34JANUARY 2018 / VOL 33 — ISSUE 134 JANUARY 20184,000 rpm, pushing the Dauntless to
29 mph in the 1-foot following seas.
FUN TO DRIVE
I loved driving this boat from the tower.
The cutout in the hardtop and leaning
pad are both contoured to wrap around
the helmsman. A bench seat lets you
sit down and use a cross brace on the
hardtop as a footrest. From the elevated
position, you can readily spot schools
of redfish but also see shallow areas
to avoid. Handling proved
outstanding as I weaved
through the channels. The
Verado power steering made
turning fingertip-easy.
An optional flush-
mounted Raymarine 7-inch
Axiom Pro offered access to
sonar and chart plotting in
the tower to help guide the
way. I also found second-
ary controls for the trim
tabs and jack plate. A pair of
forward angled rod holders
flank the helm so you can
participate in the fishing action from
on high, while a pair of drink holders
ensures you stay hydrated while aloft.
The main helm on the redesigned
console featured an optional flush-
mounted 9-inch Axiom Pro and a
pair of Merc SmartCraft multifunc-
tion gauges. There’s a tempered-glass
windshield, and you can order an
optional clear vinyl enclosure for
complete protection on chilly days.
A helm bench seat with a backrest
features two flip-up bolsters and a
foldout footrest on the powder-coated
aluminum frame. A Yeti Tundra 65
cooler stows underneath. A second
footrest at the base of the console lets
you brace yourself while seated.
Inside the console, accessible from a
companionway on the starboard side, is
a step-down compartment with a port
light and plenty of room for a portable
marine toilet.
REDFISH ACTION
Once we reached the spot, Goodwin
deployed the MotorGuide trolling
motor to move stealthily along the edge
of the bar. “There they are,” he said.
The dark silhouettes of redfish cruised
75 feet off the starboard bow in the
2 feet of water that covered the bar.
Goodwin used the remote control
for the Power-Pole to set the shallow-
water anchor, then filled his bait
launcher (a fat plastic baseball bat with
the end cut off at an angle) with pil-
chards and flung them in the direction
of the redfish.
A quick cast into the middle of
the chummers produced an instant
hookup for Goodwin. As he battled the
red toward the stern, I noted the short
step on both the foredeck and aft deck,
the 21-inch-high gunwales in the main
cockpit, and wide walkways beside the
console — all of which make it easy to
work a fish around the boat. Within
minutes, the fish was boatside, and we
released it after a few photos.
Goodwin’s battle with the redfish
seemed to spook the schoolmates, but
a school of seatrout quickly moved in
to pick up the slack. As we cast and
caught and released trout from the
foredeck, Traynom pointed out that
the 240 Dauntless Pro is not with-
out family comfort. “For example,
with optional pads and backrests,this foredeck can be converted into a
lounge area,” he explained.RUN THE NUMBERS
Eventually the tide slacked, signaling
the time to rack the sticks in the
hardtop rod holders and run perfor-
mance numbers. With four adult males,
80 gallons of fuel and 38 gallons of
livewell water, the Verado 350, turning
an Enertia 18-inch-pitch three-blade
stainless-steel propeller, vaulted the
boat to plane in five seconds, reaching
30 mph in 12 seconds.
The 240 Dauntless Pro posted a top
speed of 48 mph at 6,200 rpm, where the
engine consumed 31 gph for 1.55 mpg.
The optimal cruising speed occurred at
4,000 rpm and 25.5 mph, where the 350
burned 11.5 gph for 2.2 mpg.
Today, an increasing number of
serious fishing machines are lean-
ing toward a softer side to add appeal
for nonangling family members.
But it’s nice to see the Whaler 240
Dauntless Pro go the opposite direc-
tion by adding serious fishing features
to a hull that’s already a favorite among
families everywhere.As Capt. James Goodwin demonstrates
here, the expansive forward casting deck on
the 240 Dauntless Pro makes it easy to run
an electric trolling motor and catch fish, such
as redfish and spotted seatrout (left).FISH TRIALS+ NEW BOATS + ELECTRONICS + BETTER BOATINGCHRISTOPHER BALOGH (2)