Dan,

Thanks for the advice you gave me on Sea Fox a couple of months ago.
I've had my 197 center console for several weeks now and I am very
satisfied. I've taken her out to a couple of artificial reefs off
Morehead City, NC on nice days, and felt very comfortable. I have alot
to learn about boats and about SW fishing, but I think this boat will
service my needs for a long time.

This newgroup has certainly helped me out immensely.

Thanks again, John

Johnny D wrote:

Dan,

Thanks for the advice you gave me on Sea Fox a couple of months ago.
I've had my 197 center console for several weeks now and I am very
satisfied. I've taken her out to a couple of artificial reefs off
Morehead City, NC on nice days, and felt very comfortable. I have alot
to learn about boats and about SW fishing, but I think this boat will
service my needs for a long time.

This newgroup has certainly helped me out immensely.

Thanks again, John


John,

Glad it worked out for you. It's a good boat for the price. What motor
did you get?

Dan

I opted for the 115 Suzuki 4 stroke, as recommended by the dealer. It
seems to have plenty of power for the hull. I don't regret (at least
not yet) bypassing the 150, especially in the pocket book.

This combination let me get a new boat instead of a used one, which
made the wifey happy.

Johnny D wrote:

I opted for the 115 Suzuki 4 stroke, as recommended by the dealer. It
seems to have plenty of power for the hull. I don't regret (at least
not yet) bypassing the 150, especially in the pocket book.

This combination let me get a new boat instead of a used one, which
made the wifey happy.


I have the same. Mine is a Mercury 115 4 stroke with a Yamaha power
head. I rarely have the opportunity to run it at WOT. A 150 would be
nice, but the extra HP can't be used that often unless you have a
perfect day on the water. I've never read anything bad about Suzuki.

The fuel economy is outstanding. I ran over two hours to Bimini
(Bahamas island) and burned less then 15 gallons of fuel with a good two
hours of trolling before I made the trip. I only know this because I
filled up in Ft. Lauderdale and I didn't believe the fuel gauge when it
showed only a 1/4 tank was used so I topped it off there.

Enjoy!

Dan

You are right about the fuel economy - I filled up at the coast last
week, and after 5 days, I still have 1/2 a tank for my next trip. I've
only run at WOT for a couple of minutes, mainly to see how it handles.

Did you put rod holders on the console?

Johnny D wrote:
You are right about the fuel economy - I filled up at the coast last
week, and after 5 days, I still have 1/2 a tank for my next trip. I've
only run at WOT for a couple of minutes, mainly to see how it handles.

Did you put rod holders on the console?

Mine came with rod holders similar to these...

http://tinyurl.com/murg3

I added only outriggers for the type of fishing here.

http://www.leetackle.com/gunnel.htm

Those are the mounts. I bought these outriggers:

http://www.tacomarine.com/item--Tele...utriggers.html

They are expensive but easy to transport to and from the boat.

Dan