 |
|
|
|
Follow the latest blog postings from the Skeeter Team right here!
|
| REFLECTIONS ON MY 2010 SKEETER 21FX AND 250 SHO - 07-09-2010 |
|
REFLECTIONS ON MY 2010 SKEETER 21FX AND 250 SHO I am still like a kid when I get in this boat and hate to put it on the trailer after a day of fishing. I have owned the FX for a few months and have used it in my guide service plus a couple of Rayburn tournaments and also ran one of the demos for a week prior to and during the B.M. Classic at Lay Lake Alabama. Combining those together I have had plenty of seat time in this high-tech, quick responding, none like it fishing machine. A high percentage of today's anglers have only seen it in photos and videos and yet I get to run one almost daily.....how neat is that? However, we are doing everything in our power to get as many anglers as possible into an FX to experience it for themselves. Words and videos just don't get it done! You have to feel it. My Journey to the FX and SHO. As an avid angler for many years I have owned multiple boats and those have included some of the top names in the business. The boat that I got out of just a few hours ago, the FX21, is the best riding, best performing, best engineered, best handling boat that I have ever been in...period. To make that statement after owning a 21 i class is saying a mouthful. The FX is like an i Class on steroids and with an attitude. Everything I have attempted to do with this boat as far as handling it has done while allowing me to stay completely in control. After the initial holeshot, many of my guide customers want to talk more about my boat than they do fishing. I make part of my living as an outdoor writer and I get numerous inquiries about the FX and SHO. Mostly they are asking "Is this for real or is it just another boat and a bunch of hype"? Yes, it is a completely new designed and engineered boat from the bottom up and it eats 2-3 footers with ease while having a non-equaled fishing platform. A personal description of the ride is like it is designed to glide through the water with minimal friction. The ride combined with the strong, very quick and quiet 4-stroke 250 Yamaha SHO makes for a completely new ride and experience in bass boating. Top end is 73 gps with a 25" three-blade and standard set-up but mid 70s would be easy with prop changes and tweaking. The FX20 runs near 80. Remember, we're talking four strokes here. Skeeter's new 20FX and 21FX were manufactured exclusively for the new Yamaha 4-stroke and they fit like a hand and glove...really! Federal law required all outboards brought into the USA in 2010 to have a three star rating which is given due to engines with low emissions and high fuel economy. These new Yamaha SHO engines do that plus are lighter weight and out-perform comparable 2-stroke engines. Most bass anglers/boaters would say that is impossible and I too was in that group. I was sold on 2-stroke engines because of past performance and have been slow to end this life-long relationship and marry and 4-stroke. However, the new SHO technology moved me from 2-strokes in about 30 seconds of "on the water" time. After the first FX hole shot I was ready to propose. FX RIDE Recently we were on Toledo and the wind was out of the south about 15 mph and there was a good 2-3 foot chop on the lake. I had two customers with me and we headed to Housen Bay from the dam which is about a 12 to 15 mile run. Neither of the guys had ever seen an FX. We headed up the lake running about 50-55 mph and one of them said "I can't believe the ride". Almost every time we moved from one fishing area to another that day he would respond the same, "man the ride is unreal." This angler had also fished out of a lot of different boats. The FX continues the Skeeter tradition of being the driest ride on the lake as I crossed Toledo (west to east) recently with a 18-20 mph north cross wind and not a drop of water came inside. WHY FOUR STROKE? Simply put....the two stroke engines need oil mixed with the gas in order to run while the four-stroke is just like an automobile where the oil is in a crankcase and lubricates but is not burned up like the oil mixed in the gas. The environmental improvements are easily understood as omissions are much less on four stroke as there is no burning of oil in the atmosphere and in addition the 4-stroke uses less fuel. In earlier four strokes, in order to get these improvements the boater had to sacrifice performance plus earlier models were usually heavier with some weighing over a 100 pounds more than their counter 2-stroke engines. Hence we have a game changer.....a 4-stroke with lighter weight, low emissions, equals or out-performs comparable 2-strokes (super high output/SHO) and better gas economy. Win, Win. TRANSPARENCY As a pro angler and outdoor writer I want to be totally transparent when talking about these new products. I am sponsored by Skeeter/Yamaha so you expect me to be positive in these matters. However, I assure you this is the real deal but I don't expect you to completely take my word for it. When you get an opportunity, take a boat ride in one. It is cutting edge technology like I have never seen in boating and outboard manufacturing and I have owned over 20 boats from various companies in 40 years of fishing and boating. Joe Joslin
|
|
| "I took off #63 I passed over half of the field." - 05-17-2010 |
|
I received my new FX and SHO motor last week. It is unbelievable! At the Demo rides for Marks Outdoors everyone that rode in one of them just couldn’t believe how well the boat ran in rough water and how strong the motor is, including me. The 20i to me is the best boat that has ever been made and somehow you even improved the FX. I fished a draw tournament Saturday and ran 38 miles on takeoff to my first stop. I took off #63 I passed over half of the field. I was running 72 to 73 in curves and 76 in the strait away. That is incredible for one boat to be able to do both. Especially while passing boats and running across their wakes. Everyone is talking about the FX and SHO. It is everything that It is supposed to be for sure. I just felt like I needed to tell someone how much I liked it.
Thanks,
Jamie Horton
Burkes Mechanical
Project Manager
|
|
| "It's like being on your sofa at home." - 05-04-2010 |
|
I have been involved with Skeeter since November 1999. I have had a new Skeeter ZX225 every year since then with the exception of a couple of years when I had a ZX200. I always felt the ZX225 was the best bass boat design ever built and I was skeptical to change this year to the FX Series. However, I'm glad I did.
Both the ZX and the FX Series of boats fish about the same when you are actually fishing but there are a few new features I especially like about the new FX Series. First of all the seats, they are so comfortable it's like being on your sofa at home. Since I make a living on Lake Fork fishing 200 plus days a year having a boat with big comfortable seats is important for me and my customers especially in rough water. The hole shot and stability in rough water is second to none. I've already fished in some pretty rough water this spring and the boat handles extremely well. Even with three people in the boat, taking sharp turns and being able to accelerate quickly in rough water with a loaded down boat are features every angler will appreciate. The new look of the FX is awesome and will catch everyone's eye. People come up to me most everyday expressing their love of the new look of the FX boat on and off the water. One other important feature of the FX boats is the new Yamaha SHO outboard. The fuel consumption and lack of noise this motor makes is unbelievable. You can idle in to places and hardly hear the motor running. The hole shot and mid-range acceleration is also awesome. You just need to spend time in one to see it and once you do you will fall in love with the Skeeter FX boat just like I have.
Regards,
Brooks Rogers http://guidebrooksrogers.com
|
|
| "I believe I know a winner when I drive one." - 04-13-2010 |
|
After 40 years of making a living with my office being a bass boat, I believe I know a winner when I drive one. Through the years I've been in every brand of boat in every weather condition possible. In my opinion, the cream has risen to the top.
I thought Skeeter had outdone themselves with the i-Class Series. Man, what a ride that is. Well, guess what? This new FX Series is actually an improvement over the I-Class! Not only is the inside layout perfect, but teamed with the racy outside appearance and powered by the new Yamaha SHO engine, this is one mean machine. The newly designed FX hull planes faster, carries a load easier and true to Skeeter innovation, can be driven at WOT with one hand! Add to this the sleek new console and redesigned front deck and you have a boat designed for serious fishermen.
In reality, a bass boat is just a tool for catching fish. In an FX, sometimes you just have to ride around and enjoy the compliments.
Harold Allen
Pro Fisherman
 |
|
| "WOW, It's more than I expected!" - 04-07-2010 |
|
When I heard we were going to make a boat better, as dry, as smooth, as fast as an i-Class, and we were going to build it around the "new" engine. Well you can imagine what I was thinking, "it's finally happened, these ole boys in Kilgore have smelled too much fiberglass" cause there isn't any way anyone is gonna do that. Well as time went by we kept hearing bits and pieces about the "new boat" with the "new motor" and, quit frankly, I kinda a ignored it. Then comes the second week in November 2009 and we are having a new product announcement at the Yamaha test facility. After over 30 years in and around the boat business this was going to be a repainted, renamed, souped up same old thing. WRONG ! WRONG! What I saw was the best looking bass boat of my entire career. This thing was sharp in every aspect. The lines are beautiful, the shape is awesome and everything about it says "come try me on". The boat has the same lines as the motor. The graphics seem to blend. All in all, this thing looks super. Now comes the real test, will it run, will it turn, is it dry, is it smooth, does it have "it". You know "it". That is the quality that makes you say "WOW" this is the real thing. So here we go ! I climb in this beautiful FX20 with the new SHO 250 and idle away from the dock trim it down and here we go. Hole Shot = WOW Acceleration = WOW Top End = WOW Turning = WOW Smooth, Dry Ride = WOW As I'm motoring up the River in this new creation I am beginning to think we may have just moved the bar in the performance of a bass boat. This thing is incredible, it does everything "right". Now I have to return it to the dock and go into almost three months of waiting, wanting, wishing I had one, can't wait till I get one, not knowing if I'll make it thru this long cold winter without one. Then finally in January my boat arrives to be used in the Birmingham boat show. Well this is added agony cause it doesn't have batteries, it doesn't have gas and it's inside of a building that I can't get it out without a platoon of snipers and a fork lift. Then one more week and I'm at my breaking point. Finally we get it all suited up with batteries and gas and it's off to the lake and a few more hours of torture cause I have to break it in properly. Then here we go let's do the stuff I had dreamed about for the last 2 and 3/4 months (79days) but who's counting. Now on to the demo ride, hole shot, fast then slow. Acceleration, mid range, top end, turning fast, turning slow, no backwash, WOW this thing is even better than I remembered. Finally it's time to put the trolling motor down for the real test. Passed again. Maneuvered in and out of docks, perfect with about a 28 knot wind. Stable in all weather. Stable in all water conditions. I don't want to leave yet but it is dark and it is raining so to maintain my reputation I have to load it on the trailer and head to yet another boat show. Now I can truly describe what the FX series with the new SHO are for real. During the weeks following I saw the look on our customers faces, it was well maybe disbelief ? Then we went to the BASSMASTER CLASSIC and did over 200 demo rides and the number one comment was "WOW, It's more than I expected!" If you are a bass boat person, you must ride in the SKEETER FX SERIES with the new YAMAHA SHO Four Stroke. Paul Rossi Skeeter Regional Sales Manager
|
|
| "When I finally got to see the new FX I couldn't believe my eyes." - 03-25-2010 |
|
When I finally got to see the new FX I couldn't believe my eyes. The lines were sleek and sporty, almost like a supercar car, and the layout is absolutely perfect for a bass fisherman. It's really impressive how Skeeter integrated the sharp lines of the engine into the boat and trailer. The FX / SHO combination is a very eye-appealing tandem. When I put it in the water it only got better. I mashed the throttle and the boat jumped out of the water and was on pad faster than any boat I've ever been in. This is the first time I've ever wanted to time a bassboat 0-60. The FX is a true high performance machine in every sense of the word. Skeeter has done a great job of adding some real seat-of-your-pants fun to the bass boat driving experience. I'm still amazed and just how quickly the FX accellerates to top speed. Fully loaded, 2 men, full fuel tanks, 2 power poles, 77 MPH! Nice! I had my FX in some really rough water for the first time the other day. The wind was gusting over 35 mph and I thought to myself "no way they can improve on the i-Class in rough water". Boy was I wrong, The V-hull on the FX is a few degrees sharper on the FX than it is on any of their other boats and it cuts through big waves like a hot knife through soft butter. And the power of the Yamaha SHO engine really helps keep the boat planted firmly on pad even in very choppy conditions. This is one fast, stable, fun, safe, incredible fishing platform! Simply the best ever. Alton Jones 2010 BASS Elite Angler
|
|
| "the performance and the way it handled was unbelievable." - 03-22-2010 |
|
I have been driving Skeeter boats since 1970 and if my math is correct, I have owned at least 30 of them, which includes 4 I class boats. I christened my new FX 21 this past Friday and the ride, the performance and the way it handled was unbelievable. Going fifty miles per hour in a rough chop felt like you were sitting on your comfortable couch with a motor on it. The power of the four stroke motor was something that I never experienced, the boat is out of the hole and going wide open in a blink of an eye. The good folks at Skeeter just didn’t hit a home run on this boat; they knocked it out of the park. If anyone thinks this is just another bass boat, please have them call me, because it’s not. Thank God for Skeeter Boats Joe Palermo (337-304-7777) PS: One thing I forgot to mention, it takes you to where the fish are.
|
|
| "It looks like a jet fighter" - 01-05-2010 |
|
I'm so excited about the new Skeeter FX Series along with the Vmax SHO four-stroke by YAMAHA. I had an awesome chance to get behind the wheel of one of the first FX boats and I was not disappointed with unbelievable handling and response. This new boat is bad to the bone, its the only way I can describe it. It looks like a jet fighter with the looks, speed, hole shot, and smooth ride and feels about as fast. It’s also stealthy with the quiet SHO four-stoke bolted on the back ready to launch. Skeeter has definitely raised the bar, no question about that! Not only were they the first real bass boat but now they are the first to EVER design a boat specifically for an outboard motor the SHO Four stroke by YAMAHA. I have always paid close attention to detail and they missed nothing when Skeeter and Yamaha married the FX Series and the SHO engine. It is going to change everything you thought you new about bass boats. I can’t wait till they call my number at launch time during the next tournament; I hope it’s Dead Last! Brannon Long Skeeter Team Member
|
|
| This thing rocks! - 01-04-2010 |
|
The new Skeeter FX Series bass boat with the new Yamaha V-Max SHO is the best looking, best handling, best driving bass boat I have ever experienced. This combination of boat and engine is light years ahead of it's competition. The new design of this boat is awesome. It has hard defined style lines and cut like a ZX (Skeeter) on steroids and carries this through to match the looks of the new engine. It combines to make an aggressive and powerful looking stance. This thing not only looks fast, It is fast! It comes on plane faster than any other bass boat I have encountered. It pulls super hard through the mid range and pins you back in the seat. It reaches it's blinding top speed unbelievably fast but what is really amazing is the precise handling of this boat. It carves through corners like it is on rails and doesn't try and spin out like other boats. This boat makes you always feel you have complete control ant any speed and any situation. All this plus it still has all the great features and fishability that we have come to love about Skeeter boats. This boat not only lives up to all the hype, it exceeds it. You have to ride in it to believe it. This thing rocks! Jeff Gage Plano Marine of East Texas
|
|
|
|
 |
|
