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Saltwater Anglers: Yamaha’s Got You Covered

If you fish the salt, Yamaha’s got an outboard motor perfect for you.
Fishing boat with Yamaha engines
Yamaha’s line of 90- to 425-horsepower outboard propulsion has saltwater-proven power, performance and corrosion resistance, with models 150hp and up offering available digital electronic controls. Courtesy Yamaha

If you’re boating to saltwater fish, Yamaha offers motors perfect for your way of fishing.

Yamaha—known worldwide for building powerful, reliable outboards—has a lineup of outboards richer than ever, with models matched to all saltwater anglers.

It has perfected superior ­corrosion-resistant finishes and watertight connections for installation or re-powering. Plus, operation and navigation are easier, smoother and more precise—especially with the digital controls available in 150 to 425 hp outboards.

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No wonder you see the Yamaha brand on the transoms of so many boats.

For the Flats: Light and Fast

To get to the hotspot swiftly and efficiently on one of these skinny-water boats, you can’t beat these 90 to 115 hp, four-stroke Yamaha “Midrange Rock Stars.”

At just 377 pounds, the 1.8-liter, inline four-cylinder F115 is a lightweight powerhouse in its class. And that means everything in the light, swift skiffs that prowl the skinny water.

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The F115’s powerful design means fast acceleration needed for the flats.

The F90 is 24 pounds lighter yet. The F115 and F90 share 1.8-liter displacement and four-valves-per-cylinder designs, with a single, on the F90, or double, on the F115, overhead cam.

They have 35-amp alternators to power gear and maintain batteries, are available with mechanical remote or tiller control, and can be equipped with 20- or 25-inch shafts. You can even access variable trolling revolutions per minute via the CommandLink® tachometer.

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Inshore, Big Bays and Coastal

These waters call for more power. Maybe a lightweight, efficient Yamaha inline-four between 150 and 200 hp is perfect for you?

The “fours” provide light, efficient, versatile power, with your choice of mechanical or ­digital control—or even Yamaha’s next-gen Helm Master® EX boat-control system. 

With several different models of 150, 175, and 200 horsepower, Yamaha’s proven 16-valve, DOHC inline-four design maximizes power and fuel efficiency with features like precision multipoint fuel injection and long-track intake systems. There’s even variable camshaft timing on the F200 and V MAX SHO® 150 models, for added acceleration and midrange punch.

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Shifting is quiet, thanks to Yamaha ­propellers available with Shift Dampener System. All but one—the 2.7-liter, 150 hp mechanical 35-amp—of the inline-fours have 50-amp alternators to keep electronics, including digital controls, well-fed.

Offshore? For Sure!

When the land drops out of sight—especially if the seas build—the outboard seems even more important, with the goal being safe and reliable fishing. Here, the bigger Yamahas (V6 4.2-liter Offshore outboards, from 225 to 300 hp) do more than just step up to the plate.

These award-winning outboards, now in both mechanical and digital control ­versions, have been offshore favorites for more than a decade, prized for power, ­efficiency and ­reliability.

With a fresh new look, the 250 and 300 boast digital controls and electric steering to make them incredibly responsive and simpler to install, lacking hydraulic pumps and lines.
The Yamaha 4.2-liter V6s feature harder-than-steel plasma-fused, sleeveless cylinder walls, producing larger cylinder bores without decreasing weight and outer-cylinder dimensions. This means more displacement and torque from the same-dimension powerplant.

Electronically controlled throttle valves work in concert with precision multipoint fuel injection to ensure a precise mix of air and fuel, while six sensors monitor vital ­atmospheric and engine conditions so the engine-control module can make adjustments for best ­performance. Variable camshaft ­timing increases power and throttle response.

And Now: The Ultimate Offshore Yamaha

The crown jewel, the state-of-the-outboard-art, the pinnacle of Yamaha engineering: The 425-horsepower XTO Offshore® has integrated electric power steering, electronic digital controls and integrated autopilot systems.

Purpose-built from the ground up to ­withstand the rigors of offshore boating, the XTO Offshore introduces a new class of extreme offshore power and reliability. Boatbuilders often replace three 300 hp outboards with two 425s, saving maintenance.

Boating’s first direct-injection four-strokes adopt the proven fuel-delivery system of the automotive industry. Idle speed and reverse thrusting are improved by the automatic diversion of exhaust above the cavitation plate. For efficiency at high speeds, it is diverted to the prop hub at 2,500 rpm. 

Originally thought to be the exclusive domain of multioutboard boats, the Yamaha XTO Offshore has found a home on large single engine craft as well.

Never content, Yamaha engineers have added to the XTO Offshore a new charging system with the highest net amps: 96 amps of net charging power in neutral. Called the Phase Angle Control Charging System, it won one of the International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference’s Innovation Award honors in 2020.

At the Helm, an Improved Master

Yamaha’s Helm Master EX integrated boat-control system is the conduit for all anglers’ needs and abilities.

From a single engine—an industry first—to quintuple installations, the Helm Master EX expands on the functionality, ease of ­maneuvering, single-button fishing and positioning functions within the SetPoint® suite (including StayPoint®, FishPoint® and TrackPoint®). Helm Master EX further broadens inmode joystick adjustability for the autopilot and SetPoint; offers more automated essential boat operations; and in most Yamaha outboards from the 2.8-liter F150 and up, allows the addition of fully electric steering. (The XTO Offshore 425, of course, already boasts built-in electric steering.) 

You can even add digital electric steering to most existing Yamaha outboards with digital controls. With the Helm Master EX, boating and fishing are simply easier.

Maintenance Matters

Even maintenance is easier with Yamaha: The MyYamahaOutboards app tracks both dealer-completed service and do-it-yourself ­maintenance. Your complete maintenance history is at your fingertips, along with ­custom trip logs and checklists, service requests, and more.

For many—if not most—saltwater anglers, there’s more than one species to seek, perhaps more than one perfect boat to do it in, and maybe even a choice among a handful of powerplants. But on that last detail, there’s just one brand: Yamaha.

If you’re a saltwater angler, it won’t be a tough decision. This company’s got you ­covered.

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