Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › MY NEW EYRA,… My first review
imdr911.
Well, I have a total of 20 hours on my boat now so I can comment on a few things at this point. Hopeully it will be of help to someone.Much of this will be in comparison to my last boat, which was a 2007 Skeeter 20i with a HPDI 250.The quality of the boat and trailer is outstanding. I could just stare at it all day… if Lisa would let me!! The holeshot is excellent now that I have determined a good motor height and learned how the boat reacts to trim. The fishability of it is top notch. I love the storage layout as well.Also, when walking from one side of the boat to the other, the boat remains very stable. It doesnt tip or tilt as much as some of the other boats i have owned. My first boat owned was a 1987 Stratos with a Johnson 150:O). My second I bought new. It was a 1999 Champion 191 Elite with a 200 Merc. 3rd..bought used..was a 2001 Gambler Intimidator with a Merc 225. Then I bought a new 2007 Skeeter 20i with a Yamaha HPDI 250. Up to this point the Skeeter was my favorite. It had a huge fishing platform, was very stable, easy to drive, yada, yada, yada……. This Basscat has now become my favorite boat. Both my Champ. and Skeeter were bought by friends in my fishing club . So i see them all the time:O).I thought my skeeter was amazing at staying on plane at slow speed. I could be going about 23ish and still be on plane. Thats better than my other boats. BUT, my Eyra is even better. I can stay on plane at a mere 22 mph. Perhaps even less. I dont recall the exact speed. Everyone has their motor preference. I have had Johnson, 2 Merc.s, and 2 yamahas. I like my current motor the best by far. I have the SHO 250. I find the powerband to be excellent. It is as smooth as silk, and very quiet. I love that ppl. constantly comment on hardly being able to hear it running. I can even hold a conversaton while driving at speed. I havent had it out in rough water yet but i have no doubt it will impress me.Lastly, i was just at a tournament on a really hot day. I had a limit of smallies. My fish were noticeably more lively than that of the other peoples. A guy noticed and commented, “wow those BC livewells do a good job!” :O) A couple of my fish were hooked really badly but still made it… In summary: I would chose this same boat and set up again.I hope this is of benefit to someone on the market to buy.Rob
Good luck and rest assured you will only like it more as times goes by!
thanks. Continually learning new things with the boat. Little subtle things keep popping out. Everything is made so well, and very sturdy.
Thank you for taking your time to give this assessment and for cooperatively working through the rumble strips you had on the set up and the gauges. We are always here to help when we can and dont hesitate to pick the phone up if you need something. There are well over a 100 years experience in the Bass Cat service area and they are a wealth of information. BCB
Great looking boat too. Hint, hint…. Lets see some pics!
I know you are just getting used to your Eyra but I am curious how you have your center front compartments organized. I am not a tackle junkie but I carry about 12-14 Plano boxes plus 4-5 soft sided worm bags. I fish a lot of buddy tournaments so I would like to leave the back compartments for my partner (who is a tackle junkie but catches more fish so I have to put up with him). Do you have enough space up front for all your gear? The local dealer has the twin to your Eyra for sale but I want to make sure it will work.
Swatter did you see the pics?? I have some in my profile.Dennis: I am still experimenting with tackle organization. I am very particular, neat and organized when it comes to that. I had to clarify quickly that its only in the tackle department that Im that neat and organized bc if my girlfriend reads it she will choke with laughter!:O)so far I like having all of my bulky items in the back compartments. I am keeping the plano plastic boxes with crankbaits, and lighter items in the front center. It seems to run better like that. I have seen some interesting arrangements in this boat by googling and viewing others. I think it can accomodate virtually any style you prefer, as there is ample space. My friend Steve is a tackle junkie and he was very impressed. He saw a lot of potential in holding his gear:O) There is sooo much space. You can get really creative to make it work for you. My other boats were arranged in such a way that you had to organize according to their layout. I think this boat gives you freedom to do things your way. I hope this helps you Dennis…. Feel free to call me if youd like. 413-218-8718 RobbieThe guys are here can probably help more than me…. and BCB is always there for you and never unaccessible.I wake up every morning 10 minutes early to have a coffee with my boat:O)
Here is a short article that I wrote describing the things I liked about the two Eyras that I have owned. They are awesome boats for sure!!http://www.fishwithmojo.com/bceyra.html
Nice summary Rob. Its going to be fun reading about your experience as you get to know this baby better. Hope you leave a hot cup of coffee for the GF so she doesnt get to jealous of your other baby.
I think i have learned to drive my boat. I had a big smile on my face today!!! I had my worked 25 T1 on today. I was anxious to try it out. My RPMs were ballparl 6050 ish. In the past they were over 6100. I looked at my GPS as i let go of the pedal and it read 79mph! I was thrilled! I could have gotten more but i let off due to the upcoming shoreline:O)!!I was thrilled that i was able to overcome chine walking first of all. Secondly or perhaps tied for first, i was thrilled that “Eyra”…thats her name by the way:O) was able to hit that speed! Now i need to take her to a larger body of water and see what the deal is. I want to see what my best setting is. I dont know if the plate is at the sweet spot or not. Has to be close.WIth the plate any higher, it gravitates once out of the hole. Any suggestions guys? How do you know when the prop. is ideal? In other words lets say I get 80 mph at 6070 RPM. Do I want to work the prop until it only gets 6000RPM? Whats the redline on the SHO? I can calibrate my trim too. I wonder if i should calibrate it so that when trim is in best top speed position the gauge reads 100%, or just remember the magic number….. OCD sucks!!!!
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