I've had this boat for 4 weeks and been on the water about 12 times so far. This is my 4th boat. I've primarily been a saltwater guy. (27 yrs in FL.) I've owned 17 ft. Sea Ray/100 hp for river skiing/tubing with the kids. A 21 ft. CC Mako/175hp and a 25 ft. CC Aqua sport /225hp/40 kicker.
This is my first freshwater aluminum boat.
Fit and finish was good. I first noticed that you can see the ripple of the ribs beneath the outer skin. No biggie for me, I was just not expecting it. Props to Alpin Haus for getting this to me before vacation.
Going through the hatches and compartments there was residual aluminum shavings. Not much just a few pieces here and there. I plucked or vacuumed them out. Again, no biggie really.
This package trailers really well. 2011 Titan doesn't even know it's there. Solid, smooth ride. Loads & unloads easily with one person.
The 150 Merc 4 stroke is sweet. I'm not a speed demon so I typically cruise 20-35 mph range. It planes in about 2.5 seconds at 3/4 throttle. On flat water I brought it up to about 55 mph. Didn't time it but with two 250lb guys and gear it didn't take longer than 20 seconds or so. They say it'll top out at 58. I believe it. Motor comes with Merc Tempest plus SS prop. Sweet motor. Running 91 non ethanol.
The boat handles really well for not having hydraulic steering. Dial in the trim and it's easy enough to steer.
Very stable, very smooth. Pleasantly surprised. I've never been in another aluminum bassboat, so again I can't compare across manufacturers. This boat rides very well.
Minn Kota Edge 55 is adequate. (First TM ever, never used one offshore) Yes it moves the boat around. In speed setting 5 it wants to torque steer. Admittedly I don't have the experience with it to compare with other/larger units. (Took a freakin bath when I forgot to raise the sob though. Learned that fast enough)
Rod storage is great. For the year they got rid of the second bait well up front, so that is now much needed storage. For now handles and locks work good. I can guarantee there could be condensation issues down the road. For now I crack the lids before covering boat to let air circulate.
I haven't used the live well yet other than to check its operation. Works as intended. I catch & release mostly. If I'm in a pristine Adirondack lake I'd consider keeping a catch for supper.
Half the time I've wrapped up with water in the bilge. Half time not. Likely due to swamping the ass end when powering back to no wake quickly. These do ride low on the water.
Fish finder that comes with it is useless except for water depth & temp. (Elite 3 Lowrance) they could have stepped it up a bit. I don't have the largest budget but looking at a Raymarine Dragonfly 5 pro.
The fishing platform is stable and large enough to move around. I've fished three people with no problems. Two is better. Seats are comfortable. The aft seat will contact a fully raised motor though. (hopefully it buffs out) a nice line across the cowling yesterday. Now I know not to raise it too much in shallow water.
The cooler is a nice feature. Too bad it doesn't have any cooling properties. It's an aluminum box with a drain. It is more appropriate for warming your dinner than holding ice for more than 2-3 hours. Any insulation around it would have made a world of difference.
Basically very happy with it so far. Hit me up with any questions.
