mileage

[rudycard72]

I run a 17 ft ranger r72 with a johnson 115 faststrike on it. I have put plenty of miles on it but have never made any long runs, i was wondering what kind of miles per gallon roughly i get and about how long of a run can i make in it i believe it has a 24 gallon tank. Any help ia appreciated because its not long now. The 2nd of feburary, all my winter projects are done, and theres no ice on my lakes.
                                                THANKS

[smbassman]

Typically larger V6 outboards at WOT(wide open throttle) will get anywhere from 2.5-3.5mpg.  Yours, being a 4cylinder, would probably get at the upper end of that - but to be safe, let's say 3mpg.  If you have a 24 gallon tank full would probably only get you to ~22 gals and to figure out WOT range, you usually want 15% reserve(3.3gal).  So, 18.7gal * 3mpg gets you 56miles.  Rough water driving will reduce this significantly.  You could extend that range by only running ~4500rpms because that is around the point most outboards get there best mileage.   

[McCarter]

WOW.

I temporarily lost the use of the left side of my body after reading that reply.  My brain went on overload.  That was awesome. 

PoorBoy himself

[dartag]

my Merc 150 has the Smart Craft gage on it... the fuel flow reading is pretty close..  last year in the wonderland we traveled  80 miles and got 4 mpg...  that worked out to 10 gallons per fish..  not a good day...  at least the boat ride was fun..

[joshimoto son]

Typically larger V6 outboards at WOT(wide open throttle) will get anywhere from 2.5-3.5mpg.? Yours, being a 4cylinder, would probably get at the upper end of that - but to be safe, let's say 3mpg.? If you have a 24 gallon tank full would probably only get you to ~22 gals and to figure out WOT range, you usually want 15% reserve(3.3gal).? So, 18.7gal * 3mpg gets you 56miles.? Rough water driving will reduce this significantly.? You could extend that range by only running ~4500rpms because that is around the point most outboards get there best mileage.? ?

Yes!!! Another guy with the same thought process!!! Welcome to the club brother!!!
I don't feel so alone in the fishing world anymore.

I drive some of my buddies nuts with that, especial when I start breaking down the price of my jigheads i pour into the fraction of a cent.

Josh

[spinninbug]

Trust me when Josh tells you that he's not kidding at all,  but that is why we all love him

[yukonjack2]

I always heard on the older ones that you get 10% of the HP rating in gallons per hour used at WOT- ie 11.5 gal/hr.  so, it just depends on how fast you go at WOT, with likee some else said 4500 being better mileage.  So, figure how fast you go(gps) at wot, say 50 mph, then you would burn 11.5 gal to go that 50 miles plus/minus a little bit for startups along the way(a little over 4 mpg).  Wind and rough water reduces it as well.   I had a 115 Yam(1990) on my lund 18 ft, and it was pretty close to accurate.

[Savage]

Rudy-

Don't be afraid to go unconventional on the long runs.  What I mean is think outside the box, throw a couple two gallon gas cans into the front compartments on each side of the boat.  You only need an additional 6 gallons stashed in your boat to get another %25 further.  That could mean another 14 miles by Professor smbassman's calculations!  Another bit of advice I can throw out there, if you are contemplating a longer run to a spot, try to have another spot that is closer to the ramp in case the weather is rough.  Jarrod is right about how much that affect performance.

Another consideration with thinking outside the box, I was in a tournament last spring where the fish were REALLY shallow, and the water was shallow and rocky for quite a ways.  I was considering running my gas tanks way way down to almost empty, losing all the tackle and equipment I didn't need, as well as switching over to 24 volts on the trolling motor to lose a battery.  I would then put a couple 5 gallon gas cans as far forward as I could, to balance the boat and get the tail up a bit.  Then after I came out of the spot, I would just put the gas in the boat and head for the ramp.  I never did try it, but if the ultra-shallow bedding pattern had stayed good, I might have been tempted.

Every year we hear about someone who thought of something nobody else hes, lie the guy who used a chainsaw to access spots nobody else could.  To me, that's just plain awesome, and is the x-factor in this sport.

[ronhuntfish]

If you fish a tournament, you beter check the rules about putting gas cans in your boat. Some clubs and tournaments do not allow you to carry gas containers that are not a permanent/oringial part of the boat.

[Savage]

Didn't know that... . . 

[djkimmel]

Definitely be familiar with all the rules of any tournament you fish so you don't have a brilliant idea become a dq. But don't stop thinking of brilliant ideas. They lead to more and then you are ready when the right conditions come together.