Some people think fishing is relaxing. But that’s hardly the case with the Monster Energy Fishing Team, which competes as if hooked to an IV drip of its sponsor’s caffeinated soft drink. The team’s main focus: winning big-time kingfish tournaments aboard the new Deep Impact 390C Open.
This boat is built to race in rough seas — not to a finish line, but to fish such as live-in-the-fast-lane king mackerel. In addition to creating a cushion of air, the multistep hull offers variable planing surfaces for greater lift.
Launching off the face of rollers, it lands smoothly, thanks to a deep-V that carries aft with 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom and Mercury racing tabs. No thuds. No shudders. Deep Impact hull bottoms are reinforced with resin-infused coring, and the sides are cored with Mantex and Divinycell. The hull also gets several layers of Kevlar. Three-across racing seats at the helm (with the driver in the center) keep crew in place. Tackle storage and rocket-launcher rod holders are integrated into the seat-back pod. Two additional bucket seats are integrated into the forward console door. Inside the console is a marine privy with seven feet of headroom.
A trio of 300 hp Mercury Verado outboards propelled the 390C to a top speed of nearly 66 mph. Not bad for a boat/engine package weighing about 12,000 pounds, plus a five-man crew, 100 gallons of gas and hardtop.
Each Deep Impact is customized to the buyer’s desires with impeccable fit and finish. The undersides of all hatches are finished in glossy gelcoat.
Our tester was rigged with two Garmin 7214 displays flush-mounted into twin alcoves at the helm, a full array of Mercury SmartCraft gauges in the center carbon-fiber panel, and Zero Effort throttle controls starboard of the wheel.
The 390C Open has a raised casting deck in the bow and is equipped with twin 55-gallon livewells in the full transom. The lazarette can also be plumbed, if the buyer wishes, for live bait — a hot commodity on the kingfish tournament circuit. There are also numerous drink holders for the crew’s other hot commodity — cans of Monster. With the energy this crew puts into competing, it’s going to need it by the case.
Comparable model: Nor-Tech 390 Sport Open
