Venom Bass Boats

[Adriaan]

After trying to fish Loskop on the Classic we have decided to part with the bowrider and buy a secondhand bass boat.

We have made peace with the fact that we will be giving up the 225 motor as we cannot afford to keep the motor and simply buy a new hull , so now the big look has started.

Had our hearts set on a bass seeker 475 but unfortunately the boat sold last week.

Now we are looking at a couple of Venom's , as they appear to be slightly wider than the Dragonfly and other 16 ft boats.

The questions are simple :
- The good, bad and ugly about the Venom would be appreciated.
- The ones we are looking at all appear to be 5m models. With that said and done , the motors vary from 90 - 150 hp. Does anybody know what capacity motors these boats were designed for ?

Any other comments would also be greatly appreciated.

And before I forget , HAPPY New Year to all , and may the fishing in 2015 be phenominal

[Riprap]

There might still be some Seekers out there:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.olx.co.za/q/seeker/c-376" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.olx.co.za/q/seeker/c-376</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.gumtree.co.za/a-boats-jet-skis/benoni/bass-seeker/1001165405340910003552009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.gumtree.co.za/a-boats-jet-sk ... 0003552009</a><!-- m -->

I have a seeker 480 with a 90 on it and I am very happy.

[Adriaan]

Thank you for the link.

It was that very first Red Seeker 475 that I lost my heart to , could not decide , went on holiday and when I came back on Monday it was sold :-(

[Adriaan]

No other comments or input about the Venom ? :eusa_pray:

[Riprap]

Come on you Venom owners, help the oke out.

[Navrik]

Spoke to Jason van der Wath the other day about the Venom and he said Albert Falls likes to eat Venoms.

My boet's father in law had one for a few seasons fishing BETT and YBASS before he upgraded to an Xterminator. According to Jason who knows him he was not too crazy about the Venom.

My two experience with them has been good but both were on calm days at Goedertrouw.

I have been told that they are quite light which helps with towing and I suppose speed on water but not necessarily when things get a bit rough. For that you want a slightly deeper V and a bit of weight on your side. Hence my reason for looking at a Raker X16 or similar hull design.

[Adriaan]

Thank you Navrik

[Whitts]

I own a Venom with a 135hp on the back and I am very happy with mine. I owned a dragonfly before but it was too narrow. I have had mine in rough water on Goedertrouw on many occasions and once or twice on Jozini dam and have never had any problems or felt vulnerable. The one thing I would change on mine is the engine size, I want to hang a 150 opti on the back.

For a "small" boat I think it has a wide fore deck which I like. Its light to tow and launch.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

[Adriaan]

Thank you Whitts

I stood staring at my neighbours Venom long and hard this morning before work and I must admit , I think I am in love :lol:

Am testing one tomorrow at Harties , with a 130 on the back. There is one with a 150 for sale in Natal but for some reason the Seller elects not to reply to my requests for additional information .

I appreciate you taking time to reply

[Navrik]

Enjoy the test Adriaan and I am keen to read your feedback on how it went!

[Adriaan]

Thank Navrik

I am afraid my report back might be meaningless given that we are used to a very stable boat that actually begs you to plough through wakes etc :evil:

Will do so nonetheless

[Adriaan]

Okey Dokey

I had the privilege of meeting Hardus and got given the grand tour of the Venom.

Firstly , as I suspected , the ride is very different to what I am used to.

The Venom's size surprised me. I expected it to be very cramped given that it is a small boat , but the deck is nice and spacious. I can see three people fishing off it without too much drama.

Do not think you will be able to have too many rods littered on the deck , but that should not really be a problem.

The boat delivers its power very differently to our bowrider, and to this end cannot comment about the performance. It just does not kick as hard as our 225 .....I suspected this would be the case and that bowrider has spoilt us in that dept.

Does the boat porpoise ?? Yes it does , but all it took was a bit of re trimming and all was fine again. After about 10 mins on the boat I was adjusting the trim asif it was second nature already.

What did catch me very unaware was the way the boat turns. I did ask permission before I played , and I am glad I did , because I had the fright of my life. The boats " bum" is quite " loose " , and when turning sharply the boat also dips deeply to the inside of the turn. I suspect all the bass boats with lift plates will do this . I am just very used to the classic staying flat in the turns.

I know Hardus will read this, so let me publicly apologise for the wild turn :blue-redface:

Would I buy the boat ? Yes , I would , and will be seriously considering it once I have more news about the sale of the bowrider.

Please , this is not a professional review of the Venom , nor would I take any of my opinions too seriously, given my inexperience with bass boats.

I merely posted this to share my experience with Navrik as requested.

Hardus, thank you

[Navrik]

Thanks for sharing Adriaan. I think all boats have their niche in the market. I have really enjoyed the two times I have been on Venoms and managed a 2.24 kg bass on one of them.

[1Andrew65]

I own a Venom with a 135hp on the back and I am very happy with mine. I owned a dragonfly before but it was too narrow. I have had mine in rough water on Goedertrouw on many occasions and once or twice on Jozini dam and have never had any problems or felt vulnerable. The one thing I would change on mine is the engine size, I want to hang a 150 opti on the back.

For a "small" boat I think it has a wide fore deck which I like. Its light to tow and launch.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Hi Whitts,Do you still own your VENOM?as i would like to ask weather you have a Jake plate mounted.I am running a 130HP Yamaha on my VENOM and still cant seem to get it set up Properly.The boat does Porpoise when up and running??

[koosvis]

Hi there.
I am a proud and happy owner of a venom. Where does other venom owner have their batteries placed. Mine is currently in the front locker but makes the nose very heavy. Is it correct or should i consider moving it to the back.
Thanks
Koos