Originally Posted By spectre3:
You can't post that kind of boat porn and not give details!
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Originally Posted By sparkyD:
Yeah she's for sure sexy.
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@spectre3
@sparkyD
22' Excel Bay Pro with Evinrude Etech 150
It has Baystar hydraulic steering, two live wells, and five (actually)
dry storage compartments. Also a Bimini top and Minnkota iPilot trolling motor. The trolling motor can spot lock, remember routes, and even follow elevation lines if linked to a Lakemasters card. I use Navionics in a Humminbird 899 ci HD so don't have that feature. I've never used the anchor, literally
never. The trolling motor will hold you on a spot as well as any anchor. Want to move over 8'? No problem, drive it over with the remote and "anchor" again. Stern light is on the motor cowl, you can see it in the middle pic, it's not 100% legal but it's never come up in a couple of stops from the fish police. I installed all the accessories myself shortly after I bought it in 2015. I met the guy with Excel that made the decision to market this boat at the Houston Boat Show and he shamelessly explained he took the Express bay boat and changed everything about it he didn't like. I used to have a place on the bay and a bay boat. I don't consider this a suitable "bay boat". I live on a large lake now and spend some time on the river and in some of the creeks feeding the lake as well as the main lake. The pic I posted was in one of the creeks. It's a good compromise for what I use it for. It's rare we leave without fishing poles. It doesn't handle the chop well on the main lake when the wind kicks up more than a little but I live here and can pick and choose the days I go out. Aluminum handles the bumps and bangs of stumps and rocks at low speed much better than fiberglass.
The two boats I had before this, I had 4-stroke Yamahas and could have gotten same on this one. I knew it was heavy in the stern and would probably have a tendency to porpoise. The two stroke is ~ 70#s lighter than the Yammy so I went with it. It's smooth, quiet, easy on fuel and has a ton of torque. It's rated for 200hp and I'm generally of the opinion get the biggest you can on it but again weight. I really can't imagine a 200 on this boat. Had I known Bombardier would drop Evinrude, I would have gone with the Yammy but I've had this rig 8 years now without an issue, so no regarts! Top speed is 52 mph.
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