Drove the Bassport Pro

[Hydrilla Gear]

Have to give a big thanks to Todd and Joe @ C and O Marine. Great group of guys and very knowledgeable on there product. I spent the better half of the day with Todd in the Ally and it was great. C and O has one heck of a dealership and if you need it they got it.

Initial impressions of the boat were that it looks more sleek in person then in pictures. the consols do sweep back and make the boat look like its moving while sitting on the trailer.

The Storage in the boat is top notch. There is a compartment in every part of the boat. When you 1st open the compartment you say dang that's pretty big, Then you stick your head down in there and see that it goes for miles under the cap. I liked that.

Fit and finish was just as i have read. Everything was well done. The rod tubes I think could use some help but i know many guys don't use them. I do. I would rather see the larger oval tubes in place of the smaller round ones. There is extra space and i would think this could be corrected no problem. Wiring looked top notch fuse panel and master shut off power supply was very well placed. All in all I see that this is a fishing machine.

boat posture in the water while at rest was surprising. Not your typical 2002 2003 attitude. This boat sat very level not bow high. It even remained so with Todd and I standing on the ass end. Same goes for walking around and standing on the same side. Boat was very stable.

Sitting behind the wheel was very comfortable. Everything was placed just as it should be. No need for gizmos and gadget type switch panels. Half a dozen rocker switches and it gets the job done and with ease.

Todd jumped behind the wheel and run her up into the 80's with the HPDI and box stock wheel/set-up with no problem. The 1st thing i noticed was the sound of the hull while running. It has a distinct sound. Very hollow sounding in my opinion. Then the wind protection. You get almost Zero wind sitting behind either console.

I jumped behind the wheel. To compare this boat to my 21xrd comp would be impossible in my opinion. Its a totally diff animal. I putted around for a while to get the feel for it. could tell i was always plowing water. Had the blow out thing stuck in the back of my head and was affraid to put the too much trim to it.. Todd suggested i bring her up a little faster and throw the trim to it more. so i did and she loosened right up. The running attitude of the boat was very nice. Ran thru some good size wakes and just when you thought the hull was going to slap the next wake it just busted thru it with a cushion type feel to it. Was very nice. Todd suggested i Hammer it but I told him I would rather learn on my own time There is a little learning curve to be had but as of right now I know its phsycological (blow out curse every speaks of) and if I can drive a mountain bike mounted to a slalom ski I can drive this (don't ask...)

All in all I had a great time and learned a lot. Still an extremely hard choice between my rig and the Allison. In my opinion they are completely diff and both offer different amenities.

Todd and Joe, Thanks again for your time and patients and I will be in touch.

I know there are many things i am forgetting to post about. That Bassport Pro is a beautiful rig and a true tourney fishing boat in every way.

[Bass Commander]

Im going in my 2 year anniversary with mine. A lot of people that dont know any better will compare this hull to the Xb 2002 and 2003 models. As you quickly learned, its different. I really liked my Xb2003 but it was hard for me to fish out of, and fishing is my primary goal.

What you heard while running is the famous "staccato sound". That is what all boats would sound like if they didnt have excessive materials/foam that they believe strenghens the hull...and adds unnecessary weight.

This boat will never be as fast as a Stroker and maybe not as fast as your current boat...but as youve noted, its different.

My 2008 hull is hull # 26 which averages less than 10 built a year. Im not sure what the current pace of production is but its safe to say you wont see many of these boats at blast-off...


Modified by RobShaw1 at 5:03 PM 8/23/2009

[Hydrilla Gear]

yes Rob, i have heard people talk about the sound but never had the opportunity to hear it until now. Very distinct. Also the fact that there is very little wind noise you pick up on more stuff. Like the HPDI that was on the back.... Give me my X please

Heck, with no wind it will just sound that much better back there

And like you say it won't be the fastest. My boat has some how run some great numbers with very little time in tuneing . I think its an easier beast to figure out maybe... Who knows. Rothwell hit the nail on the head when it came to my boat.

[1outlaw]

Glad you enjoyed your trip Rich....We will talk later in the week!!!!

[K-DAWG]

My XB 2003's bow dont sit any high than this boats.

[Darth VMAX]

LOL...my XB2002 sure does (unless I am standing on the nose)

[candojoe]

Rich, A mountian bike on a ski? Hmmmmm, ok I won't ask. We did enjoy having you here Saturday and your most welcome back anytime. Try to schedule when we can get a day on Ky Lake. All The Best.

[Darth VMAX]

Whats wrong with the sound of a sweet running hammer?

I agree, the 250xb and 300x sound bad @zz! Too bad they don't have capatains call exhaust Sometimes the quiet is nice too

[halfast]

Hydrilla, That was a great evaluation, having had a Prosport 21/300x for 4 seasons and now having a 21xrd/300xs I think you nailed it. They are VERY different even though they do the same job. I really enjoyed my Ally but wanted to try something else. I wanted easier deck access and I love the look of a Bullet. I wanted custom colors too. I like my Bullet, it fishes great, lots of room to move. No wind protection ! After the Allison I find the Bullet easy to drive, especially if you have to dump the throttle for any reason. Although the back deck gets a heavy wash ! I do not miss the noise when on pad or wondering if I was gonna go for a swim if I screwed up when trying to get that last couple mph. All boats have their compromises, just find the one that fits your needs best.

[Props4u2]

Hey John,
I agree that is a great evaluation!
Comparing a ProSport to a 21xrd is not apples to apples by any means. The BasSport Pro is an entirely different animal than the ProSport even though it's built on the same hull. The wind protection in the Pro is better than any other bass boat on the market other than other model Allisons. You can still talk to your partner at wot. Due to little or no wind, and no balsa wood or foam in the bottom you do hear boat and engine noises you would never hear in a normal bass boat while you're getting your face stretched out of shape and your ear drums blown out.
Any good running boat can get you wet at any given time weather it's driver error, a mechanical malfunction or hitting something in the water. Tony Reynolds was running a Bullet, (RIP Tony) along with several others that were lucky enough to just get wet. It can happen to any of us in any make of boat. Please wear your life jackets!

[Landar]

I think there are three things you can do to keep from getting wet in an Allison. At least a BasSport Pro anyway. 1. Stay away from large barrel props. When I got dumped in mine it was a combination of a large barrel prop and too much trim at to slow of a speed. 2, Weight balance - I know it killed my holeshot but I moved the trolling batteries out of the front deck into the rear center storage in front of the gas tank. Its much harder to blow out with that 100 pounds in the back. 3. Keep your engine height reasonable. Raising your engine to high to get all the speed you can is going to make your rig more prone to blowout. I had to pull a guy here in town out of the water last weekend when he hooked his 2003 in front of me. He has his motor super high so he can run 90-100 mph. Thats all well and good in calm water but he was trying to round a corner and it some ski boat waves and around he went. My BasSport pro runs 85 mph tourney loaded with 500 lbs of fishermen and a 250 XS. I would like it to run 90 and maybe it would with some tinkering but I personally like seeing my three young children every night so I choose to run a conservative setup. Besides, anything over about 75 mph will outrun 90% of the boats out there. I do think the Bullets are a little more user friendly because they dont have such a deep V at the keel. I much prefer my Allison though.

[halfast]

Hey Lee, Could you say that again ? jd3

[Darth VMAX]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by stinkwallet &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I would like it to run 90 and maybe it would with some tinkering but I personally like seeing my three young children every night so I choose to run a conservative setup. Besides, anything over about 75 mph will outrun 90% of the boats out there. .</TD></TR></TABLE>

I feel exactly the same way. That is one reason I run a training wheel lower unit on my Yammie (TRP). My XB2002 will still hook, But I think it is much less likely to with the TRP's. Thank goodness I have never hooked it. My top end is slower with the couter-rotating wheels, but the handeling is awesome and I can still outrun everyone around here LOL


Modified by Darth VMAX at 8:53 AM 8/26/2009

[Todd Morgan]

My hammer was sick.........surging badly. Duane had it at Clifton Fastpass w no issues......I must have gotten some bad gas (not Taco's either!)

I appreciate your kind words Rich......you're a great guy and it was our pleasure to spend time with you!

[Props4u2]

I hear ya John, wish you could hear me.
Good to hear from you. Be careful.