Boat Buying Advice - Nitro 185 Sport

[Mike Schmidt]

Hello all, I'm just starting to think about possibly buying a boat for fishing and skiing. I'm married and have three boys (1,5,7). I love fishing myself but expect that in the years to come the kids will enjoy tubing and skiing as much as fishing, so I'd like to get a boat that covers both bases. I figured I'd get a fishing boat that could handle skiing but then I stopped at a MarineMax yesterday and saw the Nitro 185 Sport which I fell in love with. But I'm a little concerned that it won't handle my fishing needs, which might get more serious as the boys get older. Has anyone had experience with that boat (or the 188)? Would you recommend it?



Thanks!

Mike

 

[C C]

Mike, Welcome to the board. I almost bought a 188 and through the advice of others took a look at a Ranger and for the difference of $200 more I ended up with a Ranger 180 Reata w/a 150 Optimax and every option offered for that model vs. the Nitro 188 w/150 XR6 with the same options. With a deck extension I have more front deck space then any other fish & ski on the market. Tuesday, I ran a GPS with a full tank of gas and me and hit 59 mph, I am still learning how to drive this boat but 100% satisfied with mine. Check my library for pics. There are some 188 and 185 owners here that should chime in on their ownership experiences. Good luck and happy shopping!



Cass

 

[Greg Meyer]

One thing is for sure... You are very welcome to stick around and ask questions and join in the fun... We have some other members from Minnesota so I am sure they will make you feel "at home" here...

 

[Teri C.]

Mike, I bought a 185 Sport last year for mainly fishing but wanted to take all the kids tubing and I occasionally like to ski. I'd say I use it 75% of the time for fishing. I had a kicker plate custom made so I could hang a 9.9 and take it on restricted reserviors. There are pictures in my library.



A few suggestions...Make sure you order the deck extension with it. This gives you much more room up front. I have a 115hp Merc which does fine but I wish I would have got the 150hp. I just put a 2nd fish finder on the bow and the other one is mounted by the throttle. I think its a must to have both. Buy at least one taller seat pole and a pro seat. I am going to purchase one this weekend.



I used my boat to fish some local tournaments and never wished I had a regular bass boat. The decks are a bit small for fishing and there is little space to put 10 rods and reels. Someone around here has a rod holder they built in their library to help with rod storage.



I think you will be happy with the 185 but look at Triton and Rangers fish and ski before purchasing.

 

[Sisco Sisk]

Mike,

I also have a 185 sport and have enjoyed it very much the last couple of years. It was purchased under the impression that the family would like to go out and ski, tube etc, however, We rarely find time between the water park, soccer games and other activities. So...95% of the time I use it to fish. I am considering selling mine and picking up a 640 so if your interested in a used boat, I may be selling mine pretty soon. I have all of the options that Teri menthioned and More. It's never spent a night out of the grarage and been maintained with a lot of tlc.

 

[Paul P]

Mike,



I have a 188 Sport which I bought in 2001. It is my first boat and it has been a fun boat. I have 3 kids ... 7, 10, and 11 years old. It has worked out phenomenally with a young family and with summer vacation we probably end up using it more than 50% for non-fishing recreation (i.e tubing, skiing, cruising).



I have a 115 EFI 4-stroke which has been an excellent motor. Now that I have some experience with the boat I sometimes wish I had moved up to a 150. The 115 tops out at around 46 MPH by the boat speedometer.



A must get is the deck extension to open up your fishing area. I mounted a pedestal base in my deck extension to give me more room in front of the pedestal. The standard pedestal base location makes for tight quarters.



All in all , I would recommend it if you have a young family. I would do it the same way again. I'm still dreaming of a point when it makes sense to buy a pure bass boat.



Paul

 

[Tony banks]

Does anyone know, where I can get a deck extension for my 2003 Nitro 185? I am trying my best to find one. Do they mount on brackets or use some type of support to hold the deck extension in place and allow you to walk on it?

 

[cq]

Google it and see if you can build one. You might search marine salvage, parts and pieces for older boats are hard to find.

 

[Tony banks]

I have looked online, but so far... I can't even find a good picture of one. I wish I could see the construction and if they have any brackets or supports. Since one side has the live well, I would hope it does not require drilling and mounting a bracket on the live well
If anybody has a deck extension, I would really appreciate some information and pictures if possible. I am making some upgrades to my 185, and I promise to share them in the forum. Hopefully, we can all help and learn from each other