Question:
Contender Fishing Boat?
Went to look at a Contender which are highly regarded in FL. The 21' CC looked
great, has nice lines. What I didn't like was front storage which doubles as a
fishbox drains into the bilge, cooler located in front of console also drains
into
bilge. Nice that it comes standard with a livewell but the entry door is at
deck level, also had only (3) cleats (1) in front and (2) at the stern- none on
the sides
at all and not a listed option either. I know it's only a 21 but anyone else
feel
it comes up a bit short ? Regulator or Edgewater any better ?
Answer:
- I've been looking at Contenders, too. The factory will, within reason,
configure its boats anyway you like. Adding cleats is no big deal. I
like the 23 and 25. The 25 is one of my very favorite boats.
The deck level livewell is a preference of many serious fishermen,
especially those who toss a cast net for livies. I don't like them down
there myself. But it is easier to dump a live net into a floor or deck
livewell. Also, the baits are knocked around less down there.
Serious salt water fishing boats are not overequipped as "standard" when
they come from the factory, because the guys who buy these boats usually
have strong opinions about what they want and where. The top factories
accommodate them.
Regulator is another first-class fishboat. A little less deadrise, a bit
heavier, probably rides differently. One of the guys who reads this
website recently bought one.
Edgewater is, well, not as serious a fishing boat as Contender or
Regulator, but still a fine product.
Have you ever seen an Ocean Master? These are absolutely superior
fishboats, but I'm not certain they make an "offshore" 21-footer. IJ
went out with a guide once on a 27-footer and I was really impressed.
- Yes, both about the same. I don't like the Contender non-skid and it was
lighter. I liked the Regulator design better from just a "looks" point of
view and the boat was free of obstructions. Either boat is a great choice.
Originally looked at Scout, Grady White, Contender and Regulator. Scout has
been getting some bad press recently with manufacturing defects (growing to
fast?) so they got bumped. Grady had a poor design and was really not in
the same class of the C or R. I'll post some pictures some day.
