In front of my drive attached to the back of my truck!
I’ll be out running it around Pool 2 tomorrow after 6 PM getting a feel for how well this new hull performs. If you’re around give a wave. If you’re interested in a turn behind the wheel I’m sure we can find time to make that happen.
First impressions…. this is one wickedly cool and well-laid out boat in my opinion. 
What the heck, a few more pics won’t hurt anything. 
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that is one sweet ride james!
Nice lookin rig! That fish finder looks a little tinny though. Must be for the pannie fishing. 
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Nice lookin rig! That fish finder looks a little tinny though. Must be for the pannie fishing.
No doubt. It looks like a postage stamp on a shipping container. Trust that it will soon be replaced by a 1198.
Must be a loaner. No kicker small graph. I gotta say I’m kind of a fan of the white fenders though. Would look good behind my white burb!!
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Must be a loaner. No kicker small graph. I gotta say I’m kind of a fan of the white fenders though. Would look good behind my white burb!!
Yup, this is a loaner / test boat. Mine has been ordered and will be a very similar hull color and will of course have the kicker and upgraded electronics.
wow. looks sharp, i also think the white on the trailer looks pimp.
Thats one pretty machine! Absolutely beautiful! 
That is one wide looking trailer! The boat looks to sit really nice on it though.
FDR
Is this the boat that will be at the sept. 29th pool 4 GTG?
FDR
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Is this the boat that will be at the sept. 29th pool 4 GTG?
FDR
Yup, this is the one. You coming up for a spin?
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wow. looks sharp, i also think the white on the trailer looks pimp.
It is incredibly sharp. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out when I was told the fenders were going to be white but to be honest it actually looks better in person than it does in these pics.
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Is this the boat that will be at the sept. 29th pool 4 GTG?
FDR
Yup, this is the one. You coming up for a spin?
Yes sir! Can’t wait.
FDR
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Yes sir! Can’t wait.
FDR
Don’t forget… turn the hat backwards and THEN hit the throttle.
James, are you going to do any actually fishing out of it? If so, would you mind seeing if you could lay a few 7’6″ rods on the deck? Wondering if this can be done without the upper part of the rod having to rest on the actual gunnels.
Thanks,
FDR
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James, are you going to do any actually fishing out of it? If so, would you mind seeing if you could lay a few 7’6″ rods on the deck? Wondering if this can be done without the upper part of the rod having to rest on the actual gunnels.
Thanks,
FDR
Absolutely I’ll be fishing. After a couple WOT runs that will be the tests that really tell the story.
I can test that out and take a pic with a 7′ 6″ St. Croix I carry with me. Look for that late tomorrow.
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James, are you going to do any actually fishing out of it? If so, would you mind seeing if you could lay a few 7’6″ rods on the deck? Wondering if this can be done without the upper part of the rod having to rest on the actual gunnels.
Thanks,
FDR
Absolutely I’ll be fishing. After a couple WOT runs that will be the tests that really tell the story.
I can test that out and take a pic with a 7′ 6″ St. Croix I carry with me. Look for that late tomorrow.
Cool!
FDR
Very nice INDEED James!
that rig is ridiculous, im very jealous James. I’m sure that boat will be part of a lot of great fish/memories. Congrats
Dang that is a nice looking boat.
Sure wish I lived closer so I could take a ride in that rig.
My wife is not going to be happy when she see’s that boat…..
Great website and great forums, particularly the Skeeters!
Referring directly to the transom view, it appears the bottom of the side of the hull where it meets the running surface is “stepped in” when compared with the MX1825. One of the benefits of the MX1825 is the stability in the water when passengers move from one side to the other in the back of the boat. Is my observation correct and does this “step in” compromise stability of the MX2025 when sitting in the water? I’m assuming this was a move to have the MX2025 sit between the trailer fenders instead of above like the MX1825.
This is a great looking boat which matches my fishing style perfectly!!!
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Referring directly to the transom view, it appears the bottom of the side of the hull where it meets the running surface is “stepped in” when compared with the MX1825. One of the benefits of the MX1825 is the stability in the water when passengers move from one side to the other in the back of the boat. Is my observation correct and does this “step in” compromise stability of the MX2025 when sitting in the water? I’m assuming this was a move to have the MX2025 sit between the trailer fenders instead of above like the MX1825.
This is a great looking boat which matches my fishing style perfectly!!!
I’ll report back on this tonight. In talking with the engineers regarding the plans to step the hull in so it would fit inside the fenders of the trailer they all felt the few inches it would take to make that change would have zero impact on stability. I’ll have 4 big guys in the boat tonight to check.
FDR – here’s your rods on deck photo. A 7’6″ rod is a no go. Show here are my 6’8″ and 6’9″ Elites.
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Great website and great forums, particularly the Skeeters!
Referring directly to the transom view, it appears the bottom of the side of the hull where it meets the running surface is “stepped in” when compared with the MX1825. One of the benefits of the MX1825 is the stability in the water when passengers move from one side to the other in the back of the boat. Is my observation correct and does this “step in” compromise stability of the MX2025 when sitting in the water? I’m assuming this was a move to have the MX2025 sit between the trailer fenders instead of above like the MX1825.
This is a great looking boat which matches my fishing style perfectly!!!
SOCO – well, we had the MX 2025 out last night. Side-to-Side stability is NOT an issue and there’s no adverse results from the stepped in sides. We had 3 – 230+ guys moving from side to side at the back of the boat and there’s almost no deflection of the boat in the water as the weight moves around. Simply put, the 2025 is far more stable than the 1825… which already felt like you were standing on solid ground.
As for the performance of the boat… I’m in love. This is my dream boat brought to life.
Top speed, into the current and a 25 MPH wind last night was 58 MPH. Carrying 4 guys between 220 and 250 pounds and a nearly full tank of gas! Top speed with two guys was nearly 61 MPH turning a salt water prop. Prop testing begins in earnest later today.
The hole shot is fantastic. The bow stays low and the boat just shoots forward when you roll on the throttle regardless if you have 2 guys in the boat or 4.
The mid-range throttle response of the 300 Yamaha is something else. I expect the guys at some of the up-coming Ride N Drive events will be walking away from this boat sporting grins with some staying power.
The on-plane handling of this boat is something else. Again, likely due to the REACT keel. The interior layout makes the boat feel bigger than 20′ long and the hull handles waves like a champ yet the boat feels nimble and quick when you’re putting it through turns, cornering or even doing simple stuff like coming into a dock under power of the big motor. Its fun and easy to drive but if you want to get a little “racy” with it the 2025 goes from luxury car to sports car quicker than I can cook up an evil grin. I know Joel and I did some things last night that I’m not sure I’ve ever done before… and we’ll leave it at that. 
As for the fishing performance last night we had some high winds gusting 20 – 25 mph. The MX 2025 sticks like glue to the water and that deep REACT keel keeps the boat from sliding in cross winds. Control is easy and predictable and like nothing else Skeeter has made prior to the 1825 or anything else I’ve fished from. I know the pronounced keel on these new MX boats hasn’t really received the attention it deserves but that one design feature may very well be the difference between what be a good boat and what is a great boat.
As for the rough water ride Pool 2 is definitely NOT the proper testing grounds but we did have strong winds and ample barge traffic to give us a feel for what this boat is all about and it was surprising how well this multi-species hull did in waves. I’ll need more time on big water before I’ll give it a “double thumbs up” rating but barge wakes and 2′ chop means nothing to this hull.
We had 4 guys in the boat last night and there’s room everywhere. The back deck is the perfect size. The longer front deck is bigger than I hoped it would be or will ever need.
I haven’t even begun to utilize all the available storage. The Rod Holster swallowed up all the rods Joel and I brought in the boat last night so we didn’t even touch the center rod storage. The driver side lockers, the rear deck storage areas and the shelving under the consoles didn’t even get touched yet… meaning I need more stuff!
So how was the fishing? We really only fished for about 30 minutes. Joel and I each stuck a nice eye on Shad Raps just as we were running out of day light. The fish were SHALLOW. As in inches of water, not feet. We had dropped the two camera guys off on shore in an area with some current and a steep drop. We positioned the boat about 10′ off shore and started fishing. As rarely happens the fish cooperated and we pulled 2 quality fish right from the feet of the guys filming. There’s some good luck in this boat!
Here’s a couple cell phone shots from last night. When I say the fish were shallow… I mean it. Ben was able to shoot a couple quick pics from where he was standing and we didn’t move any closer. I would expect the video will be equally cool given these guys were right in our laps.
I love fishing that river!
Well, that’s all for now. More in the coming days. I’m off to Skeeter Boat Center to get some electronics installed.
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FDR – here’s your rods on deck photo. A 7’6″ rod is a no go. Show here are my 6’8″ and 6’9″ Elites.
Thanks for the pics and report James!
FDR
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