
Originally Posted by
Aruss1984
I have an 08 Cougar AE with a 225 Optimax with a little over 600 hrs on it and love it. Ive seen low 70;s with mine so you will see more speed with that set up. I fish the Great Lakes and the Cougar handles them well. Its a bit narrower compared to the wide boat trend we're seeing. Its a dry ride compared to other brands I've been in, in that similar size class. I would just have your motor looked over by a reputable Merc mechanic to make sure its operating well. Have a compression and leak down test done. Make sure the compressor is in good shape as those have a tendency to fail if the previous owner(s) didnt maintain them well.
Basscat also makes a great trailer. They are all built specifically for the model you purchase.