Lund 1700 Explorer outboard upgrade advice

[johnnylabel]

Just bought my first boat, a Lund 1700 Explorer with a 2010 75hp Mercury 4-stroke EFI. I considered upgrading to a 90hp, but the dealer said i'd only gain 3-5 mph, it would be harder to troll at the 1.5-2 mph needed for walleye, and fuel use would increase without much benefit. The boat's rated for up to 125hp, so is the dealer giving good advice, or just avoiding the swap?

 

[B4Loud]

Dealer's probably right, jumping from 75hp to 90hp won't change much except more fuel burn and trickier slow trolling. If you really want speed, you'd need a bigger jump, closer to the 125hp max

 

[johnnylabel]

Dealer's probably right, jumping from 75hp to 90hp won't change much except more fuel burn and trickier slow trolling. If you really want speed, you'd need a bigger jump, closer to the 125hp max

Oh okay, so basically the 90hp isnt a big enough leap to feel much difference day to day. Do you notice your 75hp struggling more with speed, or is it mainly about handling heavier loads?