Labsport Xtreme

On the American pro bass circuit, the anglers fish for mega bucks. They come armed with the best tackle and the sharpest casting arms, and they can breathe life into a bit of plastic as though they're heart surgeons. They also brandish purpose-built bass boats designed to outrun the pack and reach the lunkers first.

But America is no longer the only place to shop for an eye-wateringly fast bass boat. Thanks to our burgeoning bream, bass and barra circuits there's growing interest in high-performance flat-water fishing boats beyond the realms of tinnies. And while it may be a little ahead of its time, the Australian-made Labsport Xtreme Tournament is a wonderful bit of fishing weaponry.

Boatbuilders Jeff and Bruce Stubbs saw that our bream and bass circuits were gaining momentum to the point where the top anglers were seeking go-fast fishing boats with better-performing hulls. But they also knew few fishers possess the skills or the inclination to drive a nail-bitingly fast speedboat. And take it from me: it's a real art trying to tame a 100kmh-plus monohull with a tendency to chine walk. You need to flick the wheel at precisely the right time and by the right degree to make the necessary corrections.

It's at speed that the Labsport has the edge on many go-fast fishing boats. While the boat has a race pedigree, it isn't a handful to drive. Which isn't surprising, I suppose, when you learn that the Stubbs brothers have been fine tuning their multihull technology for 20 years.

Known affectionately as Labs, the boats have won back-to-back national ski-race titles in virtually every outboard class, Bridge to Bridges, the Gold Coast Classic on bumpy waters, and even scored a third place at the World Water Ski Championships at Long Beach, California.

Importantly, many of the qualifying rounds for these races were conducted on bumpy bays like Port Phillip or Botany. So by rights the boat should be able to handle a bit of a bump. It at least took the little wavelets on the Georges River in its stride, and for big rivers it's right at home.

RACE PEDIGREE
The hull under the Xtreme Tournament is based on the same positive-stepped air-entrapment hull used for its ski race boats, only it's heavier, with different bulkheads, and a vastly different deck. And it's been tamed to point where any old angler can safely drive at 100kmh. In fact you could tie the wheel off at speed and nothing untoward would happen. For someone who sees a lot of boat, the multihull is really quite ingenious. At speed, it rises above the water and skips along without pounding. At rest, the outer sponsons settle and the boat has a huge footprint for exceptional stability.

There's also abundant buoyancy in the bow to carry the weight of a porky angler pitching soft-plastics at some pylons somewhere.

While a mouthful, it's clear how the positive-stepped air-entrapment hull works on the water. There are three steps in the centre vee hull that help break the water tension, reduce drag and therefore make the boat slippery. Either side of the centre hull are the air-entrapment sponsons to provide lift and stability both at rest and underway - hence no chine walking.

 Put it together and you have a flat-water fishing boat that works at rest and at speed, which is a rare thing in a world where many boats have showroom or static appeal but poor performance or, conversely, point-and-shoot performance but nothing more. But here you have a hand-built boat with a finish that's a cut above the pack and engineering designed for the saltwater use. That's quite unlike most American bass boats.

BUILT TOUGH
Construction involves absolutely no timber. The running surface is solid fibreglass with a composite floor and bulkheads. A small-volume boatbuilder, every boat is carefully handmade, as evidenced by fair mouldings and a high-quality finish.

The XT version of this boat as seen here includes such glamour gear as the raking stainless-steel side grabrails or quasi windscreen frames and a stylish matching stainless-steel wheel, which feels reassuringly good in your hands. The builders admit they've always liked the "white and stainless-steel Seafarer look". There's also a foot throttle and an indicator-type trim lever beside the wheel for optimum control. The demo boat also had some extras, including a 71lb-thrust 24V Motorguide trolling motor on a moulded mount, with floating foot throttle on the casting platform, a Lowrance X100 sounder mounted in a carbon panel on the bow, and trim switches for the outboard in the bow in case you drift into skinny water.

The Bluewater custom trailer is itself a pretty impressive bit of engineering, with chrome rims, a walkdown centre deck that doubles as a stone guard, double gal-dipped fittings, trick submersible lights and override brakes.

Back aboard, I noted all stainless-steel skin fittings, three batteries (one for engine crank and two for the 24V motor) and a 130lt stainless-steel fuel tank, with inline filter, that can be removed should you get a gutful of dirty fuel. You need to remove the fuel tank to access the bilge pump, but full marks for putting all these heavy items, and the oil bottle, on the centreline aft where their weight won't induce a list. Cleverly, the boat has three transverse seats so you can fish two to three people and always have an even load distribution.

FISH FRIENDLY
There are twin pumps for the 130lt livewell forward of the helm on the centreline, one drawing raw water into the tank, the other circulating the water and draining the tank. The circulator has an automatic timer so you set it to come on intermittently. All the pickups have stainless-steel strainers that are accessible for cleaning. A baffle will be fitted to future livewells to provide twin angler compartments and stop splash.

Underfloor are two air tanks that the boatbuilders say have been calculated to float the boat. But with the big 175hp V6 outboard, you're not going to get level flotation. Things get even more interesting when you start lifting all the hatches and great use has been made of the underfloor recesses. I was impressed by the network of drains around all the deck hatches, which let you hose the boat or bucket it down without putting water inside.

All the lids for the hatches are reinforced welded aluminium with internal stainless-steel hinges that won't foul lines or backing. Ditto the cleats and the recessed nav lights. You'll find Nylok nuts on the through-bolted fittings and gas struts so you can lift hatches single-handedly.

 The bow contains port and starboard rod lockers, each with eight holders and each able to take rods to 2.4m (8.0ft) in length. These are lined with carpet to prevent chafe and can be optioned as lockable. There's a dry storage locker under the casting platform designed to take a big tackle box, as well as the aforesaid fish well.

There are also rod buckles and a forward lean so you can quickly retire a rod and secure it should you bust off a beast of a bream, bass or barra. The decks are essentially clean, however, and in need of only some non-skid to aid with accessing the boat from a wharf or jetty, especially if you've got an armful of meat pies for half-time munchies. There's scope to fit both flush-mount and clamp-style rodholders for trolling if you wish.

COOL CONTROLS
Alongside the passenger's seat is a rod-lean for five outfits and back aft the rear casting platform conceals two huge dry-storage lockers, each big enough to take an esky with the days provisions and perhaps the day's catch. Pop-up cleats around the gunwales assist with swinging fenders and the rub rail has a stainless-steel insert like a big boat.

Storage for personals comes by way of a big co-pilot glovebox the lid of which doubles as a workstation. Drinkholders are provided.

There are truly robust windshields for captain and co-pilot, and the helm has a sporty look derived from the stainless-steel race wheel and matching OMC engine gauges with stainless-steel bezels. There's a trick switch panel, but I couldn't find a 12V outlet. The overall impression you get is of a carefully-made boat with neat upholstery.

The trim stick, hydraulic steering and foot throttle remind one that this is a boat designed to be driven at speed. It is not a boat that needs to be driven with a lot of input; however, as you're likely to be running at over 100kmh, you do need to keep your eye on the road ahead.

The boat was propped for top-end and was a real rocket spinning a four-blade 23in stainless-steel propeller on a 175hp V6 Evinrude with direct injection. With full in-trim the boat jumps out of the hole providing you are equally swift with the foot throttle. A level low-speed plane of 21.4kt (40.6kmh) at 3000rpm gives way to a cruise at the most economical setting of 4000rpm of 37–38kt (72.2kmh).

The river bends flew past at 4500rpm and 39kt (74kmh) and maximum continuous speed was 43.8kt (82kmh) at 5000rpm. Trimmed out and with the air in the tunnels, the boat gets nice and high and skipped along the wavelets at 55.2kt (102kmh). Yet for all the thrills there were no spills. The boat just drives itself and gives the impression that it was born to run fast.

So while we mightn't have the big tournament bucks of our American pro fishers - not yet, anyway - we are rapidly acquiring a taste for go-fast fishing boats and for competitive fishing. The Labsport Xtreme Tournament proves we can make them better, too.

 For saltwater use, the boat has legs and a long-serving finish. It will obviously leave the cathedral-hulled tinnies in its wake. Bends soon disappear and distant or secret fishing spots are always just around the corner. Now all we need is to get paid to go fishing.


HIGHS