Pathfinder, a Maverick Boat Group brand, proudly calls itself “angler-­driven,” explaining that it believes the further a fishing-boat builder gets from its dedicated anglers, the more their product suffers for it.

That’s why Pathfinder values the ideas and input it gets from its angler-driven design team, pro guide staff and local core of consumers. The result is a line of eight Pathfinder models designed from the ground up, focused on putting anglers on fish, in comfort and safety, with sensible, proven technology and craftsmanship.

Each Pathfinder model is carefully designed for specific inshore and nearshore fishing applications, from coastal tarpon to prowling marshes for redfish to chasing trophies such as freshwater muskies or stripers in big water. The company makes bay boats, opens and hybrid craft—the latter two styles blending shallow- and deeper-water fishing applications.

Most of Pathfinder’s boat models are built with the company’s Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion System, which precisely applies resin for the best possible strength-to-weight ratio.

Pathfinder 2200 TRS

Pathfinder helped popularize the bay boat with the Pathfinder 2200 and steered that model to its status as the most popular bay boat of all time. With the new 2200 TRS they’ve ­redesigned it to run even better in open water, adding interior space, enhancing seating comfort and expanding its family-friendly fishing legacy. 

The 2200 TRS, the company says, raises the bay-boat standard in versatility, performance and build quality. Standard features include trim tabs, a GEM stainless-steel steering wheel, a leaning post with a cooler, full-forward center-console access with Dutch doors, guttered and gasketed locking dry-storage compartments, a mounted cooler forward of the console and a boarding ladder. 

Angling features include locking rod storage, two console rod racks, four flush-mounted gunwale rod holders, undergunwale rod storage and a 35-gallon aft port livewell.

Yamaha engine choices range from 150 to 250 hp, with a jack plate optional. With the 250 it tops out at nearly 54 mph, and at a thrifty 24.9 mph (3,000 rpm), it squeezes more than 230 miles of range from its 65-gallon tank. 

Options include a Weblon T-top or fiberglass hardtop, sunshades bow and/or aft, a tilt hydraulic helm, an Edson steering wheel, a trim-tab indicator, chair-cushion colors and additional cushions, JL audio and speakers, and raw-water and/or freshwater washdown.

Angling upgrades include rod racks, bolt-on kingfish rod holders for the hardtop, bow and aft bass seat plates, Garmin electronics systems, a trolling motor, Power-Pole shallow-water anchor systems, underwater lights, release wells, and recirculation pumps and bubblers. A tandem trailer is also available.

Editor’s Tip 

I used to use a length of metal pipe to stake out my boat. It worked, but not very effectively. Outfit your boat with one of the modern shallow-water anchors, or, even better, a pair, and quietly position your boat in feeding lanes without disturbing the fish. -Joe Albanese, Executive Editor Salt Water Sportsman

Performance Data

• Test Power: Yamaha VF250XB
• Test Props: Yamaha Saltwater Series II, stainless steel, 15 ¼ x 18
• Test Load: Two people, three ­batteries, trolling motor)
• Test Speed: 24.9 mph at 3,000 rpm
• Max Range: 234 mi.

Specifications

Pathfinder – Fort Pierce, Florida; pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2200 TRS: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Pathfinder, a Maverick Boat Group brand, proudly calls itself “angler-­driven,” explaining that it believes the further a fishing-boat builder gets from its dedicated anglers, the more their product suffers for it.

That’s why Pathfinder values the ideas and input it gets from its angler-driven design team, pro guide staff and local core of consumers. The result is a line of eight Pathfinder models designed from the ground up, focused on putting anglers on fish, in comfort and safety, with sensible, proven technology and craftsmanship.

Each Pathfinder model is carefully designed for specific inshore and nearshore fishing applications, from coastal tarpon to prowling marshes for redfish to chasing trophies such as freshwater muskies or stripers in big water. The company makes bay boats, opens and hybrid craft—the latter two styles blending shallow- and deeper-water fishing applications.

Most of Pathfinder’s boat models are built with the company’s Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion System, which precisely applies resin for the best possible strength-to-weight ratio.

Pathfinder 2400 Open

The Pathfinder 2400 Open offers hardcore angling versatility in a manageable, sub-25-foot package. 

With a forward deck for sight-fishing and a deeper, open rear cockpit for securely fishing big water out the back, it allows anglers to take advantage of the best fishing every season, shallow to deep. Storage will not be limiting because the boat has abundant livewell space, fish-box room, and rod storage for everything from conventional gear to fly rods. 

With its Yamaha 300 hp outboard, 88-gallon fuel capacity, and a high performance, single-stepped VARIS-created hull, it has the speed and range to cover lots of water quickly and efficiently. Add Helm Master EX with digital electronic steering if you like, or upgrade further to autopilot and joystick for full maneuverability.

Hydraulic steering, a GEM stainless-steel wheel, and a jack plate are standard, as are trim tabs. Family features include a center console with  side-door access and an optional pump-out head; four large, guttered and gasketed locking storage compartments; and a deluxe Engel cooler forward of the console. Optional is a fiberglass hardtop and an aft sunshade. Another option is a tower with a second station to help spot fish, birds and weed lines from aloft. 

The 2400 Open has three standard, insulated fishboxes with macerator options, locking rod storage, a 4-bank console rodrack, a 40-gallon livewell at the leaning post and a 27-gallon livewell aft that can double as a pitchwell. Also standard are four flush-mounted gunwale rod holders and undergunwale rod storage. 

Other fishing options include more rod holders, bolt-on hardtop kingfish rod holders and a pedestal seat plate in the bow. You can add a 36-volt trolling motor up front too. 

Several Garmin touchscreens with sonar are available, as are Power-Poles and underwater lights. Pathfinder also offers a matched tandem trailer for the 2400 Open.

Editor’s Tip 

The 2400 Open is extremely versatile, but the standard jack plate makes it even more so. First, it eliminates the splashwell for easy access to the swim platform. It also allows you to raise the outboard to enhance shallow-water capabilities as well as performance. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

Performance Data

• Test Power: Yamaha F300XSB
• Test Props: Yamaha Saltwater Series II
• Test Load: 5,325 lb. (including 50 gal. fuel, three batteries, second station, trolling motor, dual Power Poles, safety and test equipment)
• Test Speed: 23.9 mph at 3,000 rpm
• Max Range: 281 mi.

Specifications

Pathfinder – Fort Pierce, Florida; pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2400 Open: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Each Pathfinder boat model has been carefully designed for specific inshore and nearshore applications—the direct result of requests, concepts, and input from an angler-driven design team, a pro guide staff, and loyal customers.

Each is focused on putting dedicated anglers on fish—coastal tarpon, marsh redfish, freshwater muskies or stripers—and do it in comfort and safely with sensible, proven technology and craftsmanship.   Their reputation is supported by professional fishermen all over the USA.

Pathfinder is one of four brands owned by Maverick Boat Group.

Pathfinder 2400 TRS

Pathfinder’s 2400 TRS is modeled after the company’s popular 2600 TRS. 

The redesigned 2400 TRS has a deeper cockpit and a wider 9-foot beam, creating higher freeboard for all-age big-water security and more stability at rest, respectively.  Of course, together they also produce more space for comfort, fishing and fun.

The boat offers seating for eight, including independently convertible deluxe Lebroc helm seats, forward-facing bow backseats that flush into the casting deck, and the namesake rear bench with its flip-down backrest.

Additional family-pleasing options include ski pylon, forward and aft deck shades, teak bow table, and JL Marine stereo.

Anglers will approve of its 120-quart fish box, 38-gallon livewell (with option of matched release well) and rod holders for up to 24 rods of various types. Forward and aft casting decks are large and obstruction-free. Fishing options include a second station, an extended-shaft trolling motor for GPS anchoring, and dual Power Poles.

Manufacturer’s Remark

The 2400 TRS is for the family that leads an active water-lifestyle, including fishing. The 2400 Open is for the serious angler that puts a premium on hardcore fishing.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Yamaha F300
• Test Props: Yamaha Saltwater Series II, 15” x 19”, stainless steel 
• Test Load: Two people, 50 gal. fuel, three batteries, dual Power Poles
• Test Speed: 55 mph at 6,050 rpm
• Max Range: 278 miles (90 percent of 88 gal. fuel capacity, at 3.52 mpg, 30.2 mph, 3,500 rpm)

Specs

Editor Says

The new 2400 TRS builds on the professional-grade fishability of Pathfinder’s bay boats and adds exciting convertible family features, making this classy hybrid bay boat double as a family dayboat. -Randy Vance, Editor-at-Large, Boating and Fishing Group

More Info

pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2400 TRS: 2023 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Each Pathfinder boat model has been carefully designed for specific inshore and nearshore applications—the direct result of requests, concepts, and input from an angler-driven design team, a pro guide staff, and loyal customers.

Each is focused on putting dedicated anglers on fish—coastal tarpon, marsh redfish, freshwater muskies or stripers—and do it in comfort and safely with sensible, proven technology and craftsmanship. Their reputation is supported by professional fishermen all over the USA.

Pathfinder is one of four brands owned by Maverick Boat Group.

2400 Open

Just as Pathfinder’s new 2400 TRS is a smaller version of the 2600 TRS, the also-new 2400 Open is a fishing-focused smaller sibling of Pathfinder’s successful 2700 Open. (The 2400s share the same high-performance single-stepped hull.)

“Open” denotes the cockpit’s sole extending to the transom, foregoing the bay boat’s traditional aft casting deck and enabling the angler to fish out the back of the boat from within the deeper cockpit. It’s a design ideal for days outside the inlet and it is growing in popularity.

Up front is a more-typical bay-boat casting deck, perfect for inshore and nearshore sight-fishing opportunities afforded by the boat’s 15-inch draft. The 2400 Open is ready for inshore, nearshore and offshore adventure.

The boat features a 40-gallon helm-seat livewell, a 25-gallon aft baitwell, three insulated fish boxes that can be macerated, and vertical and storage holders for 20 rods. 

The console accommodates up to a 16-inch display, and it can be optioned with a pump-out head. Added overhead can be either a hardtop or a full second station with controls. Additional
options include fore and aft shades, dual Power Poles, and an extended shaft GPS trolling motor. 

Manufacturer’s Remark

The 2400 Open is for the serious angler that puts a premium on hardcore fishing.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Yamaha F300
• Test Props: Yamaha Saltwater Series II, 15” x 19”
• Test Load: Two people, 50 gal. fuel, three batteries, trolling motor and two Power Poles.
• Test Speed: 54.3 mph at 6,000 rpm
• Max Range: 323 miles (90 percent of 88 gal. fuel capacity at 3.68 mpg, 23.9 mph, 3,000 rpm) 

Specs

Editor Says

You can push the limits of what a 25-footer can do with the Pathfinder 2400 Open. A wide 9-foot beam, 15 degrees of deadrise, and plenty of freeboard improve this boat’s rough-water demeanor. Drawing only 14 inches, this inshore fishing machine is the perfect candidate to really hit the skinny stuff. -Joe Albanese, Executive Editor Salt Water Sportsman

More Info

pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2400 Open: 2023 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Pathfinder, a Maverick Boat Group brand, creates shallow-water and light-tackle fishing boats that arise directly from concepts and input from an angler-driven design team, pro guide staff and a loyal core of customers. 

Each model is conceived from the ground up to do one thing: put dedicated anglers on fish comfortably and safely through sensible, proven technology and craftsmanship.

Today, the Pathfinder lineup includes eight models of bay boats, a category it helped pioneer across more than 30 years. Each is designed for specific inshore and nearshore fishing applications—tarpon along the coast, redfish in the marsh or trophy freshwater fish.

Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid

The Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid takes the bay boat and makes it at home in open waters. 

It has the bay boat’s elevated, single-level forward casting deck, but aft of it is a more-open cockpit; you can sight-fish from the bow or bottomfish from the security of the cockpit. 

Combining a double-stepped hull, a bustle transom and a max horsepower of up to 400, the 2500 Hybrid tops out close to 60 mph and gets almost 4 miles to the gallon at 36 mph with an F300 and a hardtop. With its generous 72-gallon fuel capacity, that’s a 200-mile range.

A 16.5-degree deadrise, slightly higher freeboard and generous bow flare translates into an exceptional open-water running performance for a bay boat. And yet, the boat still drafts only 13.5 inches at rest with a full load. 

The 2500 Hybrid was the first fully infused Pathfinder from Maverick, using its proprietary VARIS (vacuum-assisted resin-infusion system) process.

Standard features include a jack plate, aft flip-up seats, a deluxe tackle station with convertible bolster seats, a 36-gallon livewell and a 45-gallon insulated fish box. Among options are a T-top, hardtop or second station with controls; single or dual Power-Poles; and a macerator for a fish box. 

Manufacturer’s Remark

This boat has been a homerun since it hit the market because of its exceptionally smart and versatile layout.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Yamaha F300
• Test Props: SDS Hub 15” x 31” three-blade stainless steel
• Test Load: Boat, 67 gal. fuel, 425 lb. crew  
• Test Speed: 58.3 mph @ 5,800 rpm   
• Max Range: 175 mi. @ 3,500 rpm, 35.6 mph

Specs

Editor Says

Hardcore anglers who love fishing inshore and nearshore, with the occasional bluewater foray, will find the 2500 Hybrid a true dual-threat fishing machine. The boat’s purposeful layout and wealth of fishing-related features propel this Pathfinder to the front of the pack. – Alex Suescun, Executive Editor, Salt Water Sportsman

More Info

pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid: 2022 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

I’m not surprised that one of the leaders in the bay-boat market — Pathfinder Boats — would bring its expertise to a larger edition capable of not only fishing inshore waters, but plenty of offshore situations with ease. The all-new 2700 would be ideal for Gulf of Mexico redfish and trout anglers and New England fluke, striped bass, and bluefish anglers, not to mention fishermen who ply the Chesapeake, Barnegat, Little Egg and Great bays, and those in Long Island Sound, Cape Cod and the Carolinas.

The 2700 features a comfortable-riding, twin-stepped V-bottom with higher freeboard than a typical bay boat. This hybrid comes with a hydraulic jackplate and trim tabs, and my test boat — powered with a single Yamaha F300 — featured the new Yamaha digital electric steering, which gave it a racy, technical feel. It turned without sliding while being fully trimmed for the optimal ride in a chop. Drifting beam to the wind, I felt no ill effects; the boat remained stable with little roll.

Read Next: Pathfinder 2700 Open First Glance

Pathfinder placed a 43-gallon livewell in the fully molded leaning post, and a 22-gallon tank lies on centerline in the transom. A nearly full-beam fish box drains overboard.

Under the gunwales, the 2700 can carry everything from fly rods to medium-heavy conventionals. I found a multitude of vertical rod holders for switching gear in a hurry.

The forward raised casting platform offers plenty of open fishing space for plugging topwater, jigging or bottomfishing. Ahead of the console lies a removable cooler seat.

The well-laid-out helm face accommodates a pair of 12-inch or a single 16-inch display. The binnacle and switches lie within easy reach.

But the thing that really gets my attention is the quality of the 2700′s construction. Pathfinder has mastered the vacuum-infusion process (with a proprietary system called VARIS), which turns out very clean, strong, precise fitted parts making for a well-engineered, tough, honest boat.

Hull Specs

LOA: 27 ft.

Beam: 9 ft. 4 in.

Transom Deadrise: 18 deg.

Draft: 1 ft. 5 in.

Dry Weight: 4,934 lb. w/ Yamaha 425 XTO

Fuel: 95 gal. (additional 31 gal. optional)

Max HP: 450 hp

Base Price: $136,784 w/ Yamaha 425 XTO

Performance

Engine: Yamaha 300 XCA

Load: half fuel, two crew, minimal gear

Time to 30 mph: 7 sec.

Top Speed: 52.1 mph @6,000 rpm

Best MPG: 3.09 mpg @27.2 mph (3,500 rpm)

Maverick Boat Group

Fort Pierce, Florida

888-SHALLOW

pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2700 Boat Review appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The further a company gets away from understanding what dedicated anglers want in their boats,” Pathfinder Boats proclaims, “the more underwhelming their products will be.”

That’s why the company works with its angler-driven design team, pro guide staff and loyal customers to launch models—including three brand-new models in 2021—aimed at real-world improvements that solve problems and enhance fishability of their boats.

Pathfinder, with Hewes, Cobia and Maverick, is part of the Maverick Boat Group.

Pathfinder 2700

The new Pathfinder 2700 Open —built to range from open flats to inlets, from beaches to offshore pursuits, all in a single day—combines the forward deck space of a bay boat with the open cockpit of a center-console for the best of bay and blue water on a double-stepped, VARIS vacuum-infused hull.

Instead of the bay boat’s typical rear casting deck, the 2700 has an open cockpit that accommodates a range of fishing styles. Optional aft corner jump seats are available. The bow casting platform is two easy steps up.

The 2700 has the two livewells that leave none of our survey respondents unserved. Serious center-console anglers get a 42-gallon double-pump well in the leaning post, and a handy 22-gallon tank aft well, both with aquariumlike clear side panels.

To the 2700 Open’s 95-gallon standard fuel capacity you can add a range-stretching optional 31-gallon auxiliary fuel cell.

Six gunwale-mounted rod/cup holders in the aft cockpit meet or exceed the expectations of most respondents. Undergunwale storage accommodates up to six 9-foot rods, part of its overall rod-rack capacity for 18 rods of all kinds. Also fishing-friendly are in-deck cast-net lockers.

Three insulated fish boxes total 95 gallons, to which optional pump-out macerators can be added. Any can be used as dry storage too.

Other standard equipment includes a hydraulic jack plate, 36-volt trolling-motor system, trim tabs, deluxe convertible helm seating, and Optimus electric steering.

Options include a fiberglass hardtop or T-top second station, choice of Yamaha 425 XTO or F300, Garmin autopilot and screens, undergunwale faux teak SeaDek panels, Edson steering wheel, console port-a-potty, and JL Marine stereo package.

Survey Says: On Target

• Storage for a variety of tackle for flexibility
• Spacious walkways flanking consoles

Owners Say

• Quality construction; I love a dependable, well-made boat
• Very stable and fishable
• Versatile

Brand Says

• The 2700 Open does so many things so well
• Born to do one thing—put dedicated anglers on fish

Reader Response

• “Does everything well”

Specs

LOA: 27′

Beam: 9′4″

Fuel Capacity: 95 gal.

Dry Weight: 4,934 lb. with power

Max HP: 450

Certifications: NMMA

More Info

pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2700: 2021 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Pathfinder has introduced a new hybrid center console boat—the 2700 Open—that can “comfortably run offshore on most days but still float in shallow enough water to cast net bait and fish potholes on the flats,” says Charlie Johnson, marketing director for Maverick Boat Company, which owns the Pathfinder brand. “The real hybrid element is in the deck layout, where you have a completely open aft cockpit more like a center console, and then a raised deck forward for sightfishing and throwing a net.”

In fact, the double-stepped-hull 27-footer only draws about 17 inches of water. The boat comes with a 42-gallon leaning-post livewell, a 22-gallon aft well, and three fish boxes. Other standard features include a hydraulic jackplate, undergunwale storage for rods up to 9 feet, a 36-volt trolling motor system, and Optimus electric steering.

Pathfinder used VARIS vacuum-infusion technology to build the boat, which can carry a single outboard up to 450 hp. With a Yamaha 425 XTO, factory tests show it reaches a top speed of 60.1 mph at 6,000 rpm, achieving 1.64 mpg, and accelerates from 0 to 20 mph in 7.4 seconds. At 31.1 mph, turning 3,500 rpm, it gets 2.88 mpg.

Read Next: Pathfinder 2600 TRS: 2020 Boat Buyers Guide

Specifications

LOA: 27 ft.

Beam: 9 ft. 4 in.

Dry Weight: 4,934 lb. (w/engine)

Draft: 1 ft. 5 in.

Transom Deadrise: 18 deg.

Fuel Capacity: 97 gal. (option for 31-gallon fuel cell)

Max HP: 450

Pricing: $134,480 (base boat w/ Yamaha 425 XTO)

The post Pathfinder 2700 Open First Glance appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Pathfinder, in keeping with its “angler-driven” descriptor, designs each boat model from a challenge: comfortable and safe mastery of a specific angling application, informed by pro guide staff members and its legion of loyal customers.

Pathfinder is part of the Maverick Boat Group with sibling brands Maverick, Hewes and Cobia.

Pathfinder 2600 TRS

Pathfinder’s 2600 TRS is a charmer of a bay boat, with the good looks and comfort-amenities that suggest an evening of island hopping or dinner. But it’s more than ready for tournament-level hardcore fishing the next day.

A double-stepped hull —-lightweight thanks to vacuum-infused-construction—pops onto plane, swift and fuel-efficient. It’s stable at drift or anchored, and a standard Atlas jack plate makes it shallow-water versatile. Despite its bay-boat designation, it’s ready for some bigger waters too.

Open space—of major importance to 73 percent of -bay-boat fishers—is retained thanks to in-floor storage and large, lockable storage areas for rods and other gear, which is something 38 percent of our bay-boat respondents require. The console contains flip-out storage compartments for neat containment of more tackle and tools.

The boat is wired and ready for a 36-volt trolling motor, favored gear of two-thirds of bay-boat anglers. Raw-water and freshwater washdowns make keeping it clean a breeze, even when fishing action has been frantic. The livewell measures 36 gallons.

Seating is both generous and flexible, with spots for up to 10. The deluxe helm seats, with backrests, have fold-down armrests and flip-up bolsters. Forward console seating has a cooler beneath. Up front, flip-up -forward-facing backrests disappear when fishing. Integrated rear deck seating provides perches for three, each with an independent flip-up seat; they fold out of the way and create a large casting deck. Four flush-mounted rod holders line the gunwales. (A rod rack on the optional hardtop holds four more.)

Inside the fully finished console is room for storage, privacy for changing, or it can be rigged with a head. Other options include Power Poles, cushion packages, hardtop or T-top, upper station, Garmin electronics and more. And for the moment that begs for neither cruising nor fishing? Well, there is an optional tow pylon.

Survey Says: On Target

⋅Lockable rod storage

⋅Raw-water and freshwater washdowns

Owners Say

⋅Very versatile

⋅Rides quite well and can go in about 17 inches of water

⋅Easy to fish out of, great looks, cleans up great

⋅Can go skinny water or nearshore comfortably

Brand Says

⋅Born to do one thing: put dedicated anglers on fish

⋅Pathfinder defined the term “bay boat”

More Info: pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2600 TRS: 2020 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Pathfinder, which launched the bay-boat revolution more than two decades ago, ­considers this a given: “The further a company gets away from understanding what dedicated anglers want in their boats, the more underwhelming its ­products will be.”

That’s why each Pathfinder model springs from a challenge: to design a boat for specific angling applications and put anglers on fish in comfort and safety.

So it’s no wonder that when our bay-boat-owning survey ­respondents were asked to list brands they’d consider buying from a list of dozens, Pathfinder was near the top of the list.

Pathfinder 2005 TRS Smallest in the Pathfinder line of eight bay boats, the new Pathfinder 2005 TRS boasts many attributes of its bigger brothers and sisters, and is poised to handle big water in a ­manageable format.

Pathfinder succinctly ­describes it as “20.5 feet of great possibilities.”

Freeboard has been boosted in the new boat with a 25-inch transom, which, along with a 16-degree deadrise, makes both running and fishing in big water safe and enjoyable — a high-level demand by survey respondents. (Pathfinder notes that bay boats are seen with increasing frequency in inshore and offshore settings, as well as their namesake bays.) Fishing is easy from its raised casting decks, the aft deck shortened to increase cockpit space.

Gear stows unobtrusively, thanks to undergunwale rod racks with tip tubes, and a pair of in-deck storage bins that handle five-gallon buckets. Standard fore and aft coolers total 122 quarts. (The 44-quart cooler forward of the console can be plumbed to become a second livewell — joining an aft 48-quart standard livewell — a big plus for bait anglers.) Above that console front seat, a cushioned backrest conceals an additional two-box tackle-storage area. All of these tackle features speak to the most experienced survey respondents with the highest expectations for convenient access to tackle.

An optional leaning-post backrest can be removed to add two more flush-mount rod holders. Two flush-mount gunwale rod holders are standard, and two more are optional, meeting the mean expectation for a boat its size, as expressed in our survey.

The 2005 TRS’s console windshield and grab bar fold down for easy garage storage — more proof that Pathfinder designed an easy-to-manage bay-boat package.

Survey Says: On Target

• Optional second livewell meets experienced baitfishers’ needs
• Closed-foam flotation throughout
• Additional seating beyond two at helm

Owners Say

• Perfect size for the wife and me
• Good performance in shallow water
• Suitable for both inshore and coastal fishing

Pathfinder Says

• Abundant dry storage assists in keeping anglers organized and the deck clear
• Anchor locker accommodates fluke anchor and plenty of rode with chain
• Generous fishing room and broad casting decks in an easy-to-trailer package

More Info: pathfinderboats.com

The post Pathfinder 2005 TRS: 2019 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.