ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602280010
SECTION: BOAT SHOW PAGE: BS-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
The race is on in the bass boat business, not just for speed but also length.
Twenty-foot bass boats are becoming common. One manufacturer, Champion, has a 22-foot 1-inch bass boat with a 93-inch beam. It weighs a hefty 1,650 pounds and reportedly will clock 70 mph when powered with a 225 Merc.
It is being promoted as the ``biggest bass boat in the word,'' and the ad copy cajoles, ``They say that bigger is not always better. They're wrong.''
The Champion line doesn't just offer bigness, but safety as well, said Gordon Wilson of Magnum Marine in Union Hall.
``It is one of the safest bass boats on the market,'' said Wilson, who will highlight Champion in his boat show display.
``The bigger bass boats are what has been selling,'' said Mike Fielder, of Advantage Marine in Roanoke. Advantage handles two 20-foot models in its Procraft line.
The Ranger 487VS, which measures 20.3 feet, has been a popular boat at K&K Marine in Dublin, according to owner Kenneth Kimbleton. It sells for $27,000.
The 1996 Ranger line has even a bigger boat, the Comanche 492VS, which measures 21 feet 5 inches. The solid-fiberglass transom is so tough that dealers report they are having to buy tungsten carbide drills to get through the stuff.
On the other end of the scale, Kimbleton said the smaller, less expensive Ranger R70 and R72 models have been popular. They measure 17 feet and sell for just under $15,000.
``We sold out of every one we had last year before we could get to the boat show,'' Kimblerton said, promising to have at least one on display this time.
Bullet is another brand that features big bass boats. The Bullet 21 XDC measures 21 feet, 10 inches, but it is better known for speed than size.
``They are the bad boys of bass boats,'' said Sam Phillips of Lakeside Marine Supply in Dublin. Phillips plans to have four Bullets in his boat show display.
The 21-footer weighs just 1,150 pounds, thanks to balsa-core construction and Kevlar laminates. With a Super Magnum Mariner on it, you get every thing you want in the way of speed, said Phillips.
``It's not for everyone,'' he said. ``It's for the top-of-the-line guy. We guarantee him that he will be at the front of the pack.''
Cajun has upgraded its bass boat hulls with a high-strength fiber called Armorweave. The patented transom comes with a lifetime guarantee, said George Welch, who will feature Cajuns in his Bay Roc Marina and Yacht Club display.
``They've made a lot of things standard, like tilt steering,'' Welch said. ``If you are fishing from spot to spot, you can get in and out in a hurry.''
Tracker, best known for smaller, less expensive fishing boats, is out with a 20-foot craft it calls Tracker Targa 2000.
It is desgined to handle big water and has room for family fishing, said Mike Ratcliff of Conrad Brothers Marine on Claytor Lake. "It is built like a bass boat, but it is real deep,'' he said.
The Targa is available in fiberglass or aluminum.
While big bass boats often grab the attention of boat show viewers, many ill go home with a smaller, aluminum craft that can be used on the sheltered water of lakes and on streams.
Look for the Carolina Skiff line in the Halesford Marine and Moser's displays, and the Alumacraft line in the Lakeside Marine exhibit.
Alumacraft is celebrating its 50th year in the johnboat business.
``We are going to have some real deals with them,'' Phillips said.
Moser's, located in Lynchburg, also will feature Roughneck aluminum boats.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Big bass boats, like this 21-footby CNBBullet on Claytor Lake, are big business for dealers.