Evinrude Edge Demo Test
This boat and motor are made for each other
By Tom Luba
What angler wouldn’t accept an invitation to demo new fishing rigs? Especially when you don’t have to be the one who unloads and loads the boat at the landing.
I jumped at the chance to do exactly that at the Evinrude Edge Demo Tour held August 24-26 at Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club.
The ride was a 20 foot Alumacraft 205 All Species model, powered by an Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. horsepower engine.
The Alumacraft 205 with an Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. the author ran at the Evinrude Edge Demo were made for each other.
Watching first gave me a chance to see how everything was working. The G2 250 is significantly quieter as the exhaust noise is now run through specially tuned silencers.
And that should please anyone who’s spent any amount of time running an outboard. With a top end of over 70 mph, the engine planes out between 2000 and 2600 rpm. It should be up at about one quarter throttle and fly to wide open in between 3.5 to 4 seconds. The unit hits cruising speed at 3500-4000 rpm.
I’m certainly not a “techie.” But there’s an awful lot to like here. For one thing, the iTrim system will automatically trim the drive while you’re underway, depending on the engine speed. While that’s a definite plus for novice drivers, even the experienced can overlook the trim switch once in a while. The power steering can be controlled with a single finger. Nice. In this case it seemed like the G2 and the 205 were made for each other. Easy to run and easy to handle.
The Evinrude E-TEC G2 250 H.O. engine. You can even choose from a variety of colors to customize your own.
I have often wondered what goes in to rating a boat for its power source. For instance, as a serious fisherman, I usually overpower my trolling motor thrust whenever I buy, to be able to cope with wind and current when conditions call for it. So it was interesting to see how it’s done with the main engine.
As I learned, boat manufacturers arrive at a suitable engine size based on a length, width and transom height formula. Then the Coast Guard will assign optimum horsepower ratings. There can be more than one engine that works on a single boat.
For instance, the Alumacraft 205 could handle 200, 225, 250 and 250 H.O. Evinrudes. Which certainly gives the angler a guideline to help in working out a budget for a rig.
It’s also nice to have an added bonus that can be factored into your calculations -- the H.O. designation means you are actually getting up to 10% more horses than the engines’ stated horsepower. Plus, the two stroke engine gives twice as many power strokes as a four stroke, which creates a faster acceleration, as well as quick low-end torque, in a lighter package.
The motor’s lower unit has two cooling water pickups, in the nose and the strut, which permit the engine to be raised on a jackplate for operation in the skinny water, an area on the lakes and rivers that bass fishermen are quite familiar with.
As an angler, I want to fish out of a package that will allow me the best chance to catch my favorite species. If you are in the market, or will be soon, it would make sense to check with an Evinrude dealer and get the complete overview. It might just make your day.