Need feedback on Ranger Multi-Species Boats 19' , 20', 21'

[Bronze Back]

I need feedback on Ranger's Multi-Species 19', 20', 21' boats.I want
to know what you like/dislike about them.I would also like to know
what options you have or would recommend when setting this boat up.I will be using this type of boat for Bass fishing so keep that in mind!I will be fishing big water so i want a boat that can handle the rough waters.Thank you in advance!

[Dan]

Don't know much about them other than if I were an Eastsider I would certainly consider one. In fact, I glanced at one the other day at a repo lot in Grand Rapids. Nice looking newer Ranger that was loaded. If you're serious about one I can check it out for you. I know guys that have gotten some great deals on vehicles, campers, boats, etc. at this repo/bank lot.

[Slipkey]

Bronzeback,

I own an '04 620 which I purchased new and have been very happy with it.  It's a great boat for bass fishing on the big water and does well enough in shallow water that I have no regrets.  You can see a few photos I took for insurance pics earlier this year up on my Flickr page, which will give you an idea of how I have it rigged.

In '05 they did a redesign of the running surface which extended the hull length an additional 6",improved the ride, deadrise and bow flare so if you buy used, I would suggest looking at '05 and up. 

I'm pretty particular on my setup and sent the dealer a diagram I made with where everything should be mounted.  Here's a list of the current options I have on the boat:

- Maxxum 101 62" w/ RAM bounce buster
- 4 Bank Charger
- Dual 1500 GPH Bilge pumps
- Hot Foot Pro w/ slide mount
- Hydraulic Jackplate
- Teleflex Trim/Jackplate controls
- VHF Radio
- Deck Extension
- Livewell Divider
- Oxygenator (added later)
- Console: X38/X19
- Bow: X26C
- 9.9 Mercury Pro Kicker (more on this in a second)

There's a lot that I love about this boat.  My only beef is the length of the forward deck. A 7' rod will not lay down on the deck unless you point the tip between the consoles.  That's really my one beef with the boat. 

I rarely fish for walleye (maybe once or twice a year with my dad), but I mounted a kicker for a few reasons:

1) resale value - if I ever sell the boat it's marketable to both walleye and bass fishermen.
2) Peace of mind - if I'm a long way out and I have motor trouble, I know I've got a way to get back in.
3) Fishing in strong current like the St. Clair or Detroit Rivers - If you're fishing in strong current you can put the kicker down, put it in gear, and give some assistance to your trolling motor, which will greatly extend your batteries on a day.

The kicker comes off in about 15 minutes the couple of times I've pulled it but I generally just leave it on all of the time, even in bass tournaments.

If I were to buy it again, I would debate strongly between the 620 and 621.  The 621 only has 4 gallons more in the tank and wouldn't fit in my garage.  Add to that the larger horsepower and you've got a negligible range difference between the 621 and the 620 plus higher operating costs.  If they put a 60+ gallon tank in the 621 it would be a no brainer, though.

The four options I wouldn't be without if you plan to spend any amount of time on the great lakes are the hot foot, the VHF radio, the teleflex controls on the wheel, and the jackplate.  The hot foot can make your leg sore on long runs but it's exceptional when the waves get really big and you need to control your bow angle.  The teleflex trim/jackplate control on the wheel allows you to keep your hands on the wheel.  The jackplate helps you adjust the ride for the conditions.   If your prop starts surfacing you can jack the plate down, though sometimes it actually softens the ride to raise the plate up a bit.

Good luck.  If you want, you are welcome to fish with me sometime.  I'll probably only make it out to the east side once or twice again this year, but if you're on the west side, we could connect up some time.

[Dan]

Slip, what part of the west side you on. I'm in Hudsonville and have a cabin up near Irons.

[Slipkey]

Slip, what part of the west side you on. I'm in Hudsonville and have a cabin up near Irons.

Dan, I'm in Grand Rapids on the southeast side.

[motocross269]

IF I was going to buy a new boat (especially with the direction the BFLs have headed) I would buy a 620/621vs....Quite a few pros are fishing out of them now. 

[Dan]

I'm in Hudsonville

[Pkleppert]

Feel free to give me a call if you'd like more information on the Ranger Fisherman series.  I've been using a 620 since '99 and Joe Balog and Mike Trombley are both using a 620 this year as bass boats.  Both are very pleased with them.

Pat Kleppert
Ranger Boats
(269) 207-4864

[Bronze Back]

Hi Dan,

Thank you for the reply!
If it isn't out of your way please let me know what Ranger model they have in that repo/bank lot.I appreciate any help i can get!

[Bronze Back]

Slipkey,

Thank you for the response!

Ranger did a redesign on the 619 VS & 620 VS Multi-species boat in
the last couple of years if i remember correctly.I can't believe they didn't allow for enough room for a 7' 6" rod length,i guess they thought that all other fisherman other than Bass anglers don't use 7' rods or bigger  ! If i bought a Ranger Multi-species boat it would be new.

I was not thinking about a kicker motor but you opened my eyes!
I have seen when a boat breaks down and those anglers ask for help
(they try to stop a boat for help) and either a boat just passes them by,or they stop but ask how much weight you have and if you have been catching them they want to know if you have any spots near where you are currently broken down and they will fish and come back for you later,or if you are lucky someone stops and takes your bag of fish along with one of the anglers to the weigh-in
and gets you help getting your boat back in to the ramp.

I have never fished on the Great Lakes as of yet! I know .............
I know.............i don't know what i'm missing..................yes i do ! 

LOL Would you mount the VHF radio in the same location next time?It looks like you also added a few gauges when you set this boat up?What was that electrical box/wires i saw next to where your right leg would be,it looks like you added this after purchasing the boat?Do you have rocker switches or touch pads on your dash?I have heard of some people get a keyed ignition (from the dealer when they purchase the boat) just in the event the touch pads quit while they are on the water. It looked like you didn't mount the front finder in-dash any reasons for this?I can think of 4 reasons why you didn't!How is the Multi-Species Ranger's livewell compared to their Bass boat livewell setup?
Is the 4 bank charger for (3) electrical accessories & (1) for cranking motor,and have you had any problems with it? I heard that
some anglers were having a problem with their on-board chargers because they were charging their electrical accessories & cranking motor batteries with it and one bank on the charger gave out because it couldn't handle both types of batteries.Dual 1500 GPH bilge pumps because of Big Water lakes and a backup just in the event one dies?Does Ranger have a livewell divider available or do you need to make one up?Did Ranger upgrade livewell since you bought your boat,(added oxygenator later) or you just wanted to add this option (i would do the same)?Trolling Motor/Outboard Motors;any reason you went with a Merc,(i am leaning towards a Evinrude) ? Thank you for the offer,i just might take you up on it!
Only thing is it would be a drive for me and i would make it a weekend or a whole week trip if i do come up there!When do the anglers there put away their boats for the season (month)?If i bought this boat it would be a "big" step up from the Ranger i now have (207 Cherokee Aluminum with a 90 HP) but it does well on big water because of it's Deep-V. Thanks for the help!

[Bronze Back]

Pat,

Thank you for the response and you phone is ringing!

[Bronze Back]

Thank you to everyone who has responded so far,and keep the information coming as it will be a big step up for me and i want to get the setup right the 1st time because it would be my 2nd boat that i will purchase and could use all the help i can get!

[Slipkey]

Bronze Back,

I'll try and answer your questions one by one:

Would you mount the VHF radio in the same location next time?

Definitely.  It's in a very good spot to be accessible, but out of the way.  The antenna also folds down out of the way of the cover and compartment lids.  The RAM mount for the antenna is the way to go, IMHO.

It looks like you also added a few gauges when you set this boat up?What was that electrical box/wires i saw next to where your right leg would be,it looks like you added this after purchasing the boat?

I think you're referring to the VHF radio if you mean the grey box.  It looks like it would be in the way, but it isn't. The black object mounted to the floor is a Hot Foot Pro, which I would recommend since it's powder coated and the cable comes in from the top.  The additional guages you see on the dash are the jackplate guage and the SmartCraft guage for the Optimax (gives you fuel consumption, block temp, water pressure, hours, etc.).

Do you have rocker switches or touch pads on your dash?I have heard of some people get a keyed ignition (from the dealer when they purchase the boat) just in the event the touch pads quit while they are on the water.

Touchpad only.  I've never had a problem with it and wouldn't see a need for a key.  Probably a good idea, but then again I've always got the kicker in a pinch.

It looked like you didn't mount the front finder in-dash any reasons for this?I can think of 4 reasons why you didn't!

Flush mounting always seems to give me a bad angle for viewing.  I like to be able to adjust for different sun angles to reduce glare as well.  In addition, flush mounted electronics seem to have a higher failure rate for me than RAM mounted ones since they absorb more vibration - in my experience.  Case in point: I've never had to service a unit on a RAM mount, but every unit I've had in the dash cutout on my boats for any length of time has had problems after a time.

How is the Multi-Species Ranger's livewell compared to their Bass boat livewell setup?

I'd love another aerator just to be on the safe side, but I don't think it's really necessary.  The single aerator provides good circulation and I have an Oxygenator in there to add additional O2 to the water.  The only downside is that you have to be careful when bagging fish at the end of the day.  I was pulling my partner's fish in a tournament this year and had one of his jump the divider to join my fish!.

Is the 4 bank charger for (3) electrical accessories & (1) for cranking motor,and have you had any problems with it?

None at all.  It handles both types of batteries fine.  I've had a three bank charger with no charger on the cranking battery on an earlier boat, though and never had a problem letting the alternator take care of it.  Mostly a matter of preference.

Dual 1500 GPH bilge pumps because of Big Water lakes and a backup just in the event one dies?

Yup.  Exactly.  One pump is auto and one is manual.  I think Ranger does that as a standard option now, if I recall.  I just upgraded the GPH of the pumps. I also carry a spare 750 Mayfair cartridge which can deal with the bilge pumps or aerators.   

Does Ranger have a livewell divider available or do you need to make one up?

They sell it from their parts department.  Your dealer can get it.  I installed mine myself, but I would suggest having your dealer install it before delivery.  I had to do some tweaking with a dremel to get mine to fit properly.

Did Ranger upgrade livewell since you bought your boat,(added oxygenator later) or you just wanted to add this option (i would do the same)?

The Oxygenator wasn't around when I bought my boat.  I just got it this year and installed it.

Trolling Motor/Outboard Motors;any reason you went with a Merc,(i am leaning towards a Evinrude) ?

I don't think it matters other than preference.  All are good motors and the E-Tec's are slick.  I originally wanted Yamaha on it since my two previous boats had them and I really like those motors.  Yamaha stopped making the 225 HPDI in a 25" shaft for the '04 model year and I didn't want to go with a Four Stroke because I like the additional performance (holeshot, midrange, etc) of a two stroke.

I was concerned at first about running an "Opti-Pop" (that was a nickname they were given when they first came out because of powerhead failures in the late 90's) but, truthfully, it's been an even better motor for me over the long haul on oil, fuel, and maintenance than my Yamaha's.  Put it this way:  I've had it since March of 2004 and changed the plugs for the first time this June. The buildup was minimal.  I've been very happy with Mecury and I'll probably lean towards an Optimax or a Verado on the next boat.

Good luck and fire away with any more questions.

-Jon

[Bronze Back]

Slipkey,

Does your VHF Radio give weather reports?

No,the second question i was referring to the small black box with 2 wires out in the open (1 red wire & 1 black wire) these wires were running along this small black box.

The finders & electronics that you have Ram mounted,do you remove them when trailering or does the Ram mount combat any
vibration/shock so you don't need to remove them?


The livewell question i was asking ;
How does the Multi-Species livewell compare to the Bass boat livewell setup? Is the only difference between the two an extra aerator?I just wasn't sure if Ranger made one better than the other.

How easy is the Bilge/Aerator to change if one dies?That's the worst thing,fishing an entire day and finding out you have dead fish because of an equipment failure.

You said the fish jumped over the livewell divider when you were bagging the fish,did your partner have his fish tagged?Can the fish
jump the divider when the lid is closed?I opened the livewell lid once
an if on command a bass rocketed out of the livewell and cleared the boat and into the water,i was going to cull one and it ended up being that one by default.

You mentioned a 25" shaft on the outboard motor,(is there a reason for this size shaft) and is that a big consideration when deciding on a big outboard?Can you achieve 60 MPH in a Multi-Species Ranger
boat,i would like to see it go 60 MPH if possible but it would still be a big upgrade from what i have now if it didn't.I have heard of a remote oil fill,is this an option to consider or is it standard and what would be an advantage for this?

How is the security with this boat?Do the rod lockers & tackle storage compartments lock so you have peace of mind or do you need to take extra precautions?

Thanks Todd

[Slipkey]

Bronze Back,

Does your VHF Radio give weather reports?

Yes. It has weather band.  It's  Uniden VHF-53

No,the second question i was referring to the small black box with 2 wires out in the open (1 red wire & 1 black wire) these wires were running along this small black box.

Oh, sorry.  That is a kicker throttle control.  It connects to small servo motor on the kicker and has a dial control to adjust the throttle.  The kicker is hand steered and I have to shift on the hand throttle, but I have a tie-bar to allow me to steer it from the main wheel.

The finders & electronics that you have Ram mounted,do you remove them when trailering or does the Ram mount combat any
vibration/shock so you don't need to remove them?

No I don't remove when trailering, though I will sometimes overnight.  The RAM mounts handle trailering vibration just fine.

The livewell question i was asking ;
How does the Multi-Species livewell compare to the Bass boat livewell setup? Is the only difference between the two an extra aerator?I just wasn't sure if Ranger made one better than the other.

Not that I've noticed.  The Z-22 has a cooler adjacent to the livewells so might be a little extra cooling from that, but other than shape, they aren't different in construction that I know of.  Just looking at the Z-Series floor plans a moment ago, I'm not even sure that the Z-Boats have double aeration. Pat Kleppert might be able to jump in and clarify...

How easy is the Bilge/Aerator to change if one dies?That's the worst thing,fishing an entire day and finding out you have dead fish because of an equipment failure.

Very easy.  Every pump in the boat is accessible through the floor drain/access panel located at the very back of the floor.  They are very easy to work on.   IMHO, one of the best things about the way Ranger designs their boats is the thought that goes in to rigging.  Most everything you would need to get at is readily accessible including pumps, wiring, fittings, etc.

You said the fish jumped over the livewell divider when you were bagging the fish,did your partner have his fish tagged?Can the fish
jump the divider when the lid is closed?

No he didn't have his tagged, but I was quick and was able to get him back within seconds.  The divider extends all the way to the lid so fish can't jump it when the lid is closed.  After that happend I started folding up one of the weigh bags and placing it over the opposite side of the fish I'm pulling as soon as I open the lid.

You mentioned a 25" shaft on the outboard motor,(is there a reason for this size shaft) and is that a big consideration when deciding on a big outboard?Can you achieve 60 MPH in a Multi-Species Ranger

Some Mfr's don't have 25" shafts in certain models.  The 620 and 621 require that shaft size.  For example the Optimax XS isn't made in a 25" shaft - at least it wasn't the last time I checked.  You'll have to check with the engine brand to see what's available.  High performance models may not be available in the longer shaft.  60 MPH is do-able with a light load and a 250 on the new 620, however more realistic top speeds with a normal load are around 58 MPH from what I've seen.  Mine is a bit shorter and lighter than the new models and has run as high as 62 in perfect conditions with a 225, but I generally run in the low to mid 50's at WOT with a normal load.  You won't set any speed records.   Bass and Walleye Boats Magazine did a test earlier this year with 3 different 250 HP motors.

I have heard of a remote oil fill,is this an option to consider or is it standard and what would be an advantage for this?

I have the remote oil fill.  The oil tank is located inside the hatch in the splashwell (you can see it in the floor plan pics on Ranger's website).  You would have to open that lid and fill the tank with a long funnel if you don't have the remote. 

How is the security with this boat?Do the rod lockers & tackle storage compartments lock so you have peace of mind or do you need to take extra precautions?

The compartments all key lock.  Latches are standard Perko latches like you find on many brands of boats.  I always lock and cover the boat if I park it overnight outdoors.  I'd love to see latch systems like those on the z-series boats on the 600 series in the future (maybe with power locks like Skeeter has - hint, hint, Pat K...)

[Bronze Back]

Upon further review.............of outboard motors...........i am leaning
toward..........Mercury........Evinrude? After reading Bass & Walleye Boats review of these outboard manufacturers i am leaning toward Mercury,and here's why;
http://www.bwbmag.com/output.cfm?id=1059733

Better Fuel Economy,Better Price,Less Motor Weight,and Better Warranty (warranty is in house and not 2nd party)

Anyone want to comment on an outboard motor they now own or have owned in the past and list their pro's & con's? I appreciate any imput! List Mercury,Evinrude,and Yamaha's 225 HP & 250 HP.....