TackleTour

Hello,

I was looking into the RT178 this winter with a 60hp Mercury. I do not fish tournaments so I do not a need fast boat. I fish into creeks where it gets shallow so the 60hp weight is appealing. Im more interested in the stable fishing platform ive been reading about than the performance.

I saw the RT188 at a local Cabela's a few weeks ago and fell in love with the front deck. The rod ramp for the co-angler is cool as well.

If I purchased the RT188 with a 60hp Mercury, how would the performance (hole shot, top end) differ from the RT178? The 188 is 100lbs heavier and 1 ft longer - 17'8" vs 18'8" (same width).

The ranger site says the RT178 with 60hp will do 31-35mph. Is it safe to assume I will get 28-33 or so?

Thanks!
-Z

Because 2 of the local lakes that I fish have a 25hp restriction my RT178 has a 25hp motor on it. By myself the boat does 20mph across the lake. The 60hp will do better, but think where you will be on the sluggish side is if you have a passenger with a full tank of gas and the boat loaded with gear. By your self, I think the 60hp would be fine.