There are bass fishermen, and then there are tournament bass fishermen. The guys who fish when it counts, when the big bucks are on the line. The ones who need a little something extra in their boats. They need speed and control to do 70 mph in traffic so they can get to the fish fast. They need dual livewell systems and ridiculous amounts of rod and tackle stowage so they can be prepared to throw whatever it takes to get a bite. In short, they need a tournament-quality bass boat.
Not hitting the tournament trail? Maybe you just want to own what the pros use. Who wouldn’t? To help you find the right rocket, we rounded up some of the fastest, best-equipped fishin’ fliers we could find: a Bumble Bee 2100 Super V, Nitro 929 CDX, ProCraft 210 Super Pro DC, Ranger Z21 Comanche, and Triton TR 21X. All of them are fitted to the nines; all of them are capable of being the first to the honey hole. Since they’re so evenly matched, it took some exhaustive research to find out which is the one that will bring home our trophy. It was hard, but we finally chose a winner. Don’t spoil the ending by looking to see who won first. Read through the whole thing—you’ll learn a lot.
As you can tell, these boats have a lot in common, from their open deck layouts to the keelpads that provide lift. A quick glance at our performance charts shows that they all leap onto plane and hit about 25 mph at only 2500 rpm. They have blinding holeshots of around three seconds and easily reach 70 mph. There are minor variations, but hull shapes all tend to have a combination of low, level chines and lifting strakes, with relatively flat deadrise for stability while the boat is at rest and anglers are casting. All have dual livewells, lockable rod lockers, and removable bike and folding-back pedestal seats. Each boat has enough standard features to make it tournament worthy.
The only obvious difference in this test was that four of the boats ran with the Mercury 225-hp OptiMax Pro XS, whereas the Ranger Z21 Comanche had a 250-hp OptiMax—essentially the same engine with a powerhead tweaked to gain extra horses. So how do you pick a winner? It’s all in the details.
The Bumble Bee 2100 Super V is probably the best pure performance boat in the group, excelling BT0605_34E.jpgthroughout the entire rpm range, not just at high speeds. It didn’t record the fastest top end, but it came close. Its price tag is right in the middle of the pack, making it a real value for a tournament-quality boat. It comes with a good selection of standards, but some of its amenities aren’t as upscale as on the other boats. And that keeps it from being our top dog. The Nitro 929 CDX is respectable in every criterion we used to judge these boats. Its performance, construction, finish, and fishing ability are all right up there. That said, it also didn’t stand out against the others in any category. Plus, it had the lowest top end and the highest ambient noise when running. It’s a boat you’d be proud to own, but it isn’t our big winner.
The ProCraft 210 Super Pro DC is the least expensive of the group and has the fewest amenities and a more basic level of finish. It’s a solid and predictably performing boat with enough of everything to satisfy the tournament angler. It’s another choice you can’t go wrong with, but if you’re looking for a boat with that little something extra, then you’ll have to look at one of the others. You’ll also have to pay more, too. The Triton TR 21X raises the level of finish. It also raises the price tag—it’s the most expensive boat here. It has the most comfortable seats and comes standard with a Hot Foot pedal that gives car-like speed control. It posted the fastest speed of the 225-hp boats and fell only 0.2 mph shy of the 250-hp Ranger. But it proved the hardest to control at high speeds.
That leaves the Ranger Z21 Comanche. Sure it’s about 10 grand more than the Bumble Bee, Nitro, and ProCraft, but its level of finish surpasses them all. You can see where the extra money was spent. It had a few issues in the lower planing speeds, but from 45 mph upward, it found its groove, and in the 70-mph range we felt very much in control. For us, this was the best total package. Now, please just find a place to stow those removable chairs and we’ll be happy.
