[ Post a Response | StriperChaser Fishing News and Views ]
Posted by }<)))*> StriperChaser on October 2, 2005, 8:56 pm By Ray Sasser - The Dallas Morning News Sunday, October 2, 2005 Many modern boats have fuel tanks that hold 50 gallons. Full-sized towing vehicles generally hold more than 30 gallons. Do the math and it’s easy to see how a weekend fishing trip could cost $200 or more in gasoline expenses alone. The problem is such that ESPN’s “Bass Tech” television show addressed it recently. “Bass Tech” is like Monster Garage for bass fishermen. A viewer brings his or her problems to a “Bass Tech” team that includes fishing pros Skeet Reese, Gerald Swindle and Stephen Browning. They’re hip, young guys who mug for the camera. On the recent show, a weekend tournament fan brought in his Chevy crew-cab pickup with a DuraMax diesel and a mega bass boat with a 225-hp Mercury EFI outboard. His complaint: a truck that got 12.5 miles per gallon towing a boat that guzzled fuel on the water. Swindle admits the “Bass Tech” crew got a little “Hollywood” with the solution. They replaced the outboard with a new $14,000 Mercury Optimax 225 that yielded 36 percent better fuel economy. Since the viewer’s truck was a duplicate of Swindle’s, he knew how to tweak it for maximum performance. He put in a high-tech air filter, replaced the exhaust with a Flowmaster system that allows the engine to breathe better, and added horsepower with an aftermarket power chip and programming module. Cost: about $700. Total improvement in economy? About two mpg while pulling a boat.
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Commentary: High fuel prices forcing fishermen to innovate
Higher fuel costs are causing sport fishermen to reconsider their pursuit of fish. Pain at the pump is magnified for the angler who drives a sizable SUV or truck for towing power and pulls a fishing boat behind the vehicle.
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