>>> Help a newbie...entry level Stratos? <<<

[mwheberger]

I will be purchasing my first rig, looking at 16-17 foot fiberglass boat that requires the least amount of maintenance. Reliability is my top priority and speed is the my least priority. I am thinking about a late model entry level boat such as a Skeeter, Triton, Stratos, or Nitro?

Most of these inexpensive boats I see have low HP motors, either 2 stroke Yamaha or Mercury. Are these motors reliable and good for a first time boat owner? Or are they a horrible idea and should I consider a 2 stroke fuel injected motor such as Mercury Optimax or Yamaha Vmax (man are they expensive for me)? Are these pricey motors that much better for reliability and low cost maintenance?

Please help with some advice, thanks!

[southernbobcat]

is there another maker besides STRATOS?? in my opinion all the brands you named off have good and bad for 1 reason or another..they are all quality brands that have a dedicated group. motors to me are the same.. i personally have a 1999 stratos 17' w/ 115 rude that looks and runs like a new one..i will say that with stratos you'll be very happy with the ride and layouts.. just make sure you get a good feeling about what your buying and get straight answers from owner and test before paying..

[ditchdiggerjcfII]

A 285 with a carb 150 vmax would be the ticket.

[Schuler]

I have a Javelin rather than a Stratos...but they're pretty similar. It is 16'8" w/ a 115. I stepped up from a 25 hp aluminum boat and the learning curve was not bad at all. It is very easy to drive. Maintenance is very simple and the motor has been very reliable for the most part. I did have a $700 bill that consisted of replacing the fuel pump, water pump and getting rid of oil injection. (remember, break out another thousand) I just need to make sure that the next boat is much bigger, because there is very little storage in the boat. My Deck extension allows me to store all my bass tackle in the boat...but if someone is fishing with me there is no place for their gear. And if I'm muskie fishing, I can store next to nothing.

[Firetiger Crankbait]

I have an 04 Stratos 275 Pro XL with at Yamaha 115. I stole it new from C and O as a leftover when the 05's came out. I am extremely happy with it. It has been a great boat as my first boat. I have no plans to replace it.

[C-riggVA]

I'm not far from you, I have just what you need. Javelin Renegade 18 posted on the boards here for Sale.

[1blubyu]

There is a little write up in the back of BassTimes about a 17 foot Skeeter with a 90 Yamaha 4 stroke for $28K. You could get into a Stratos with a 150 for that!

Give C&O marine a call. You might be surprised. Let them put you in a 285 XL with a 150 Yamaha or Merc.
They have scary good deals and know how to get the best out of a boat set-up.

[Tpayneful]

Mw,
Are you fishing alone or with one or two people? Are you planning on fishing the Potomac, Lake Anna or the Rappahannock? These things might affect your choices.

My friend had a Stratos 275 XL with a 90HP Yamaha. It was a really nice boat but it topped at 36MPH. I used it for a week in Florida and really enjoyed the boat and the only drawback that I could find was the speed. I would recommend the boat with the 115HP. One or two people can fish out of it pretty comfortably.

The boat is great on Lake Anna and the Potomac when it is not windy. You don't want to be out on the main river when the wind is over 10 MPH in that boat. As long as you pay attention to the forecast the boat will suit you well on the river.

The direct injection motors, Mercury Optimax, Yamaha HPDI and Evinrude Etec all get better gas mileage and use less oil than carburated motors. If gas mileage means anything to you and you plan to keep the boat a while you might want a direct injection motor. In the Fredericksburg Area you will only find dealers selling boats with Mercury or Yamaha. Nobody in our area sells Evinrude. Gas mileage means a lot to me so I am getting a direct injection motor on my new boat.

I hate to say this but we don't have any good boat dealers anywhere near us. Anglers Choice is probably the best dealer and they are 4 hours away.

Stratos, Triton, Skeeter and Bass Cat are all good boats. Nitro is a few notches below. The Nitro designs are not leading edge and the quality is lower than the other boats. Take your time, look at a lot of boats, test drive some boats and narrow down your choices to what you like the best. I bought the only boat that I could afford 13 years ago and learned a lot about what I really wanted in a boat. I have also spent a good deal of time on friends boats and learned what I like. Good luck with your search!

[mwheberger]

Great info, thanks very much. To answer your question, I will be fishing only the Potomac, mainly just Potomac Creek and Aquia Creek (where the boat will be kept). I also will be fishing alone, that is why I wanted something smaller, like 16'. From what I have gathered, everyone tells me to go with 18' but they dont understand that I will be fishing alone all the time. I dont know how the Potomac will be with a smaller boat. I would love to get a Optimax or Vmax but just dont think i can afford it. I want a late model (maybe a year or 2 old) and with these DFI motors its too much for me. It puts me in the position of having to either get something older with a DFI/EFI or get a new boat with a 90hp carb motor, such as the yamaha. Whats your take being that you obviously are familiar with the area that I will be fishing? Thanks again!!!

[aikido]

Well, I can tell you with winter approaching up here in NY, you can probably get a pretty good deal on a 17.5 stratos. I certainly did. I will admit I had some dealer troubles but their customer service guy has knocked himself out on my behalf. Great little boat if speed is not an issue. Certainly not an issue with me,

PBR

[273 DC]

Just my .02 but I own a Stratos 273 dc. It is a 17.5 ft boat with a 150hp carbed johnson motor. You can find one of the boats with a smaller motor on it about any time. Boat has good storage, decent front and rear decks, real nice layout. Also with a 115hp motor they would run around 50-53mph, which is pretty good for that size motor.

[JC25]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1blubyu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There is a little write up in the back of BassTimes about a 17 foot Skeeter with a 90 Yamaha 4 stroke for $28K. You could get into a Stratos with a 150 for that!

Give C&O marine a call. You might be surprised. Let them put you in a 285 XL with a 150 Yamaha or Merc.
They have scary good deals and know how to get the best out of a boat set-up.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I could get you in a 19.5 with a 200 for 3-5k less than that depending on electronics that would free me up to get a 201.

My .02 is the direct inject motors are solid and not bad on gas especially if you can find one from 03-06. I love my 294 with a 200 ox66. The main thing about buying I can add is no matter if your fishing alone or with someone you want the biggest you can afford. From what I understand about the Patomac is its got lots of barge and boat traffic. The biggest boat you can get for your budget is at the utmost importance just for the safety and stability factor during rougher water conditions fishing and running. You will not regret having a larger boat, but you will regret having one too small to operate safely and effectively.

[Rough Stuff Rider]

stratos or a basscat would be the best way to go for you imo. I like both but I will prolly end up gettin a stratos myself here in the next few months. I dont like the trailers on basscats, too hard to load the boat up on steep ramps. Plus u can get a stratos for cheaper then a cat and it rides just about as good and is alot faster. I wouldnt suggest anything less then a 19 foot to anyone fishing the potomac. 16 or 17 feet , forget about it totally. You'll end up regreting it later. At least get yourself an 18 footer. But theres no drawback to a 19 over a 16-18, you can still fit it in almost any garage, the gas mileage wont be a whole lot worse esp if you arent goin very far. Plus the storage and fishability of a 19 will blow away anything smaller. Just my 2 cents. Good luck

[Tpayneful]

Mw,
I have fished the Potomac out of a 15' 6" 1980 Skeeter, 275 Pro XL Stratos, 285 Pro XL Stratos, Z19 Skeeter and a Tracker 16 and am not dead yet. All of these boats are less than 18 feet. A 19 foot boat is recommended if you want to jump waves on a windy day on the main river. If you pay attention to wind forecasts and conditions on the water you can fish with just about any sized boat on the Potomac. If you stick to Potomac creek, Aqua creek or Occoquan you should be fine. Just don't go out on the main river in 10MPH+ winds.

The 176XT may be a better boat for you price wise. You might want to take a look at them. I prefer the 275 with a 115. Both would work for Aquia or Potomac creek eventhough I think all of the fish have disapeared from Potomac creek:o)

[mwheberger]

am i missing the spot where you can find the boats for sale on this website? sorry if i overlooked it, but cant seem to find it. what is it under?

[JeffA]

http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boats4sale.htm

[C-riggVA]

Look under "Brands J-R" my Renegade is there. I'll make you a Special Deal
The second picture was taken on the Potomac.