Etec G2 Jets are Now in Production!

[st041986]

[Ranger391v]

Cool boat ....... AWESOME motor! ......... really like the orange side panals!

I wish I knew what my latest facination with jet outboards is all about. I've never been around one, much less fished from a boat with one. Our state has some rivers that I think could be very beneficial, but sadly I live at the cut line in the state where aquatic vegetation starts getting tall and thick.

[hauss]

I'm considering a Legend SS 1860F with a 150 and have a few questions if you don't mind answering st041986.
How many inches does it draft?
In a lot of cowtowns videos(like the one you posted) the boats are porpoising, does yours do it? Is there trim tabs on the rear to adjust and help prevent it?
Is your 80# Ultrex big enough? I was thinking of going 112 hoping the spot lock would hold better for river fishing.
Have you had any issue's since you've owned it?

[st041986]

I'm considering a Legend SS 1860F with a 150 and have a few questions if you don't mind answering st041986.
How many inches does it draft?
In a lot of cowtowns videos(like the one you posted) the boats are porpoising, does yours do it? Is there trim tabs on the rear to adjust and help prevent it?
Is your 80# Ultrex big enough? I was thinking of going 112 hoping the spot lock would hold better for river fishing.
Have you had any issue's since you've owned it?

I have a the 1860V and you can draft some awfully shallow water as long as you get some weight up front. In the summer when the smallies are on swift gravel dumps, I'll purposely drift in to riffle while standing in the back of he boat so the lower unit catches us. When we are done fishing and want to free ourselves up, we'll jump up on the front and trim the motor up and start drifting. All of the batteries and fuel are in the bilge area so these rigs are very heavy in the back. There are trim tabs on each of the transom corners. As long as I don't have my motor trimmed up too high, it doesn't porpoise. The other thing you can do to help reduce porpoise is to get a whales tail for the jet shoe, but I don't think it's needed on these boats.

My 80 seems to be plenty, but I also would like to have a 36v as I don't think you can ever have too much trolling motor. The problem is that there ain't enough room in the bilge to fit four full size battieres along with the remote oil tank that comes with the Gen1 Etecs. I do think you could make it work if you went with the 50AH lithiums though. One of the things I'm most excited about with these G2's is that the oil tank is built in to the motor so that frees up room for another 31 series battery in the bilge. They currently on have kits for the 200-250ho motors though so you would have to go with a factory 150 Gen1 jet for your setup. That's the motor that I've ran for 5.5 years now and it has been great!

My biggest complaint about my boat is the carpet. Weldcraft builds these hulls for Cowtown and the glue jobs don't hold up very well. I've fixed my carpet by reattaching it with contact cement. it hasn't budged since doing that. It's not a huge deal as it' an easy fix, but it really should be a non issue in the first place. The other thing that I prefer is an open rod box instead of the tubes that comes standard. An open box with rod socks lets you fit more rods in the box, especially if you have spinning gear.

[King_Fish]

Cool boat ....... AWESOME motor! ......... really like the orange side panals!

I wish I knew what my latest facination with jet outboards is all about. I've never been around one, much less fished from a boat with one. Our state has some rivers that I think could be very beneficial, but sadly I live at the cut line in the state where aquatic vegetation starts getting tall and thick.

\\

Jet OBs are a big advantage in states that have creeks and skinny, rocky, shallow rivers, specifically for Smallmouth. We fish a circuit here where we alternate every Sunday on our river system, and one pool of the Monongahela River has a smaller tributary river (Youghiogheny) that we absolutely cannot compete w/ the Jets because of where they can go up the Yough. We just hand over the $$ when in that pool w/ the Jet boaters...

[Ranger391v]

'King Fish' ...... man that sounds like a blast! Our rivers vary depending on what part of the state you're in. The upstate rivers are extremely rocky (granite boulders, etc.) and narrow with occassional sandbars and shallow mucky areas when the current stops and river widens. The midlands have a lot of 'rock fall lines' in wide shallow rivers and the beginnings of aquatic weeds. The lowcountry is everything from sandy to mucky bottoms with cypress swamps to aquatic weeds to sandbars before eventually dumping into The Big Pond (Atlantic). Of coarse, all rivers have at least 3 reservoirs on them on their way from the mountains to the sea. Smallmouth are in some stretches, largemouth in all, redeyes (my personal favorite) in select areas, and sadly spotted bass are spreading into alot of these systems.

I've contemplated putting a jetdrive on my Xpress, but don't have a clue if it's a canidate. I've even toyed with getting rid of it for something else (more of a traditional bass boat layout and for about an even trade price ..... mainly so my wife ).

'st041986' ......... watched some of your youtube videos last night after posting on here. Pretty cool boats you and your competitors have. When 'King Fish' mentioned above about the tournaments on the rivers, I immediately thought about your videos.

Also, you mentioned above about not liking your rod tubes in the rod box. I never liked them either in any of my boats. When I had a Skeeter and a Xpress X19, I took them out of mine for the exact reason you mentioned (fitting more rods). I bring this up to ask you this, have you tried fitting 2 or 3 'stickjacket'd rods' into 1 tube???? I do this in my Ranger Z520. I have to fit my rods and my wife's rods into our rod locker and that's the only way I can get like 20-24rods into that locker. Some of those tubes I can put 3 Stickjacket'd rods into 1 tube ...... but they are rods with microguides. Typically I can double up spinning rods that are microguides. HOPE IT HELPS.

[hauss]

Thanks st041986 for the info. I optioned a custom layout with spray in liner and no rod boxes, pretty bare bones to save weight. I even thought about going with the 115 instead of the 150, but it's only 25 less pounds, not sure about the price difference between those 2 outboards. The Gen2's look nice but I'm sure they're $$$$$, the Legend SS is expensive enough. I optioned a Lund 1870 Predator today with sponsons and a 115/80 Merc jet. It should draft as shallow as anything. I have a feeling it's going to be about the same price.

I was thinking about the Braille AMG batteries for the trolling motor. I'm not sure which model would work best, and they're not exactly cheap, but they are pretty small. I have one in my car and it's been good for many years, it been through multiple discharge/charge cycles due to hardly being used.

[tobyfrommo]

Seth...looks like they need to raise the transom up to 29" - 30"

[st041986]

Seth...looks like they need to raise the transom up to 29" - 30"

I agree. I’m curious how that is going to work out knowing how stingy Weldcraft is when it comes to “tweaking” a boat build. This is one of the thing I plan on bringing up to them as soon as I can make it over to check it out in person. I know they had a stripped down boat with a 32” transom sitting there not too long ago.

[st041986]

Also, you mentioned above about not liking your rod tubes in the rod box. I never liked them either in any of my boats. When I had a Skeeter and a Xpress X19, I took them out of mine for the exact reason you mentioned (fitting more rods). I bring this up to ask you this, have you tried fitting 2 or 3 'stickjacket'd rods' into 1 tube???? I do this in my Ranger Z520. I have to fit my rods and my wife's rods into our rod locker and that's the only way I can get like 20-24rods into that locker. Some of those tubes I can put 3 Stickjacket'd rods into 1 tube ...... but they are rods with microguides. Typically I can double up spinning rods that are microguides. HOPE IT HELPS.

I haven’t tried that but I will. Thanks for the tip.

[T-Mac]

Interesting. Is this is a new type jet? Or is it a change in product offering, whereby a dealer can now buy a 'Rude from Bombardier, with the jet already on it ?
.
The reason I ask is Outboard Jets of San Leandro, CA (http://outboardjets.com/) makes jet pumps for almost any outboard and there are 'Rude dealers around the Pacific NW who have been putting jet lower units on them for years. However, for decades, on select hp ranges, a Merc or Yamaha dealer could order a "jet model"...it came with this brand of jet pump, but painted the matching color of the engine. (much more economically feasible) .... Thanks in advance.

[st041986]

Interesting. Is this is a new type jet? Or is it a change in product offering, whereby a dealer can now buy a 'Rude from Bombardier, with the jet already on it ?
.
The reason I ask is Outboard Jets of San Leandro, CA (http://outboardjets.com/) makes jet pumps for almost any outboard and there are 'Rude dealers around the Pacific NW who have been putting jet lower units on them for years. However, for decades, on select hp ranges, a Merc or Yamaha dealer could order a "jet model"...it came with this brand of jet pump, but painted the matching color of the engine. (much more economically feasible) .... Thanks in advance.

Outboard jet builds all of the jets kits, regardless if they are installed from the factory or by a dealer. Most manufacturers, if not all, will have factory jets up to 150hp, depending on the brand. When you start getting in to motors over 150hp, a dealer will have to get an engine that has the prop lower and then do the swap themselves. They will then sell the lowers to help recoup some of the cost of the jet kits. Outboard jets has been working on the Etec G2 kits for several years and just now got them ready for customers. Mercury dealers had to go through the same issues waiting on OBJ to get jet kits for the newer four stroke model engines as well.

[T-Mac]

Outboard jets has been working on the Etec G2 kits for several years and just now got them ready for customers

Cool. Thanks..that was my question.. The terminology in the video confused me a little.
- I have sold a lot of jet outboards ...all built in San Leandro, of course... but numerous Engine factory paint colors

[Whitaker201]

This is not helping me! I have been trying to hold off getting a newer jet ride for a year. I HAVE to fight the urge!

[King_Fish]

This is not helping me! I have been trying to hold off getting a newer jet ride for a year. I HAVE to fight the urge!

C' Mon Whitty - go big or go home man!

A guy in one of our clubs has a River Rat w/ a 250 tunnel-hull, sounds like NASCAR when he fires that baby up....

[Whitaker201]

I just can't pull the trigger for the really fun 2nd boat. My Tracker does what I need it to do and I'm not scared about beating it up when I make a wrong decision and hit a rock or gravel bar.
I would love to have a 1860 with a tunnel, UHMW hull, and a 150G2 though! Then I could run on the morning dew!!!!

[tobyfrommo]

I just can't pull the trigger for the really fun 2nd boat. My Tracker does what I need it to do and I'm not scared about beating it up when I make a wrong decision and hit a rock or gravel bar.
I would love to have a 1860 with a tunnel, UHMW hull, and a 150G2 though! Then I could run on the morning dew!!!!

Just an FYI...the only jets currently available for the G2's are for 200HP and bigger engines. The current jet utilizes a 7-7/8" dia. impeller, this is too big for anything under 200HP. Honestly, even before buying the 200HP, I'd want to test drive it to see how it performs. This said, I hear the 250HP "slips" a little coming out of the hole so I'd guess the 200HP should turn it OK.

I'm sure the 150 G2 jet will come out shortly but in the meantime BRP still offers the G1 in the 150HP.

[st041986]

The 150 gen1 jets are tried at true and great engines as well. I've had mine for almost 6 years now and it has been the best engine I've ever had.

[Whitaker201]

The Gen 1 Etec's are sweet. My buddy picked up a 2018 Legend SS 1760 semi-v with a 150/105 Etec on it two years ago. Man what a combo!

[st041986]

I think a 150 is the perfect motor for that size rig. I've drove them with 225-250s and those are a whole different animal! They are fun to have though when you're going in a straight line down the river!