Once again Dargel sets the standards in shallow water boating with the new Dargel Skout 190GS. The Skout 190GS has new bold lines, new graphics and 25% more floor space than the Skout 186RG. With a 8'6" beam and a 19'4" length this boat has been designed for great performance even in the skinnest water. With a top horsepower rating of 150, this boat is ready to take you and your buddies where the fish are. Water's optional!

For a list of standard and optional equipment on Dargel Boats, go to the "Equipment" tab on the Home Page

Locate the majority of weight in the boat near the center. Too much weight in the front can cause the bow of the boat to ride too low and create excessive spray. If you must place excessive weight toward the bow, use the trim and tilt once on plane to lift the bow to a comfortable riding position.

2. Getting the boat up in shallow water.

The power trim and tilt (not to be confused with the "Powerlift") must always be in the full "in" or "tuck" position when taking off. Failure to trim all the way in can result in excessive ventilation and too high rpm's. If the water is extremely shallow, you may turn the steering wheel hard left with Powerlift toward the up position (power trim all the way in) while accelerating the engine. Once on plane you should return the steering to a straight position and begin lowering the Powerlift to reduce any ventilation. At this point you can begin trimming the motor out for the most comfortable ride.

3. Steering.

Because the propeller is running in a tunnel, the torque tab on the lower unit looses much of it's effectiveness and you may find the boat wanting to pull to the right. To alleviate this condition we install "no feedback" steering. If the boat still wants to pull to the right, install a torque tab on the fin of the lower unit.

4. Propellers.

The propeller you install on your Dargel boat will affect the performance of the boat more than any other piece of equipment. We strongly recommend a 4 blade propeller which has been specifically designed for Dargel tunnel boats or a 3 blade propeller with a swept blade or "scooter cupping". The top end rpm's of the engine at full throttle is your best guide as to the proper propeller for your motor. If the top rpm's are within the recommended range for your motor by the motor's manufacturer, you probably will not have any problems. However, if the rpm's are lower than recommended, you may have to install a propeller with less pitch. Conversely, if the rpm's are too high, you will need a propeller with greater pitch.

5. Ventilation plates.

We encourage you to install a ventilation plate on the lower unit of your motor when running a Dargel "Skout" or "Skooter". Our company manufacturers the "Aquafoil II" which works very well. Under no case use a ventilation plate with sides that turn down. The will negatively affect the steering and voids any warranty associated with the steering system.

Laguna Madre fly-fisherman Bud Rowland is shown with the 37-inch, 15-pound, 6-ounce speckled trout that has been certified as a world record.

Rowland says he was using a No. 2 wooly-booger type of fly that's a cross between a crab and shrimp. He calls it a Numero Uno. It's not the prettiest fly I've ever seen, but it's definitely one that will catch both trout and reds. I found that out first hand last week while fishing with Rowland on his well used Dargel flats boat that is kept in a sling behind his house, located on the Laguna.

What's got anglers scratching their heads is the release of Rowland's record-setting trout.

"She was full of eggs," says Rowland. "That's why I let her go. I've set records before. So that's not such a big deal. When I caught that fish I knew exactly what I had to do to get it certified as an IGFA record. There was no need to kill her. Had I caught that lady after May 25, I more than likely would have killed her and entered her into the Coastal Conservation Association STAR tournament. I do not think I could have passed up a new boat, truck and trailer (the prize for the heaviest trout).

"She was landed very carefully by hand, photographed, measured, weighed and witnessed by two nearby anglers. I think they were more excited than me. When I told them I could not kill this fish and I was going to release her they thought I was crazy. That was the greatest sea trout I have ever seen. She was released so she could complete her mission.

"In my 30 years of fishing here and releasing most of my large trout, never have I felt so good about a release," says Roland. "That lady was returned to spawn and return fantastic genetics to the Laguna Madre bay system."

Lego