I would have taken my CX 190 out with the shrimp boats.
I would have taken my CX 190 out with the shrimp boats.
That's very far from being a correct statement. I'll admit that a 202 and 203 is the best rough water boats I've ever been in. And I've been in a ton of other brands.Originally Posted by alli ss
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2016 BassCat Cougar FTD
2016 Mercury Pro XS 250
Wait...what?
Champion made a very nice boat, as far as them riding better than all other boats, BS, there are several boats that ride just as well if not better, hell there are some go fast boats that will ride as well.
Bullet and allison come to mind right off- as you know now.
xpress x19, 200ho G2, aluminum sawtooth cut prop, paper sack tackle storage, ugly stik pro team, color c-lector
The deep V of a Champion is the best design for rough water period.To bad they went under years ago ,but the good news is Charger now makes them along with their deep V models.Theres nothing that even comes close to those boats and that’s nothing!
Charger 210 !.... hands down !
Management issues were the biggest factor.
As for ride...they rode real good. My Cats rode just as good, but you had to drive them different to get the ride.
The best rides I’ve driven in the past ten years were a 21XRS OR 21XB. Those big “go fast” boats really ride well. Of course “ride” is a whole bunch driver.
I've never been in one that has even come close, and as a non-boater in pro-ams, I got to ride in a bunch.
I can tell you that my father in law just got a 520C after owning a 202 for 22 years and he misses the ride of his champion...He is my tourney partner and he talks about it every single time we go out on the water.
Well I have, been fishing for 40 years, I am in no way knocking a Champion, I love those boats, two of my best friends have them, and they will tell you exactly what I said in an earlier post, they were amazed how well my 21 SDC rode, especially doing 75-80 in some pretty choppy stuff.
I just don't see how conditions that allow 75-80 tell one anything, but I am glad you like your boat. As far as that goes, I even like the Champion ride best at low speeds, especially if one has to take many turns in a short distance like running bayous. The only reason my Cat can keep up is the damn thing hates to get on pad lol.
I love that about a Bullet as well. One thing i did not know was how well a Champion will run, my buddy has a 198 with a 200 on it, that boat will scoot, it jumps out of the hole like a rocket and will run 70 with a light load, maybe that engine has had some work done to it.
WARNING: strong opinions below. Read with caution.
My friend is running an 01 196 Elite with a 200 Optimax that got a fresh powerhead a couple years ago. Even with a 25 Trophy (not really the right prop for that boat) it will break 70 in the right conditions with just his 275 pound butt BUT with two people and normal fishing load it will hit 67 on a regular basis. This is the same boat Scott Suggs ran back when it was new and Scott is my friend's uncle. The Champion I'm familiar with isn't a Mountain Home boat but it's still a really fine riding rig. It very well might be a "wide body" because I think the beam is in the mid 90's. As for how well a boat rides like has been said countless times the driver has a lot to do with it. Some hulls are more forgiving than others. Some hulls you have to bury the nose and let the keel plow water to keep from getting beat to death (both Chargers I've been in...195vf and 186vf and I owned the 195vf). Other hulls like to get on top of the chop and skip across (My old Pantera Classic likeed to get on top and boogie). And some hulls are incredibly stable with the trolling motor down but what makes that boat such a great fishing platform can also make it ride like crap (my 195vf was one of those).
2023 Xpress H18 with 115 SHO and Powertech NRS4 21p
8" Bob's Action Jack
Garmin Echomap 12, 10, 9, and LVS34 networked with Netgear Switch
Ultrex
Trick Steps and Ramp N Clamp
Pulled by a 2016 single cab HEMI Ram
Treat others like you want to be treated when on the water EVEN WHEN IN A TOURNAMENT! No fish is worth having a confrontation because you cut someone off or came in on top of someone.
Yep, I love how my 183 handles rough water. Been beaten to pieces by several Bass Cats and Rangers that I've been in. My sixty eight year old fishing buddy (who has been in tons of boats) gives me the thumbs up sign, and a grin, every time we go across rough water.
I had a 190 Champion and loved it. The boat was exceptionally well made. It handled rough water a lot better than most boats. It wasn't a speed demon, but the ride was very good.
Bet he doesn't miss the Champ when the TM hits the water. I had 2 of the narrow beams and 1 wide body and while I like the ride, I didn't like fishing out of them.
2019 Ranger Z520C DC / 250 Pro XS 4 Stroke
ChampioN has always been about performance in ALL conditions. They've never been the straight line fastest as the go fast guys. They're about a smooth dry ride, wrist over elbow turns, easy to drive, easy to set up, easy to fish out of. The older skinny hull do perform better than the wide body model by a touch, the wide bodys sit more stable at rest. For most of your average boat owners/drivers you can't tell much of a difference. To they person who has been around a few and knows what the hull is capable of you feel it.
Charger has done a fine job splashing the 210/198 models.
BCB did and utterly amazing job with the 203 Hybrid. It provides the performance characteristics of the skinny Champs until you drop the trolling motor, then it provides the stability (fishability) of the BCB.
Didnt charger buy the actual mold instead of splashing it? If they splashed it i wouldnt think they would put the champion body lines in the mold
xpress x19, 200ho G2, aluminum sawtooth cut prop, paper sack tackle storage, ugly stik pro team, color c-lector
Haha, you had this same discussion in 2016. And, no, I do not know the answer.
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