My buddy is looking at purchasing a 2006 Stratos 386. I am not very familiar with this brand/model and am wondering what fellow members’ opinions are of this critter.
Pictures and specs look nice, but how does it handle and are there hidden problems with this boat.
Thanks for you replies.
I have a 385. It is the same hull, the difference being the 386 is setup as a fish and ski vs the 385 being just a fishing setup. I really like the boat and it does very well on big water for a 18.5′ boat. It tracks well and is dryer than my past pro v’s (1775 & 2025). The rod locker isn’t designed very well. You can’t get anything over 6′ in the lower tubes. I ended pulling out the tubes and use rod sleeves to get my long trolling rods in there. One other small annoyance is the live well has boat seat pedestal holes on top of it and the starboard side will have water shoot up in windy conditions. Annoying when you kneel back there in the wind and the water splashes up and you get wet. It is a very fast boat. My 200 etec pushes with just me in it 59 mph. 2 fat guys in it about 56 mph. I would be glad to take him out to see if he likes it. I fish pool 4 quite a bit.
No first hand experience, but lots of researching on the forums has lead me to that this is a solid boat. Handles most waters really well, but being more in the fish n’ ski style it has its compromises.
Storage can be not as great as your typical fisherman’s boat, but adequate. Fit and finish you see alot of comments on not as good as a Ranger type comments, but certainly doesn’t come with the price tag either. Most these boats don’t seem underpowered at all. The internet agrees wholeheartedly with Mojos comments that it fishes and tracks and cuts water quite well.
Next year this boat is on my very short list of models to look for being an avid fisherman who aspires to tourney fish one day, but has a young family I want to enjoy time with as well, hope your friend finds a good one, they seem legit! 
I have a 2015 386 and absolutely love it. It’s a new design though so not the same boat as a 2006. I checked out a 2014 (old design) and they made significant improvements with the mew model. Handles big water well. Goes just fine with a 150 etec. As for fit and finish–I checked out the Skeeters and Rangers and IMO they were about in the same class as the Stratos.
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