Looking at 2009 Nitro 290

[fetchwillie]

I have been looking for a fish n ski for a while now, I found this boat not to far from me, Any input about the boat would be great here is how he listed it He is asking 33,00.00 for the boat, he will drop a 1,000 off the price if I don't want the kicker

Like new 2009 Nitro with 2010 200 HP Mercury Optimax (est 25 hours), Lowrance HDS-5 Fishfinder, 9.9 Yamaha kicker. Room for 6 to ride in back with 2 jump seats. Brown tones.

[jstme]

Just kidding...... but I have been wanting to take a trip to the local boat shops so I used this post as an excuse to do so. THX.....

Nice boat, It is rated for a 225. But If you ask me for a 40k boat they need to do alot of work on fit and finnish.

CONs
1. The front deck is small
2. Fit and Finnish -Lids felt thin and cheap, the rear Jump seats seemed quirky but I did like the folding idea.
3. Kicker would have to be placed on the drivers side and with a large setback due to the transom design.
4. Slow, with a 225 opti the top end is 47

Pros
1 Seems like a solid shell
2 I liked the use of space

With the 200 opti and standard package,(trolling motor, depth finder, ski pole, bimi top, 6 seats, table, and radio) I could get this boat new for about 35k OTD

For a used 09, I would have a hard time paying more than 80% of that or about 28k. That's just me though if you like it and feel it's a good fit and deal. Jump on it and enjoy!!!!!!

[BigGameBalls]

Coming from somone who's owned a Nitro boat I can pretty much tell you that you'll love the boat when new but after a few years the lower quality of everything they use will start to show and you'll wish you would've bought a Ranger or something similar.

You can but that boat brand new for 34,695 so 33,000 for a 2009 even with a kicker and better finder seems steep.

[REG]

I'll take that kicker for $1K

[Shuclan]

Fetchwillie,
I have owned both the 2009 290 Sport, and the new 2011 model as well. I sent you a PM with all of the details.
Phil Shuman

[jstme]

Originally Posted by Shuclan

Fetchwillie,
I have owned both the 2009 290 Sport, and the new 2011 model as well. I sent you a PM with all of the details.
Phil Shuman

I would also be interested in the details you have to offer, Why not post them? You must really like the boat to buy a 2nd let's us in on the pro and cons Maybe what changed that made you want to upgrade?

Thx in advance

[BigGameBalls]

I'd like to know too. I just sold a Nitro bass boat and there were things I didn't like about it but it seems the new Z7 that replaced my model is a much nicer boat. I'd consider a Nitro at the right price if the quality was even a little better becasue I do think the layout of that boat is pretty sweet for a family/fishing boat.

[Shuclan]

Ok, fair enough guys. It's late tonight, so I will give a thorough analysis of both the 2009 and 2011 Models tomorrow morning and post them.
Phil

[BigGameBalls]

Originally Posted by Shuclan

Ok, fair enough guys. It's late tonight, so I will give a thorough analysis of both the 2009 and 2011 Models tomorrow morning and post them.
Phil

Thanks! Trying to decide on my next rig is becoming an obsession. After the boat I just sold I want to make sure I do everything right this time.

[Shuclan]

Here is my analysis on the 2009 Nitro 290 Sport. The 2009 model was a brand new design for Tracker/Nitro, and I bought one of the first boats that was sold. The boat had a 150 Optimax, a Humminbird 797 ci/si at the console and bow, Minnkota Terrova 80 TM, Bimini top, Stealth Battery Maintenance system and ratchet-style travel cover. I believe that I paid around $38K for it in April 2009. Overall, the boat handled well, and it handled rough water really well, but it was trim-sensitive, and would porpoise at times. I believe that this boat was under-powered, as it was rated for a 225. I put a Hydrofoil on, and it solved the problem. I believe that Tracker/Nitro recommended a jackplate as well. Top speed was 45/46 MPH. Tracker/Nitro re-designed the boat in the fall of 2009, and shifted some of the weight, such as trolling motor batteries, to the rear of the boat, and they re-designed the Transom. Here are the Pros/Cons for the 2009:

Pros
Overall affordability i.e. you got quite a bit of capability for less money
Heavy boat, which handled well in rough water and was not pushed around by wind
Good all-around design for fishing and pleasure boating/skiing
fairly large rear casting deck, and the front deck had an extension that made it larger as well
Had an 8 person capacity
Cons
Heavy boat, which was harder to launch/trailer
Needed more storage capacity/rod storage
Fiberglass/gelcoat fit and finish was good, but the storage covers and
latches were not the best quality

Now to the 2011 Model. I traded in the 2009 for the 2011 (there was no model year 2010), because I wanted to upgrade to a Verado motor. Bass Pro Shops gave me an excellent trade-in on my 2009. My 2011 has a 200 Verado XL and 8 inch jackplate, with Lowrance HDS 7's at the Console and Bow, with Structure Scan/ethernet-link and the Sirius Weather module as well. It also has a Minnkota Terrova 80 with I-Pilot, Stealth Battery Maintenance System, and ratchet-style travel cover. I paid around $43K for this boat. Top speed is around 47/48 MPH. Here are the pros/cons for the 2011 Model.
Pros
8 person capacity
Heavier boat which handles rough water very well (has taken on Lake Erie multiple times and performed very well)
Good all-around design for fishing/skiing
Decent affordability
Easy to launch/trailer
Nice fit/finish on fiberglass/gelcoat
Good sized casting decks
Cons
Still needs more storage capacity
Storage covers/latches still not the best

Hope this helps, and I also included what I had paid for the boats. I think it would have been easy enough to look on the Nitro site and see what I paid based on options anyway. One more thing. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Marine in Council Bluffs Iowa has been superb, and they have treated me very well, so I think that is an important factor as well. I will be happy to give anyone an honest answer on any question that you may have.
Phil