Well, as you may know, my fishing partner and I won the draw boat at last year's Ultimate Challenge Tournament. I finally picked up the boat about a month ago. First of all, I have to thank Charger Boats, Joe Dorris, Ulrich Marine, the Ultimate Challenge tournament staff and last but not least my fishing partner - Brian Davis. Without this opportunity, I could have never afforded this new boat. This is one of the best ran tournaments that I fish! I really do not understand why there aren't 300-400 boats in it? If you own a Charger or Champion boat, you really should consider it!
I have been a Charger owner for almost 25 years. I have had (2) boats previously - 186 and 496, so I was very reluctant to go with the 210 option. I priced upgrading to both the 496 and 210 and after thinking about it for quite a bit, I decided to go with the 210. I think that I made the right decision. I have been on the water with it for 4 weekends in a row now and have right about 13 hours on the motor. (250 PRO XS). To say that I am impressed with not only the boat but the motor would be an understatement! This boat rides really good! I have had it on some rough waters and it did a great job. It is different than my 496 in the fact that it likes to ride more on top of the waves, where as the 496 you would trim down and plow through them. The boat is solid too! When you hit a big cruiser wake, it just feels solid and doesn't shake the whole boat. Our moderator doesn't believe me, but the seats are really nice in the rough stuff too! I am also VERY impressed with the fit and finish on the 210. I haven't found one thing to bitch about yet and trust me, I like to bitch! The carpet is very well done and the gel coat is spot on. Even the trailer is nice.
I am still learning how to drive the boat and will need a little more seat time to get the full potential out of the V8, but I am easily hitting 70MPH @ 6000 RPMs with 2 guys, tournament load and full tank of gas. Running a 24 pitch Fury prop right now. I am pretty sure it has a little more in it, but again, I will need more seat time. The most impressive thing about the Mercury is the mid-range torque. If you are at 3000 RPMs and hammer it, it will set you back! I love that motor!
Trolling motor down, the 210 is different than the 496. It does move around a little easier but that could be due to the bad ass Garmin trolling motor. The 210 does catch a little more wind than the 496 and I don't think the 210 is quite as stable while fishing. Definitely not a deal breaker. I do miss the under-seat storage in the 496 and the glove box on the passenger console. Going with a single console was my choice though. The amount of storage in the 210 is incredible! I fit everything that was in my 496 in 2 compartments in the 210.
I am very happy with this choice and I could go on boring you guys. If you have any questions, let me know. If you're in the area and want to go for a ride, let me know. I think you will be impressed too.
Mike
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... Dan
Originally Posted by Pro-Hunt
