Engine Hours Question

From what I've read and found this question is very regional and dependant on the type of boat. In our northern climate, I have read from 35-50 hours on a main engine is fairly typcial of an active angler. Of course that's keeping in mind that this is for a typcial fishing boat that would use a kicker or electric for trolling. Obviously if you look at a BT, the hours are likely to be significantly more simply due to the type of boat.

I have a tendancy to believe this based on the hours that my engine had on it when purchaced. My boat was purchaced from a MN guide on Mille Lacs. Was also used for tourny fishing on the side, The engine was installed in the late august of 06' and I purchaced the boat during the spring of 08'. The guide took delivery of his new boat, I beieve in the late spring/early summer of 07', at which point my rig was retired. Basically he ran the boat the fall of 06' and spring of 07'. Probably 1/2 to 2/3s of what I consider a failry standard fishing season. The engine had 82 hours on it at purchase. I've used the boat for 3 seasons and now have 160+- hours on the smartcraft monitor. So I've added an additional 80 hours since the purchace, about 26.66 hrs per year average. Actually I put 40 on the first year and only 18 on last season (last year was an anommily for me, damn house building). Funny thing is I put more fish in the wet well last year than I had in the previous two years combined!

I've found, unless you use it for trolling or making alot of long runs, It's simply hard for the average angler to put alot of hours on a large outboard. For me, my longest run I make is from Indian hills to Vanhook which seems happens about 1-2 times a year. If I truely think I'm going to fish vanhook, I'll normally drop it in much closer to the destination. Couple that with being able to cover the water at 40mph-60mph, the hours just don't add up to what a guy thinks. Even the vanhook run only turns into 1-2 hours of actually running time (About 25-30+- miles).

YarcraftStorm Said:
Really, 87% in the top RPM range, you must start the puppy up and GO! I found that allthough I don't use mine for trolling at all, 30% was below 2k rpms, 5% was from 2-3k rpms,20% from 3k to 4k rpms, 40% was in the 4k-5k rpms range and less than 5% was above 5k. This is approximate as I don't have the print out in front of me. Mine gets started atleast 5 mins at before the hammer gets dropped and usually idles a minute or two once I get somewhere, I noticed on the ol smartcraft monitor it will cool down slightly after a hard run if left to idle. I know it's certainly isn't hurting anything.

permo Said:
This year will be my motors 10th birthday, well in 2005 in got a new powerhead, so I have 220 hours on the whole works, about 100 of which is on the new powerhead.   I literally have 1000's of hours on my four stroke kicker though.

As much as I truly love my little speed demon of a boat,  I may be nearing time for a new one.