Whether you're trying for walleye in a lake, a redfish along the salty coast or a marlin miles from shore, there's a brand-new boat out there that can get the job done. Some can do more jobs than one. Take a look at this prime selection of bass boats, multispecies boats, bay boats and bluewater center-consoles to see which one is your best bet to find the fish.
GRADY-WHITE ADVENTURE 218
Grady-White built and popularized the walkaround cabin boat, debuting its first Walkaround model in 1974. Its versatility, seaworthiness and fishability made it an instant hit. The North Carolina builder would go on to build fleets of these boats in the ensuing decades, and nearly every brand of fishing boat copied that iconic design. Thanks to Grady's popularity and rugged construction, thousands of legacy Grady walkarounds still cruise today.
This new Adventure 218 offers 6 more inches of beam, adding valuable deck space that Grady-White used to add comfort, convenience and fishability. Even more exciting, Grady added style points from its larger boats, like more bow flare, a sweeping hardtop and support, and kept important details, such as toe rails in the cockpit.
Naturally, Grady-White also gave the Adventure 218 its patented SeaV2 hull, a wave-cleaving design that runs aft from its sharp bow and then widens gradually toward the transom. Grady-Whites always prove smooth in our tests, and this new Adventure 218 lived up to that legacy. The ride and at-rest stability impressed us, and we can recommend this boat as capable on large, windswept bays and sounds, as well as for ventures outside the inlet.
This story is from the Boat Buyers Guide 2023 edition of Boating.
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This story is from the Boat Buyers Guide 2023 edition of Boating.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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AFFORDABLE SATCOM
Communications devices using satellite technology are more abundant today than any time in the past. What's more, many are portable, ultra-compact, affordable relatively and designed for boating, dispelling any perceptions that you need a big, expensive dome antenna aloft to access satellite communications.
IN THE BEGINNING
REPOWERING FOUNTAIN HULL NO.1
NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0
Engine charging at 48 volts could be a game-changer.
PROPS FOR INNOVATION
Sharrow MX3 propellers live up to most of the company's performance-improvement claims.
MERCURY RACING 500R
Supercharged power for a variety of boats.
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Much reporting focuses on reasons why one might choose electric marine power. The issues of range, speed, noise levels, winterizing and ethanol challenges, lake restrictions, environmental concerns and more all must be resolved on an individual basis. Little gets said about how a boater choosing to repower with electric actually gets that accomplished. Is it DIY? And if not, how does it get done?
TOW-VEHICLE TECH
If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks
MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER
Three Boating greats offer advice for a perennial reader query.
STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.
My brother-in-law likes to fish offshore reefs, and the process once entailed navigating to a mark, dropping a float, and idling upwind or up-current to drop the anchor in hopes the set would drop us back to the float.
FOR WANT OF A CLAMP
When 100 miles from shore, home and help, this boater’s preparedness prevented potential catastrophe.