'Baby' Bar Crushers for Melbourne Show

The team at Bar Crusher Boats will be making a big splash at the 2015 Melbourne Boat Show.

Not only are they bringing along the award winning range of big plate aluminium fishing weapons from the 535 all the way up to the class leading 780HTP, in 2015 they will also debut the all new 'baby' Bar Crushers, the 490WR and 490C. But by no means do these smaller boats lack in the tough department.

These two new boats make it possible for fishos to get into the much fancied Bar Crusher range for about $35,000 ready to go.

Aimed squarely at entry-level boat buyers, the 490 hull series brings Bar Crushers within reach of more people with its mid-$30K price tag (depending on options).

Measuring 4.90m LOA, with a 2.00m beam, the 490C and 490WR are built on Bar Crusher’s Gen2 hull design with Delta Flare. The manufacturer says the deep-V hull delivers an ultra-smooth ride, and the Rigideck sub-floor system creates maximum hull strength while Bar Crusher's exclusive Quickflow water-ballast technology ensures the 490C and 490WR are extremely stable at rest.

Bar Crusher director Peter Cleland said the new 490 series would completely change the way many people looked at sub-5m aluminium boats.

"Our design philosophy behind the 490 series was based on providing anglers with a smaller boat that had all the engineering of the larger Bar Crusher models at a very reasonable price," Cleland said.

"Extensive testing has proved the 490C’s on-water performance is outstanding… it handles 20kt of breeze and messy wind chop like it’s a much larger boat."

Lending itself to family fishing, the 490C is a tough all-round cuddy cabin boat that will handle the punishment first-time boaters often inadvertently dish-out to their boats. Great performance, easy to tow, launch/retrieve and maintain, it’s destined to ensure people stay involved in boating too.

The walk-around centre console 490WR will prove popular among lure casters and trollers. Freshwater, estuary and inshore, and Cleland says it’s the baby Bar Crusher many anglers have been waiting for.

Incorporating a 60-litre underfloor fuel tank and rated to carry a 40-70hp outboard, dry tow weights of the 490C and 490WR are 840kg and 800kg respectively, ensuring the boats are easily towable by smaller vehicles.

Cast aluminium rod holders, heavy duty boarding ladder, berley bucket and muncher, LED lighting and other items are among the list of standard features, while owners can customise their boats from an extensive options list.

The 490C and 490WR are each packaged on a custom-designed trailer, which ensures towing, launching and retrieving is a breeze.