74 Boating New Zealand
The Extreme’s first official engagement involved a road trip
to Whitianga to fish the Extreme Boats Tournament, followed
by a long haul down to Waihau Bay and back to Auckland again.
Boat and trailer performed faultlessly.
With serious recreational fishing on the agenda, Bait Balls
has pretty much everything a dedicated angler could want. The
cockpit area is extremely fisher-friendly, not least because of its
wide-open spaces. This is a beamy boat and the cockpit really
benefits from the extra space.
Extreme Boat’s new low-profile bait station is easier to
work around when playing a large fish over the transom. It’s
well designed too, with rod holders, knife-slots and drains that
direct blood over the side and not into the cockpit. There’sa saltwater washdown, easy-clean chequer-plate aluminium
cockpit sole and useful storage in double side-shelves and an
underfloor cockpit locker.
As is usual with Extreme’s boats, the vessel’s dual battery
and associated switches are nicely tucked away inside transom
lockers: easy to access, but up off the floor and completely
protected from spray. The boat is built to survey and sports a
3600gph bilge pump in addition to the 2600gph pump on a
float switch, fume sensors and upgraded wiring loom.
This Game King certainly doesn’t lack rod storage, with four
welded aluminium through-coaming rod holders per side for
trolling and 10 positions in the two-tier rocket launcher.
A keen game fisher, Josh fitted Ocean Blue outrigger bases toBait Balls has pretty much everything
a dedicated angler could want.