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Bay boats have turn out to be the boat of selection for inshore anglers as of late. They present more room and freeboard than conventional flats boats, and on the identical time they will run in far shallower water than true offshore boats. They're additionally lighter to tow than deep-Vs, however have simply as a lot household area topside. And one of the crucial spectacular within the discipline is the NauticStar 2400, an upscale bay rig that comes utterly loaded with all of the fishing necessities, appears nice, and is constructed to final for many years.
I examined the boat on rock-bound Lewis Smith Lake, southeast of the corporate's plant in Amory, Mississippi – a terrific venue for chasing striped bass, which the boat is ideally suited to do. The first notable truth was the smoking acceleration; due to a weight of simply 2500 kilos. The hull bought on high in beneath four seconds, and hit 30 mph in 6.6 seconds – that is sportboat efficiency, particularly with a giant four-stroke 250 on the transom.
PROPPED RIGHT
Of course, generally a smoking gap shot means much less high velocity due to a lower-than-needed pitch on the prop. But the 15 1/four x 21-inch Powertech! stainless three-blade pushed the boat to 54.2 mph at 6300 rpm – it will not take lengthy to get to that distant honey gap on this rig, and it is rated for 300 horses. It's in all probability near a 60-mph boat with 50 extra horses and a higher-pitch wheel.
Fuel economic system was excellent, peaking at 3.5 mpg at 3500 rpm and 26.7 mph. With an 80-gallon tank, even these wild redfish tourney guys will discover the vary enough – 252 miles at cruising velocity.
THE FINISH FITS
I've run a number of bay boats through the years, and I'd rank the NauticStar within the higher 10 p.c when it comes to high quality of match and end. You get good touches like RTM hatch lids that look nearly as good on the within as out. Plus these hatches are gentle, however very stiff – there isn't any flex while you step on them. And all have high-grade locks that can maintain your fishing stuff secure. They are additionally guttered and drained to stop water build-up inside.
There's an enormous quantity of storage on this boat. The twin rod bins maintain 10 rods in racks that can maintain them separated – a giant plus for individuals who have handled the tangled mess in bins with out racks. There are additionally six vertical rod racks on the console on your working gear, plus area for 10 extra beneath the gunwales. And the 2 deal with hatches sunk into the again deck come outfitted with ten Plano deal with bins standing upright – this makes maintaining monitor of all of your lures a breeze.
For anglers who use a castnet to seize sardines or finger mullet, the belowdecks storage for a 5-gallon castnet bucket is a superb concept, as is the adjoining uncooked water washdown to wash up the mess after you've got tossed the online just a few instances. The rear livewell holds 47 gallons and is fed by each a 500 gph provide pump and an 800 gph aerator pump. It additionally features a LED gentle and a stand-pipe for flow-through bait pampering.
The anchor locker within the bow peak not solely has a hanger, but additionally consists of a few shank locks that can maintain the anchor from leaping round in tough going. Also customary is the bow plug on your trolling motor, plus a tilt management for the outboard in the identical panel. An enlarged part of the gunwale is designed to suit the foot of your bow-mount troller. There's loads of room up there so as to add a second fishfinder, too.
There are padded jumpseats within the aft corners of the cockpit, and the backs of those seats fold down flush so as to add extra fishing area for the aft casting deck. Swivel chairs can be found for each entrance and rear fishing.
I just like the detachable console rail and Plexiglas windshield too; this might help you get the boat on a trailer by a low storage door, and it additionally gives area to face atop the console to sight fish on the flats, must you so need.
Belowdecks, the boat is all enterprise, with a fiberglass, foam-filled stringer system, high-density composite transom, and a vinylester barrier coat to stop blistering. All pumps and hoses are simply accessed by the massive hatch subsequent to the aft effectively.
WIDE OPEN SPACES
Maybe probably the most notable design factor within the 2400 is that it carries the eight 1/2-foot beam effectively ahead, giving a really feel virtually like Kenner's venerable SkiBarge, which was type of the primary bay boat, earlier than the time period had been invented. You lose just a little in high velocity by broadening the bow of a efficiency hull, however you get a lot extra helpful area on the entrance casting deck that the tradeoff is effectively value it. And, extra quantity up entrance means extra buoyancy there, must you selected to take this boat offshore once in a while.
It's true that each boat is one thing of compromise, and this true of the 2400, as effectively. For instance, you may't pole this massive bay boat practically so simply as you may a flats boat, and most float considerably deeper than devoted flyweight flats rigs. The NauticStar, nevertheless, does effectively on this division, with a draft of solely 13 inches, drive up.
It takes a much bigger trailer and tow automobile to haul a bay rig than it does to haul a flats boats, and a much bigger storage to retailer it. And in comparison with a real offshore boat, it may be wetter and rougher using.
But for a terrific many anglers, the positives of a utility participant on the proper value far outweigh these points. Bay boats are a sizzling purchase as of late all alongside the coasts, they usually're exhibiting up on a lot of massive freshwater lakes, as effectively.
If you suppose this can be your style, NauticStar could also be your boat.
– Frank Sargeant
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