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My Fast Cat, one month later...



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 5th, 2006, 10:44 PM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...

Well, it's been just about a month since I took delivery of my Fast Cat C20.
I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts on the boat after a
little time.
First of all, the more I fish it, the more spoiled I've become. Moving
around the boat is like walking on a sidewalk. With the wide gunnels,
getting from the front of the boat to the back with a client is a breeze.
Busy lakes are no longer a problem, I don't worry about the client losing
his balance when the boat rocks, because this boat doesn't rock period!
Unlike other boats I've been in......

I've found too that the boat handles well on the trolling motor, being able
to spin on it's axis. Equally important, because of the waters I fish, I've
found that the boat slips through stumpfields with ease. With the shallow
draft, I encounter far fewer than I did with my last boat, and those that I
do, simply slide off. I've yet to hang the boat up on a stump, but more time
will tell there.

One thing that I really appreciate over a "conventional" bassboat is the way
it drifts. With my last two boats, as soon as I got off the trolling motor
or shut the outboard off, the boat would swing, nose downwind and drift. Not
the Cat! It actually drifts sideways, which is great for muskie fishing
large weed flats.

The highly aerodynamic/hydrodynamic hull, coupled with the Mercury Optimax
250 XS Pro has proven to be a very fast, yet as important with today's fuel
costs, extremely fuel efficient combination. My fuel consumption has dropped
at least in half (if not more) over my old boat!

The ride is superior to any boat I've been in as well. I've been running
with some "other" boats that when it got a little rough, were left far
behind me! I was dry and very comfortable the entire time too, not once
concerned at all because the boat handled the waves so well.

As a fishing guide, I like the fact that I can now seat three clients safely
and comfortably. Anyone that's looked at bassboats know that 99.999% are
designed to seat two anglers, three at the most. I can now seat four! I like
that and I'm sure the clients do too.

I was initially concerned about getting the boat in/out of shallow landings
because of how the boat sits on the trailer. This fear has been proven to be
a false one. The Fast Cat is actually easier to load/unload in shallow
landings than my friend Gil's 18.5 foot bassboat! And at the risk of
sounding "Politically Incorrect," Stevie Wonder could load the boat on the
trailer! It's impossible to screw up loading the boat. Once you've got the
nose of the boat between the two side-guides, the sponsons automatically
center over the bunks. Just a shot of gas on the HotFoot and the boat bumps
against the bow stop. It probably takes longer to read this paragraph than
to load the boat!

As a muskie angler, I would like to see the livewells combined with the rear
storage compartments, or better yet, have one long livewell, with a
removable divider directly behind the driver's seat.

Originally, when I looked at the storage on the boat, I was worried. My old
boat had "TONS" of storage, and to me this new boat appeared lacking in
storage. Well, that was another false fear! I have everything in this boat
that I had in my last one, and I have compartments that are still almost
empty!!! Storage will NOT be an issue...

But, even though it quite possibly has the most storage for boats in it's
class, based on volume, I still haven't been able to organize things as well
as I would like to. I'm going to be putting a lot of thought into this and
submit some ideas to Fast Cat Marine for their feedback.

On Monday, I found a bad thing. My wife and I went to a close-by chain of
lakes for a fun day. We wanted to stop at one of the on-the-water watering
hole/eating establishments. Because of the 8' 6" width of the boat, I
couldn't fit it into any of the slips!

I do have another negative to report. I have lost more "stuff" in this boat
than in any other boat I've owned. Unless it's in a locker or held onto
quite tightly, things have a tendency to disappear from this boat. I cannot
begin to tell you how many times I've had to turn around to retrieve my
coffee cup (full or empty, it doesn't make a difference), baseball caps and
soft drink bottles!

So, I'd have to say that overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new boat.
It's not your daddy's fishing boat, it's a whole lot more!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


  #2  
Old July 6th, 2006, 12:38 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...

Steve, you forgot "The hi speed turns on a dime feature" :}

On Wed, 5 Jul 2006 16:44:34 -0500, "Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers"
wrote:

Well, it's been just about a month since I took delivery of my Fast Cat C20.
I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts on the boat after a
little time.
First of all, the more I fish it, the more spoiled I've become. Moving
around the boat is like walking on a sidewalk. With the wide gunnels,
getting from the front of the boat to the back with a client is a breeze.
Busy lakes are no longer a problem, I don't worry about the client losing
his balance when the boat rocks, because this boat doesn't rock period!
Unlike other boats I've been in......

I've found too that the boat handles well on the trolling motor, being able
to spin on it's axis. Equally important, because of the waters I fish, I've
found that the boat slips through stumpfields with ease. With the shallow
draft, I encounter far fewer than I did with my last boat, and those that I
do, simply slide off. I've yet to hang the boat up on a stump, but more time
will tell there.

One thing that I really appreciate over a "conventional" bassboat is the way
it drifts. With my last two boats, as soon as I got off the trolling motor
or shut the outboard off, the boat would swing, nose downwind and drift. Not
the Cat! It actually drifts sideways, which is great for muskie fishing
large weed flats.

The highly aerodynamic/hydrodynamic hull, coupled with the Mercury Optimax
250 XS Pro has proven to be a very fast, yet as important with today's fuel
costs, extremely fuel efficient combination. My fuel consumption has dropped
at least in half (if not more) over my old boat!

The ride is superior to any boat I've been in as well. I've been running
with some "other" boats that when it got a little rough, were left far
behind me! I was dry and very comfortable the entire time too, not once
concerned at all because the boat handled the waves so well.

As a fishing guide, I like the fact that I can now seat three clients safely
and comfortably. Anyone that's looked at bassboats know that 99.999% are
designed to seat two anglers, three at the most. I can now seat four! I like
that and I'm sure the clients do too.

I was initially concerned about getting the boat in/out of shallow landings
because of how the boat sits on the trailer. This fear has been proven to be
a false one. The Fast Cat is actually easier to load/unload in shallow
landings than my friend Gil's 18.5 foot bassboat! And at the risk of
sounding "Politically Incorrect," Stevie Wonder could load the boat on the
trailer! It's impossible to screw up loading the boat. Once you've got the
nose of the boat between the two side-guides, the sponsons automatically
center over the bunks. Just a shot of gas on the HotFoot and the boat bumps
against the bow stop. It probably takes longer to read this paragraph than
to load the boat!

As a muskie angler, I would like to see the livewells combined with the rear
storage compartments, or better yet, have one long livewell, with a
removable divider directly behind the driver's seat.

Originally, when I looked at the storage on the boat, I was worried. My old
boat had "TONS" of storage, and to me this new boat appeared lacking in
storage. Well, that was another false fear! I have everything in this boat
that I had in my last one, and I have compartments that are still almost
empty!!! Storage will NOT be an issue...

But, even though it quite possibly has the most storage for boats in it's
class, based on volume, I still haven't been able to organize things as well
as I would like to. I'm going to be putting a lot of thought into this and
submit some ideas to Fast Cat Marine for their feedback.

On Monday, I found a bad thing. My wife and I went to a close-by chain of
lakes for a fun day. We wanted to stop at one of the on-the-water watering
hole/eating establishments. Because of the 8' 6" width of the boat, I
couldn't fit it into any of the slips!

I do have another negative to report. I have lost more "stuff" in this boat
than in any other boat I've owned. Unless it's in a locker or held onto
quite tightly, things have a tendency to disappear from this boat. I cannot
begin to tell you how many times I've had to turn around to retrieve my
coffee cup (full or empty, it doesn't make a difference), baseball caps and
soft drink bottles!

So, I'd have to say that overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new boat.
It's not your daddy's fishing boat, it's a whole lot more!




I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!

Remove the x for e-mail reply
Amateur radio enthusiast, N9JBF
Bass fishing Aficionado!
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and Fish!!!
  #3  
Old July 6th, 2006, 12:58 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...


"Dan, danl, Redbeard uh Greybeard now" wrote in message
...
Steve, you forgot "The hi speed turns on a dime feature" :}


Oh, you mean the "James Bond, Ejector Seat" feature?
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


  #4  
Old July 6th, 2006, 01:33 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...

;}


On Wed, 5 Jul 2006 18:58:19 -0500, "Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers"
wrote:


"Dan, danl, Redbeard uh Greybeard now" wrote in message
.. .
Steve, you forgot "The hi speed turns on a dime feature" :}


Oh, you mean the "James Bond, Ejector Seat" feature?




I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!

Remove the x for e-mail reply
Amateur radio enthusiast, N9JBF
Bass fishing Aficionado!
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and Fish!!!
  #5  
Old July 6th, 2006, 02:03 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...

Sounds like a "Champion" ;-)

Mike(PA)


"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...
Well, it's been just about a month since I took delivery of my Fast Cat
C20. I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts on the boat
after a little time.
First of all, the more I fish it, the more spoiled I've become. Moving
around the boat is like walking on a sidewalk. With the wide gunnels,
getting from the front of the boat to the back with a client is a breeze.
Busy lakes are no longer a problem, I don't worry about the client losing
his balance when the boat rocks, because this boat doesn't rock period!
Unlike other boats I've been in......

I've found too that the boat handles well on the trolling motor, being
able to spin on it's axis. Equally important, because of the waters I
fish, I've found that the boat slips through stumpfields with ease. With
the shallow draft, I encounter far fewer than I did with my last boat, and
those that I do, simply slide off. I've yet to hang the boat up on a
stump, but more time will tell there.

One thing that I really appreciate over a "conventional" bassboat is the
way it drifts. With my last two boats, as soon as I got off the trolling
motor or shut the outboard off, the boat would swing, nose downwind and
drift. Not the Cat! It actually drifts sideways, which is great for muskie
fishing large weed flats.

The highly aerodynamic/hydrodynamic hull, coupled with the Mercury Optimax
250 XS Pro has proven to be a very fast, yet as important with today's
fuel costs, extremely fuel efficient combination. My fuel consumption has
dropped at least in half (if not more) over my old boat!

The ride is superior to any boat I've been in as well. I've been running
with some "other" boats that when it got a little rough, were left far
behind me! I was dry and very comfortable the entire time too, not once
concerned at all because the boat handled the waves so well.

As a fishing guide, I like the fact that I can now seat three clients
safely and comfortably. Anyone that's looked at bassboats know that
99.999% are designed to seat two anglers, three at the most. I can now
seat four! I like that and I'm sure the clients do too.

I was initially concerned about getting the boat in/out of shallow
landings because of how the boat sits on the trailer. This fear has been
proven to be a false one. The Fast Cat is actually easier to load/unload
in shallow landings than my friend Gil's 18.5 foot bassboat! And at the
risk of sounding "Politically Incorrect," Stevie Wonder could load the
boat on the trailer! It's impossible to screw up loading the boat. Once
you've got the nose of the boat between the two side-guides, the sponsons
automatically center over the bunks. Just a shot of gas on the HotFoot and
the boat bumps against the bow stop. It probably takes longer to read this
paragraph than to load the boat!

As a muskie angler, I would like to see the livewells combined with the
rear storage compartments, or better yet, have one long livewell, with a
removable divider directly behind the driver's seat.

Originally, when I looked at the storage on the boat, I was worried. My
old boat had "TONS" of storage, and to me this new boat appeared lacking
in storage. Well, that was another false fear! I have everything in this
boat that I had in my last one, and I have compartments that are still
almost empty!!! Storage will NOT be an issue...

But, even though it quite possibly has the most storage for boats in it's
class, based on volume, I still haven't been able to organize things as
well as I would like to. I'm going to be putting a lot of thought into
this and submit some ideas to Fast Cat Marine for their feedback.

On Monday, I found a bad thing. My wife and I went to a close-by chain of
lakes for a fun day. We wanted to stop at one of the on-the-water watering
hole/eating establishments. Because of the 8' 6" width of the boat, I
couldn't fit it into any of the slips!

I do have another negative to report. I have lost more "stuff" in this
boat than in any other boat I've owned. Unless it's in a locker or held
onto quite tightly, things have a tendency to disappear from this boat. I
cannot begin to tell you how many times I've had to turn around to
retrieve my coffee cup (full or empty, it doesn't make a difference),
baseball caps and soft drink bottles!

So, I'd have to say that overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new boat.
It's not your daddy's fishing boat, it's a whole lot more!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com




  #6  
Old July 6th, 2006, 02:24 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...


"Mike" wrote in message
...
Sounds like a "Champion" ;-)


Nope, been there, it's even better!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


  #7  
Old July 6th, 2006, 03:17 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...

Steve, do you have a pic of it on OF ? I still haven't seen it but it sounds
awesome!
"Mike" wrote in message
...
Sounds like a "Champion" ;-)

Mike(PA)


"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...
Well, it's been just about a month since I took delivery of my Fast Cat
C20. I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts on the boat
after a little time.
First of all, the more I fish it, the more spoiled I've become. Moving
around the boat is like walking on a sidewalk. With the wide gunnels,
getting from the front of the boat to the back with a client is a breeze.
Busy lakes are no longer a problem, I don't worry about the client losing
his balance when the boat rocks, because this boat doesn't rock period!
Unlike other boats I've been in......

I've found too that the boat handles well on the trolling motor, being
able to spin on it's axis. Equally important, because of the waters I
fish, I've found that the boat slips through stumpfields with ease. With
the shallow draft, I encounter far fewer than I did with my last boat,
and those that I do, simply slide off. I've yet to hang the boat up on a
stump, but more time will tell there.

One thing that I really appreciate over a "conventional" bassboat is the
way it drifts. With my last two boats, as soon as I got off the trolling
motor or shut the outboard off, the boat would swing, nose downwind and
drift. Not the Cat! It actually drifts sideways, which is great for
muskie fishing large weed flats.

The highly aerodynamic/hydrodynamic hull, coupled with the Mercury
Optimax 250 XS Pro has proven to be a very fast, yet as important with
today's fuel costs, extremely fuel efficient combination. My fuel
consumption has dropped at least in half (if not more) over my old boat!

The ride is superior to any boat I've been in as well. I've been running
with some "other" boats that when it got a little rough, were left far
behind me! I was dry and very comfortable the entire time too, not once
concerned at all because the boat handled the waves so well.

As a fishing guide, I like the fact that I can now seat three clients
safely and comfortably. Anyone that's looked at bassboats know that
99.999% are designed to seat two anglers, three at the most. I can now
seat four! I like that and I'm sure the clients do too.

I was initially concerned about getting the boat in/out of shallow
landings because of how the boat sits on the trailer. This fear has been
proven to be a false one. The Fast Cat is actually easier to load/unload
in shallow landings than my friend Gil's 18.5 foot bassboat! And at the
risk of sounding "Politically Incorrect," Stevie Wonder could load the
boat on the trailer! It's impossible to screw up loading the boat. Once
you've got the nose of the boat between the two side-guides, the sponsons
automatically center over the bunks. Just a shot of gas on the HotFoot
and the boat bumps against the bow stop. It probably takes longer to read
this paragraph than to load the boat!

As a muskie angler, I would like to see the livewells combined with the
rear storage compartments, or better yet, have one long livewell, with a
removable divider directly behind the driver's seat.

Originally, when I looked at the storage on the boat, I was worried. My
old boat had "TONS" of storage, and to me this new boat appeared lacking
in storage. Well, that was another false fear! I have everything in this
boat that I had in my last one, and I have compartments that are still
almost empty!!! Storage will NOT be an issue...

But, even though it quite possibly has the most storage for boats in it's
class, based on volume, I still haven't been able to organize things as
well as I would like to. I'm going to be putting a lot of thought into
this and submit some ideas to Fast Cat Marine for their feedback.

On Monday, I found a bad thing. My wife and I went to a close-by chain of
lakes for a fun day. We wanted to stop at one of the on-the-water
watering hole/eating establishments. Because of the 8' 6" width of the
boat, I couldn't fit it into any of the slips!

I do have another negative to report. I have lost more "stuff" in this
boat than in any other boat I've owned. Unless it's in a locker or held
onto quite tightly, things have a tendency to disappear from this boat. I
cannot begin to tell you how many times I've had to turn around to
retrieve my coffee cup (full or empty, it doesn't make a difference),
baseball caps and soft drink bottles!

So, I'd have to say that overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new boat.
It's not your daddy's fishing boat, it's a whole lot more!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com






  #8  
Old July 6th, 2006, 03:25 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...


"Bass_Mr." wrote in message
ink.net...
Steve, do you have a pic of it on OF ? I still haven't seen it but it
sounds awesome!


Hi, here's the link to a photo of my boat.

http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com/modu...iewtopic&t=393

Actually, FastCat has updated their website and it's a lot better now.
There's some pretty good shots on the site too.

http://www.fastcatmarine.com
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


"Mike" wrote in message
...
Sounds like a "Champion" ;-)

Mike(PA)


"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...
Well, it's been just about a month since I took delivery of my Fast Cat
C20. I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts on the
boat after a little time.
First of all, the more I fish it, the more spoiled I've become. Moving
around the boat is like walking on a sidewalk. With the wide gunnels,
getting from the front of the boat to the back with a client is a
breeze. Busy lakes are no longer a problem, I don't worry about the
client losing his balance when the boat rocks, because this boat doesn't
rock period! Unlike other boats I've been in......

I've found too that the boat handles well on the trolling motor, being
able to spin on it's axis. Equally important, because of the waters I
fish, I've found that the boat slips through stumpfields with ease. With
the shallow draft, I encounter far fewer than I did with my last boat,
and those that I do, simply slide off. I've yet to hang the boat up on a
stump, but more time will tell there.

One thing that I really appreciate over a "conventional" bassboat is the
way it drifts. With my last two boats, as soon as I got off the trolling
motor or shut the outboard off, the boat would swing, nose downwind and
drift. Not the Cat! It actually drifts sideways, which is great for
muskie fishing large weed flats.

The highly aerodynamic/hydrodynamic hull, coupled with the Mercury
Optimax 250 XS Pro has proven to be a very fast, yet as important with
today's fuel costs, extremely fuel efficient combination. My fuel
consumption has dropped at least in half (if not more) over my old boat!

The ride is superior to any boat I've been in as well. I've been running
with some "other" boats that when it got a little rough, were left far
behind me! I was dry and very comfortable the entire time too, not once
concerned at all because the boat handled the waves so well.

As a fishing guide, I like the fact that I can now seat three clients
safely and comfortably. Anyone that's looked at bassboats know that
99.999% are designed to seat two anglers, three at the most. I can now
seat four! I like that and I'm sure the clients do too.

I was initially concerned about getting the boat in/out of shallow
landings because of how the boat sits on the trailer. This fear has been
proven to be a false one. The Fast Cat is actually easier to load/unload
in shallow landings than my friend Gil's 18.5 foot bassboat! And at the
risk of sounding "Politically Incorrect," Stevie Wonder could load the
boat on the trailer! It's impossible to screw up loading the boat. Once
you've got the nose of the boat between the two side-guides, the
sponsons automatically center over the bunks. Just a shot of gas on the
HotFoot and the boat bumps against the bow stop. It probably takes
longer to read this paragraph than to load the boat!

As a muskie angler, I would like to see the livewells combined with the
rear storage compartments, or better yet, have one long livewell, with a
removable divider directly behind the driver's seat.

Originally, when I looked at the storage on the boat, I was worried. My
old boat had "TONS" of storage, and to me this new boat appeared lacking
in storage. Well, that was another false fear! I have everything in this
boat that I had in my last one, and I have compartments that are still
almost empty!!! Storage will NOT be an issue...

But, even though it quite possibly has the most storage for boats in
it's class, based on volume, I still haven't been able to organize
things as well as I would like to. I'm going to be putting a lot of
thought into this and submit some ideas to Fast Cat Marine for their
feedback.

On Monday, I found a bad thing. My wife and I went to a close-by chain
of lakes for a fun day. We wanted to stop at one of the on-the-water
watering hole/eating establishments. Because of the 8' 6" width of the
boat, I couldn't fit it into any of the slips!

I do have another negative to report. I have lost more "stuff" in this
boat than in any other boat I've owned. Unless it's in a locker or held
onto quite tightly, things have a tendency to disappear from this boat.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've had to turn around to
retrieve my coffee cup (full or empty, it doesn't make a difference),
baseball caps and soft drink bottles!

So, I'd have to say that overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new
boat. It's not your daddy's fishing boat, it's a whole lot more!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com








  #9  
Old July 6th, 2006, 03:31 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...

WOW!
That is the best looking boat I have ever seen !
It looks like it's going 80mph sitting on the trailer.
I know you are proud of that baby.
Way cool !
"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"Bass_Mr." wrote in message
ink.net...
Steve, do you have a pic of it on OF ? I still haven't seen it but it
sounds awesome!


Hi, here's the link to a photo of my boat.

http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com/modu...iewtopic&t=393

Actually, FastCat has updated their website and it's a lot better now.
There's some pretty good shots on the site too.

http://www.fastcatmarine.com
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


"Mike" wrote in message
...
Sounds like a "Champion" ;-)

Mike(PA)


"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...
Well, it's been just about a month since I took delivery of my Fast Cat
C20. I thought some of you might be interested in my thoughts on the
boat after a little time.
First of all, the more I fish it, the more spoiled I've become. Moving
around the boat is like walking on a sidewalk. With the wide gunnels,
getting from the front of the boat to the back with a client is a
breeze. Busy lakes are no longer a problem, I don't worry about the
client losing his balance when the boat rocks, because this boat
doesn't rock period! Unlike other boats I've been in......

I've found too that the boat handles well on the trolling motor, being
able to spin on it's axis. Equally important, because of the waters I
fish, I've found that the boat slips through stumpfields with ease.
With the shallow draft, I encounter far fewer than I did with my last
boat, and those that I do, simply slide off. I've yet to hang the boat
up on a stump, but more time will tell there.

One thing that I really appreciate over a "conventional" bassboat is
the way it drifts. With my last two boats, as soon as I got off the
trolling motor or shut the outboard off, the boat would swing, nose
downwind and drift. Not the Cat! It actually drifts sideways, which is
great for muskie fishing large weed flats.

The highly aerodynamic/hydrodynamic hull, coupled with the Mercury
Optimax 250 XS Pro has proven to be a very fast, yet as important with
today's fuel costs, extremely fuel efficient combination. My fuel
consumption has dropped at least in half (if not more) over my old
boat!

The ride is superior to any boat I've been in as well. I've been
running with some "other" boats that when it got a little rough, were
left far behind me! I was dry and very comfortable the entire time too,
not once concerned at all because the boat handled the waves so well.

As a fishing guide, I like the fact that I can now seat three clients
safely and comfortably. Anyone that's looked at bassboats know that
99.999% are designed to seat two anglers, three at the most. I can now
seat four! I like that and I'm sure the clients do too.

I was initially concerned about getting the boat in/out of shallow
landings because of how the boat sits on the trailer. This fear has
been proven to be a false one. The Fast Cat is actually easier to
load/unload in shallow landings than my friend Gil's 18.5 foot
bassboat! And at the risk of sounding "Politically Incorrect," Stevie
Wonder could load the boat on the trailer! It's impossible to screw up
loading the boat. Once you've got the nose of the boat between the two
side-guides, the sponsons automatically center over the bunks. Just a
shot of gas on the HotFoot and the boat bumps against the bow stop. It
probably takes longer to read this paragraph than to load the boat!

As a muskie angler, I would like to see the livewells combined with the
rear storage compartments, or better yet, have one long livewell, with
a removable divider directly behind the driver's seat.

Originally, when I looked at the storage on the boat, I was worried. My
old boat had "TONS" of storage, and to me this new boat appeared
lacking in storage. Well, that was another false fear! I have
everything in this boat that I had in my last one, and I have
compartments that are still almost empty!!! Storage will NOT be an
issue...

But, even though it quite possibly has the most storage for boats in
it's class, based on volume, I still haven't been able to organize
things as well as I would like to. I'm going to be putting a lot of
thought into this and submit some ideas to Fast Cat Marine for their
feedback.

On Monday, I found a bad thing. My wife and I went to a close-by chain
of lakes for a fun day. We wanted to stop at one of the on-the-water
watering hole/eating establishments. Because of the 8' 6" width of the
boat, I couldn't fit it into any of the slips!

I do have another negative to report. I have lost more "stuff" in this
boat than in any other boat I've owned. Unless it's in a locker or held
onto quite tightly, things have a tendency to disappear from this boat.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've had to turn around to
retrieve my coffee cup (full or empty, it doesn't make a difference),
baseball caps and soft drink bottles!

So, I'd have to say that overall, I'm extremely pleased with my new
boat. It's not your daddy's fishing boat, it's a whole lot more!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com










  #10  
Old July 6th, 2006, 03:32 AM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.bass
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default My Fast Cat, one month later...


"Bass_Mr." wrote in message
ink.net...
WOW!
That is the best looking boat I have ever seen !
It looks like it's going 80mph sitting on the trailer.
I know you are proud of that baby.
Way cool !


So come on up with Charles in September and I'll take you out for a ride.
Surely you can sneak away for a good cause like this, and I know how much
fun you had at the one Mid-Tennessee Classic you did attend. Heck, we can
even talk some business and make the trip tax deductible!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com


 




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