Sea Pro verses Key Largo

[jwelsh]

anybody can help me with some personal imput on a SEA PRO verses KEY LARGO, 20' 6" or 23ft. in each boat. plus Yamaha verses Merk, Optimax. 2 or 4 strock.

[jrocket567]

I have a 19' Sea Pro with a 90 hp 2-stroke yamaha- Love the boat- not exactly a grady, but it does what I need it to do. 4 strokes are much more quieter and fuel efficient, but add more weight on the transom, and don't exactly have the 'kick in the pants' that a 2-stroke has. Not quite sure the motor sizes that would be on the 23', but if I was going to go buy another smaller CC like my SeaPro, I would not upgrade to the four-stroke. Now if the engine is bigger, I would definalty go with the four stroke. Pop's Grady has a 225 Yamaha four stroke, and it is amazing. In the bigger category, the get up and go isnt quite as important (or atleast to me), and the added weight is insignificant. Also, the fumes from a 225 hp 2 stroke are pretty strong. Youll hear arguments all day long on both sides of the fence, but if you want to go fast and get going quick, and dont plan on taking SWMBO out much, save the dough and go with a 2-stroke. If you plan on trolling alot and will use the boat for family outings, go with the 4.
my $.02, hope that helps
JP
"KwikRelease"

[rickrider]

I also have a 19' Sea Pro but with a 115 4 stroke yamaha. Jrocket is right about the hole shot. Mine doesn't jump up on top like 2 strokes but is great on everything else. I have been catfishing this winter and don't have to worry about warm up on below freezing days. It starts and goes. It is very quiet and does great on fuel. It will push my boat in the mid 40's wide open. I love my 4 stroke but again, that's just my 2 cents. I have been in the lower Rappahannock and just out of the river in the bay. I have to pick my days because a little wind and big swells make my boat get small. I would prefer a 23 footer if spending most of my time in the bay. The water can change fast out there. For all the different fishing I do, I'm happy with my boat but I haven't been on many other brands to help you there.

[Big Kahuna]

I have a Sea Pro 23 bay boat version with a Johnson 225 and a super motor guide on the bow. It is a great boat for the money. It is certified for 10 people for when your whole family wants a ride and when fishing it is a great platform with 2 live wells and 2 fish boxes plus the cooler seat for the cool ones. I have owned a lot of boats from 14' to 45 and no one boat does it all. I have considered the Grady 232 or Sailfish and the Parker 2520 XL to get a head for the ladies and some more weather protection, but I can't bring myself to pull the trigger for all that money considering the few times the ladies go out and when it is that cold and miserable I would rather be inside by the fire watching TV. You have to decide how you are going to use the boat. You can go anywhere in the bay with my boat and yes the water is always bigger even when I owned my 45 footer. You always have to use good sense regardless of the size of the boat. ie. Titanic !
I will be glad to answer any other questions if you want to B or E mail me. With my Sea Pro I can go from no water to all the water I want to fish in and I could not do that with the Grady or Parker models I like. Good Luck!

[RPA]

My fishing partner and I have 2003 21’ Sea Pro CC and love the boat. The boat is outfitted with Yamaha 150 2- stroke and T-top. We bought boat used early last year and got a great deal. Hence the two stroke. Would have preferred the four-stroke because of the fuel efficiency, lack of two-stroke odor but again got a great deal. We have a 30-horse Merc four-stroke on a skiff and all the commentary is true quite ect… For the hole shot both works fine. I know we are not comparing apples to apples but we are talking fishin not racing boat or ski boat. Back to the boat… My family loves the boat plenty of seating and the center console has the head (never used) mostly used for storage. Had 25’ Welcraft WA and have more room to roam on the Sea Pro CC. Lost the cabin, but no boat will do everything. Not a big deal because we have a place at Smith Point to stay. I could never sell my wife on the center console until she got on this boat. We always had a WA or cuddy. Had the boat enclosed for cold weather trolling and over night stays on short cruses, turned out awesome. Used the boat from April up until late January. I would recommend the T-top provides plenty of road storage and protection. For rough seas- got caught in some bad weather and she got me home safe. The boat really perfoms well 0’ –2.5’ seas. After that need to slow down and taker easy and get off the water. I am really impressed with the ride overall and the layout is great. Plenty of livewell space (one on each side of the rear seat), bolster seat and a nice area at the bow to lounge and a deap cooler seat in the front of the CC.

I looked at some Key Largo boats at the Richmond boat show about five years ago and was not real impressed with the quality. It just seamed thinner and gave me the impression that it wasn’t going to handle well in the bay. Never test-drove the boat but just my fist impression. However, from what I remember the price seemed good. My neighbor just boat the same Sea Pro used and did a lot of research before he made the purchase. He bought it this winter and hasn’t made the first run in it yet. He told me that the Merc and the Yamaha up until I think this year are same. Not sure but something to look into. Love our Sea Pro. Good Luck

[jwelsh]

Hey Pal, thanks for the info.it really helps ,comming from a owner.
again, thanks.

Joe

[playbyplay]

I have a 2003 Seapro 1850 skiff w/ 90 4 stroke Merc. Regarding the boat, a stress crack developed in the hull along a running strake. I have had a terrible time trying to get my dealer to repair. The dealer blames Seapro and Seapro blames the dealer. Bottom line is I fixed it my self and vowed never to buy another Seapro. In addition, I have replaced all of my console switches, the fiberglass is cracked around the live well and my running lights don't work. The Merc has been okay but it will take a bit to get it onto plane.
Good Luck

[guzzi]

I have a 236 key largo with the yamaha 250hpdi on the back. I've only been in one sea pro so far 23 foot and can say that The key largo is a much smoother and safer ride when it comes to taking a wave. I fished almost all day yesterday when most people went home with a steady set of 4 - 5 footers come at me. I was able to drive home at around 15 knots without getting all banged up.

[rappahanockman]

One of my co-workers bought a new Key Largo and is having
a lot of trouble with cracks in the hull. He has been fighting the
factory for a year now and it looks like they are going to court
rather than stand behind their Warranty.

[capt. dave]

You might want to look at a couple other brands before you commmit to one. I have a 2520 Parker/225 Johnson 2 stroke and like it very much. True they cost more but you can't break them.

I also have a 17 CC Sea Hunt/90 Johnson 2 stroke that so far seems to be OK for fishing the marsh and the creeks. I've used it in the Bay too on nice days. I put a set of fins on the lower unit to get the nose down because the motor trim didn't do a real effective job.