Warrior Bass Boat Review
I had a chance today to stop out at Maple Lake, MN where the Warrior Team was offering first hand looks at their new Bass Boats. The boats they had there were the 208 XRS Dual Console and the 188 XRS Dual Console.
First Impressions:
Good looking boats, gel coat was bright and sharp with good color combinations. The 208 was a white/red combination that really stood out. The 188 was a charcoal grey that looked fast just sitting there. At first glance, fit and finish was above average. The 188 was rigged with a Merc 200 Opti and the 208 with a Merc 300 XS. Both had hydraulic jack plates (12”?).
The pictures everyone has seen did not do these rigs justice. Even the unorthodox consoles really worked with the design and looked different in person. The hulls were certainly deeper than a conventional bass boat, but didn’t look out of place.
Detailed look:
The first impressions about fit and finish were confirmed by looking closely. All carpet and trim were perfect and the wiring and controls were clean and uncluttered. The idea of only having carpet in certain areas really works, and the non-slip parts of the deck (trolling pedal area, cockpit and very back of back deck) were truly non-slip. The passenger rod ramp has a hatch so that the rods ride in a recessed area to protect them. Great idea. The storage was massive in both boats, with deep lockers and again very clean finish. The consoles are floating, and are also modular, so they can be added or removed.
These are very high-end rigs that compare with anything on the market today.
On water test:
I rode and drove the 188 as that would be the size I would be interested in. The owner of this particular boat was still trying to fine tune propping, but it still ran out fine. Smooth fast ride with a rock solid feel. It popped up on pad readily and rode higher on pad than I would have figured for a deeper hull. I was told that it will run in 18” of water easily. I believe it after riding in it. Making sharp turns at speed felt like you were on rails, with no blowout or sliding. VERY crisp handling. The ride reminds me of a Champion of comparable size.
Negatives:
I found very few negatives. One issue I have with the consoles/windshields is that they allow a bit too much air hit you in the face. For a guy that wears glasses, it could be problematic. A 2-3 inch up turn flare at the top would make them much better.
The boat tended to chine walk some, and you do need to drive it. Some fine tuning of the setup would likely cure this.
The switches for the various functions are located alongside the driver seat on a horizontal plane. They seemed a bit uncomfortable to me, as I automatically reached for the console area for them. That could just be me, though.
Overall Impressions:
These are well put together boats. The quality that Warrior is known for has been carried through to this line, and I think with some minor tweaks, they will really take the market by storm. This is the PERFECT rig for big water such as Erie, Mille Lacs, and the large impoundments of Texas. If you get some serious wind, these boats will get you where you are going with ease and safety.
When I am shopping for my next boat, they will be on my list.
Glenn
