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Thread: Ambush boat review

  1. #1
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    Oct 2010
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    Default Ambush boat review

    Looking at getting an ambush boat. Does anyone have anything bad to say about them? Any negative opinions?
    For nothing will be impossible with CHRIST Luke 1:37

  2. #2
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    Oct 2010
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    Does anyone have anything good to say about them?
    Last edited by cole2011; 06-26-2017 at 06:11 PM.
    For nothing will be impossible with CHRIST Luke 1:37

  3. #3
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    Jun 2011
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    Use the search function. Also go over to the refuge and search. Lots of info out there. I have no experience with ambush so I'm no help.

    However i do have a 756 edge and it's pretty much the most versatile jon boat I have ever owned. The ambush is similar. I'm sure you would be happy.
    "Think A Guy Like Me Worries About Percentages?" Tin Cup

    "Some get spiritual cause they see the light, and some cause they feel the heat" Ray Wylie Hubbard

    "P.S. I love turkeys. Mostly just hate those who hunt em." Glenn

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Springfield, Ga
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    Default 1652 Ambush

    I picked up 1652 from Fowlers Marine about a month ago. Cobblestone base coat, Rod/gun box, mid deck, gun tray, rear bulkhead, Cup holder and switches, and trolling motor bracket. I got a galvanized Road King Trailer with the deal. The boat was ordered and took about 4 weeks to get it. I added stock 98 Yamaha 40hp on Vance Kick Up Plate with 5" of setback. Tried a couple of props but not yet found the one. Will be running 14p SRD3 tomorrow.

    Comes standard with both bow and anchor lights, diamond plate floor and pod seating.

    I have had two 542's WE over the years their great boats but their are not as well built like the Ambush. My first impression was is was over built. Transom is over 1/4" thick Aluminum on the rear and appears to be about 3/16" thick on the inside with horizontal bracing in between.

    Things I do not like: Rod/Gun Box opening to small, box is plenty big but you catch hell getting stuff in and out of the narrow opening, Front storage compartment is small relative to amount of space potentially available with some redesign, Welds are strong but could be cleaner, Mid Deck lacks enough space in front of seat pedestal for a foot controlled trolling motor pedal due to the small front deck lip(Order high deck would solve this and give plenty of room, but a Pedestal bass seat gives you just enough space for the control pedal), Transom has small gap at the bottom where the longitudinal ribs meet(I would have extended the sheet metal to cover this up).

    Things I like: Had build sheet with my boat, so you can get the anyway you want within reason, Handles like its on rails, deep, no flex anywhere in the boat, .100 thick, gun tray is handy as rod holder(just watch tip of the rods), boat runs high on the water and flat, Efficient hull and good gas mileage who would figure this but it's burning about 3.0 gph cruising on a over propped motor, clean construction minus the some of the welds, Lips on the box's keep water out and no seals to ware out, reverse chins, no hooks in hulls just flat like its supposed to be, Many different base coats are available and appears to be KEM 400 paint.

    How does it run: 40hp and almost 20 year old motor on 16' boat I would not expect much more than 30 MPH but I have had it running lite around 35mph and two people around 31 mph. Cavi Plate in even with the bottom of the boat. This boat does not like much trim with a Turbo Hotshot 16 pitch starts to porpoises when the motor picks up rpms but most of the boat is out of the water and appears to running right in front of the pods before the porpoising begins. There is more in it and would be happy anything around 35mph with 2 people. We will see how the Powertech SRD3 14P runs. This prop is supposed run higher and large diameter should carry the load better, but I have been down the propping road before and know the deal.

    If your going to fish out of it get the high deck. There are very nice boats, should last a lifetime, and you will not be disappointed. Also, I never really looked much at Edge, or Havoc so I am not sure how it compares but I believe they are all pretty good boats.
    Last edited by Civil-Cock; 06-26-2017 at 09:46 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Carolina Backcountry
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    Civil, get an scb13 or a yamaha black stainless 13. That boat should easily run 40
    "Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
    I am haunted by waters" Norman Maclean.

  6. #6
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    HBD there civilcock...
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  7. #7
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    Oct 2010
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    Thanks for that review I'm really looking into getting this boat with the low deck and then adding the removable high deck for fishing and bow fishing
    For nothing will be impossible with CHRIST Luke 1:37

  8. #8
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    Nov 2007
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    10,551

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    Quote Originally Posted by cole2011 View Post
    Thanks for that review I'm really looking into getting this boat with the low deck and then adding the removable high deck for fishing and bow fishing
    you plan on using a kicker motor setup or just a trolling motor? if using a kicker motor, im not sure how you would mount it on the back with the way the transoms are shaped on these boats. if using a trolling motor, you will be fine.

  9. #9
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    Jun 2011
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    I have the high deck and absolutely love it. I have always had WE's and though I liked that deck. I was wrong.
    "Think A Guy Like Me Worries About Percentages?" Tin Cup

    "Some get spiritual cause they see the light, and some cause they feel the heat" Ray Wylie Hubbard

    "P.S. I love turkeys. Mostly just hate those who hunt em." Glenn

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Springfield, Ga
    Posts
    360

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    Quote Originally Posted by cole2011 View Post
    Thanks for that review I'm really looking into getting this boat with the low deck and then adding the removable high deck for fishing and bow fishing
    You will comprise your storage with low deck with removable high deck. I bet if you request a trolling motor pedal cut out they would make it that way.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    185

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    Black stainless by far. Prob run it in a 14, i got a wore out 16 g black stainless it would prob run
    Hancock 70 Yamaha

  12. #12
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    Jul 2006
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    Springfield, Ga
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    Update, ran the boat with the 14P SRD3 with propshaft 4.5" below pad/bottom of boat. Holeshot was good, no blowout in turns, able to actually trim the motor without it proposing, and minimal torque steer. MPH was around 37. I will go up another hole on the plate and try it a again but overall it is getting closer. I also picked up a used Yamaha Pro Series tach so that will help with the setup, tried of the failing tiny tach route. I will be trying a couple of black stainless(13P and 14) in couple of weeks.
    Last edited by Civil-Cock; 07-21-2017 at 12:45 PM.

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