I'm thinking about switching to Gambler- need answers

[raybobbum]

I am currently in a Ranger Z21 Yamaha 250 HPDI and scheduled to take a test drive in a 2200 next week.
I read here that Gamblers have a problem with stumps. This is a major comcern for me because I mainly fish Ray Roberts and Fork.
Will I break or damage the trim tabs very easy on these stump filled lakes?
Also,when I sat in the boat, the consoles seemed pretty close to my knees, any body have a problem with this?
The boat has a MG 82 Tour Edition, is this enough motor?
I have heard form a friend that he has had problems with the carpet,anybody else ?
How long does it take to get used to the graph location?
The boat comes with an 05 250 XS, any issues with these motors? My buddy has one on his Ranger and has had problems with his lower unit, is this an isolated problem?
How do the trailers hold up? I put about 10,000 miles a year on a trailer and it's important to me that it comes with a quality trailer.
PLEASE help with my questions and anything else you can come up with would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks, Mark

[yellow gambler]

stump fields is one of my few complaints about my gambler. The way the bottom of the boat is shaped you have to go forward or reverse to get off of the stump. I do not have the trim tabs. Go for a ride I think you will have the ranger for sale soon.

[horseshoer]

my .02...... the reverse chine on the boat will hook you onto some stumps but when you learn the boat it wont be as much of a problem. i fish a few lakes that are worse than fork and you dont hear me complain.

i am 6 ft and 225 and have no problems under the consoles although a new 2200 is different than my boat.

never heard of anyone breaking the trim tabs.

i would think the 82lb troller would be enough unless maybe you fish rivers with a lot of current.

the fit and finish on a gambler is out of this world and they only use the best materials. never heard of anyone having quality issues with a gamblers.

i think the FF location could be better. i mounted mine with a ram mount to the grab rail so it would be in view while i was looking straight down the lake.

the 3 liter lower units are tuff, i wouldnt worry about that.

i wouldnt be concerned about the trailer. they use the same components as everyone else and i have never heard of one falling apart.

go do the test drive and i am sure you will notice the quality, fit and finish, comfort and driveablity for yourself.

[PowerFish]

Quality top to bottom, boat, trailer, fit, finish, carpet, upholstery...

I fish truman a lot in my G-boat, which 'll give fork a run for it's money in standing timber, and once your get the groove of running a gambler in trees, you will hang up once in a while, but it will be VERY frustrating the first couple times out...

You just have to get what I call 'The Glide' factor and you can glide on and off stumps.... I know cuz I fish in the thickest, nastiest, narliest timber I can find, and I figured it out, so anyone can...

Gamblers ROCK, and you won't be disappointed... But upgrade the TM if 82lbs does not seem like enough for you, but it's probably fine for reservoirs and just enough for rivers...

Sean

[Ben Harris]

We sell both Rangers and Gamblers so I have been in both. First off the Gambler is going to get on top of rough water far more than a Ranger will. You can set the plate down to about 2 inches and trim down a bit and the G will knife thru the waves similar to your Z boat. The big difference you will see is in glass work (The G boat has no equal) and in performance. The G will corner harder, faster with no slide turns. The Ranger is a "no talent required" boat to run, and the Gambler requires you to learn what it is capable of doing. You can make the Gambler do about anything you want it to do, ride great, haul butt down the lake, corner like a dream, or how about run about 10-12 mph on plane to graph a hump or a ledge? Try that in any other boat out there. And oh yeah, about 15-25% better fuel mileage.

[WDBrand]

I love my 2200. If I fished in open waters I would go with the 36V TM #109 or so. The 250SX is a good motor, also the LU is tough because I sheered mine off running around 80. LOL. Carpet is like all other components....1st class. Trailers are superior to most because they are channel type trailers which will hold up better than tube type (JMHO). The graph location at the helm is the one item that could be better located, however I seldom use mine so its not an issue with me.
Use the stainless steel grab rails at the consoles to get in and out of the seat, that's what they are there for.
You won't go wrong with choosing a Gambler.

WD


Modified by WDBrand at 11:41 AM 3/2/2006

[mikie]

I fish Cave Run Lake in Kentucky quite a bit. Now, I don't have trim tabs but I still get hung on stumps occasionally. I find I can get in very skinny water with the Merc trimed up with no problems.
I agree with the 'no talent required' comment above. My 18 yr old son drives that Gambler thru hairpin turns on river systems after some serious seat time and if he can do it you should have no problem. My 97 has some carpet wear, but nothing that requires replacement.
You won't find a better boat than the Gambler. I like my buddy's Ranger 620 for trolling and for riding more than 3 people, but I do little of either. I'm 6'4" and climbing out from behind the console and having bench seats are my only two complaints about my boat. I must just be getting old. m

[Al from Canada]

After owning my Gambler there's simply no other brand that I would consider.....period.

[santee bass]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Al from Canada &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">After owning my Gambler there's simply no other brand that I would consider.....period. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well,except for L D"s Bullet
Sorry LD,had to do it.

[Bassmaster]

I good friend of mine in Texas runs a 501 with a 250 yamaha. He absolutely loves his boat. He fishes competetively on the larger circuits. IIRC Texas Tournament Trail, Everstart etc.. WE have fished out my gambler for years...he also likes it lot. The biggest thing with him is contingency money. Running a new original owner ranger has its perk when it comes to tournament fishing. There are bonus's for The boat ,motor and electronics. I dont think that running a Gambler has these benefits? This would be the only disadvantage to running a gambler I could see. Other wise...The Gamber has no equal.

[GamblerHydra]

I can not add anything else that has not alreadly been written , other than to echo WD's comments on strongly suggesting a Motorguide 109 in open water.

[22bassmaster]

I own a Intimidator with trim tabs and would say you will have no problems in stump filled waters. they are recessed in the hull and you deploy them on take off and stopping if you desire they also will help manage rough water ride, but as of yet I only use mine getting on plane and THEY WORK GREAT! Even if you left them down in a stump field I doubt they would hang you up or even break off. Go with Gambler and you want look back the best boat built bar none!

[raybobbum]

Thanks to everybody who responded. Sorry it took so long to post, I have been out of town.
What kind of speeds will I see with this boat?
The dealer tells me that this is "Hands Down" the best riding boat he has ever driven. Is he blowing smoke or what? I hope it is because my Ranger has been a little disapointing on the really rough stuff-big rollers.
I will be taking a test drive in a couple of days and will post my impressions.
Thanks again,
Mark

[PowerFish]

Gambers have a tendency to be totally underrated in the rough water ride... I used to run a Charger, which has been acclaimed as one of the best rough water boats out there, and my Gambler embarasses the Charger in the ride department... Hands down, no equal... Just my opinion, and you'll see on your test ride...

Sean

[SBN]

Have a '97 209TE and without a doubt, the best riding and handling boat I have ever owned.
I am still getting use to it, but it will surprise you.

[dmorrow]

Gambler ride is by far the best in the market. The trim tabs are a must in East Texas when its real rough.

[basson]

Mark-

I tested a Z21 w/ a 250 HPDI and a 2200 w/ a 250 XS, among others. I ordered a Gambler 2200 w/ a 250 XS two weeks ago. Ride and decide for yourself though.

Trailer. I think Ranger makes a better trailer, but it was not a large enough difference to cause me to select the Genmar product over the Gambler.

Console. I'm not real big. I fit behind both consoles o.k. This was not a major issue to me.

Trolling Motor. I struggled with going either with the 24 volt or 36 volt system. Based on feedback of the knowledgeable guys on this board and other anglers I consulted, I opted for the 36 volt 100+ lb. thrust trolling motor system.

Carpet. Not sure. Other guys that actually have Gamblers would know more than I. I do like the padding under the carpet on the front deck of the Ranger.

FYI, I used to fish Ray Bob and Fork when I lived in Frisco, TX. I miss those lakes..

[WDBrand]

Ray.........with the 04 250XS I ran speeds 82-83 tourny loaded with partner and water in wells........but that was one strong motor I had. Loaded with full fuel up to a shade under 85 by myself, no water in wells. Keep in mind I have tried a few props. As far as the rough stuff goes..........I can go through 2-3 footers ok, especially using the tabs to keep the stern up and the bow down, this allows you to get on top and/or slice through most of the waves. I looked at other boats before I purchased, however I kept coming back to the 2200.........and I have no regrets. You can also get an aluminum trailer with stainless steel hardware for a nominal fee and you would be very pleased with it. Good Luck with your choice.

WD


Modified by WDBrand at 5:04 PM 3/7/2006

[Photodan]

Ray, here's an opinion from an EX-Gambler owner. I thought I was just getting tired of bass fishing and so I sold my 1996 Intimidator back in 2001. Man! Am I sorry. I owned a 1991 Gambler 183 with a 175 Mercury and them bought the 1996 Intimidator. Those were the best finished and finest rigs I've ever owned (owned too many to mention here). I've retired in Arkansas and could now use another Gambler. Alas, a fixed-incomer and I can't afford these prices.

I can't imagine the improvements that Ackerbloom has made since my Gamblers since I thought they were as perfect as you could get but the above posts say it all. That 19'3" boat ran an honest gps 77 MPH and handled like nothing I've ever driven or ridden in. It was fast and responsive (I could throw it into a hard 90 degree turn at 60 MPH and it just TURNED, no sliding and no skipping sideways. It was rock solid!) Plenty of room behind the console. My rather large frame fit under there nicely. The foot throttle (I imagine you already use one) was great but I also loved the foot trim buttons. Sitting low in the boat was like driving my old 31 Ford roadster. One of the things that really impressed me was that this rather heavy rig could slip up onto plane and I could just hold it there at around 20 -24 MPH, sitting flat on plane and rock solid. What a well-balanced boat! Fit and finish were perfect and it looked as good the day I sold it as the day I bought it. The carpoet was always like new. No problem. I fished the tidal rivers of Maryland so the electric motor had to handle some fast tides. That Motorguide 70# thrust motor was more than enough. I never wished for more power, even in some current that really ripped through a corner of the river.

Can't speak for the tabs but the hull could lock onto a stump or two. No problem....back off or pull forward.

The bottom line is that there are several "Cadillac" bass rigs, Ranger and Triton being among the top of them but there are few "Lamborghini" bass boats. Think about Allison, Bullet and Gambler. If I were going to buy one of these top of the line rigs it would be a Gambler which is a combination of speed, eronomics, quality of construction and fishability.

Oh, and by the way, That dual axle trailer was the best and strongest trailer I ever owned. Not marginal at all and probably over-engineered if anything.

BUY THE GAMBLER! If I wasn't such an old coot I'd certainly own another one!

[redgambler]

i have just bought a new 2005 2100 with a 250xs, i owned a 99 intimadator. sold it to fish a team ranger boat for the contingency money, it was a 518 worst riding boat i have had, fit and finish was still good. currently have a skeeter zx200 team boat, not bad but i am not fishing tourys with contingency money, i test drove the I class with 250 hpi, my partner has a z21, great layout, but not in the same class as a gambler, and i demoed a basscat puma with a 250xs fast boat nice layout but the ride didn't compare to the gambler. if contingency money doesn't matter look very hard at a gambler, fit and finish , performance, layout is the best. stumps you will get use to, i fished lake fork and rayburn in my 99 gambler no problems, you give up ride in the others and they still will hang stumps. just my 2 cents

md