Ranger Reata?'s

[MIDNIGHT777]

Well, I just put $ down on a new (to me) Ranger Reata 1850. It is a pre-owned 2007 with 2007 Yamaha F150 on the back (in mint condition). I have a few questions for anyone with a similar boat.

1. It comes with a Terrova 80 bow mount with a 54" shaft. I am wondering if 54 is long enough? My PD60" on my current Alumacraft comes out of the water from time to time when it is windy.

2. I called Brian at Whitecaps today and he cannot even make splash guards for this boat. Do I have to worry about water coming over the back if back trolling?

3. The previous owner mounted all 3 batteries in the back of the boat. I am putting a T8 on the back. I am afraid there is going to be way to much weight in the back of the boat??

Everything I have read about this boat has been positive. Coming from an aluminum boat I understand the ride is significantly better with the fiberglass. I would appreciate any other comments/suggestions/pointers anyone can offer.

It has always been a dream to own a glass boat like this and I am very excited to take delivery!!!!!

Thanks, Matt

[polarsusd81]

Matt, sounds like you picked up a nice boat. I had the pleasure of riding in Perch Jerkers on Mille Lacs in October and it is a sweet boat. You will very much love the ride. The difference with his boat is Mercury's vs the Yamahas you have/will have. I am sure he will pipe in here though with a lot of useful information. Setting the boat up with a kicker is really a good way to go, and I have to tell you, the way he had the rails set up with the rod holders and ram mounts for GPS and Sonar was unfreakinbelievable. I would highly recommend doing something like that if you are planning to fish skies or eyes. I can only assume that you do plan to do so with the kicker.

Edit - forgot to mention that I am very jelous.

[Northlander]

Dont worry about the whitecaps. Its not a back trolling boat anyways. Get a good kicker and use your bow mount and you will be fine.

Nice boat.

[PerchJerker]

I have an 1850, and a buddy bought one a year after I got mine.

My bow mount is a 54" shaft, I think his is also. It's what Ranger recommends for that boat. I've never had a problem with it being too short, the bows on Rangers ride low in the water and don't come up very fast in the waves. I've considered upgrading to a 60" shaft but after 3 seasons on the water I haven't felt the need.

I don't think you can get splashguards for that boat. I've looked at mine and don't see a way to get them to work unless you want to give up access to the hatches in back where the swim ladder is stowed. Due to their transom designs most glass boats are not really designed to backtroll, using your bowmount and going into the wind will work better for you. I've done a little backtrolling with mine but if there's much for waves I don't backtroll. I've got two different sizes of drift socks and between them, the kicker, and the bowmount I can effectively fish any situation.

I have a kicker and so does my buddy. We both have our deep cycles in the front storage but have both considered moving them to the back. Ranger won't put them in back so the previous owner or his dealer must have done it. I don't think moving the batteries is going to make a noticable difference in the ride or in how the boat floats, it's an extremely stable boat and even having 1 or 2 guys in there and moving around doesn't do much to lean the boat.

What side are you putting your kicker on? I had mine on the passenger side but am having it moved to the driver's side. If it's too much weight on that side I am going to try offsetting if by moving the 2 trolling batteries to the back on the passenger side.

I think you'll like the boat. They all have their little "quirks" to get used to regarding handling, docking, launching, loading, etc. But we've both been really happy with our boats. We both do a lot of family time in the boat, with young kids, and it's really a great compromise for family boat that can do some serious fishing.

Polar got a great chance to check out the ride that night on Mille Lacs, we toured the whole northern half of the lake .... although I think he dozed off on the ride back to Appledoorns

[polarsusd81]

Hey man, the ride was that smooth, what can I say. That boat was awesome to run through those waves out there.

[MIDNIGHT777]

Thanks for the replies and the good information !!!! PerchJerker I knew you had a Ranger and thought it was the Reata, but I was not positive.

You are correct in regards to the batteries; the previous owner relocated them in the back on the driver’s side. I thought the reasoning was to take weight off the bow to get on plane faster and to put more weight on the driver side for some reason??? I plan on putting the T8 on the passenger side. It is going to be a tiller handle steer, which is the way my current boat is set up and the way I am most comfortable with.

I am going to have to experiment a little with the kicker as this will be the first one for me. My former wheel boat I used a Minnkota Vantage with splash guards to back troll a lot except when it got really windy.

Did you put chrome rails on the rear of your boat, if so what length?? This is something I want to have done to mount rod holders to. I also want to put a LMS520c on the back passenger side to view while running the kicker.

Thanks, Matt

[PerchJerker]

Midnight - just a hunch, but I have an idea of who sold you the boat, what you said about the batteries reminded me. Send me an email if you would, [email protected].

I've always had tiller controlled kickers, and always on the passenger side. When I got this boat I was tempted to put it on the drivers side, but in the end I decided to stay on the passenger side. But now I'm having it moved now to the driver's side, there's nothing wrong with it on the passenger side, I just think I'll be happier with it on the other side.

I hate to break it to you but I don't think you're going to be overly impressed with how this boat backtrolls if there's waves .... like Northlander and I said, the transom just isn't designed for it on many glass wheel boats.

I've got grab rails on the back and the front of my boat. I don't know the length but I went with the longest ones available. In the back they run from just behind the windshield to about the middle or back of the jumpseats. In the bow they are 2 or 2.5 feet long. I've got a lot of Lowrance networking stuff set-up in my boat, including a 332c that I use on the rail by the kicker (which is really an awesome setup).

[delmuts]

perch jerker. got any pictures to help him see how yours is set up?