Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

[rw99]

Hi, all... newbie here to boating with a question on "fish & ski" boats. Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $20k and pick up a very low-hours 2006-2008 model that's already taken its initial depreciation.

I'm looking for one of these to use for tubing, fishing, and cruising. Roughly even distribution of those activities. The smaller models from Tahoe (Q4) and Glastron (185) seem a little cramped; we'd like to accomodate six people comfortably and have a little room to manuever on deck. I anticipate that the typical 4.3L 190 HP I/O would be an appropriate powerplant.

I'd appreciate any input from owners or others well-acquainted with either the Q5 sf or the GT205 sf. Quality, dependability, utility as a fishing boat... let me know your thoughts.

Also: are there other manufacturers that I should consider?

Thanks to everyone for the great info on iboats!

Rich

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Stingray 190fx or 195fx. Its essentially my boat with the addition of the fishing set up. Its a great all around boat.

Here is a good example of one in my area with a fuel injected 4.3 -- sweet! http://nashville.craigslist.org/boa/1341488410.html

 

[jkust]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

The Glastron is decent. At the end of the season here in MN the new 205's sold for less than the new 185's, I don't know how that bodes for used. 6 people and the 190hp are not a good match IMO. Take a look at Four Winns...again end of the season last year new F&S models were cheap and within your range. I am sure others will chime in on the quality and reputation of Tahoe as I have only heard second hand.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

I've only heard anecdotal reports but they are enough for me to question whether I'd buy a Tahoe and definitely whether I'd buy one at BassPro.

 

[rw99]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

The Glastron is decent. At the end of the season here in MN the new 205's sold for less than the new 185's, I don't know how that bodes for used. 6 people and the 190hp are not a good match IMO. Take a look at Four Winns...again end of the season last year new F&S models were cheap and within your range. I am sure others will chime in on the quality and reputation of Tahoe as I have only heard second hand.

Really? 190 HP not enough for 6 in the boat... even though all I'd do is throw one of them out on a tube and sling them around? I won't be using the boat for wakeboarding or skiing.

I was hoping (and maybe this is unrealistic) to keep the power low enough that I'd be able to troll effectively with the I/O at minimum power. I'd like to know what people think about that, too...

Thanks for the quick info, guys.

 

[sbbamafan]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

In response to your question as to power; there are a couple of things to consider.

First, with the exception of 'getting up', a tube puts tremendously more stress on your boat than a wakeboard or ski. This is due to the high level of drag created by the tube.

Second, 4.3, in my opinion, is really not enough power for a 20' boat. People are frequently mislead by HP numbers. It is really a matter of torque. With regard to torque, there is no substitute for cubic inches.

Third, and I am not picking on you for being a newbie, 6 people is a lot of people in a 20' runabout. I know because I have one. That is a lot of weight. I typically have 4 or less as more gets sort of cramped.

Fourth, you say you are "... even though all I'd do is throw one of them out on a tube and sling them around". It is not that simple. You will likely not go 50' out of the 'no wake zone', throw out a person and the tube and cirlce there for 3 or 4 hours and go right back to your trailer. You will also be cruising, etc. You will want / need more oomph. Again, just not enough power or space for what you say you want to do. No one ever complains that they have too much power.

As for brands, there are so many of them and so many are good. Chaparral, Crownline, Four Winns, Regal, Cobalt, etc are all good runabout brands. I am not sure who does Fish/Ski boats. I personally like Glastron because I had one for a long time way back when. At risk of offending anyone, I believe Tahoes are nice looking but they are not so well built. They are basically an 'entry level' boat and this cannot be denied.

Do yourself a favor and don't skimp on your boat - you will regret it.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

the 4.3 is plenty of engine in the 19 foot stingray. They also typically have a trolling motor installed on the front.

The standard prop on it, a 23 pitch aluminum, with the 190 HP and 1.81 gear ratio will pull a 200 pound skier up on a slalom and still hit close to 55 MPH.

We have 6-8 people in ours all the time, but its 4 adults and kids.

 

[rw99]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

No one ever complains that they have too much power.

Well, I have. If you've ever tried to spend all day trolling but the boat just won't rumble along slow enough on its motor, you know what I'm talking about. I don't want to add a kicker, either. I guess an alternative would be to upgrade the electric trolling motor, but then battery capacities might be limiting.

But like I said above, I'm just not sure if it's even possible to have it both ways: enough power to tow a tube around, while still capable of throttling back all the way to a nice low-speed troll.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

imho the nicest F & S is the Bayliner 205.

 

[Yreka]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Well, I have. If you've ever tried to spend all day trolling but the boat just won't rumble along slow enough on its motor, you know what I'm talking about. I don't want to add a kicker, either. I guess an alternative would be to upgrade the electric trolling motor, but then battery capacities might be limiting.

But like I said above, I'm just not sure if it's even possible to have it both ways: enough power to tow a tube around, while still capable of throttling back all the way to a nice low-speed troll.

Trolling Plate

 

[rw99]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Yah, there were probably 56 people reading my posts and saying "trolling plate, moron"...

Thanks for the link! This is going to be an extended education.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Have you look at Skeeter, Ranger, Nitro, and Triton? These are fishing boat makers and have nice F&S boats. They're all outboard so if your heart is set on inboard then forget about it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

I think the most nicely laid out F&S boats are made by the aluminum manufactures. I just posted these to another member's thread when we were brainstorming some ideas for the interior of his project boat

http://www.crestliner.com/Page.aspx/...Hawk-1800.aspx
http://www.fisherboats.com/boat/gallery.cfm?boat=3174
http://www.sylvanmarine.com/Showroom...el=1800 D C

In my opinion, the majority of the fiberglass F&S boats look like someone stuck a trolling motor on the front of a ski boat.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

In my opinion, the majority of the fiberglass F&S boats look like someone stuck a trolling motor on the front of a ski boat.

Exactly! Now fishing boat modified to ski is totally different.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Lol, I guess one could say the aluminum F&S's look like someone stuck a skier behind a fishing boat

 

[jkust]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Really? 190 HP not enough for 6 in the boat... even though all I'd do is throw one of them out on a tube and sling them around? I won't be using the boat for wakeboarding or skiing.

I was hoping (and maybe this is unrealistic) to keep the power low enough that I'd be able to troll effectively with the I/O at minimum power. I'd like to know what people think about that, too...

Thanks for the quick info, guys.

Well a lot of it comes down to weight of the boat and weight of the passengers with that 190hp. A 20 foot Glastron weighs more than a 19 foot Stingray and less than an 18 foot Chaparral. Depending on how much fuel and how much the passengers weigh, absolutly 190hp will just get you by but depending on how it is propped, getting out of the hole can be slow without even towing. Of course there are modifications and addon's that can make that less true. We have done 6 people one time being 4 adults and 2 small kids, full tank, 33gals, of gas and light gear. Just having two extra adults on board killed my hole shot and I am propped with a 21" oem but the ride is great. It is tough to compare across brands as some are meant for a sturdy ride and have significantly more heft built in and others are light with modified hulls for speed but have the same power so it is tempting to compare. If it were my money and planned to do what you describe, a 5.0 either mpi or carb on that large a boat would be my minimum. Much easier in my experience to find higher hp engines at that 20 foot and above mark versus under it even if the option was available. A test ride is really the best way to figure all this out but make sure the boat is loaded with fuel and gear, etc the way you would use it. For example, when it is just me and one of my boys with maybe 5 gallons of gas, my boat screams and will overrev looking like it has a lot more oomph than it does. 52mph on gps is satisfying for a boat that heavy when lightly loaded but load it up like I usually use it and reality sets in.

 

[rw99]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

How about one bump, just to see if anyone that missed this the first time 'round would like to pitch in...

When I look at the Glastron and the Tahoe (now I know that I should call them SKI and Fish boats, not FISH and Ski boats) in their fishing configurations, I wonder if there's really room up on the front deck to use the mounted chair and operate the foot pedal (trolling motor) comfortably. It looks kinda cramped in some of the pictures I've seen... and there just aren't any of these in stock near me for me to check out in person.

 

[heathk2003]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

Should be able to find a glastron gxl 205 ski & fish ( nicer than the gt 205 or the tahoe ) for under $20k. Here is a link to the boat test video of the boat.
http://www.boattest.com/Partners/Partner-Main.aspx?lp_id=3211015&T=BOAT-TEST&Videoid=1235&p=0&s=

 

[jfachner72]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

As an owner of a Glastron GS205 with a 5.7 LX, Alpha 1 250HP I will tell you that 190 is not enough HP for the boat.

I pull the skiers, tubers, and mess around with some of the faster boats and I dont think I could do any of that with 60 less HP.

As far as quality, I have looked at the Q4 and the Q5 and I think the 'tron is a better built boat that is backed by a better company (Glastron not Genmar).

If your interested I am planning to sell my 205 so I can move into a GS249.

I can send you pics...... She is a few years older but 1/2 the price......


Jason

 

[chemisti]

Re: Fish & ski boats: Tahoe Q5 sf or Glastron GT205 sf?

IMHO: The first question to answer is "Do I want a fishing boat that I can ski/tube behind or do I want a ski boat that I can fish out of?

GLASTRON GS 205 SF is a skiboat that you can do a little fishing out of.

My boat is:
GLASTRON GS 205 SF
MERCRUISER 5.7L ALPHA ONE
CARB (NOT INJECTED)
677 hours on motor

ADD ONS:
19 PITCH MERC HIGH-FIVE PROP (kick-*** sking prop!) Great lift and holeshot.
TROLLING MOTOR MOUNTED ON A REMOVABLE PLATE THAT IS STOWED WHEN NOT IN USE.
BIMINI TOP (Will never own another boat without it.)
R.A.M. ROD HOLDERS AND FISHFINDER MOUNT (Again - great stuff!)


GOOD STUFF:
Excellent boat to ski behind with my setup - will easily pull 2 skiers on slaloms with 3 adults in the boat. Wake is nice and the boat will pull all day at 2600 to 3200 RPM.
My top speed with 2 adults is ~52 mph
Fair amount of storage.
I have fished for bass and striper out of this boat.
Loved it when my kids were young - spent hours pulling tubes, skiing, and fishing for bluegill.
Livewill will keep bass alive for several hours.
Boat has been well maintained - and while it shows its age - it still runs great.

KNOCKS:
Fit and finish of equivalent boats dramatically improved in the same updated model that was produced 2-4 years later. Would strongly suggest looking for a model from the early 2000s.
Would prefer to have snap-in carpet offered later.
Rear deck/engine access design is lacking
This boat (like most 20 footers) is a little small on big lakes if the water is rough.
Seats (padding an upholstery) did not last - should've redone my boat several years ago.
Wish a real swim platform had been offered.
Fishing features are compromised (not much tackle/rod storage).

FINAL ANALYSIS:
We purchased this boat as a "compromise" boat brand new in 1999. While it is not a great fishing boat - it is quite functional. I have spent many hours alone or with another guy fishing for black bass and stripers (Lake Texoma) in this boat. It is one of the finest ski runabouts on the market and with 1-2 people in the boat, it approaches the experience of skiing behind a competition boat (I have and it really does.) It has been the perfect purchase for my family. My kids have now grown (one gone and the second gone next summer) and our boating wants are now changing. I waterski only once or twice each summer now.

For the first ten years we had this boat, we would often have combinations of 6 - 8 adults and kids in the boat and could keep everyone happy for hours on end doing a little of everything - cruising, tubing, fishing, and skiing.

Great boat - does exactly what it was designed to do.

I would not purchase this boat with less than a 5.0L Fuel Injected V-8.