Sea Fox 220 Viper: Fishing Boat Review

The bay boat is, as the name implies, intended for big inshore waters. It’s a crossover between an offshore boat heading wide with lots of freeboard and a deep-vee and an inshore flats boat idling upstream to the mangroves with neither of those things.

This 220 Viper has a moderate 15 degrees of deadrise back at the transom for the best of both worlds, that is, crossing chop and stability at rest. There’s a low centre of gravity, loads of inbuilt snag-free fishing features, and a whopping great casting platform up front.

The 2.5m beam is carried well forward and there is a lot of flare and buoyancy. In keeping with all good fishing boats, the built-in storage can swallow a virtual tackle-world of fishing outfits, tackle boxes, cameras and other must-have kit.

Yet in the keeping with the Sea Fox way of doing things, the 220 Viper has some handy flip-up seating, an optional bow filler cushion, a portable icebox, and a step-down centre console with chemical toilet. The family will be just fine for those Sunday runs.

In its intended role as bay fisher, we’d imagine the 220 Viper luring barra in the mangroves, coral trout on poppers, little marlin on the Fraser flats, bream around the oyster leases, and Aussie bass in the impoundments.

Sports fishing is driving a large part of the trailerboat market these days, so the 220 Viper arrives with great promise and potential. It's a great light-tackle lure and fly platform.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- A load of top fishing kit and a powerful 200hp Evinrude E-TEC G2
Our 220 Viper had quite a few options and extra horsepower to create a powerful, fast and fishy platform. Starting price is $71,400 with a 150hp engine, excluding the $8500 for a dual-axle braked trailer. The demo boat we tested cost $96,210 with an Evinrude E-TEC G2 200hp H.O. engine and options and upgrades.

The big ones includes Jetty Grey hull colour, T-top with matching canvass, powder-coater T-top frame and leaning post, bow-mount fishing chair with base and pole, freshwater washdown, saltwater washdown, trims tabs and Pro Pack which includes cushioned floor mat, gas shocks on the rod lockers and two extra rod holders amidships.

On top of this and priced separately were a Simrad NSS16 Combo Evo2 MFD with CHIRP and StructurScan, transducers for each function, and a RS35 VHF radio with AIS. This electronics’ package cost about $7700, bringing the boat “as displayed” to $103,910 (excluding trailer).

So it’s a fair whack of money but, hey, keen sportfishers aren’t averse to throwing bucketloads at a top sportfisher, the latest fish-finding electronics, today’s top tackle and tow vehicles.

On road and ramp, the 220 Viper looked very cool with its grey hull and beige and white upholstery, arriving as it did on a Magic Tilt trailer. But this bay boat actually gets better after you step aboard, explore the intricate deck mouldings, zoom across the estuary and stand ready to pounce on the casting platforms.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN
- A catacomb of storage and great stability in a voluminous centre console
Naturally, the forward casting platform on the Sea Fox Viper range is where you find the action. It might be casting a lure of fly, pitching a bait, throwing a cast net, or landing a lunker as the Yanks say.

If you’re really keen you can get a 22XTR variant with even more kit and a jacking plate for high-powered tournament fishing. The boat comes prewired for a 12V or 24V bow-mounted electric motor, which you might want to consider.

Either way, the deck gear is flush mounted so the bow is virtually snag free. The low-profile nature of the Viper helps reduce windage and slow your drift rate for keeping the lure in the zone longer, while stability is just outstanding for active fishing pursuits, repetitive casting, catch and release shots. Safety is enhanced by the aggressive non-skid underfoot.

The other big thing is the virtual catacomb of in-built and underfloor storage in the bow for tackle. There are lockable rod lockers for five outfits, a large insulated fish box, in-floor 20lt bucket storage, and a nearby 37lt plumbed live bait tank under the nearby forward console seat.

It’s also nice to find a dedicated anchor locker that can swing a plough. The boat’s stainless deck gear is mindful of saltwater boating, plus there are gas struts on the bigger hatches, piano hinges and all the hatches drain overboard. So no stinky fishy bilge.

Additional rod storage exists in a four-rod rack alongside the console and the targa arch for six more outfits. With additional optional midships deck holders, you could certainly troll a nice spread. The need for outriggers is reduced somewhat by the spreader holders on the T-top.

A portable Igloo icebox exists under the helms seats, which are really a twin leaning post with flip-up bolsters, while additional crew can sit along the transom in more flip-up seats back, where the ride is smoothest. Backrests stowed, you get a narrow aft casting platform.

The aerated rear live well is almost 100lt, located centrally in the transom for optimum weight distribution, as indeed are the boats twin batteries on the centreline inside the weatherproof centre console. There are also additional storage bins in the transom corners for baits, lures, boardies, bikinis, and so on.

The dry storage inside the centre console will be welcome, as might be the portable chemical toilet. The few protruding self-taper threads needed trimming, a minor point, and there was a simple vinyl curtain protecting the dash wiring. But the fish ruler in the console door, a neat Sea Fox signature feature, is a bit short for measuring that metre barra!

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- All composite construction and saltwater proof
The 15-degree moderate deadrise hull on the 220 Viper is self draining, backed by two auto 1100gph bilge pumps, while the optional SeaDek padded footrests add to the security underfoot. There’s a lot of consideration for safety in the boat design.

There's no structural wood in any Sea Fox boat. The foam-cored hull is supported by all-fiberglass stringers that are also bonded to the cockpit sole, creating a box-beam structure that shouldn't twist or crack no matter how hard you push it, the importers say.

In the transom, a glassed-in aluminium plate adds support around the engine mount. The 220 Viper is rated up to 250hp, with the 200 H.O Evinrude E-TEC G2 on the test boat creating a fast fishing weapon.

Closed cell foam injected into appropriate spaces in the hull and deck provides positive flotation, while all-stainless hardware is chosen to withstand saltwater boating.

Sea Fox has a limited lifetime warranty on the hull and a five year limited warranty specifically against hull blistering.

ON THE WATER
- Stability and speed in a predictable rig
With a big outboard rating up to a 250hp, the 220 Viper has sting in the tail. Sea Fox enthusiasts and salesman Jason Hedge had just returned from Hervey Bay in pursuit of baby black marlin over the flats in this demo boat.

Hedges was enthusing about the ride and how, powered up, you could drive the boat from crest-to-crest, bounding across the bay in a big blow, without falling in the holes and getting smashed.

On the busy but benign Broadwater, ours was a calm-water inshore test. With recessed Lenco trim tabs, a solid stainless wheel, carbon dash panels, waterproof switches and the 200hp Evinrude E-TEC G2 spinning a stainless steel RX4 Viper prop, which are great ‘wheels” for hull lift, we we’re rearing to go.

Four-up, this boat had big hole shot and, in no time, we were running at 3500rpm and sitting on about 30 knots. Some of the words I wrote down to convey the sensation were: fast, powerful, sporty, dry, and no bangs on the Broadwater.

In the turns, the boat slides out. You just need to be aware of this and allow extra room to execute a turn at speed. This is a result of the flatter bottom shape, which also leads to the level ride and lift, load-carrying ability, snappy acceleration, and stability. It turns like a skiff.

In a straight line, with a touch of trim tab, you can plane freely at 3000rpm, but it’s not really a low-speed cruise at 28 knots for 24lt/hr. The 3750rpm setting gave a sweet 34-35 knot smooth cruise, with the bow working nicely. Fuel consumption is about 30lt/hr and the boat carries 235lt when full. You do that maths.

At the eco setting of 4000rpm you will see 37 knots for 45lt/hr, while top revs of 4900-5000rpm on the test boat returned 44 knots. This suggests a smaller prop might be the go, as this E-TEC likes to pull 5400-6000rpm at WOT. Propped as it was, it was a fast bay boat with superb fishability and lots of low-down grunt.

VERDICT
- Heaps of Aussie fishing possibilities
While we took to the thronging Broadwater for our test, I can see the 220 Viper chasing barra in Princess Charlotte Bay, black marlin in Hervey Bay, Aussie salmon in Broken Bay, flathead from Botany Bay and you could even smash the snapper in Port Phillip Bay.

Think bay fishing, big water, tidal changes, peppering snags, trolling rock bars and stalking the flats. Mount cameras, get on social media and make your 220 Viper your fishing stage.

Fact is, the inshore fishing is sensational around our vast coastline, lure fishing is a great art to practice today, and new-age tackle is just so enjoyable to use. With a bay boat like the 220 Viper and some cutting-edge fish-finding electronics, well, there are no excuses. A bay of plenty, indeed.

LIKES
>> Stability, dryness and performance with 200hp E-TEC G2
>> Integrated deck design with abundant storage
>> A big suite of inbuilt fishing features
>> Composite construction and self-draining decks
>> Strong local backing

NOT SO MUCH
>> Obviously, not the freeboard and deep vee of the Commander CC range
>> The Bay Boat fishing genre doesn’t resonate with everyone
>> Self tapers needed trimming to prevent injury inside the console

RATINGS
Overall rating: 21/25 = 84%
Mechanical/equipment: 4.50/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.0/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.0/5.0
Value for money: 4.25/5.0
X-factor: 4.25/5.0

Specifications: Sea Fox 220 Viper
Price as tested: About $96,910 with 200hp H.O. Evinrude E-TEC G2 and options as tested, sans trailer; $104,700 with 200hp H.O. Evinrude E-TEC G2 including dual-axle braked alloy trailer; and about $111,250 for this demo boat including Simrad gear.
Priced from: Starting price is $71,400 with a 150hp
Centreline Length: 6.80m
Beam: 2.50m
Hull Dry Weight: 975kg
Hull Weight Max. (excluding trailer): 1496kg dry
Towing Weight: About 2500kg
Engine rating: 150-250hp max.
Fuel: 235 litres
Water: 40 litres
Passenger capacity: 8
Total capacity: 952kg
Hull deadrise: 15 degrees
Maximum horsepower: 250hp in 25in outboard length
Engines on test: Evinrude 200hp H.O. E-TEC G2

Supplied by:
JSW POWER SPORTS
Telephone (07) 5529 2616
Website: seafoxboats.com.au