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The ProKat starts out at about $13,000 less than the Glacier Bay. However, the difference is closer to $10,000 when you add on similar options. That still leaves you with enough money left over for a T-top and electronics. Any way you cut it, the Pro Sports provides a lot of value for its list price.
The Sea Cat is priced at $40,485, just a tick under the ProKat, making it the second least costly fishing machine in the bunch. It's not overloaded, but it's not stripped, either. The fishing must-haves-rodholders, livewell, insulated fishbox, and washdown-are all included in this number. Bottom line: Even though it's not the rock-bottom lowest number in the rally, this boat provides the most value per dollar spent.
Twin Vee clearly provides maximum LOA for minimum investment. But at $33,959, this boat is stripped. That number doesn't even include a helm seat or props. Let's add the bare minimum: Twin engine rigging ($775), two batteries and boxes ($172), console windshield and grabrail ($328), twin pedestal seats ($399), four gunwale rodholders ($120), and props ($698). That brings the real-world cost up to $36,451. Now add in the options that bring it even with the Sea Cat and ProKat: fore and aft siderails ($628), a leaning post with livewell ($599), and plumbing for the livewell and raw-water washdown ($299). That pulls up the price to $37,977. It's still a good deal. But not as much as you thought.
King of the Jungle
Although we love its looks and the quality of its build, the Glacier Bay 2260 Canyon Runner's assets don't push it up our list as much as its high cost pulls it down. We liked the ride, handling, and performance. But we liked the ride, handling, and performance of the other cats, too. Considering the fit and finish, as well as the comprehensive list of factory-installed standard features, it's pretty clear that this boat will be the number-one pick for those who want the gold-plater, but not for your average angler.
The Pro Sports ProKat 2200CC fills a great middle-of-the-road niche. It looks good, rides well, fishes nicely, and has a reasonable cost. It's a tough competitor. However, it's not the winner of this rally, as its ride, handling, and performance were a tick behind the planing boats. Plus, we'd like to see a few construction details addressed. The slamming hatches and screwed-on (give us bolts, please) and adhesive hull-to-deck joint should both be improved.
The Twin Vee Awesome 22 CC scores big points for costing the least, riding so smoothly, and sporting the most efficient pair of hulls in the contest. But we're bothered by the hidden costs-figuring out exactly how much this new boat will cost you is confusing. And the no-frills fit and finish, screwed-in console bracing, and lack of integrated stowage, fishboxes, and tackleboxes hold it back from the winner's circle.
The Sea Cat 22 CC's full-width integrated transom is a tradeoff for aft accessibility. Some anglers will like it; some won't. What we'd like is to see the oval nonslip replaced with something more grippy, and those spring struts must go. Beyond that, this boat has the sharpest teeth and the fastest claws in this pack of cats. In every category we considered, the Sea Cat scored at or near the top. It rides with the best of them, goes faster than the rest, maintains good efficiency, handles like a sports car, comes ready to fish out of the box, and provides maximum value for the price. Plus, it's a looker. That's why Sea Cat's 22 CC wins the kitty.
