It was a great event, and very educational.  I loved being able to climb all over the boats to look at different construction, finish, and hardware qualities.  Just wish we could have had the Z-9 able to run to compare it with the other boats.  A big thanks goes out to Dan Conrath, Jeff Priester, Smitty and the rest of the gang who put this together.

Mark

By all means, those who were there, please share your impressions of boats.

I just stopped by to gawk a little as I had my two lovely girls with me.  Ranger, Skeeter, Nitro, Stratos, and Triton were all represented by at least one boat.  My impressions are solely based on fit, finish and looks.  I wish I would have had the freedom to ride around in a few of them.  Oh well, next time. 

I crawled around the Z9 out of curiosity and found it to be laid out very well for storage.  3 boxes in front and two huge rod lockers which should be expected of a 21 foot boat.  Fit and finish was good and is an eye catching boat.  As I heard quoted by I believe Mr. Smith standing there, "This isn't your father's Nitro."  This is a true statement as it is better built that previous years.  Unfortunately, only time will tell as nobody was able to ride in it or see it perform. 

I have to say that I prefer simply by looks the Commanche Series boats over the Z's.  Again the layouts of all the 21 foot boats are good. 

I really like the looks of the Skeeters and the Stratos boats.  I do like that the Skeeters still use two livewells.  It sure is nice when fishing two people.  Again, I don't have a great reason other than preference and maybe I don't want to fill the whole back of my boat to put one fish in if you get my drift.  I also like that the latches are hidden.  Stratos boats on the other hand look mean...

I just peaked at the Triton X2.  I can't help but notice that they adopted a very similar sponson to the Skeeters.   I wonder if it helps chine walk or is just to help for level flotation?  Either way it sounds like an improvement over the old hulls.  They are nicely laid out.  Looks wise, I've never thought too much of Tritons.  Just my opinion though.

It was really cool to see all of the boats together and a format to look around them and take rides.  Hopefully it will happen again and I will be able to benefit fully from it.

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Just a correction, as I have this console and system on my Commanche 520 (the green one mentioned above).  You only have to hit the 4 digit code once when you first start it in the morning.  This turns the console on. It stays on for the next 10 hours, or until you enter the code again followed by hitting the "off" button, which turns off the panel.  During those 10 hours, you just hit "on" to turn the motor on, and "off" to shut her down.

I noticed most the boats are now going to this keypad style of operation, so it's no longer a differentiator for Ranger.

A nice fairly balanced review of the boats you tried out Pat.  Here's a toast to ya for that.   BTW, I thought you were going to take mine out for a spin.

As a side note Larry's Z-20 does indeed have quite a mid-range punch if he runs his other prop.  That 28" Raker will give him a very high top end, but doesn't respond as well on the hole shot or midrange acceleration as a 27" Tempest does.  He runs that 28" so he can keep up with me.( ). har

Smitty

I can add a few comments for those that who are looking for a smaller boat.

One more thing to add about the Z-9, though. I agree with Terry's comments, and it definitely is a much improved boat for Nitro, but I didn't like the fact that the front deck flexed when you walked on it. It looks like they need more support up there.

I crawled around two of Stratos' smaller boats. The 176XT is a 17 footer that is rated for 75 horses. You can buy it brand new for 13K with a 50-horse 4-stroke Yamaha. I'm convinced that there isn't a better bass boat in that price range. They are cheaper than a Tracker aluminum, and they are not even comparable in features and hull. The 176 has a ton of storage space, more than most 18 or 19 footers from the 90s. It also has a very nice trailer. The only place I really noticed corner cutting is in the graphics. The main Stratos graphics are just a sticker on the hull. They looked nice brand new, but they might wear out and look ratty over time.

The 285XL is Stratos' 18-footer, and that is a sweet boat! It has all the features of a larger bass boat with great storage space. With a 150 Yamaha VMax, they were asking 23K for it. If I had the money, I would take that boat in a heartbeat.

My impressions of the Rangers match what others have already said. I liked the looks and functionality of the Comanches/V-series over the Z-Series boats. I think the Zs have weird decks with those running aluminum or fiberglass lines that house the locks.

Thanks everyone that brought the boats out. It was a nice way to spend Saturday morning. Although now I just want a bigger boat really bad and am 1-2 years away from buying. 

Chris