Once I consider aluminum boats I consider smaller flat-bottomed Jon boats, that’s all I actually grew up with in Georgia, most of them tiller boats below 14 ft lengthy. So, whereas they weren’t dangerous boats to fish off of I don’t suppose excessive efficiency in the case of aluminum hulls. I consider loud, tough, and low-cost. Effectively, again in June of this 12 months I had that notion about aluminum boats flipped on its head. I obtained to expertise the brand new technology of aluminum boats from ALUMACraft within the purifying waters of Lake Minnetonka, with the brand new 2025 Trophy and Competitor collection of aluminum boats.
I obtained to spend a day trip on the water driving and fishing on a number of fashions of the brand new 2025 ALUMACraft boats to actually see how they really feel in real-world use. First, let’s simply go over some new options that they’ve added with the brand new 2025 Trophy and Competitor Sequence of boats. Beginning on the bow of the brand new 2025 Trophy and Opponents they function a brand new curved gunwale design. This provides higher visibility for the motive force whereas on aircraft and as an added bonus simply appears good. Transferring additional again the within of the bow has been modernized, now coming with an optimized spot to position a 12″ graphs and a trolling motor pedal footwell within the entrance deck. Letting you retain the entrance neat and tripping hazard-free.
Transferring only a bit again we get to the fully redesigned Captain’s Helm. Now made from injection-molded plastic, the brand new helm is totally redesigned for higher ergos whereas on the transfer. There are not any extra gauges now, the sprint is absolutely digital with a 7″ Garmin Show. Moreover on prime of the helm they made positive to have house to suit two 12″ graphs with out taking away any visibility from the motive force. Lastly, there may be simply tons of storage available within the helm, with even the molded angled footrests being space for storing.
Heading in direction of the strict of the boats, you see a few large new options. The primary is the brand new Flex Modules, which supplies boaters the choice to select from 3 quick-install rear modules that give both extra livewell house, extra storage, or extra seats. That means you can also make the boat suit your wants higher. The second large function is the brand new X-PODS. These are two 16″ extensions on both facet of the outboard, supplying you with extra rear deck house together with extra storage with storage lockers being constructed contained in the X-PODS. Past the added deck and space for storing the X-PODs assist with reaching aircraft faster appearing as stiff trim tabs.
An alternative choice for the rear deck of the boats is the brand new MAX DECK. On ROTAX S outfitted 2025 Trophy and Opponents, you may add the non-compulsory MAX Deck. This provides the boats an extra 25 sq. ft of deck house. Excellent as a casting platform or only a spot to place down a towel and take within the solar. As an added bonus the MAX Deck together with the ROTAX S makes for an extremely quiet driving expertise in comparison with typical outboards.
Now we’re completed speaking about among the new options let’s speak about experiencing them in actual life on the water. First up was a ROTAX S powered 2025 Competitor 185X with the MAX Deck. The plan for the day was to take a number of fashions of every collection of boats out for a spin and go fish. This was my first expertise with an ALUMACraft boat that wasn’t over 30 years previous so I used to be fairly excited. As soon as we obtained out of the marina and out into open waters we gunned it. The ROTAX S outboard obtained us shifting fast, after all till we needed to decelerate for a gradual no-wake zone, however as quickly as we obtained by that we had been zooming once more. And like I mentioned earlier the trip was surprisingly quiet, the MAX Deck plus the Rotax stays quiet sufficient so even on aircraft you don’t must shout to speak with one another on the market. One other factor I seen was how quiet the ALUMACraft 2XB hull was. I’m used to the trip of an aluminum boat being loud, with fixed slapping and tinging noises because the hull cuts by the water. As an alternative, I used to be handled to a quiet trip that didn’t really feel like several aluminum boat I’ve ever been on.
Effectively after a bit extra of the mild trip out we obtained to the spot, some deeper water with tall weeds rising midway up the water column. The primary goal being pike, a deal with for me as a result of we don’t have them down south. And truthfully, I used to be shocked at how easy of a fishery it’s for these guys. We had been simply ripping rattle traps by the water column close to the weeds as fast as we may to set off a strike. These guys are simply as voracious as a Spanish mackerel and even cooler, will comply with a lure all the best way to the boat earlier than swimming off. With two anglers and a driver on every boat, the MAX Deck was a pleasant addition for 3 of us fishing. Giving every of us loads of house to forged with none danger of somebody getting a brand new rattle entice piercing. Usually being relegated to the again of the boat kinda sucks, however that was not the case right here. The added peak of the Max Deck took a second to get used to however I may positively see it being a bonus in case you had been sight fishing.
After all as quickly we began moving into the pike, we had to return to swap boats. I imply it is smart, I used to be right here to check out the brand new 2025 fashions. So subsequent up was a 2025 Competitor 175X Tiller, which was certainly probably the most well-powered tiller boat I’ve ever been in, positively not the previous Jon boat I used to be used to. This boat was one thing else with a 90hp Mercury on the again of it. The brand new curved gunwale design of the 2025 ALUMACrafts actually shone by right here. Being seated up to now again to manage the tiller, these decrease gunwales saved visibility excessive when the boat was getting on aircraft initially.
Whereas the trip wasn’t as quiet as with the ROTAX, this boat was nonetheless lacking the standard aluminum boat sounds that I used to be used to. This time as an alternative of going out to the weed beds within the open lake we obtained out of the wind and began fishing docks making an attempt to get into some bass. Organising wind alongside the shore and letting the wind drift us alongside, or at the very least we tried to. However this proved to work fairly properly getting us a couple of choose in addition to double of a pike and a strong northern bass. However once more we needed to minimize the fishing brief and head again to do one other boat change.
This time I took the motive force’s seat for a bit of bit, and I’ve to say this wasn’t the previous 2hp Johnson I used to be used to when it got here to driving a tiller boat that’s for positive. It’s one thing else to be steering 90hp by hand. My hats off to you for the blokes who do that on the common.
For the final session of the day we had been on a 2025 Trophy 205X outfitted with a 350hp Mercury outboard. This was a formidable boat, as a result of often once I hear a few 350hp outboard I consider offshore fishing, not fishing in a lake. So this was one thing I had not anticipated to expertise this present day. So the plan was to move again out to the primary lake this time, as a result of he fished a ton and knew I did as properly. However earlier than we may go fish he needed to present me what the boat was able to, and this 205X Trophy was able to loads. We obtained out of the gradual/ no-wake zones and gunned it. Completely screaming throughout that lake, the 2XB hull didn’t give a rattling about any of the ferry wakes we went over. As soon as we had been out in a big open part of the lake was when the actual enjoyable started.
He needed to exhibit simply what the hull may do, and man that was one thing else. 350hp screaming behind us whereas we’re making loops throughout the lake. The entire time the boat felt tremendous below management, I imply I used to be white-knuckling the seat, however he was dealing with the boat with ease. Even at velocity throughout the loops and U-turns, I didn’t really feel the boat lose grip. This factor was a beast. However after displaying off what the boat was able to and me getting my hat and sun shades resituated we bolted in direction of the weed beds once more to go catch some fish.
And fish we did catch, the solar began peaking out from behind the clouds and began the bit proper up. Once more utilizing the rattle traps we had caught nearly a dozen pike in about an hours span. Whereas nothing was a large, any pike was a cool catch for me. We had been having a blast however once more it was time to go in, so we headed again in direction of the marina for the ultimate time that day, with me behind the wheel this time.
Whereas I wasn’t going to go for a similar maneuvers, I nonetheless opened her up the place we may and made nice time getting again. Whereas it was by no means going to be a quiet trip with 350hp behind us it was a clean one. As soon as on aircraft, we had been simply gliding over all the pieces. The brand new 2025 ALUMACraft Trophy and Opponents are one thing else, completely loaded to the gills with space for storing and filled with trendy options. These are fishing machines that may simply double as leisure craft. These are positively not the aluminum boats I grew up with, to see extra particulars on the brand new 2025 ALUMACraft boats go test them out at their web site.
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