Review 2006 294 etec 200ho

[thatscasual]

I read the board all the time and figured it was time to give back. I am working on my 4th season with this boat and wanted to give anyone interested in this boat an honest review. This is my 3rd bass boat had an 85 ranger 340v and procraft 210 superpro before.

Pros:
The boat rides great even in big waves (erie).
The motor has been flawless other than 3 year service I had to have the spark plugs replaced.
Plenty of storage I carry 16 rods ( I made a second rod holder out of a cutting board and golf tubes) and a super deep takle storage upfront.
The deck sits level when fishing the procraft would wear you out always standing and walking up hill
Pretty fast never ran it empty only fish in it but hit 70-72 with all my stuff and a partner most of the time in the high 60's.
Great fishing platform perfect size.

Cons:
Most other people have mentioned the drain plug which you do have to be a contortionist to get in.
You hit the trolling motor head when trying to open rod locker.
The back deck is soft when you step on it ( i had to put 1" square aluminum tubing along the inside of the livewell lids so my nonboater didnt fall through)
The trailer is just ok not the best
Rub rail will slowly start comming off had to remove it 3m 4200 the top cap on then replace. I had gallons of water getting in my boat on rough days.
No autamatic bilge
Small livewell that leaks water into boat had pull out screw and silicone around it. Also watch out for floating cull tags they plug the drain and will cause the back of your boat to fill up
The seats suck dont know if the newer ones are better but they dont have alot of pading
Cleats arent recessed broke a few rods on them that is somethinng I still need to do.
The cooler doesnt have any insulation so ice melts quick

Things I have done, most were a must:
Rod lid shocks
Rod buckle straps
Recessed trolling pedal
18 Bluewater LEDs ( I only put 2 in rod lockers wish I would have put 3, one more buy where the tubes are) They have been great make sure you run them in parallel found out the hard way
Trojan batteries only lasted 2 years replaced with series 29 walmart batteries (great move)
Put a 6" Jack plate in it reduced chine walk alot.

Overall this boat has been great when it is time for a new boat I will definetly look at replacing with another 294. Best deal in my oppinion on a boat. There are alot of cons on here but most are trivial things that you can fix, the pros outweigh the cons by a ton. Hope this helps

[ep72]

Sounds like a good honest review. Welcome to the BBC

[SwampNinja]

Thanks for the info And welcome to BBC

[ALF1]

Can you post a few pictures of the square tubing in your livewells? I hate that feeling when i step on the lids.

[SANTEE]

Very good review and pretty much spot on.

[coleman]

I'm with Alf1...I feel like those lids are going to trampoline my fat butt off the deck. It's a wonder I've never fallen through.

[thatscasual]

I took a 4' section of 1" square aluminum tubing and cut it down so it was the same length as each lid and screwed it in from the top and side. The lid is not aluminum like most others on the boat but some composite ( i dont think it was fiberglass) so you can drill through it super easy. You can run it on the inside of the lid going vertically along the boats axis and it wont interfere with the livewell at all but make it super strong. I will take a pic tomororow when it is light out.

[thatscasual]

[ALF1]

Thanks for the pictures. Looks good. I might do that to both sides and weld in a cross brace.