The new Bay Extreme from SeaArk Boats can’t bait a hook, cast a lure or fight a fish, but it does everything else well.
The Bay Extreme begins as a 21-foot, 9-inch-long hull with an outboard tunnel design to allow fisherman to access the skinny water areas in lakes, backwater bays and coastal flats.
Then it adds lots of other features to help anglers catch fish once they arrive.
The 72-inch-wide bottom of the Bay Extreme makes for an inherently stable platform as fishermen move around to cast, net and release fish. That wide bottom is made from .125-gauge marine aluminum to easily handle long runs to and from the fish.
But the Bay Extreme isn’t just a workhorse: It’s a looker, too, with a fading side-break that gives the boat a sleek appearance.
The Bay Extreme uses a 7-degree V-hull design to provide a smooth ride without sacrificing shallow-water capabilities. The 5 1/2-inch deep tunnel is the premiere design feature for shallow-water access, and it is combined with a taller transom that allows the engine to be mounted in a higher position to raise the propeller 5 1/2 inches while feeding it water through the tunnel.
This design allows the boat to run 5 1/2 inches shallower, which makes a huge difference when trying to access flats, shallows and other hard-to-reach places that hold a lot of fish not being pounded by crowds of anglers.
Flotation pods are also standard on the new Bay Extreme.
Boats used in shallow water sometimes encounter places where the water is still a little too shallow and might scrape rocks, oyster beds, or other rough bottoms. SeaArk adds a 3/16-inch extruded, heavy-duty keel designed to take theis punishment and protect the hull.
The Bay Extreme floor is also .125-gauge aluminum, and it is made of GatorHide-coated treadplate aluminum for traction, endurance and noise reduction.
No wood is used in the Bay Extreme, including the transom where an extruded plastic product replaces wood supports to eliminate rot, and reactions with salt water and the chemicals used in wood pressure treatment.
Fishermen were consulted and much thought was given to the interior layout of the Bay Extreme. The bow deck — which features an anchor locker; a built-in 100-quart, insulated ice box; and a 4-cubic-foot storage compartment that serves as a step-up to the bow deck — is flanked by two 8-foot, lockable rod boxes.
There is a 12-gallon circular baitwell in the fiberglass center console, which also has three rod holders on each side. Trolling motor batteries are located under the console, which frees room elsewhere for tackle storage.
The rear deck was well-planned, too. A leaning post and two folding jump seats are on the forward edge, and a 30-gallon insulated livewell is between the jump seats.
The Bay Extreme also includes wireways and accessory tracks for custom rigging.
And pop-up cleats stay out of the way so they don’t snag lines fishing lines.
Specifications:
• Length: 21 feet, 9 inches
• Bottom Width: 72 inches
• Beam: 94 inches
• Tunnel height: 5.5 inches
• Side height: 26 inches
• Transom height: 25 inches
• Hull deadrise: 7 degrees
• Livewell capacity: 30 gallons
• Baitwell capacity: 12 gallons (in fiberglass console)
• Fuel capacity: 30 gallons
• Maximum power: 175 horsepower
• Weight (approximate): 1,550
• Capacity (weight): 2,200 pounds
• Capacity (people): 8/1,100 pounds
• Hull thickness: .125-gauge marine aluminum
• Paint color: olive drab, beach, sharkskin or sandstone
• GatorHide interior
• Twin jump seats
• Oversize cap rails with rubber inserts
• Wireways
• Accessory track
• Pop-up stainless steel cleats: Four
• Flotation pods
• Two 8-foot-long rod boxes
• Built-in 100-quart insulated ice cox
• Bow storage
• Anchor storage
• Rod holders on console: Six
• Windshield and grabrail
• Built-in step storage box: 4 cubic feet
• Five-year limited warranty against defect
Monticello, Ark.
