merc 60 EFI "propped down one pitch from stock" (the dealer propped it down for heavy duck hunting gear and slower trolling speeds etc...), two guys and a full tank of gas...31 mph per the GPS. I would be interested to know what the same boat will do with the maximum 90hp on the back? Anyone have that setup?

[The Whale]

:lol: That's pretty funny,...that "9" is supposed to be a "(" .

22MPH @ 3000 RPM should be how that reads. ;)

[TSS Caddis]

35mph with a jetted out 90hp Honda. 35 is plenty fast when motoring through 1' of water in a river.

[lkmifisherman]

I guess it depends on the fishing boat....My boat will only go 35 mph with a 228 Mercruiser...But it's 24 footer..and 35 is to fast in 4 footers.. The Admiral can't sleep to well when we are hitting them at 35...Do I need to say, She was not impressed LOL....

lkmifisherman

[adjusted3]

Fast boats are fun, but it is a rare day out on the big lake that I can run full out. 1' chop and I get a real comfortable ride at 40. anything more than a 1' chop and it gets a bit bumpy over 35. Ideal conditions with 2 people and I get 51 loaded with gear in a 17' Lund with a 140 4 stroke Johnson. 3 people and I loose about 5 MPH. Anyway you cut it, 51 mph in a small boat will get your attention.

But, when the waves are pushing 3 and 4, It is very nice to have a large engine to power up the waves out get you out of the trough in an instant. It really doesn't matter if you have a screaming boat or not, No one in their right mind is going to max out a the MPH in a small Walleye style boat in anything over 2 footers. Just way too much "air" time.

This is a very interesting thread for those about to buy a boat to get an idea of how various boats preform at what size and under what power.

Mark

[DangerDan]

When I first bought my boat I had it to 54 by the FF @ 4600 RPM's a couple of times (on glass). This was before I added all the gear. I had to put a whale tale on it to keep the bow down in rough water so now my speed is way down to 40. Next year I'll have the smart tabs installed and I'm hoping I can get it back up to the 50's again. We'll see then what the GPS says. I've been told my boat won't go that fast by my mechanic so now i'm intrigued. Mostly my speed is a breakneck 2-3 MPH with about 25 MPH out & back in. Yahoooooo!

[Sprytle]

18 1/2 foot flat bottom Jon w/ 1973 25hp Sea Horse............... about 20mph!:lol::lol::lol:

[Jason Adam]

When I first bought my boat I had it to 54 by the FF @ 4600 RPM's a couple of times (on glass). This was before I added all the gear. I had to put a whale tale on it to keep the bow down in rough water so now my speed is way down to 40. Next year I'll have the smart tabs installed and I'm hoping I can get it back up to the 50's again. We'll see then what the GPS says. I've been told my boat won't go that fast by my mechanic so now i'm intrigued. Mostly my speed is a breakneck 2-3 MPH with about 25 MPH out & back in. Yahoooooo!

I'm assuming your saying when you add the trim tabs, you will be removing the hydofoil? As tabs alone will never increase your top end. ALso, I really prefer a truely adjustable set of Bennets over the smart tabs.. Smart tabs will keep the boat level, but dont offer you the adjustability that your true trim tabs offer.

[DangerDan]

I'm assuming your saying when you add the trim tabs, you will be removing the hydofoil? As tabs alone will never increase your top end. ALso, I really prefer a truely adjustable set of Bennets over the smart tabs.. Smart tabs will keep the boat level, but dont offer you the adjustability that your true trim tabs offer.

I'm not looking for the tabs to increase my top speed. I got plenty of that. Besides thats not what tabs are designed for. Right now I have that hydrofoil and If I remove it I can get on plane in time and then the boat really cooks. At the moment the hrdrofoil is more for saftey getting on plane quickly. My bow really rises with so much weight in the back. I kaint seee man!!! I added kicker and two batts. After a discussion with Nauti John the smart tabs are likely my route. He's pretty confident they can be dialed in just right for my boat and that list can be compensated with the right setup but hey, the proof of the puuding is in the eating. If not they will send a different sized set and dial those in. I hope that we can hit that spot on the first try.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/medium/71_Slickcraft.jpg

[STEINFISHSKI]

1996 17' Crestliner 115 Johnson 2 stroke 36-43 mph tops depending on payload.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/550/1323boatstrbd.jpg

[Jason Adam]

My understanding with smart tabs is you can dial them into to level the boat out, but can you adjust your bow rise when your running? On a choppy day, I'll run with my tabs burried, where on a smooth day, I'll run with no tabs at all(no tabs gives me way better top end and 3X better fuel economy. Is my understanding of the Smart Tabs incorrect???

[DangerDan]

From what I understand they acuate by pressure. One side drops the tabs drop with the list raising that side. Same with the bow rising. If they are adjusted correctly and match the boat right they are supposed to be self controlled. I really have heard great things about them. Most testamonials declare great control without having to move tabs back and forth to different weight distributions. I should make everyone who rides in my boat drive it while I trapes around. Geez

http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cgi?prod_id=39283&current_category=trim%20tab&session_id=144151841&cart_id=026918536

http://www.iboats.com/mall/index.cgi?prod_id=49406&current_category=trim%20tab&session_id=877980569&cart_id=026918536

[romeyjdogg]

when my lake was flat, i did 49MPH with the trim up a little bit in my 1990 Sea Ray 180. it has a mercruiser 4.3L 175hp sterndrive

[75north]

2001 20'.6" Lund Alaskan w/90 hp Evinrude 2-stroke Ficht: bimini up, gear and passengers, lots of gas, plus wind = 36-40 mph according to my speedo which intermittenly chooses to operate. I see a GPS in my future......

[dtg]

on a flat lake, by myself, 14' Mirrocraft deep V fisherman, w/ a Johnson 15hp, I topped out at 22.5mph per my GPS, with a 160#psgr in front I get 18.5mph

[TrainFisher]

Ok.

I waxed the hull, put on the speed-goggles, loaded up the kids and Grandpa and got 30.1 across Portage Lake.;) New Record:p.

I think it was my daughter's gleeful, "Yoohoos'" that made the difference.

[wecker20]

Sorry you had to waste the time and wax on your pad to get more speed :lol: It'll actually create for friction but unless your running over 80, I guess it really doesn't matter.

[johnshar]

19 ft blue fin 90 evinrude 4 adults flipped my son off of a tube at 52 mph on gps ( what can I say the kid is a maniac and still wanted to go faster he is almost 18) didnt want to be accused of child abuse... not sure how fast will go with just me in it ... all I know is it goes fast enough :D

[malainse]

16ft. welded Sea Ark, heavy but tough, 40 merc. Jet......Solo 29mph on the GPS, 3 guys/ dog and duck hunting gear.....24 mph with a tail wind :D But can do that in a few inches of water and never dinged a prop :D

[frenchriver1]

I can still remember a time when getting there was part of the fishing trip experience. At 65 mph there's not too much to remember about getting there....

[PITBULL]

19' SeaNymph with a 115 Mariner 43 mph on gps.

[Lucky Dog]

Only two reasons you really need high speed in a boat. To out run a storm and if you are in a tournament and time is key. Other then that going 40 on the water is all you need when you are heading out fishing. Once you start getting to big so does your gas bill.

When I bought my 19' Sylvan I told the dealer I just wanted the 90 hp merc. I wanted good fuel economy and to be able to troll down. He talked me into the 115 HP merc that was 4 cylinder with 2x2 system. I will tell you I am very happy with this motor. I consider the fuel economy to be excellent and I can troll down to 2.0 MPH all day long without loading up.

You should change your wording, change all your "you's" to "I's". You may not want to go over 40, but I do. My two reasons are that I want to, and I can.

Just picked up my new 06 lund 1900 pro v with a 225 Optimax, yesterday had it up to 58. Once I get it loaded up and fully rigged I expect to see 55 pretty regularly.

[Jason Adam]

I can still remember a time when getting there was part of the fishing trip experience. At 65 mph there's not too much to remember about getting there....

Get on my boat tournament morning win 2-4'rs when the gun goes off, and getting there will be a part of the experiance you'll remember for sure... :yikes:

[fishindude]

20" 225 horse 4-stroke=70 mph