Hole shot Cougar puma caracal

[BassCatKev]

Reading this thread makes me feel better (in that there isn't anything wrong with my engine/boat) about my setup in regards to having a poor hole shot. When anywhere near 52 gallons of gas, full wells, and 2 people I really struggle out of the hole in the summer with this Cougar. A good hole shot isn't super important to me but it's frustrating to sometimes have to start over to adjust jp/trim to get going. But I've been using a 4 blade 28 and folks on here told me to try my 4 blade 27 in the heat of summer. I'm just choosing to not to mess with it.
Just my 2 cents to the OP from a Cougar owner. A Puma is the same hull as Cougar so I'd think my 2 cents would apply with the Puma as well. I can't speak about the Caracal having never sat in one.

I have read on multiple threads where folks say the Pantera models fly out of the hole. I've never sat in one to experience it. I can imagine it being an excellent feeling though.

[scrimmy]

Sucks that it seems to get a decent hole shot you need to scale down boats to a p2 or the Classic anyone owned both and have info on the 2 as far as performance and ride quality.

[jp71291]

Reading this thread makes me feel better (in that there isn't anything wrong with my engine/boat) about my setup in regards to having a poor hole shot. When anywhere near 52 gallons of gas, full wells, and 2 people I really struggle out of the hole in the summer with this Cougar. A good hole shot isn't super important to me but it's frustrating to sometimes have to start over to adjust jp/trim to get going. But I've been using a 4 blade 28 and folks on here told me to try my 4 blade 27 in the heat of summer. I'm just choosing to not to mess with it.
Just my 2 cents to the OP from a Cougar owner. A Puma is the same hull as Cougar so I'd think my 2 cents would apply with the Puma as well. I can't speak about the Caracal having never sat in one.

I have read on multiple threads where folks say the Pantera models fly out of the hole. I've never sat in one to experience it. I can imagine it being an excellent feeling though.

Show me a 20 footer with 52 gallons of fuel and probably 30 gallons of water that does jump out of the hole like a 19 footer with 30 gallons of fuel and probably 20 gallons of water. I don't know of a brand that does that. You're adding roughly 685 lbs to the back of the boat when fully loaded.

[BassCatKev]

Point taken jp. Never thought of it that way. I love my Cougar with it's gas tanks, heavy 250 four stroke, 36 volt tm, and Power Poles. I'll live with my issues

[Luke]

my 03 Cougar/225 Efi combo with a 25p Tempest comes out of the hole better than any boat I have ever owned.
when I test drove the thing it was completely empty of gear and hardly any fuel and no hot foot or pro trim..when I took off it like to scared the crap out of me it came out of the hole so hard.
now its loaded pretty heavy I keep it full of fuel and still does really well even with two people in it.

[skennedy]

The 4 stroke engines made today have made up for the 2 cycle engines lacking in hole shot . After owning a cougar with a mercury 250 pro xs 2 stroke and now a Yamaha Sho . There is a night and day difference on hole shot . 4 strokes are just a different beast out of the hole .

[mactlman]

Point taken jp. Never thought of it that way. I love my Cougar with it's gas tanks, heavy 250 four stroke, 36 volt tm, and Power Poles. I'll live with my issues

why carry way more fuel than needed for one day or two of fishing? i never have more than 1/4 of fuel in boat if just fishing close to home

[scrimmy]

I asked the same question over in the phoenix which boats have good holeshot and everyone said they love there holeshot and that the boats jump up quick.

[BassCatKev]

why carry way more fuel than needed for one day or two of fishing? i never have more than 1/4 of fuel in boat if just fishing close to home

Good suggestion. If I go to my normal lake I have access to a houseboat and can keep boat in water for multiple days. I like to fill it up before launching to avoid having to use expensive and sketchy marina gas. That situation or a tournament where I'd like the option to make a long run are only times I need 52 gallons of weight back there.

[lamoon78]

why carry way more fuel than needed for one day or two of fishing? i never have more than 1/4 of fuel in boat if just fishing close to home

Depends on where you fish down here my main lakes are so big you don’t want to go out with a half a tank.

[lamoon78]

Holeshot is big when you fish rough bodies of water come fish Rayburn or Toledo when they are nasty and struggle to get up it ain’t good.

[Louie]

I asked the same question over in the phoenix which boats have good holeshot and everyone said they love there holeshot and that the boats jump up quick.

I see quite a few birds on my home lake, and most are 721's which the few I have seen appear to get up on plane faster than me... Not sure the load in any of the boats. Im sure it would go down drastically if loaded a bunch. (these were 225-250 pro xs two stroke boats)

[waknbass]

If I could change 1 major thing about the 20+ ft BassCat's it would be to engineer them with better hole shot, guessing it has to do do with the fulcrum point of how they are designed. This is actually what drove me away to buy another brand. My P2 was stupid fast out of the hole and didn't want to give that up when I wanted a bigger boat. I haven't been in a Lynx or Caracal but the Puma/Cougar/Eyra is not very good out of the hole with a load.

[basshole51]

I asked the same question over in the phoenix which boats have good holeshot and everyone said they love there holeshot and that the boats jump up quick.

my Pantera 4 has a significantly better holeshot than the two Phoenix 919s I have been...especially when loaded down with full fue land full livewells....I cannot speak to the 20 Fters but the 21PHX I fish in often has the same holeshot as my P4

[mike464]

My SHO Lynx has a good holeshot, you just have to raise the hydraulic plate. Holeshot would be slow without it.

[dcmclassic]

The quickest bass boat holeshot I've been in was my 14 PII, even loaded heavy that boat was a little rocket to 60. The Legend Alpha 199 was fast out of the hole too with a 225. Out of the ones listed I've been in a Cougar Advantage that was pretty quick out, seemed to jump a little better than the Puma FTD I've been in.

[scrimmy]

Strange guys were saying the 919 is a rocket out the hole.

[waknbass]

Show me a 20 footer with 52 gallons of fuel and probably 30 gallons of water that does jump out of the hole like a 19 footer with 30 gallons of fuel and probably 20 gallons of water. I don't know of a brand that does that. You're adding roughly 685 lbs to the back of the boat when fully loaded.

Skeeter

[Robertl69]

Certainly the optimal holeshot from a given model/brand to the optimal holeshot of another model/brand, with same loads, etc. is going to be a little better or worse.

BUT, a HUGE portion of this comes down to the PROP! and obviously load. I know everyone is aware of those but I am not sure folks realize how drastic the prop changes things until you have tried it (like big changes without always trying to get that last 1-2mph on the top end).

A big consideration for us here is we have some of the fastest boats on the water, so drop a pitch or even two (almost always better holeshot but not 100%) and maybe go to a 4 blade (usually better but not always). Both of these don't always make much difference but 80%+ of the time they do. You just might only be 2-3mph faster than the guy next to you instead of 6-10.

[basshole51]

Strange guys were saying the 919 is a rocket out the hole.

The 919 I was in was not a rocket out of the hole but average with full livewells it was poor...that boat ran a 25P Fury (same prop as my P4) that boat had 5-6mph on me on top end but also had a 225 not a 200