We Say: Propulsion advances always lead to advances in transportation. Think steam and riverboat, V-16 Merlins and the Mustang P-51, or an SD 455 HO and a ’73 Trans Am. Today’s history makers are Skeeter’s FX 21 and Yamaha’s V MAX 250 SHO.
Purpose-built for the four-cycle SHO — including a high-lift bottom pad, a setback purpose-shaped to feed solid water to both of the props, and the low-water pickup in the 505-pound Yamaha’s race-bred nose cone — the FX 21 may be the hottest bass boat going.
Delivering a blistering hole shot of six seconds to 30 mph and a top speed over 75 mph, it still remains stable and maneuverable. At 70-plus mph, where the wake from a duck can give experienced anglers the puckers, the FX 21 feels controllable. If you’re a two-stroke junkie who has eschewed four-strokes for lack of performance, or a newbie fearful of fishing at interstate velocities, this collaboration should prove an epiphany. And it can fish.
I was impressed by 14 rods, their tips protected by tubing, racked inside the lockable, LED-illuminated bow locker. Two independently plumbed livewells provide the flexibility to sort through a day’s catch while ensuring those bucketmouths keep flopping until weigh-in. A neat measuring board pulls out from the portside console. Three deep lockers, plus a prop locker/cooler, stow plenty of gear. Rightfully, its finish is as good as it gets.
Who’d Want One: Go-go-go anglers desiring the sight of the pack in their wake and tournament competitors too.
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Another Choice:** Heavier by 250 pounds, the 2,100-pound Champion 210 Elite hits 73.1 mph with a 250 hp Yamaha V MAX 250 (about $60,000).
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Bottom Line:** $70,810; skeeterfx.com
