201 Pro XL

[RangerRon]

OK Guys !

Give me some feedback on this boat. Need some performance info and how it rides and handles. Do you have any engine - rigging recommendations ?

Thanks
Ron

[AB]

I love my 201ProXL! Handles great (better than any Ranger, Triton, or other make of bassboat I have been in). I was running about 5000rpm trimmed up pretty well, hit some huge rollers from a wakeboard boat, and it felt like running over rumble strips in your car. Boat never got squirrely and didn't bat an eye at those waves. I haven't had her out in real rough water yet, so don't know bout that. I have done "zero" setup work yet, and my 2006 225HO Etec is pushing it 75.4mph gps at 5500rpm with a 28Raker2, full fuel, full tackle, and myself (115lbs). It pushes it 75.2 same load add a 200lb passenger. It has a 6" slidemaster plate, that I had my dealer add 2" spacers to before delivery. At 4000 rpm (best cruising speed, up on pad and an incredible ride!) with the Etec I am getting between 4.7-5mpg. Most of my trips to record that data have been idling in the marina waiting for co-angler to park truck, take off and run 4000rpm all day, with quite a few stops and takeoffs, not much idling around, then top it off at the end of the day and ee how much fuel was consumed vs amount of miles run via gps. I fished a tournament, never sat in one spot for more than a half hour, ran all over the dang lake, and burnt a little less than 10gals of fuel. The engine has about 6hrs on it now and hasn't burnt a full gallon of oil yet. To top it off, she is using that little oil and is still in double oil mode. I am very pleased with my decision to move from Bullet to Stratos.

[RangerRon]

That's good to hear.I am running the 225 E-tec HO on my Ranger and have the same experience as you. It's quiet ,economical and strong. By all means I recommend this motor on any boat. It is important to hear about the performance of the boat.That's what I really am interested in. How it performs. For example,I can run my boat at 70 MPH and use 2 fingers to steer it,I don't worry about the tourqe.I also can go into a sharp turn without sliding or bouncing.I am wondering if the 201 Pro Xl handles the same way.Also in rough water , can you keep the nose up and not get beat to death.Very often I have been in boats with seats that will not absorb shock and really will hurt your back. With Ranger you have the SRS seating that obsorbs the shock.Does Stratos have similar seating? I appreciate your feedback.

[AB]

Stratos, to my knowledge, does not offer srs seating. On the other hand, the seats are very plush, comfortable, and I have had "zero" issues with them, and I do have a bad back from a water skiing mishap, so trust me I'd be complainin if they were hurtin me. You don't even have to have your hands on the wheel up to about 60mph or so (not that I condone that, but the boat drives that easy), above that it has a very, very slight walk. I can run it WOT all day with one hand on top of the wheel, slouched back in the seat like one of todays teeneagers driving their car does. If you are trimmed to the hilt and cut it over, it will slide, along with any other boat on the market. Trimmed to 3/4 or less and cut the wheel at any speed, it just carves in. I have turned it so hard at about 40mph that the rod tips of my partners poles on the rod ramp were dragging the water, and as soon as you bring the wheel back to center it responds and levels right out. At low speeds it wants some trim, it almost carves too hard at speeds just above planing. If you gun it, then turn right as you are coming onto plane, it just feels "funky" until you start to feed some trim into it. Just like it is actually cutting too hard and bow steering a bit.

[RangerRon]

That's a great discription.Sounds like this is a good handling boat. I have been reading a lot of the previous post and seems like everyone speaks highly of this rig.We run just about every boat available out of our dealership but we have not run the big Stratos.I am doing as much research as possible on these boats. I am going to make an effort to run one to see what they are all about. I know Larry Nixon speaks highly of them. Maybe I can get him to swing by and let me put her through the paces.

[AB]

I know your a ways away, but you (or anyone that is intersted in a Stratos) is more than welcome to stop by and try your hands at mine. I am eager to start setting her up and toying with props to see what she will do. I'm already the fastest 201 my dealer has ever put out (their demo 201 was the prior fastest and it ran 74.3), so we'll see how it does. Turbo is supposed to give them some new props to try, they are going to run them and then let me have a shot to see how they compare to what we are running now. I really like the PTO in the first front storage compartment, it keeps your tackle really nicely organized, while the 2nd front storage area is so big you can fit anything in there. I have 10 3700's in the PTO, and keep a boombox, change of clothes, extra cooler, and some odds and ends junk in the 2nd compartment and it still looks empty. I have everything I need on board to fish a tournament and still have two storage areas with nothing in them! If you need any pics of anything, let me know, I'd be more than happy to take some pics of mine for you.

[RangerRon]

Too bad you couldn't make the BBC Bull Shoals Rally last week. It was an awesome rally. We could have test run boats and tried some different things. Maybe the next rally.If I get a chance to get to Fla i will look you up.Thanks for the info.

[gamblebass01]

hi ron.i have an '03 201 w/ a 225 DI H.O. and love it.it is a point and drive boat that handles great.theres no drama in driving the stratos. that was important to me as my last boat was like trying to fly a plane.the ride is awesome. a moderate chop feels like a back massage. the best part for me is when it comes out of the water due to a cruiser wake at lake ozark it stays flat,lands flat and soft w/ no lumbar killing jar. i have no complaints.jim

[AB]

Ron, I took her out in rough water yesterday for the first time. In honest 2' waves (2' from valley to crest) I was still able to comfortably run 70+. Once they crept up to 3', I slowed down to about 40 and trimmed down, but still very manageable and not beating the chit out of anything. Oh, and I also turned her to 76.8 at 5550 with full fuel, 10 3700 boxes, all safety crap, and myself. Still haven't touched the jackplate or the prop.

[ChadASX]

I had mine out yesterday and I've started playing with my hydraulic jackplate while running since I got the jackplate gauge working. I've got the DI 225 HO and with 2 guys, full fuel tank, my partners gear and rods and everything else heavily loaded for the tournament I started out just hitting around 70. Started jacking around with the plate while heading down the river and I guess I hit the right spot because it shot from 70 to 74 in just a couple seconds. You could just feel the boat lift a little more and take off.

If your thinking of buying one and you like the way a Ranger rides you will be blown away by how much better the Stratos rides. I was having some trouble with mine riding rough because the motor was crooked. I was able to straighten it up by loosening the jackplate and I put a floor jack under the low side to pick it up as much as I could then tightened the bolts back up. Got her lined out and now it rides like it should. Awesome. We come back to the weighin yesterday running in at least 2 foot whitecaps and had her still trimmed out and running over 70. These boats handle like a dream whether your running 20mph or 75 mph.