So far, I’ve been on Green Bay, Lake Pepin, and Lake of the Woods. I do not guide but had four anglers on every trip. Unfortunately,…all of them in very heavy seas. Unlike most purchases,..I continue to be impressed. Here are some specifics:
Fish handling is superb,…can’t imagine anything better. It tracks well both on the pedal and while trolling with a kicker. I put out a wind sock on LOTW due to the howling winds and had to pull it because it drifted only @ 0.5 mph. Even without a sock,…I was a bit slow at 0.9-1.0. It drifted perfectly perpendicular to the waves with no waves over the side. The other boats drifted right by us despite having a sock out. The terrova 80 lb is fine for most conditions but a bit sluggish when windy.
Seaworthiness in the wind surprised me. I was thinking the low sides would be a liability. Spray is minimal while underway. You do not need rain gear on sunny days in this boat. I was able to plane against the waves while other were not. The boat comes up easily with the 200 hpdi. (full fuel, 4 passengers,and full live well) Water will spray over the front if you don’t get the nose up quickly but these were heavy seas (to the point where most stayed ashore). If you only fish very big water, other Skeeter models have higher fronts. Fuel economy is good. Max speeds is 48-51 mph but its not quite broken in.
Layout is as great as it looks. Plenty of rod space and tackle space. None of the hatches leaked despite the down pours on Green Bay. Everything is handy. Bow was pre-wired for my depth finder. Running wires was easy for the rear one. Passengers have enjoyed the rear inboard seat pedestal locations so the can turn sideways while fishing. Seats are very comfortable. Plenty of live well space but I can’t say I’ve filled it up,…darn.
The trailer trails nicely handling road bumps with minimal pitching. With the boat cover on, I’m getting a little over 14 mph with a Ford ecoboost pick up. Boat aligns perfectly when loading every time. You need fairly deep water to launch (compared to a metal boat on a roller trailer). I lined the bunks with a plastic/teflon product from Surflix which really helps. I can move the boat with the winch to cinch it up if needed.
So,…I’d say it passed the one month review quite easily. I’m really happy with it. So much for “testing” phase,…I’m looking forward to getting out in some nicer weather,…the wind seems to follow me everywhere I go this year. Good luck and be safe!
