Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › Caracal vs Eyra
Hmrtime74.
I think for what you have describe, the Caracal would be a great choice. I think at 70 mph both boats will handle the same. I have the Caracal and i am very satisfied with the layout and the handling of the boat. The ride in big water is awesome and the deck space for two people (with ALL my rods) is more that sufficient. The stability of the boat while fishing, especially when a cruiser goes by and leaves a huge wake, is better than any other boat i have fished. Feel free to give me a call if you have any more questions. Joe 6784784704 Pro-Tec Productswww.protecproducts.com
I just wouldnt ever ever ever buy a boat not at its full HP rating. Sure the eyra is rated for 300 but the standard is a 250. Resale is gonna happen and I dont care what anyone says here- no one likes to be in that situation on a resale.If youre truly ok with 70 Id just get a Caracal. Ive driven and fished a new caracal a fair amount, I have ridden in an Eyra and fished out of one quite a bit as well.The Caracal with a new Bravo would be great for holeshot and 70-71 when loaded(gas in belly tank, two guys, real tackle load).Front deck is only second to the Jag(which I think is the 80%) of the caracal hull design.Cost wise the Caracal might be a tad cheaper but it wont be much with nice electronics and good level of options so I wouldnt expect price to be a driver.Eyra is faster, gives nothing at all away to Caracal on ride, smaller deck, different storage, and will obviously run away from a caracal with both loaded and maxed on HP.So its the same old speed vs design cause buying a boat thats mounted well under max HP gonna be a PITA at some pointC.O.D. Jr. III
I havent driven or fished out of either boat, but I do read this forum a lot and have noticed many guys say the same thing, the Caracal requires the right prop and load displacement for good hole shot. So if you go that route, again just from what I have read here a hydraulic jack plate is a must if you want good hole shot. Again I have ZERO first hand experience with either model.
MossBoss,I recently had the opportunity to squeeze a brand new 2014 Eyra into the confines of my garage and I jumped all over it. Boat is a 2014 Eyra with a 225 ProXS and is one of last years show special configurations. I picked her up from Sherms just 3 days prior to the IA Bass Nation touney out of Prairie the beginning of May and got to grind through engine break in running lock to lock on the Upper Mississippi. When I finally got to where I could run her wide open throttle I was shocked. The picture below shows speed with all my gear, me solo, and about 20 gallons of gas running down river.For the tournament I decided to lock up and there were several 250 equipped rigs that got to see my 225 run by. I know that there are those folks out there that are hesitant to purchase a 20 boat that is rated for a 250 with only a 225 on it, but there were quite a few guys the first morning that might have had second thoughts to that line of thinking. That morning running up river with a full tank of gas and a partner and all his gear (he may have been 150 soaking wet lol) we saw speeds that were north of 75 mph. In regards to the Eyra being a drivers boat I agree 100%. Over 71 you really have to drive this boat. Although its much easier with a partner than it was solo.The afternoon of the first day winds came up from the south and running back down the main channel was less than pleasant. The Eyra handles rougher water with ease and doesnt beat the crap out of you doing it. I have not had the opportunity to run in a Caracal, Cougar, or Puma, but this boat handles the rough stuff better than any other rig Ive been in. Granted I did get the chance to crawl around a new Caracal and the front deck is HUGE, and if I was limited on garage space I would look at that over another of the premium boats. The price point is pretty close to a standard Eyra, Puma ftd, or Cougar ftd so I would be hard pressed to choose it over one of the 250 equipped rigs at similar option levels.That being said, I probably live a little further south than you do, but I get up to pools 9/10 several times a year and would love to take you for a ride and let you crawl around in an Eyra if you are so inclined. Also feel free to PM me if you are interested in the options on my rig and about what I paid for her.Good luck with your decision,MikeLast edited by Hmrtime74 on May 29th, 2015, 3:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
My disclaimer: Ive never driven or seen a Caracal. That said, I can tell you that the Eyra is, in my opinion, the ultimate river boat. It fits into tight places, maneuvers easily on a 24v troller, rolls off of logs and stumps without hanging, and runs like a mofo when you need to cover some ground. Mine was battle tested on the Red and I can vouch that it is a fishing machine for that environment. I agree that you should buy it with the 250 and two power poles for resale and to make it efficient for the type of fishing youll be doing.
Hmrtime74 wrote:MossBoss,I recently had the opportunity to squeeze a brand new 2014 Eyra into the confines of my garage and I jumped all over it. Boat is a 2014 Eyra with a 225 ProXS and is one of last years show special configurations. I picked her up from Sherms just 3 days prior to the IA Bass Nation touney out of Prairie the beginning of May and got to grind through engine break in running lock to lock on the Upper Mississippi. When I finally got to where I could run her wide open throttle I was shocked. The picture below shows speed with all my gear, me solo, and about 20 gallons of gas running down river.For the tournament I decided to lock up and there were several 250 equipped rigs that got to see my 225 run by. I know that there are those folks out there that are hesitant to purchase a 20 boat that is rated for a 250 with only a 225 on it, but there were quite a few guys the first morning that might have had second thoughts to that line of thinking. That morning running up river with a full tank of gas and a partner and all his gear (he may have been 150 soaking wet lol) we saw speeds that were north of 75 mph. In regards to the Eyra being a drivers boat I agree 100%. Over 71 you really have to drive this boat. Although its much easier with a partner than it was solo.The afternoon of the first day winds came up from the south and running back down the main channel was less than pleasant. The Eyra handles rougher water with ease and doesnt beat the crap out of you doing it. I have not had the opportunity to run in a Caracal, Cougar, or Puma, but this boat handles the rough stuff better than any other rig Ive been in. Granted I did get the chance to crawl around a new Caracal and the front deck is HUGE, and if I was limited on garage space I would look at that over another of the premium boats. The price point is pretty close to a standard Eyra, Puma ftd, or Cougar ftd so I would be hard pressed to choose it over one of the 250 equipped rigs at similar option levels.That being said, I probably live a little further south than you do, but I get up to pools 9/10 several times a year and would love to take you for a ride and let you crawl around in an Eyra if you are so inclined. Also feel free to PM me if you are interested in the options on my rig and about what I paid for her.Good luck with your decision,MikeMike, you wear that Sabre out! LOL!! I got no room to talk Dan
That HDS 9 is too small for that boat. You need a 12. Ill pm you my address and take that 9 off your hands…lol. great looking ride…..
MeanV2 wrote:ike, you wear that Sabre out! LOL!! I got no room to talk Dan,I managed to put almost the exact same number of hours you had put on her before she got a return visit to Wabash. Hopefully we both keep our current rigs a smidge longer! Mike
Basscatdreams wrote:That HDS 9 is too small for that boat. You need a 12. Ill pm you my address and take that 9 off your hands…lol. great looking ride…..BCDIll make you a deal…..if I get lucky enough to qualify for the state team (and the lowrance discout) this year, I will be certain to send you the first pm regarding upgrades.Ill tell my wife Im getting old and the 9s are hurting my eyes…Mike
My P4 is now 12 years old and rising, I am 46 and rising, and starting to think about buying a long term investment boat, which actually has me thinking new this time. Looking for a 15 year boat. Starting to get into full research mode. I have pretty much narrowed it down to these two models, which I realize are quite different. I also realize that the Caracal is quite new, so there may not be alot of info on it available, but hopefully some. I fish the majority of my time on the Upper Mississippi River. Im looking for a boat that will go 70, but dont need to go 75. I like the size of my P4 now, would not want to go smaller, but not go much bigger either. Holeshot and handling are more important than flatout top end on the Miss. Fishing more team tournaments than individuals these days, and my boys are getting older and more into fishing so spending more time fishing with them too. The deck width on the Caracal seems like it would be excellent for fishing with the boys. I believe the Eyra is often said to be Cats best handling boat, which would be great for slough running up here. The tight cockpit and “sitting down in” the Eyra is actually a positive to me. I love the layout of both boats storage, both probably better than my P4 (whos layout is also excellent and I like). A few questions that come to mind comparing the 2 models. Assuming a 225 on either boat.1) Any advantage to one hull or the other in holeshot with the same motors and the right prop?2) I assume the Erya will be the faster and better handling rig?3) Cost difference with the same equipment (I suspect Erya is more $$)4) How does the size of the Erya front deck compare to my P4?I will probably think of more questions, but those are on my mind as of right now. Thanks for any info
The Eyra is slightly more expensive usually, though we have not checked difference on the new 2018 pricing that releases next week.
Thanks BCBPlease change my user name to Firecat
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