Bass Fishing Tip of the Week 02/15/08: Tow Vehicle Selection for Towing a Bass Boat

I started tournament bass fishing in a small 14 foot boat pulling it behind a 1980 Buick Regal with a tow hitch. The car had a 6 cylinder engine and pulled the rig just fine but it was getting old, so I traded the car in for a Ford Ranger with a 3.0 small 6 cyclinder with stick shift. The truck was great on gas and had some pep when passing a slow moving vehicle on back highways even while towing the 14 foot rig.

Several years later, I decided to trade in the 14 footer on a nice 19 foot bass boat with a 150 HP outboard. Unfortunately I didn't realize what the heavier bass rig would do to my normal towing experience. My small Ranger was just not suited to tow this rig as I travel a lot on back highways in Florida to get to my favorite lakes. These trips vary from 60-90 miles one way. Here's some of the problems I faced when pulling the heavier rig:

1- The Rangers 3.0 Liter engine didn't have enough passing power to pass slow moving vehicles without an extreme amount of distance (1/2 mile or more) between me and oncoming traffic in the other lane on these 2 lane highways. This often resulted in being delayed by 20-30 minutes and was very irritating, especially being behind some slow moving semi's where you can't see anything in front of you except the back of the trailer.

2- The stick shift made it difficult to launch because of the need to slip the clutch as well as set the parking brake firmly if you need to get out of the truck on the downslope of the ramp.

3- The rear tires often spun on one side on algae laden ramps or sand slicked ramps.

4- The engine would run pretty hot.

OK, so you see the problems I had with undersized tow vehicles so what should you look for in the tow vehicle. Well here's my recommendations:

1- Buy a 8 cylinder engine for towing anything over 18 feet long. It doesn't have to be a big Mega sized eight cylinder, in fact the smaller ones do fine for the 18-19 foot range.

2- Get an automatic transmission. You'll really appreciate it at the ramp as well as take offs from any stand stills such as from stop signs or traffic lights on hills.

3- Get posi-traction or limited slip rear ends on your vehicle. This is great on slippery ramps as both rear wheels engage.

4- Get the towing package as it provides tranny coolers, bigger springs and other items that will keep the engine from running hot and prevent the "bouncy" ride.

So, if your deciding on upgrading your tow vehicle, consider these tips and you'll definitely be much happier when you take your rig out to your favorite fishing hole.