It’s finally here! I just received my 2005 Ranger Z20 rigged with an Evinrude 225 E-TEC from D&D Marine in Leoma, Tennessee. This is truly a fantastic fishing boat. I have taken well-known local anglers Mike Mostella of Albertville and Jerry Willis of Arab fishing on this new boat and each of them cannot say enough good things about it. If you know Jerry, you’ll find it hard to believe that he even wears a Ranger shirt when fishing with me now.

The Z20 is 20’5” in length with a 95” beam, has two 24 gallon gas tanks and the rod compartment will hold approximately twenty All Star rods up to 8 feet long. The new instrument cluster reminds me of the muscle cars of the sixties and seventies. Prior to the Z boat, I fished from a Ranger 520 VX. While the 520 was and still is a great bass boat it cannot compare to the Ranger Z20.

The Evinrude 225 E-TEC is positively the best motor that I’ve ever owned. One of the best features of the motor is it requires no break in. It’s ready to go when you hit the water. It also requires no maintenance for three hundred hours or three years. The E-TEC gets great fuel and oil economy and uses 97 octane. This is a great savings with the cost of today’s gas. In addition, there’s no need to take the boat to a dealer to have the motor winterized. Winterization can be done in the water, on the trailer or in your driveway.

To winterize the E-TEC start the motor and give it full throttle; the system check lights will turn off in approximately fifteen seconds at which time you return to idle; the system check lights will then re-light; once they go off again return to full throttle; the system check lights will then flash and the motor will shut off in approximately one minute; your Evinrude E-TEC is now winterized.

The E-TEC is also extremely quiet. In fact, the first time I put the boat in the water was to meet Gary Yamamoto on Lake Guntersville during the recent FLW tournament. As I approached him in his boat we began talking at a normal tone. Gary soon asked if the motor on my boat was running because we were talking, my boat was moving and he could not hear the motor. Also, during a recent Tuesday night tournament on Lake Guntersville my partner backed me in the water and I hit the start button several times not aware the motor had already started and was running. It’s that quiet.

If you have questions about the awesome combination of the Ranger Z20 and the Evinrude E-TEC visit me at my web-page www.joejonesfishing.com, stop me on Lake Guntersville or look me up on the Bassmaster Southern Open Circuit. I’ll be glad to help you. You can also contact David Bailey of D&D Marine, Leoma, Tennessee at 931-766-7979 or contact any Ranger and or Evinrude dealer.