Blazer Boats

[mikesmiph]

Does anyone have any info on Blazer Boats? I hear good things from their owners, but I expect I would. They have a new boat out, 625, unlimited HP. I'm thinking this boat, with the 300 SHO would be worth mortgaging the house for.

[Durand Dan]

Mike,
If your thinking about tournament fishing. There are several trails that have a 250hp limit

[Waterfoul]

How many of those owners run around in the rough waters we do up here in Michigan?  Lakes like St. Clair, Erie, and even some of the bigger inland lakes can beat up a boat not built to handle more than the river systems and reseviours south of here.  Do your homework (sounds like you are).  Take a ride.  Crawl inside and out of a boat before you buy it.

I also have to ask... what's the difference in speed between the 250hp and 300 hp motors on that boat?  Is it worth the extra gas?  How often would you use that extra 50 hp??  Would you WANT to drive it at WFO (Wide F ing Open for those who've never gone really REALLY fast in a boat!!) very often??   All questions that would be running thru my head. 

I've been very fast on the water (108 on Hardy Pond in a 22' Warlock cat, 124 on Lake Michigan in a 28' Skater)... and have driven a 26' cat to 96 mph and found it way fun!!!!  Just not sure how safe a bass boat would be at or near top speed with that 300hp motor.

[thedude]

i gotta agree with mike... a lot of those "down south boats" go screamin fast, but are shallow hulls that barely touch the water.  they are all well built, quality crafts i'm sure - but i'd be more worried about doin 40mph in 3-6s than doin 100mph across a light chop if you plan on fishing anywhere on the great lakes... a bumpy ride on lake michigan gets old real fast.

fastest i ever went was 80mph in a legend LE-21 running a 250 merc racing outboard. Boat drove like a dream, hit a few boat wakes and barely noticed 'em.

[Strat200XL]

Hey Man,

Did the research on the 625, it looks like a sweet boat for southern lakes, and Rivers but I would love to see you take that on to Erie or Lake St. Clair. I hope I am not crushing your thought about buying this boat but I am sure if you shopped around you could find a great deal on a rough water boat that is not a Blazer. this boat would not make it a year up here trust the guys on here, I dont thin anyone would steer you wrong.
I run a Straos 200 Pro Xl with a 225 Vmax on it and I can honestly say this boat is like heaven on the Great Lakes. Check out the Rangers as well, and Champion makes a great rough water boat as well.
Hope you make a good decision on this purchase. Check out the guys boats running around fishing these waters all the time, bet you wont find a Blazer, that should be a indication about the company.
Hope this helps!!!

Later,
Britt Higby

[mikesmiph]

I always listen to the advise I ask for. Thats why I ask. Looked like a nice boat, but I didnt know. Now I know. Thanks again guys.

[Lightningboy]

OK, time for a contrary opinion.  Not to stir the pot on purpose, but can we leave the "ranger is a great big water boat" back on the dock?  Rangers are plows; pure and simple.  No offense, I like a cadilac, and Ranger finish gives you that.  But it's not a slam dunk great ride. 

Don't discount the speed hulls.  A 21 Bullet can be a great big water boat.  Long keel, sharp deadrise, and quick response combine to produce a very good ride in a nasty blow.

But neither is worth a hoot without a good driver.  That's the number one atribute of a great big water ride; someone who can control the craft for conditions.

The real thing I'd be concerned about is construction.  Not all rigs are glued together (they all are) sturdy enough to take a great lakes pounding.  They might drive well in big swells, but after 2 seasons have transom cracks.  I'm not familiar with Blazer construction, so I can't asses their durability.  Personaly, I'm chomping at the bit for a Stoker/300 combo; but I don't feel like being the Great lakes test case for Stroker.

Do your homework, and talk to Blazer owners who've had one for a while.  www.fastbass.com has a Blazer page, go chat the boys up about stress cracks over time.  Also, try to arrange a day of fishing in one; some rigs are sweet, but a pain in the arse to live with.  I'm sure you will find many who would volunteer the back deck for an afternoon.

And for those who discount speed hulls, compare the modern flats boat to bass rigs; they're certainly built for big water.   

[zooker]

good info can be found at either fastbass or bassboatcentral.com.. you will have to weed thru the poser's at fastbass..

blazers are a personal choice..personally imo they are a pos..no question they are so/so fast. i know for a fact blazers spider crack like nothing else. the glass is very ragged under the dash or in the rod lockers..not to mention the ride sucks big time...

yes for a fact the southern lakes don't get rough very often. if your dumping the cash for a blazer buy a bullet..$43k fully loaded with a 250. faster and fishes and rides much better...


stratos,stroker,and gambler handle the big water the best i have seen..

zooker 

[djkimmel]

Having drove a Ranger Z21 with a 250 Yamaha @ 170 miles on one of the roughest days I have ever seen on St Clair and the Detroit River I can tell you it is an excellent rough water ride with superior fishability in rough water also. A good driver will always make a difference but I have complete faith in recommending any of the new Ranger hulls to anyone wants a boat that will handle rough water very well, provide safe and sound fishability whole holding up to what our region dishes out. All while maintaining top resale value. I've been at quite a few tournaments were a 'plow' Ranger left the 'fast' guys behind in the wake... The look on guys faces at those times... Priceless!

I try to remember we all in the end talking about fishing boats, not drag racing. Most of your time in the boat, I assume will be spent fishing.

[macbass]

freind of mine owns a blazer with a 250 yamaha. 3 years ago he fished the wonderland open..yu bet he passed every boat there was from lake erie to lake st clair the all the randers passed him going across st clair.. If I am not mistaken he was fishing with anthony adams...the next year he had a rander walleye boat he bought to use for lake erie and st clair and used the blazer inland where it was a little calmer...and I have know dog in this fight because I dont own either..

[fiker]

I've only ridden in one, but Bass Cat makes a great rough water boat as well.

[zooker]

I try to remember we all in the end talking about fishing boats, not drag racing. Most of your time in the boat, I assume will be spent fishing.

i hate to disagree but basicly "drag racing" is how you take the money in tourny's..

in any given lake there are spots that have fish that are on.these spots are few and fair between.ie the 90-10 rule. on smaller bodies of water this mean much more than slam banging on the great lakes..

in a small body of water the "on"holes are well known by a vast number of anglers..these are the same poeple who you fish against..in a money tourny being first to one of these spots puts money in "your" pocket..

zooker

[Lightningboy]

No offense to Ranger owners out there with the "plow" reference; just a discriptive term that paints a picture of it's hydrodynamics.  Ranger hulls are not designed to lift as much as some other hulls.  Lift is what gives you speed.  Friction with the water slows you down, so get the hull clear to go faster. 

The first thing we should all agree on is that we're talking bass boats.  That means "not for big waves".  Once you get above 3 footers, you should be in something else.

We can't discount speed in the tournament game.  Being fast gets you there first; it also means more fishing time.  In some cases, it means saving gas on long runs.

All bass hulls are compromise designs.  I'm not loyal to any brand; they've all got a few gems and dogs in their present & prior hulls.  I'm just telling you to keep an open mind; just because it's a speed hull, doesn't mean it isn't a good big water ride.

I just get tired of the two most common bass boat myths:

1) Brand "A" makes a great big water hull.  (usually the brand they own) Not all hull designs from a manufacturer are good big water rides.  Most companies have a few standouts in their history, but that's really it.

2) Brand "A" has a new hull that will do 80 with a full tournament load.  Absolute BS.  No matter what anybody says, getting a bass hull past 80 is hard.  Let alone with all the junk we like to carry.  Plus 350# of water in the boxes.  Plus 500# of bubba in the seats.

Me? I'll take "fast" for $500 alex...

[djkimmel]

Theoretical talk is nice. Talk about speed is nice. But I talk about the real world many of the visitors here have to deal with weekend after weekend. Rough water and big waves. It doesn't make sense to ignore that many of us actually do have to deal with rough water a lot more than we get to deal with seeing exactly how fast our boats can go. Most of us still run bass boats despite the waters we ply having swallowed up much bigger boats by the thousands over the years.

I also know that I have been in clubs and circuits many times where the anglers who dominated were not the anglers with the fastest boats, but the anglers who were just plain the best fishermen. I even belonged to a club years ago that was dominated several years by a guy with a 10-foot jon boat powered by a 4 HP outboard. We had a guy in the club who had one of the first northern bass boats to ever go over 70 mph on radar, yet the little jon boat kicked our butts tournament after tournament. Even after the club started having lots of full sized bass boats and this guys had a 14 foot aluminum with a 20 HP, he still dominated.

I understand some of the reasons people want to portray Rangers less than what they are, but I'm not a huge fan for no reason. I've explained it before so I won't go into detail here other than to say it is the best combination of speed, rough water handling, durability and fishability for me considering I fish the Great Lakes a lot. I don't get money from them or a free boat. I had to pick one that would last a long time despite the beating we take (16 years so far). I totally agree bass boat building is a compromise. I think I've even stated that same thing. Luckily, there are many brands to choose from for the many tastes and preferences anglers have towards leaning one way or another.

Sometimes, the first one to spot can win. More so on tougher waters, which we are fortunate to not have a lot of. In fact, if this were ArkansasRiverBass.com or MidsouthReservoirBass.com, I imagine we would talk a lot more about go-fast boats and limited spots. But since this is GreatLakesBass.com, we talk more about rough water and having lots of spots to choose from.

Most of the really good Great Lakes anglers I know run Ranger Boats. Mike Trombly, Steve Clapper, Dave Reault, Kim Stricker, Joe Balog, Bryan Coates. Ben Felton, who has been winning and finishing high the past few seasons on the Great Lakes, including the 2009 Wonderland Open, switched back to Ranger Boats. There are reasons for this that I think any Great Lakes region boater would want to consider when making their choice.

Since we are talking mostly about the Great Lakes here, it makes sense to consider that in the discussion. Being 'the fastest' doesn't always get you there first in the Great Lakes. And it doesn't always win tournaments up here either.

[djkimmel]

Speaking of 80+ mph boats, my Ranger is a 1993 492VS. Compared to new hulls and designs, it is a little long in the tooth. It is nowhere near as fast as newer boats the same size. Plus I get bored easy so I do have a LOT of stuff in it.

A few years back I was running north on Lake Michigan to White Lake. It was not that rough considering how it can get out there, but we weren't all trimmed out and running wide, that's for sure.

I had a guy birddogging me for quite a while. When I realized who it was, it was one of those guys who tells everyone his boat can run 89 mph!!! Always saying how superior his boat is to my darned old Rangers. Yadda yadda yadda. I've heard it more than a couple times.

It took him more than half way there to finally catch up to me and pass me despite taking off at the river mouth way south 2 or 3 boats behind me. We were almost there before he even pulled more than a few hundred yards past me.

Now my boat is a 56 to 60 mph boat with the stuff, two anglers, the gear and a whole bunch of gas (great for the Great Lakes). I wasn't running top out in the rolling swells, but still, here's a guys whose boat can "handle rough water way better than mine" and "runs a top end of 89 mph" and he couldn't leave me in the dust in a tournament morning blast off? Hmmm? Kind of suspicious...

I asked him later why he didn't blow my doors off and he said he was taking it easy that morning... Come to think of it, I don't recall him ever blowing my doors off in a tournament blastoff...?

I tell you one thing, I don't ever want to find out what a junebug in the forehead feels like at 89 mph... ouch.

[mikesmiph]

Very well put Dan, and the rest of you too. When it comes time for me to buy a new boat, I will take all this advise to heart. I have already started looking very hard at all the different brands. Its very hard to choose. I'll decide I like one boat the best, then someone tells me, "NO" that boats does such and such. I look a little deeper, and sure enough, I dont want that boat. This is a lot worse than buying a car. I will be asking for a lot more advise in the future. Not sure if I'll get a new boat this year or next. I'm not going to hurry. Thanks again everyone who has answered. I love this site for that.

[macbass]

mike here is a little hint...make a list of the boats that you are interested in and get a demo ride in all of them...and dont get them under perfect boat conditions because they all ride good in that...make a list of your likes and dislikes because they all will have them....there is not a perfect boat out there for everyone...and see what you can live with....look at fit finish storage..ride motor do you prefer a particular motor...then look at customer service from boat company...check out all the boat forum boards on particular models and se what is being said....

[Waterfoul]

Come on now guys... you should all just by a Triton and be happier than you can ever imagine!

[mikesmiph]

Tritons are definatly near the top of my list

[Durand Dan]

I'm surprised Mac Bass didn't point out that Bass Cat is N0. 1 in the JD Power rankings.