We take seven of the world's fastest bass boats and go fishing.
Photos by Skip Gandy
Published in the May 2002 issue.
STROKER 21
Nail the throttle and the big Mercury 300X hooks up without a trace of cavitation. Three quick heartbeats with the bow in the air and the hull is already flat on plane. After that, there's nothing to do but hang on. The acceleration is relentless, an irresistible force that pushes you straight back into your tight bucket seat.
At 60, your hat blows off. At 70, your eyes start to tear, even though you're wearing sunglasses. At 80, the hull is out of the water and you're riding the prop, the wail of the big 2-stroke like an animal in pain. At 90, you're going faster than you've ever gone before on water, your cheeks pasted back into an insane grin.
Over 90 mph, because of the prop's pull, the hull keeps rocking to starboard. You have to constantly balance it with the wheel to minimize chine-walking that can turn to disaster quicker than a New <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_3_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%">York
</NOBR> minute. Speed increases incrementally. Your whole world has shrunk to the GPS mounted above the tach, willing it higher ... 96.5 ... 97 ... 98 ... 98.5. 100.5!
You can read more here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/boating/1277136.html?page=1
Photos by Skip Gandy
Published in the May 2002 issue.
STROKER 21
Nail the throttle and the big Mercury 300X hooks up without a trace of cavitation. Three quick heartbeats with the bow in the air and the hull is already flat on plane. After that, there's nothing to do but hang on. The acceleration is relentless, an irresistible force that pushes you straight back into your tight bucket seat.
At 60, your hat blows off. At 70, your eyes start to tear, even though you're wearing sunglasses. At 80, the hull is out of the water and you're riding the prop, the wail of the big 2-stroke like an animal in pain. At 90, you're going faster than you've ever gone before on water, your cheeks pasted back into an insane grin.
Over 90 mph, because of the prop's pull, the hull keeps rocking to starboard. You have to constantly balance it with the wheel to minimize chine-walking that can turn to disaster quicker than a New <NOBR id=itxt_nobr_3_0 style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 100%">York
You can read more here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/boating/1277136.html?page=1