Contender 25 Bay

When you think of Contender Boats, you think about serious offshore fishing machines. The 25 Bay is just as serious, but designed with expansive casting decks to ply inshore waters for species such as bluefish, calico bass, cobia, redfish, sea-trout, snook, striped bass and tarpon.

With a draft of just 12 inches, you can sneak up on fish in shallow water, yet with a transom deadrise of 15½ degrees, you can also venture off the beach on a nice day to fish wrecks for grouper or weedlines for mahimahi.

Nearly everything within its 25-foot-4-inch hull is optional. You can have a 25 Bay customized just the way you want it. At 3,200 pounds rigged and ready to fish, you can easily tow this boat with a vehicle like the 2015 Ford F-150.

The 25 Bay features a foam-cored fiberglass stringer system, and the hand-laid fiberglass construction uses multidirectional fabric. You will also find foam flotation throughout. Above deck, there’s a heavy-duty rub rail and nothing but stainless-steel hardware.

Thanks to a pair of steps built into the running surface, the hull is very efficient. The steps serve as vents to usher a cushion of air under the hull to reduce drag when underway.

While improving performance and fuel efficiency, steps also require special considerations when selecting a trailer. If you’re considering a stepped-hull boat, make sure the trailer is designed for and carefully fitted to the boat for proper support and to facilitate launching and loading at the ramp.