Attend an Angler’s Choice tournament early one Sunday morning, before the flight numbers are called, and witness which brand of boat dominates the field. If you have been there, you know. If you have not, I will let you in on the secret; it is a Skeeter. According to Angler’s Choice tournament directors, thirty percent of their field is running a Skeeter and this number is certain to increase thanks to the new ZXc line.
Skeeter has made a tremendous comeback over the last couple of years. Skeeter challenged their engineers (some that came from the F-16 sector of the aerospace industry) to build a bass boat that would meet the demands of a serious tournament fisherman. To accomplish this challenge, the boat would have to be fast, turn on a dime, provide a smooth ride in rough water, be durable enough to withstand the pounding of four foot waves, and be laid out to accommodate an angler’s needs. Above all, this boat must be safe at all speeds. The engineers at Skeeter came up with the new “ZXc” class of boats. From the hyper-space quickness of the 190ZXc to the brute strength of the 300ZXc; each boat has been designed to meet all of these needs.
Staring at the front of a new Skeeter, you can’t help but notice the deep-vee that appears to never end. The degree of the vee changes as you make your way up the side of the boat enabling the hull to direct wave spray down and out. This makes for an extremely dry ride. This deep-vee design, although not new to the bass boat market, has been coupled with an idea that no other boat builder can duplicate. The patented reverse draft transom located at the back of the ZXc series offers stability at all speeds and will counteract the “tip to the side” characteristic of other deep-vee bass boats. In addition to greater stability, this transom virtually eliminates backsplash over the transom when coming off plane. This hull design provides an excellent holeshot, (typically not more than four seconds), awesome turning ability, exceptional lift at high speeds, and a comfortable ride in the roughest of waters.
Skeeter has also tackled the gel coat cracks and transom damage resulting from the pounding bass boats endure while running through four and five footers on Rayburn during thirty mile an hour winds. To remedy these problems Skeeter’s engineers have employed a truly composite (that is the “c” in ZXc) material for all structural components. This composite material (technically known as an elastic polymer latex) along with klegicell make up all structural components in the ZXc series. This composite material tested by an independent laboratory to be three times stronger than materials perviously used. Other manufacturers may claim to have tried quote “composite” materials, but usually these materials were some mixture of foam and fiberglass and were only used as either a liner or in the building of the stringers. Skeeter’s hull, transom, and stringer system are made of this composite material while the deck and floor are made of klegicell. The only wood found in this boat is in the compartment walls and where screw retention is a high priority. This composite material, combined with the aid of computer modeling during the design and drafting stages, will allow for precision tolerances ensuring a near perfect product from every mold. Stomp your foot in a Skeeter ZXc storage compartment and then test the competition. There is no question about the quality in this new line of bass boat.
After the performance and durability needs were met, Skeeter engineers turned to the tournament fisherman for suggestions on how to accommodate his fishing needs. The tournament angler responded, “We need:
lighted rod boxes capable of holding 71/2′ flipping sticks,
retractable rod holders that are out of the way when not in use,
large storage boxes that utilize power lifts and have extra tall lips to keep water out,
an intermediate step between the floor and the flipping deck,
massive deck space to accommodate two people comfortably,
a location specifically designed to mount a “hot foot”,
hidden propeller storage,
driver/passenger glove compartments and ice chests,
a tilt steering wheel,
easy to read gauge placement that is not blocked by the steering wheel,
a place to mount an LCR or paper graph that does not hinder our view while driving,
separate livewells with their own timers, pumps, and release valves capable of
keeping bass alive in the hottest of summer months,
and comfortable seats that reduce lower back pain after a long day on the water.”
The layout of these boats is perfect for anglers who enjoy fishing team events. Each compartment, from the rod lockers to the glove compartments, have an almost identical twin. This feature makes storing a non-boaters fishing essentials a breeze. Skeeter answered all of these requests and many others with the new line of ZXc boats.
From the design of the hull, to the “composite” material that makes up the structural components, to the layout of the deck; the Skeeter ZXc line of boats will remove “the bad taste” from the mouths of previous owners and soon become the bass boat others are trying to copy. Visit Louis DelHomme Marine on I-45 at the Airtex exit to see the new line of ZXc bass boats and understand why Skeeter owners EAT. SLEEP. FISH.
– Lake Mohave
– Lake Mohave
