Solid Speed

There are a lot of bass anglers who claim to own 70-mile-an-hour bass boats, but when you put the GPS on most, the numbers don't come up. With the new Stratos 19, the boast can be backed up: In a test run on Florida's St. Lucie River, we cranked out an honest 70.1 ahead of the new 200-hp FICHT Evinrude with a 23-inch pitch Raker stainless prop.

Of course, going fast is one thing, and doing it safely is another. Among the boats that actually get into this range, some are very squirrelly and require a lot of driving experience to keep under control. "Chine walking" — the tendency of the boat to rock back and forth due to the very limited amount of hull that remains in the water at maximum speed and trim — can make some boats challenging or even dangerous.

With the Stratos, however, the stability is exceptional. Just a bit of pressure on the wheel keeps it solid, and anyone with any experience or instruction in high-performance driving will have no problems.

And, thanks to the V bottom, the ride is very good; critical in a boat where you have to remain seated while driving. Of course, Stratos has come up with a rather neat extra that makes the ride softer than most: molded rubber shocks that fit under the seats. These are available in several densities to fit the weight of any driver and can be slid forward or back in their tracks to further fine-tune the ride. Great idea.

The decks are all fiberglass, with foam coring where needed for added stiffness. There's no plywood to rot, not even in the transom, which is high-density foam. Hatch lids are all aluminum with stout braces to keep them flush.

One of the secrets of the exceptional top end on this boat is the hydraulic jackplate, an option that we'd recommend to any buyer. The 7-inch plate not only allows you to generate maximum speed as you raise the lower unit and cut the drag, but it's also great for poking back into those bassy shallows at low speeds. Unlike raising the prop with the outboard trim, when you jack it up on the plate, the thrust goes straight ahead, which means the back of the boat doesn't squat and require more water to stay afloat.

Another option found on the test boat was trim and jackplate controls at the wheel. The Pro-Trim setup on the test boat could be operated with both hands in place on the wheel, a must for boats that run better than 60 mph. The boat also had a "hot-foot" spring-loaded accelerator pedal, another important safety feature for high-speed rigs. The throttle lever is used only for shifting; it's not attached to the throttle controls to govern rpm.

The boat also has twin ignition cutoff switches, commonly known as "kill switches," which shut off the engine should either driver or passenger be thrown out by a rogue wave. Most boats only offer the switch on the driver's side.

The Extreme model features extras in a luxury package that includes most stuff anglers want, such as a built-in Dual-Pro waterproof charger for the trolling motor batteries. An Evinrude 54-pound, 24-volt troller with foot control is standard. Those who prefer manual control and deck switches on their troller can order that as an option; many pros say that it's more dependable than cable-steering.

The SeaStar hydraulic steering attaches to a tilting, foam-padded Dino wheel. A Lowrance X-65 fishfinder is also standard, though the test boat had a Zircom flasher — very sharp LED readout, and it never missed a beat right on up to the top end. You really don't have time to look at the machine when you're running that fast, though.

Driving the boat is a kick from the moment you drop the hammer. It's on plane in under 6 seconds. And though the bow does rise to the point that you can't see over it for a moment — as with virtually all high-performance bassers due to the weight concentration near the transom — it quickly levels off as rpm pass 3000.

The motor seems to be just loafing all the way up to 5000 rpm, and yet you're flying along at close to 60. At this point, you're really not having to do anything more than what you do to drive a big, slow deck-type boat; just keep it pointed down the lake.

Push the pedal that last inch and trim the motor another couple inches, though, and things really start to get interesting. The entire boat seems to levitate as the wetted surface gets smaller with the lifting of the bow. You're riding only on the narrow pad and the cavitation plate at full speed, and it's somewhat like balancing on a bicycle. Nearly all the drag has disappeared, and all those 200 horses can be used to push you straight ahead. You won't lose many boat races in this rig — unless it's to the slightly bigger brother, the Stratos 20 SS, which is rated for 225 horses and reportedly runs 78 on radar.

Considering the low freeboard that's inherent on all quick bassers, the 19 is drier than most thanks to lots of bow flair, which tosses spray out away from the cockpit. And if your bassboat does double duty as a slalom towing machine, it won't disappoint. With the jackplate down and the motor trimmed in, the hull makes roller-coaster-sharp turns without a sign of skidding. You might want to step down a bit on the prop pitch for added takeoff power, however, if you're more interested in all-around performance rather than top-end.

Interior fit and finish is at the top of the class, as you'd expect in a premium-priced rig. Seats are deeply cushioned and sport good-looking, gold-anodized aluminum braces. The carpet is half-inch-thick, 20-ounce marine grade, as plush as the living room at home. The boat comes with a full package of gauges, and with the motor being factory-rigged rather than installed at the dealerships, you know everything is going to be right to start with.

All hatches fit tightly, and should remain rainproof indefinitely. The locking rod boxes feature unique brackets that can stow up to 12 rods on each side, keeping them tangle-free and easy to select when you want to change rigs in a hurry.

Overall, this is a grade A rig from stem to stern, and it runs as good as it looks. Price is $28,675 including color-matched trailer.

For details, contact Stratos Boats, 880 Butlers Road, Murfreesboro, TN 37127; (615) 895-5190; www.stratosboats.com. (When we checked this site recently, the 2001 models were still not included, but are due to be up any time.)