Hamilton Reef
02-16-2007, 10:10 AM
New wave of fishing boats on display
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1171635309111580.xml&coll=6
02/16/07 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor hmeyerson@grpress.com
It used to be fishing boats in the Midwest were a pretty predictable lot. There were bass boats and aluminum deep-V hulls, your grandfather's old rowboat and the big, inboard-driven cruiser that was outfitted for fishing.
But boat dealers say anglers and winter snowbirds have been asking for something different in recent years. They have their eyes on a growing array of sportfishing designs now being shown by area dealers.
"We have 10 dealers showing them, Henri Boucher, manager for the 62nd Grand Rapids Boat Show that runs through Sunday at DeVos Place, said. "That's more than any time in the past."
This year's show boasts more than 400 boats, from kayaks to race boats with pontoons and ski boats in between. There are futuristic and antique designs. There are personal watercraft and live-aboard power cruisers.
Dealers say the rugged styling of sportfishers is in demand among the baby-boomer set, people who want a simple, high-performance boat they can use here in the summer and trailer to Florida in the winter where they may run the intercoastal waters.
What generally sets the new sportfishers apart is a center-console design with its hard-top bimini and wide-open cockpit spaces. The open area provides room to handle a fish or a group of friends for the day. Their simple interiors are easy to maintain and clean.
The new boats also are powered by the latest two- or four-stroke outboard motors -- engines with enough power to go offshore in a hurry and are more fuel-efficient than the big inboard engine boats typically seen on the Great Lakes.
"These are boats you didn't see much on the Great Lakes," said Dennis Drummond, owner of Drummond Marine in Holland, which is showing three sportfishing models by Scout. "Everyone here used to be into the cuddy and the family bowrider.
"But we're seeing more demand for them in the Great Lakes. They are easy to dock and run or fish from. You don't have all that carpet to worry about.
"People like them because they are open. It's a boat that still allows you to be out front and sit and feel the waves and wind."
The center-console approach is being incorporated into both large and small models, like the 17-foot Carolina Skiff JV17 and the 28-foot Scout 282 Sportfish shown by Drummond.
"The baby-boomers have more free time," said Jeff Helms, owner of Camp and Cruise in Marne, which is showing center-console Carolina Skiffs and its offshore line called Sea Chaser. Helms picked up the lines late last year.
"The demand for the center-console designs has really taken off in the last five years," said Helms. "Fifty percent of the buyers are fishing-boat buyers and the other 50 percent want an easy and economical way to get on the water without a lot of burden."
Brent Reed, sales manager for Toledo Beach West at Grand Isle Marine in Grand Haven, said the new generation of outboard motors is part of the appeal.
Buyers prefer to move away from the big, noisy inboard engines. The new engines are quiet by comparison and boats have enough power to go offshore fast or can fly up the Lake Michigan coastline for a day of sightseeing or port-hopping.
"It's not just about using them for fishing," said Reed, who is showing a 25-foot, center-console by Pursuit as well as a more traditional 36 Open Tiara, which can be rigged for fishing.
"Why people want them (center consoles) is they can put eight people on them and take a ride out the channel and when they are done, just hose it off," said Reed. "Eight or nine years ago we were one of the few companies offering them in the Great Lakes. Now there are 15 showing boats with outboards."
Also new in the outboard sportfishing arena are the offshore versions by the same manufacturers. They offer a small cuddy cabin for getting out of the elements or taking a snooze.
Jim Bromely, sales manager for Halls Sport Center in Grand Haven, said the boat's appeal is its versatility and trailerablity. He contends that the Trophy 2352 shown by his company is one of the most popular trailerables on the market.
"It's not a wide-body and a couple of guys can handle it," he said. "But it's a boat you can fish from and then just hose it down for an easy cleanup. It's a growing market that has worked out well for us. It can be used for fishing with the guys or as a family boat."
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1171635309111580.xml&coll=6
02/16/07 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor hmeyerson@grpress.com
It used to be fishing boats in the Midwest were a pretty predictable lot. There were bass boats and aluminum deep-V hulls, your grandfather's old rowboat and the big, inboard-driven cruiser that was outfitted for fishing.
But boat dealers say anglers and winter snowbirds have been asking for something different in recent years. They have their eyes on a growing array of sportfishing designs now being shown by area dealers.
"We have 10 dealers showing them, Henri Boucher, manager for the 62nd Grand Rapids Boat Show that runs through Sunday at DeVos Place, said. "That's more than any time in the past."
This year's show boasts more than 400 boats, from kayaks to race boats with pontoons and ski boats in between. There are futuristic and antique designs. There are personal watercraft and live-aboard power cruisers.
Dealers say the rugged styling of sportfishers is in demand among the baby-boomer set, people who want a simple, high-performance boat they can use here in the summer and trailer to Florida in the winter where they may run the intercoastal waters.
What generally sets the new sportfishers apart is a center-console design with its hard-top bimini and wide-open cockpit spaces. The open area provides room to handle a fish or a group of friends for the day. Their simple interiors are easy to maintain and clean.
The new boats also are powered by the latest two- or four-stroke outboard motors -- engines with enough power to go offshore in a hurry and are more fuel-efficient than the big inboard engine boats typically seen on the Great Lakes.
"These are boats you didn't see much on the Great Lakes," said Dennis Drummond, owner of Drummond Marine in Holland, which is showing three sportfishing models by Scout. "Everyone here used to be into the cuddy and the family bowrider.
"But we're seeing more demand for them in the Great Lakes. They are easy to dock and run or fish from. You don't have all that carpet to worry about.
"People like them because they are open. It's a boat that still allows you to be out front and sit and feel the waves and wind."
The center-console approach is being incorporated into both large and small models, like the 17-foot Carolina Skiff JV17 and the 28-foot Scout 282 Sportfish shown by Drummond.
"The baby-boomers have more free time," said Jeff Helms, owner of Camp and Cruise in Marne, which is showing center-console Carolina Skiffs and its offshore line called Sea Chaser. Helms picked up the lines late last year.
"The demand for the center-console designs has really taken off in the last five years," said Helms. "Fifty percent of the buyers are fishing-boat buyers and the other 50 percent want an easy and economical way to get on the water without a lot of burden."
Brent Reed, sales manager for Toledo Beach West at Grand Isle Marine in Grand Haven, said the new generation of outboard motors is part of the appeal.
Buyers prefer to move away from the big, noisy inboard engines. The new engines are quiet by comparison and boats have enough power to go offshore fast or can fly up the Lake Michigan coastline for a day of sightseeing or port-hopping.
"It's not just about using them for fishing," said Reed, who is showing a 25-foot, center-console by Pursuit as well as a more traditional 36 Open Tiara, which can be rigged for fishing.
"Why people want them (center consoles) is they can put eight people on them and take a ride out the channel and when they are done, just hose it off," said Reed. "Eight or nine years ago we were one of the few companies offering them in the Great Lakes. Now there are 15 showing boats with outboards."
Also new in the outboard sportfishing arena are the offshore versions by the same manufacturers. They offer a small cuddy cabin for getting out of the elements or taking a snooze.
Jim Bromely, sales manager for Halls Sport Center in Grand Haven, said the boat's appeal is its versatility and trailerablity. He contends that the Trophy 2352 shown by his company is one of the most popular trailerables on the market.
"It's not a wide-body and a couple of guys can handle it," he said. "But it's a boat you can fish from and then just hose it down for an easy cleanup. It's a growing market that has worked out well for us. It can be used for fishing with the guys or as a family boat."