JOYSTICK DOCKING CONTROLhttp://www.seastarsolutions.com®Precision
Our Optimus 360 complete-system
design uses state-of-the-art
electronics to provide easy 360-
degree maneuvering capabilities
when docking, negotiating
crowded areas or loading a vessel
onto a trailer. System includes
joystick control, electronic shift
& throttle control and electronic
power steering.
http://www.optimus-360.comControl
http://www.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | JUNE–JULY 2018 33
“It’s a huge category that demonstrates steady,
stable growth.”
Although year-over-year unit sales gains for
freshwater fishing boats remain in the low single-digit
range, growth in dollars has crept steadily upward
as boats and engines have swollen in both size and
feature content. The traditional 16ft aluminium boat
with a 50hp outboard on the back is now more likely
to be an 18-footer with a 90hp or a 115hp engine –
plus a boat load of expensive options and upgrades.
“On the freshwater fishing side we are close to the
pre-recession levels in terms of units, I want to say
85% to 90%,” says Brunswick Boat Group president,
Huw Bower. “But in terms of dollars, we’ve probably
eclipsed that level, largely on the strength of boats
having more standard features and better outboard
technology, and in particular with the engines in
the 75hp to 150hp range that represent the bulk of
the market.”
Part of that upward shift in feature content is
driven by the enduring popularity of tournament
fishing. A proliferation of new tournament circuits
specifically targeting collegiate and even high school
anglers is driving renewed interest in freshwater
fishing, and ultimately powering fishing boat sales.
“The growth of high school fishing programs across
the US, engaging kids from the 7th grade to 12th
grade, is a developing phenomenon,” says Jason Oakes,
director of marketing for New York Mills, Minnesota-
based Lund Boats. “We actively support a variety of
collegiate and high school tournament trails and
fishing teams, and the growth of these events over
the past few years has just been tremendous. For the
parents, it’s a way to get the kids unplugged from
video games and get them out in a boat fishing.”
The novelty of unplugging from our increasingly
connected world and spending time outdoors
is attractive to school-aged kids who seek new
experiences, says Oakes. “I think it’s important to
understand that kids today grew up with video games;
they’ve always been a part of their lives. Electronics
are old news to them. But spending a day outside,
in a boat, is a new and novel concept that holds
tremendous appeal. It’s still a parent who’s actually
buying the boat, obviously, but the interest and the
driving force behind the purchase is coming from the
young anglers, and they are the future market.”
Otsego, Minnesota-based Crestliner Boats also
supports high school and college-aged anglers through
its Angling Aces program, which assists students with
pursing fishing- and boating-related careers. “The
Angling Aces student program has three main goals:
to inspire, inf luence and inform,” says Lori Kneeland,
Crestliner director of marketing. “Success on the
water starts at a young age, and we embrace our role
as inf luencers, whether these student anglers go on to
become professional anglers, work in fields related to
the outdoors and fishing industry, or simply continue
to pursue fishing as a hobby.”
The traditional
16ft boats with a
50hp outboard is now more
likely to be an 18-footer
with a 90hp or a 115hp -
plus a load of
expensive options