Can I cautiously ask the experts for their opinion(s) on this?
I have owned a 202 and a 203, and am in the market for a new rig....and without stating the obvious...
Thanks in advance
Can I cautiously ask the experts for their opinion(s) on this?
I have owned a 202 and a 203, and am in the market for a new rig....and without stating the obvious...
Thanks in advance
Matt Mosher here has the first one. Should be a thread below somewhere.
Matt also started a Facebook page regarding the 203 Hybrid. I know he likes the boat a lot and will be happy to help answer any questions about it. He is also a diehard ChampioN guy and ran a 202 for a long time.
If I were buying today, that's exactly what I'd buy.
Pat Goff
Two degrees from center
of nowhere.
Smithwick TX.
If its the ride you are after, then you'll likely love it... it's everything it's been billed out to be in terms of the 203 ride. Outside of that it's do you like the basscat layout. Can you handle the trolling motor pedal being right on the bow, although the 2021 Cougar (not Puma) allows you to move the pedal back (like in the Eyra). You're definitely getting a premium product, far better than Champion built. Also, it's more stable at rest than a 203 was. Me personally, that hull under the new 2021 Cougar top cap design would be very nice.. not a fan of the Puma storage arrangement.Originally Posted by Muz
2018 LEGEND 211R | 250 MERC PROXS
Not hearing a lot of negatives here folks....
Ok here is the deal breaker!
Being in Canada, and with the obvious "pandemic" that has f'd EVERYTHING up....I am pretty much dreaming if I think I can go and test drive one.
Am I crazy to shell out the $$$ without?
There are good resources on the Hybrid 203. Among those are Ross MotorSports, which has experience and customer experience in one and Ryan would be the person with the strongest information there. The other resource is Kevin Short, who handles our International Sales and covers Canada. Kevin has back to back experience in both hulls, literally climbing out of one and directly into the other for same day, same water comparisons.
Kevin would be our go to. Ryan would be our support on a decision.
You’re right in that CoVid has the border crossings all jacked up...
BCB
Last edited by Bass Cat Boats; 09-15-2020 at 07:56 AM. Reason: Added a o to god
Pat...have you had the opportunity to drive one? Coming from you...that means something to me. I like the Charger 210 and I believe that a 203 is in the plans for them. Would like to hear your input if you have driven the Cat 203 Hybrid. Cats are known to be fast and that is what I like.
If I were buying a champ hull I’d go straight to Charger and get a brand new 198. Perfect boat.
Only if you want a 20 year old designed top cap to match the hull.
I have a 2005 Champ 198. If you are fishing rivers and smaller bodies of water its a great boat (wish it was rated for a 250). However its too small for bigger lakes (and I would not buy one if I were buying a new boat). Got to be at least a 20' boat in my opinion with a 250. I fish as a co-angler most of the time so I get to ride in boats of all manufacturers and sizes. I haven't been able to ride/fish in a Charger 210. My buddies Z520 (which is 20'9") isn't enough boat for big water in my opinion and the ride is terrible (beat ya to death). A Z521 handles the big water very well. I rode in a Bass Cat (cant remember the model) at a BFL regional on Ky Lake a couple of years ago and that was an extremely fast boat (I believe we hit 78-80GPS and ran away from everybody) but storage was not good (very narrow front end). Surprisingly....the best overall boat (ride & speed) that I have been in lately was a Nitro Z21. When it comes down off a big wave it was like coming down on a cushion and pretty dry (way better than a Z520 and slightly better than a Z521...but a lot less $$$). Top speed is the low 70's with that boat too. I just fished with a dude in a 21' Phoenix and that was also a very good running boat and fast. Didn't get to experience any big water with that boat though. My old Champ 202 cut the waves and was fast. I fished with a guy years ago with a Champ 203 and it was fast and rode well. It would be interesting to see how the BCH 203 and Charger 210 does on St.Clair or Erie. St.Clair gets waves but they are close together and Erie waves are further apart. I'll be following the Ken Smith videos for sure.
Imagine how far advanced a Champion hull would actually be today if the company's management could've actually held it together. Instead we are just left with other companies doing their best to imitate which I guess is better than nothing. What's the saying? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! If I had to choose I'd pick the Cougar 203 Hybrid with a flashed SHO.
Last edited by BalsaBee; 09-14-2020 at 02:34 PM.
The top cap and storage on the Charger is better (I'm not saying much much better...but better) than the old Champion. I like center rod storage which both the Charger 198 and 210 Elite have. I don't believe that Center Rod storage is available from BCB.
I agree... the storage is deeper front and back.
Charger did their best to recreate the original boats to appease the loyalist... had they made modifications to storage and layout, console graph mounting area, they might have created a sense of doubt on whether or not it was a true champion... i personally would have like to see a front deck similar to a 521 or 521... day box would have been nice.
2018 LEGEND 211R | 250 MERC PROXS
I have ridden in matts 203 hybrid and it is an awesome riding boat, if I were to win the lottery it would definitely be my choice
1995 ChampioN 190 1995 Mercury 200 XRI Lowrance Ghost
every boat manufacturer has different top cap. That’s what sets them apart. One could say that bullet has an old top cap too but they still look the same.
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