Boating — December 2018

(Brent) #1
SEE THE
VIDEO

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.8 5.5 1.0 4.8 5.5 129.0 148.5 0 70
1500 5.7 6.6 2.0 2.9 3.3 77.4 89.1 3 79
2000 7.2 8.3 4.7 1.5 1.8 41.4 47.7 5 80
2500 18.9 21.7 5.0 3.8 4.3 101.8 117.2 4 85
3000 25.8 29.7 7.0 3.7 4.2 99.5 114.6 1 89
3500 30.4 35.0 8.9 3.4 3.9 92.3 106.2 1 91
4000 35.3 40.6 11.7 3.0 3.5 81.4 93.7 2 91
4500 41.6 47.9 12.9 3.2 3.7 87.1 100.3 2 94
5000 52.6 60.5 15.2 3.5 4.0 93.4 107.5 2 99
5500 56.7 65.2 16.3 3.5 4.0 93.8 108.0 2 102
5850 62.1 71.5 18.5 3.4 3.9 90.7 104.4 2 104
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

High Points
XCompact design lets you keep the
boat in most two-car garages for
secure storage.
XLivewell is pump-in/pump-out with
a baffl e to minimize sloshing and
separate fi sh.
XLocking center rod storage
handles up to 16 sticks as long
as 8 feet.

Specs
· LOA: 19'6" · BEAM: 7'6"
· DRY WEIGHT: 1,550 lb. · SEATING/
WEIGHT CAPACITY: 5/625 lb.
· FUEL CAPACITY: 30 gal.

How We Tested
ENGINE: Mercury 200 Pro XS
DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/Mercury Fury
14" x 24" 3-blade stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 1.75:1
FUEL LOAD: 9 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 440 lb.
Price
$44,795 (as tested)

BASS CAT


Pantera Classic


cooler under the center steps
and another under the cen-
ter glove-box storage. There’s
also passenger-side stowage
for fi ve more rods. Under the
6-foot-wide-by-3½-foot-long
aft deck resides the livewell to
keep fi sh frisky until weigh-in,
as well as bilge access and two
additional storage lockers.
With the Pantera Classic,
Bass Cat returns to its roots
yet in a boat that’s far beyond
the basics.

Bass Cat discontinued the Pantera in
2012 in favor of increasingly sophisticated
bass-boat models such as the Jaguar,
Lynx and Cougar FTD. But with the ad-
vent of the sleek new Pantera Classic,
younger anglers can now get into a tour-
nament-grade machine without breaking
the bank.
With a 7½-foot beam and a swing-
away tongue on the standard tandem-
axle trailer, the Pantera Classic stores
nicely into most two-car garages. With a
200 hp outboard, storage length is 21 feet
10 inches. However, where you’ll really
enjoy the Pantera Classic is on the water,
especially when powered by a Mercury
200 Pro XS, as was our tester. With two
adult males on board, the single-console
version (a passenger console is an op-
tion) bolted to plane in 2.5 seconds and
reached 30 mph in 5 seconds, quickly
airing out at 71.5 mph at 5,850 rpm. An
R&R manual jack plate easily fi ne-tunes
the ride, and SeaStar Solutions hydraulic
steering keeps you in control. The con-
sole and bow station feature standard

7-inch Humminbird Helix multifunction
displays, but you can upgrade to a 12-inch
MFD at the helm. An interactive panel re-
places the traditional switch panel at the
helm, and dual USB ports are standing by
to keep phones charged. You’ll have plen-
ty of sticks to catch fi sh thanks to center
locking rod storage that can hold up to
16 fi shing rods up to 8 feet in length. Sur-
rounding the center rod locker are three
big stowage compartments in the 6-foot-
wide-by-7½-foot-long foredeck.
With an expansive front casting deck
and a recessed Minn Kota Fortrex 80
trolling motor, you can ply the edges of
the lily pads and points with ease. There
are pedestal seats fore and aft. We found a

PHOTOS: BILL DOSTER


BASS CAT
Mountain Home, Arkansas; 807-481-5135;
basscat.com

To watch our
video review
of the Pantera
Classic, scan
this tag or visit
boatingmag
.com/bbg18/
basscatpantera.

C


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