Evolution Predator 650

Perfect Predator

I first laid eyes on the Evolution Predator 650 at the Melbourne Boat Show but had little opportunity for more than a cursory look; such were the numbers of fishermen with glazed eyes and silly grins poring over every nook and cranny in the boat.

But, what I saw impressed me to look further at a later date and I immediately made an appointment with its builder, Paul "Junga" Junginger, to do a full test on the boat before another potential customer grabbed his attention. They were all over him like ants.

Test day shortly thereafter at Williamstown was perfect - 20-knot northerly and clear skies.

To say I was impressed would be an understatement. When Junga asked me what he could do to improve the boat, I was stumped and mumbled something about having to fish the boat before I could answer that question because absolutely nothing sprang to mind.

FISHING FEATURES
Let me say this: the Evolution Predator 650 is one of the best trailerable fishing boats I’ve ever tested, no arguably, no ifs no buts. It seriously challenges the Haines Hunter 650 and the Cruisecraft Outsider 685 and probably rides better than both of them. It certainly has more cockpit space (read fishing room) and without putting a tape measure over everything, probably leads its class in this area.

Junga appears to have thought of just about everything. For example, the trim tabs are fully recessed into the transom so they don’t foul fishing lines; there are inbuilt tackle boxes; a windowed livebait tank; six rodholders, six cleats, just to name a few.

In building the 650, Junga and his team did it the old-fashioned way, by hand from the ground up, using the hull of their first creation, the Evolution 550 as a starting point, adding 300mm at the bow and 500mm at the stern, widening chines for more lift, moulding in the bowsprit and retaining the 21° deadrise. The foam filled hull weighs a substantial 1700kg.

The walkaround deck was formed using ply and hand-shaped foam before moulds were made. The design, according to Junga, was in response to customer feedback. They wanted a bigger boat (than the 550) with more fishing room, more comfort and more fuel capacity for long-range trips.

The boat at the Melbourne show was a real looker, with twins and a hardtop which incorporated radios. It was tricked up to the max. Our test boat was less glamorous with an Evinrude E-TEC 250, rocket launcher and bimini.

The hull features a flared bow, oversize strakes and heavily reversed, wide chines. While we were pottering about doing the photoshoot, at fairly slow and awkward speeds, we did manage to get some water on board but when the boat stretched its legs it threw spray back where it belongs, into the water.

The walkaround configuration has given a surprising amount of room - particularly headroom - in the cabin. While it has the traditional vee-bunk arrangement, one is shortened considerably by the inclusion of a frig/stove/sink arrangement. It's not a bad fixture because the boat’s really not an overnighter and in my fishing experience, only one crew at a time has a snooze in the cabin anyway. However, this arrangement is optional as is a centrally mounted Porta-Potti. Naturally, there's storage under the vinyl bunk cushions.

Side windows open and have fly screens. The overhead tinted Perspex hatch is on gas struts. Parcel shelves are wide, the roof fully lined - though a little roughly - but that’s probably something a fisherman's not going to worry about. Wiring is in behind a hatch cover and there's an interior light.

Access to the cabin is excellent, with a step down and the bulkhead cut back to accommodate your head. Access to cabins in walkarounds can be awkward but the Evolution has solved this problem. The four-piece glass screen wraps around well but it could do with a reinforcing bar.

The seats are stainless steel framed buckets on alloy poles with full adjustment back and forward, and gas adjustable up and down. They will be replaced shortly with swing-up bolster-style seats for ease of operation when standing. An option is to have them mounted on storage cabinets. The walkway between the seats is good. Often, this space is cramped in walkarounds.

AT THE HELM
The skipper's position is excellent with a fully moulded dash for compass and electronics in front while the gauges are slightly offset to the right, trim tabs are close at hand on the left, radios are underneath the six-spoke helm, and the switch panel is to the right. I'd prefer the radios more in line of sight but they're ok where they are. The hardtop version with radios built in is ideal.

The control is mounted in a recess on the right and works well, although it's a little tight on the right elbow at times. Beneath that is a stainless steel cupholder and EPIRB recess.

A bulkhead footrest can be removed to install motherboards for the electronics.

The passenger seat is set back a little from the open cabin doorway (which can be covered by a canvas door) with a fold-down footrest and two open pockets on the side, padded to protect shoulders and elbows in heavy weather. A very solid grabrail just under the left side window is well positioned to compensate for having open space in front. An recess at left knee height has a 2kg fire extinguisher.

The entire control/seat station sits on a 120mm raised non-skid platform above the carpeted cockpit. It has an insulated, lidded deckbox between the seats. It seems just the right height, not high enough to be a nuisance or low enough to continually trip you up.

The bimini is standard issue with a six-pot rocket launcher but made from oversize stainless steel and is solid as a rock - in fact all the steel is 32mm.

The self-draining cockpit is huge - 2.5m long and 2.1m wide. Sidepockets are long and spacious, and have three horizontal rodracks each side. The strong cover plates are curved at the top end to allow for vertical rodholders and are bolted to the interior moulded liner. They're perfect for tucking toes under. Moulded grabhandles are included in the gunnels, and coamings and transom are padded.

Each gunnel has two stainless steel rodholders and there are another two in the transom.

The 80lt livebait tank features a Perspex window and occupies the port corner, while the starboard corner has an entry doorway. There are two two-draw tackle boxes under both the livebait tank and doorway ensuring no wasted space.

A large floor hatch, big enough to hold a 60kg yellowfin, is in the back of the boat. The transom has a twin-door set-up big enough for three batteries (for twin motor installations) and two oil bottles - and the fillers are in the deck above.

The baitboard, custom made by PM Marine, is chest height and comes in a variety of styles.

Up front, the deck is easily accessed from the cockpit with a step. It is fully non-skid, a little over ankle deep and although not wide, is quite ok. And you also have the support of those massive split bowrails. It has stainless steel overboard drains at each end so water doesn't cascade back into the cockpit.

An electric winch is hidden beneath the huge front hatch, and behind that is a moulded and padded front seat for bow fishing. The anchor is carried on a very solid bowsprit that is part of the deck.

Heavy cleats at the bow, amidships and stern are in moulded recesses, and add to an impressive standard equipment list. Everything is through-bolted.

PERFORMANCE
The 650's performance from the Evinrude 250 (with 30in leg, incidentally) was excellent. The harder it was pushed the better it handled the sea. As I said earlier, once you've mastered the balance between engine and tabs trim you'll really fly, and the boat certainly needs plenty of engine trim-out. We achieved 80kmh at 5200rpm in the sloppy conditions and that wasn't WOT. Cruising was comfortable at 50kmh at 3500rpm.

And there ended my copious notes, and I've probably missed a few things, such is the completeness and attention to detail in this newcomer to the market. Oh, and the level of customization offered will almost certainly give you exactly what you want. For example, one boat being built will feature teak decks!

The Predator 650 is a serious challenger in the upper end of the trailerable fishing boat market. If you're interested, get in now because the waiting list, I'm told, is long and growing longer. And that, I feel, is not just sales talk.