Great Bass Boat Search 2020-21

Guys this is the first in the series, reviewing the Bass Cat Puma Hybrid which is the boat with the Champion 203 style hull under it. In the future ones i won't do the start where I go through all the criteria, but I wanted to show you what I'm looking at as I drive and fish in the boat each day. I'll drop part 2 tomorrow.

dude with first world problems

This is a great idea...give an outsider's look to all available options.

Man, I've really tried hard but there is nothing I like about a basscat

the beauty of a free market, we have a lot of choices

Thanks, great information.

Thought it was funny when he said he was surprised that the Basscat was faster than his Ranger!

He was probably referring to the Champion hull.

I doubt he ever thought his (or any Ranger) would keep up with a true Bass Cat!

Definitely referencing the Champ hull Cat. Darren Roberts went by me running up the lake in his Cat and it was like when one of those Warthogs dives on you over at Toledo, scared the poo out of me.

Ken I meant to mention this to you. Can you check the back wash on each boat as if you were running hard and pulled the kill switch? Another good criteria on ride.

not even the quality?

Fivebites I will, wish i had thought of that before I started this!

so the 203 hybrid hull is the champ and the BC hulls melded together. it's not a recreation of the old 203 hull. No cut corners etc. like a champ.

Definitely talking about the Champion hull
This 203 Hybrid May be the slowest of the BassCat line but has the better ride, which is the bonus
I like the idea

If there is a lot of backwash, what does that indicate? My 99 Pantera Classic gets a lot of backwash when I have to stop abruptly. Ken, great stuff! The 203 Hybrid is going to be in my garage someday... just gotta wait a few years...

It's probably a small detail, but it does reflect on the design concept. I ran a 202 Champ for 20 years and it had very little back wash. In two Legends since and both have pretty bad back washes. It's a pain, especially if you're tournament fishing and running spot to spot. Just another little thing I look for when buying my next boat. To each his own I guess.

A loaded down boat in the rear will always have backwash in my experience. Put 4 batteries, fuel, live wells, 2 guys, poles, it adds up

I was really surprised by the narrow front deck on the Cat. My 19 and a half foot Champ has much more width/room. Am waiting on part deux . Also interested in the Charger Elite although being the true champ hull will be slower.

Note around 2000 Champ broadened their beam which diminished ride quality but improved fishability by helping lessen the quirky roll when standing on the gunwale which you noticed in part 1 of the BC Hybrid assessment.

Three Cats & 5 Bullets later I learned how to blip the Hotfoot as the boat settles down so it doesn't look like I peed my pants the rest of the day from the backwash. It becomes second nature. I still do it to this day no matter what boat I'm driving.

Some of you on here are not old enough to recall the old Skeeter Starfires. All the Champs had a small amount of backwash but not nearly as bad as the old Skeeters. They would wash you out of the boat if you chopped the throttle abruptly. That's when the Skeeter design guys came up with the functional but ugly (don't hate me, I know this is Skeeter Country) sponsons on the transom. Notice the new Caymus has adopted this same design on their transom. The older narrower Tritons backwashed pretty badly if you had the wells full, 3 guys in the boat & 40 gals of gas. Earl Bentz has apparently addressed that on his new line. They look good too.

Most boats that taper toward the motor and have a narrower transom will have an issue with backwash- Bullets included. Not trying to be a know it all, just been there & done that a lot.

Great video Ken. It is nice to have someone doing unbiased boat reviews. I know there is a lot of brand-loyalty on TFF but it is good to hear about the new boats and have someone rate them honestly.