Driving the Lynx

[Bass Cat Boats]

It varies with the load and weights. Everyone’s missions are also different.

[skennedy]

I think that is the real reason there are so many haters and lovers of the fury it’s the loads we all carry and where we carry it . Fury’s are weight sensitive.

[SP1973]

I think that is the real reason there are so many haters and lovers of the fury it’s the loads we all carry and where we carry it . Fury’s are weight sensitive.

I agree 100%. I am loaded heavy up front AND have lithium trolling batteries in back which may be causing a little stern lift. But without a doubt I like the tempest better for MY setup and handling.

[SP1973]

If you guys at BCB want to give lessons, I will happily drive to Mountain Home Arkansas and take lessons. No joke. Like a course to drive your boats. I would love to see the factory anyway!

[Bass Cat Boats]

That’s an idea... We have used the Dealer Meeting for some assistance on Public Day. That is the 23rd of July and there’s another thought on having an in house public session to help with service issues, cover the forums and anything consumers want to know more in depth.

[Rick McFaul]

I'd like to add my 2 cents in regards to driving the Lynx and prop selection / set up. I too struggled early on with getting this boat to run correctly. I have a Mercury 250 Pro XS 4 stroke, Atlas Plate, 8 foot Power Poles and RELiON Lithium batteries. My struggles early on were similar to Steve's. The boat was difficult to control at low speeds. The hull wanted to grab waves and would hunt. It would also plow in a chop and I struggled to get it up and on pad. Sometimes it would take a 1/2 mile of fighting with it to get up and going. All this occurred with the 24 Fury 3 blade. Then I learned how to run it correctly and things drastically improved. As BCB stated...the engine must be down!! With the engine down and some light trim immediately you get enough lift to get the steep Vee up. Super important. For optimal performance I raise the plate to 3 or 4 and trim to about 1/4. I can run it hands off steady at 70 and up to 76 with hands on balance control. Now I also wanted a spare prop and after reading the post from Legacy Marine I thought I'd try the Tempest. This in my opinion, and specifically for my wants and needs, was a mistake. I ran the boat yesterday with the 24 Tempest. I'm at sea level and had ideal wind conditions. Livewells empty, 3/4 tank of fuel and just me at 175 lbs. Hole shot was fine and midrange was good. I could feel more lift with the Tempest and the boat did feel a little more agile. The problem is the top end. Once I hit 70 .... that was it. It was like there was a governor on the engine. I could only spin the 24 Tempest 5750 -5800 RPMS. This 300-400 RPMS below optimal running RPMS (6200). If your happy with a slightly more nimble Lynx that runs 68-70 mph then the Tempest is great. If you want more performance learn how to run the 24 Fury 3. If I lost 3-4 mph then I wouldn't mind it. 5-6 though is too much for me. I'll be sticking with the Fury 3..... On a side note I am wondering about Steve's theory on the Lithium batteries. Maybe having the lighter back end has the boat sitting more level in the water. That could cause that front Vee to grab more. We need to look at that a little more.

[Bass Cat Boats]

The engine must be down and as people lighten loads, when they seek higher top end speeds, they convince themselves that setting X (5 for example) is the right setting for top end. When they load the boat the engine must be lower and significantly with more load.

We remain of the opinion that lowering the engine is the most significant requirement on most Lynx models. Also that the propeller is better sacrificing one pitch than changing propellers from the Fury in Mercury applications. In Yamaha a Fury might help some of those and on 250 applications we have not tried the Pro Max on later four strokes, though we will in a few weeks.

BCB

[lamoon78]

If you carry any kind of load the Fury is not what you want on any boat the Tempest outperforms the Fury with heavy loads in my opinion.

[Bass Cat Boats]

All hulls are different and the Caracal has the shortest running surface in the line for waves, while the Lynx has the longest running surface to reach out there.

[Rick McFaul]

I'd like to see data from BCB on the Lynx and different props run on the new Pro XS fourstroke. Preferably with a tournament load. I'll stay tuned for the Pro Max results.

[lamoon78]

All hulls are different and the Caracal has the shortest running surface in the line for waves, while the Lynx has the longest running surface to reach out there.

I understand that I’m not talking about the Caracal I’ve owned and ran many other boats and brands that’s what I’m going off of as well as riding in others boats. Just what I’ve noticed over the years.

[SP1973]

I really think that this goes back to the fact that we all drive and load the boat differently and expect different things out of our boats. For me (depending on where I’m fishing) the Tempest is better. If I’m fishing a few of the local lakes they are like winding creeks the Tempest is better. I haven’t tried the Tempest on Pickwick or Wheeler. I did clean out my boat yesterday. Kind of embarrassing, but I had 36 rod/reel combos in the center and my son had 15 in the port side. Total of 51. 15 plano 3700 plus the day box full. This is a significant load up front. Add the lithium’s in the back and it’s even more nose down. Maybe I need to re-evaluate my loading.

[lamoon78]

It doesn’t take much weight to throw everything off that’s for sure and I’ve noticed it more since I’ve been in a Basscat than my other boats.

[AllyFishing]

SP1973, You went from a high performance boat meant to be driven on it's pad to a hull that is significantly wider deeper and heavier. I like BCB's so this is not to be taken wrong. Now had you switched over to the Eyra then that may have been a closer comparison. And I am only going by what I have read and been told by one Eyra owner who also has an Allison. I'll bet the Lynx is a much better BIG water boat than the Allison based on what I've seen. Experimentation is the only way to get the best performance out of any brand boat especially coming out of an Allison. AND every boat reacts differently to total loaded weight. You are not going to get the Lynx to carve turns like the Allison nor will the Allison ride in very heavy seas as well as a big hull Lynx. You sound like you are on the right track now getting your mind wrapped around your current boat and its needs and characteristics as you forget about the way the Alison handles.

[SP1973]

SP1973, You went from a high performance boat meant to be driven on it's pad to a hull that is significantly wider deeper and heavier. I like BCB's so this is not to be taken wrong. Now had you switched over to the Eyra then that may have been a closer comparison. And I am only going by what I have read and been told by one Eyra owner who also has an Allison. I'll bet the Lynx is a much better BIG water boat than the Allison based on what I've seen. Experimentation is the only way to get the best performance out of any brand boat especially coming out of an Allison. AND every boat reacts differently to total loaded weight. You are not going to get the Lynx to carve turns like the Allison nor will the Allison ride in very heavy seas as well as a big hull Lynx. You sound like you are on the right track now getting your mind wrapped around your current boat and its needs and characteristics as you forget about the way the Alison handles.

I’ve had bigger boats before, and understand that they’re not going to run or carve turns like an Ally. The biggest reason for the thread was the fact that I couldn’t get the bow above the other boat wake and it essentially wanted to drive itself ion the wake. . I’ve cleaned out the boat and will repack it differently when I get home and do more testing with both props.

Right now I’m getting ready to fish the St Lawrence River for 5 days starting in the morning!! Very beautiful in upstate New York

[AllyFishing]

Oh wow....I love the river. You wanna catch some big smallies that's the place to do it!! Have fun

[Cajunhunter67]

This coming from a PII owner. The Fury 3 models do not carry a load very well. It takes speed to get the bow up. The Fury 4 seems to lift the bow at lower speeds and increase handling. I will say that I had Ronnie Gilbert work a Fury 3 that carried the bow much better than the stock prop.
My 24 Fury 3 works excellent on my boat as I have it loaded. Bow lift at slower speed is good. When my wife fishes with me, she doesn't like speed. Thats when I put the 24 Fury 4 on. It allows me to get the bow up at slow speeds for wake and wave control.

From much reading on those using the Fury 4 on Cats, they seem to work better on mid fuel tank locations rather than rear. PII, Caracal vs Eyra, Puma...etc.
The Fury 4 tends to lose 2-3 mph to the Fury 3 on top end. I wouldn't hesitate to try a 24 Fury 4 on a Lynx. Set the JP low and get the bow up.

[brinson]

I have a 18 Lynx with a 250 Verado so my experience is a little different on the tempest props. I tried a 24 tempest and a 25 tempest and experienced cavitation and slow speeds with both. I assumed it was due to the big lower unit on the Verado. I also tried a 24 fury 4 and while it ran ok, it gave me very little bow lift. The best props for my combo is a fury 3 24p in the summer and a 25p fury 3 in the winter. The 24p is worked by Ronnie Gilbert and performs the best overall. I consider my boat heavy loaded and never take anything out. How you lad the boat is critical and I carry as much heavy items as I can in the rear. Also I have an ultrex and 2 power poles.

[John__S]

I just ordered a 2020 Lynx with a Mercury 250 Pro XS 4s, and Altas jackplate. After reading this post I hope I will be happy with the Lynx. I’ve owned Rangers for 30 years and this will be my first Bass Cat. I currently have a Z521c which is point a shoot boat requiring a lot of trim for top speed. The dealer plays on installing a Fury 4. I’m not sure on the pitch. My boat with the exception of the two power poles will be lightly loaded. I don’t keep much tackle in my boat since it will sit under a covered dock. I’ve ordered the boat with the Ghost trolling motor so I may initially try the motor in the 24 volt mode which supposed to generate 97 pounds of thrust. This will safe some additional weight (65 pounds for 31 agm). I don’t care about top speed; however, I want to minimize bad tendencies in the 30 to 50 mph. Based on what I read, I need to have the jackplate at 1/2 to 2/3 until the bow drops, lower the plate all the way, and bump up the trim to raise the bow, accelerate to 50, and raise the plate to about 1/4 and give it a little more trim. Did I get the sequence correct and what would you suggest for a prop? I’m in North Texas

[mike464]

The best prop overall for most of us has been a 24 Fury 3 worked by Ronnie Gilbert. I pretty much use the launch sequence you wrote, I mainly raise the plate about 1/2 way up to launch, you probably won't even need to do that till it gets hot or you fill the livewells. For me, the low speed handling issue you hear about only shows up on crowded tournament takeoffs with confused seas and crosswakes. The rough water handling with the Lynx is fantastic. It's a big boat, I would just put all 3 trolling motor bats in it to start with. Give the boat some time, they'll be a learning curve to get used to its potential and that will take a little seat time.