so i emailed bass cat and asked them if they were planning on ever building a 22ft model similat to what ranger puts out. they said that they have no plans to do so as of yet.
He also mentioned that the Ranger 22 fter is just shy of 22 and is almost 2 foot offset? what does that mean-- 2 foot offset?
He probably meant almost 2 feet of built-in set-back... Ranger builds their boats with a set-back to leverage their boats out of the water... but they still need even more set-back with a jackplate to get them out of the water and get the most out of them...
Jose
Not true on every hull. My 492 had the longest setback they've ever used and my boat is 4 mph faster without a jackplate.
Engine height and prop have a lot to do with it too.
Regardless of setback or not, a 22 foot hull will span larger waves than a 20 foot hull. Depends on driving style and where you fish the most. Some guys like 20 foot hulls because they feel they can drive down in the big waves easier.
I've always liked the larger hulls on the Great Lakes, but I also want a slight compromise in size for smaller lakes and a little more speed so my favorite now is the 521 or Z21.
Jack plate are nice - I prefer hydraulic adjustable and for more reasons than just maybe getting a better hole shot or faster boat.. maybe.
I liked being able to jack up the motor and get on plane in shallower water. I also liked being able to drop the motor deeper into the water in real rough conditions, but as I said, with my boat hull, it is 4 mph faster without the jack plate.
BassCat is a low volume producer of bass boats so they will probably concentrate producing models in the lengths that sell the most, especially in the more popular southern market where boats of 20 feet and smaller are bigger sellers.
I don't blame them at all - I think they make a 21 foot boat though and I'd expect that to be a good compromise if you prefer BassCat.
After extensive research in 3 years on the co-angler side of bfls and everstarts, I went with a 520. MOstly the same reasons as dan - A little extra speed than the 21 or 22, but mostly the layout -
watchffor where the seats are located along the hull - the 521 the seats are moved back 2 feet, and it is a much wetter ride from overspray - and if you care about the guy in the back, the deck is much bigger -
I also agree - the hyd plade is priceless in shallow and rough water - don't overlook a 4 blade or 5 blade prop on the big water as well.
The reference to the setback that BassCat mentioned is to compare actual keel lengths. BassCat's keel length is very long in proportion to its overall length. This allows for a sharp bow with very steep angles to cut through waves and a long transition back to a performance pad. This allows for a better ride without sacrificing performance. This also allows the boat to perform and feel like a larger hull. This is very apparent in boats like Revtro's PIII. It is a squared off nose that turns a lot of people off, for asthetic reasons, but it allows for a long keel while keeping the 19' overall length. It is very functional, and it is one of the reasons you will hear people say their Sabres(18') or Pantera's(19') ride & feel like much bigger boats in rough water. I have the 20'3" Cougar and it surpasses the ride of my previous Ranger(IMO) even though the Ranger was almost 2' longer. The ranger had an extreme set-back built in so the actual keel length of the two are probably close to identical. The only nod I would give to the Ranger(as Dan stated) is the spanning of some waves due to the extra length. Nothing really against Ranger, because I loved the boat - I have just been extremely happy with this Cat.
In the end, you have to pick the boat the best fits your fishing and driving preferences. BassCats must be well made - they took the most recent JD Power award, so their owners are obviously happy.
I just like to point out that Ranger took the first 3 JD Power awards - I know their owners are generally very happy! BTW, the Z-Series hulls I've driven seem to do a real good job of knocking the spray down low and farther to the back. Pretty good deal to pull that off while keeping a wide and stable fishing platform - my favorite thing about Ranger since I fish more than I drive.