WHY the need for SPEED?

It seems like the bass boating world is focused on speed,and a lot of it. If you fish for a living, or tourney fish,I understand the need to get there fast.
However, how many of us just fish? Fish for fun, or for sport, fish with a freind,or with a kid.
You can call it sour grapes,but my boat tops out at 42 MPH loaded to fish with 2 on board. We have a great time fishing and travelling all over the lakes and the Tennessee river. I can't run 70+, but then again why would I want to?
Add some risk to the weekend?...Get the thrill of walking chine?.. Burn up as much gas as I possibly can?

Don't take this the wrong way. I have no problem with anyone who runs fast,and I am not trying to make ememies. But hI have to laugh when I read of someone who can run at 68MPH and is doing everyting possible,spending time,money,and any other available resources to squeeze another 2 MPH out of their boat.

This is simply an observation. Run the crap out of em guys.

" If you hear banjos playing upstream,turn around and paddle the oppoisite way."

Why do people soup up their cars? Why do people buy big SUV's? Why do people go skydiving?
It's all a matter of personal choice. My current boat is lucky to hit 60 but I have been in a boat all the way to 82 and if I thought there was a way to get there from where I am I would do it. Once you have felt some speed you either get hooked and want some more or it doesn't affect you and you just hang in where you are at.
Eric H.

Because we can.

and maybe you have a bigger [edit] Than us faster (envious) guys. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/wink.gif

Actually I have driven and Indy car 178 MPH and skydived once. I guess I never made the connection between bass fishing and a thrill type event.
I do see where you are coming from now.

I am too old to go 90 MPH in a boat, and I have lost my nerve to jump again. Although, when i jumped in 1974 you jumped alone. Today they strap you to some guys belly. That aint skydiving.

Which will end this post on that note. Remember, if you hear banjos upstream, turn around and paddle the opposite direction.

It is all a personal choice. I used to have a boat that only ran 40 and I was perfectly content with it. I ran it for 12 years. Then I bought one that would run 60 and I liked that so much I hot roded it and got it running 70. Then I blew up the motor and I bought one that will run 80. If I ever get rid of this one I will be looking for one that will run 85-90. It is all just a personal choice. If I had to go back to a boat that would only run 40 I would never go fishing again. Just my choice.

Never go fishing again? WOW
You just blew my mind

I love fishing but I also love anything high performance. While I don't care to have a boat that will run 100 mph and don't plan to spend money getting another 3-4 mph out of my Gambler, I do like the acceleration and the fact that it will go 84 mph. Same reason I've also had high performance cars all my life.......to some, cars are just to get from point A to point B. Cars to me are to see how fast you can get from point A to point B. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/wink.gif

I would agree that if I had to go back to a 40 mph boat I wouldn't have one; I'm just not that into fishing.

I LOVE fishing. I also love fast cars, but don't like speeding tickets. I drive a full size truck to keep my speed down while traveling back and forth to work, then to tow my boat when I fish. I can decide when water conditions are favorable for a high speed run, or if I want to cruise, or if conditions require a lot of attention to get home safely. My wife calls my boat the "Aqua-vette". It keeps me happy and out of trouble http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif Having the ability to burn off a little testosterone works for many of us. As far as giving up fishing - NO WAY !

I like the boat I have now because its fast to me; I'd like to have an Allison or a Bullet to go faster, but if it came down to it, I would fish off of a log as long as I had a T motor......

Speed allows you to maximize your fishing time IMO. Also kind of fun running fast. I dont see my self spending a few grand for 1 or 2 mph but i do like to run fast. My boat will run low 60s with no tweakage. Boating is another hobby you can enjoy while fishing. That is one good thing about boating and fishing, you can pursue it at any level you want. Whether you choose a 10 ft jon with a wood paddle in a pond or a 60000 dollar plus bassin rocket fishing for thousands of dollars you can still enjoy it.

Why the need for speed ? Why not ? I have a 201 PEDC w/ a 200 that'll only do 72 MPH , and I'd like more ( tomorrows another day ) , but I can live w/ what I have . To have a boat like this and not have it run would be like having a Ferrari and putting a VW engine in it . I can appreciate a boat that just bebops , but if the fish aren't biting I can romp , drag the kids on a tube or skis , outrun the stormfront i ignored till the last minute , etc... . I sold all my other hobby stuff to feed my fishing / boating habit , so when I'm not on the lake and I'm looking at it , .. , well , you know how it goes . Its different strokes for different folks . As long as you are out there doin it , nobody cares what your in or how fast it goes , we all belong to the same family .

Flathead Steve. I live in the Nashville area,and We love our Titans. I noticed your Titan Icon. Are the Titans a local favorite in WV ?
We should be competitive again in 08. The NFL will not allow any team to stay together for very long. It is a revolving door.

hasnt anyone ever told you that speed was addicting.

gota have it, need it, want it. just cant seem to find it or afford it.


your not alone in you 40's mph, im there but if i can get 50's-60's ill take it.

all individual choice, when it comes to fishing or not fishing, i would go no matter what the max speed was.. the creeks wont let us go more that trolling anyway.

The only reason I want a fast boat is for tournament fishing. Get from point A to point B as fast as I can and hopefully outrun any other boats also going to point B. Tournaments on my home water I often will run around 50 miles 1 way and have to lock through a dam 1/2 way there. Time is the enemy and there isnt time to make a run like that in a 40 or 50 mph boat. I will not spend several hundred dollars or thousands to gain a couple mph. I can't justify that to myself. I've done a few things that have added performance like a new prop, having another prop blueprinted, and adding a hydro jackplate. But, all of these things were done for another reason than just performance. I needed the jackplate for shallow water access. Needed the new prop for a spare so why not get one that performed better and the blueprinted prop was dinged up and had to be fixed anyhow so why not spend a few extra bucks to make it perform better. But I won't go spend a bunch of money simply for the sole purpose of gaining a couple mph or two, I'd have to gain at least 3. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

why speed, one word adrenaline!
Now granted I'm with most of you on the spending of massive amounts of dough to tweek an extra mph or two. And most of the time Im cruising at 35-45 mph just to save gas. BUT when the mood strikes me, I just love to mash it down.
Nothing like snot streaming down your face and freezing to your cheek, nothing like the corners of your eyes crusting up from the watering, nothing like coming off pad and looking like you just spent 30 minutes in a wind tunnel, speed, no substitute!

I find boats are geting slower, esp tritons. The new X series are bigger and heavier. Hence why i switched over to a 200proxl