For the past two years I have been driving a Kingfisher 2025 Discovery, powered with the Mercury 150, and the Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker. The dry weight of the Kingfisher, which is built for off shore conditions, is 1,670 pounds, but the new Mercury 150 was plenty of power for this boat. The 150 is the lightest motor in its class, but under the cowling is a 3 liter, 4 cylinder power plant. This is an eight-valve, single overhead cam, fuel-injected engine, that you can run up to 5,000 to 5,800 rpms. The 60 amp alternator kept my down riggers and other accessories running off a single battery without a hitch. It started quickly without fail no matter how cold it got when I was fishing for steelhead and kokanee through the dead of winter. I had mine strapped to an off shore bracket, but the Mercury 150 is designed to fit boats with a narrow engine well and a tight transom fit. Equally impressive is the 9.9 Pro Kicker from Mercury. Again, it is the lightest in its class, but it has more muscle than its rivals. The gears and bearings are beefed up for heavy-duty use and the skeg is 55 percent thicker and stronger than pervious models. It features a four-blade, high-thrust prop that makes it very responsive and can handle bigger boats with ease. I never experienced the “cold-blooded”, tough-starting in cold weather that so many anglers complain bout. If you are looking to power a new boat or to repower your favorite fishing boat you will be happy you chose Mercury outboards. They will give you years of flawless service. To check out all the specs on these motors visit the Mercury web site at ,a href="www.mercurymaine.com" target="_new">www.mercurymaine.com.