Stacer 429 Proline Angler: Fishing Boat Review

The Stacer 429 Proline Angler is another step in the right direction for Telwater. This prolific boat builder has turned out a revamped range of what was their best selling model that will keep them on the podium for some time to come.

OVERVIEW
- Part of a great new lineup of fishing boats from Stacer
We covered the Stacer media day here recently and have since had a cruise in the 449 Proline Angler. This boat stands apart from the other four in the range due to its ideal size and price point. With a dressed finish to the same level as the 449 and 409 Proline Anglers the boat buyer has the perfect range to choose from. Those with budget constraints might want to bypass the fine trim of the Angler Series and opt for a base model Proline which is available in 399 and 429 models.

Interestingly, the 399 has been around for many years and the old saying if it isn’t broke don’t fix it rings true.

Well it wasn’t ‘broke’. Rather, it was their best selling model in the Proline range so what Telwater has done with this and the others in the stable is upgrade the hulls which are based on the proven Striker Series; a move sure to keep them at the front of the race.

The keels have been relaxed by seven per cent and the chines brought forward in the forequarters. This has allowed for expanded topside in that area resulting in an 11 per cent increase in volume space in the base Proline boats and the same increase in size of the casting deck area of the Anglers.

The result of more chine in the water is stability and especially so when you have one or more anglers jostling for position to lob that perfect cast amongst the snags. It would be detrimental to leave the re-engineering at that as ostensibly you would be creating a more broad and shallow entry running the risk of a less than comfortable ride into short sharp chop, so a deeper entry point at the keel was factored in to counteract this; and it has worked!

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

We noted that part of the superstructure to support the cockpit floor and casting decks are wider coamings as opposed to standard finished hull side. In these, two rod holders come standard, but for the keen fisho who carries lots of gear there is potential here for mounting a side console for your electronics and boosting storage elsewhere. The real bonus with this type of coaming is rigidity and there is plenty of this making the hull structure very sound.

INTERNAL LAYOUT
- Plenty of stowage for all your gear
The forward casting deck has ample room for two anglers standing on the waterproof plywood carpeted surface which is 'hook free'; the same covering used in the cockpit and rear casting platform. Being hook free has an obvious advantage but this style of weave in a boat carpet is also easier to clean with a pressure hose or cleaner as it doesn’t trap fish bits and slime as readily as does loop-style carpet.

There is a cleat to tie off the anchor rope when it is retrieved, along with the anchor from the roto-form lined well below the forward hatch. We would have liked to have seen a rope hole on one edge of the hatch so excess rope could be stowed below deck when the pick is deployed.

The other three hatches across the aft of the forward casting platform open into the one compartment which is a good design, alleviating the otherwise inevitable loss of gear in the dingy dark corners inside. As with the design of the 449 and 409 we would have liked to have seen some form of draining system to shed water off the casting deck to prevent ingress into this compartment as everything will have to be removed for drying at the end of a trip should a lot of water come over the topside from spray or rain.

Six seating positions for the two plush Sea Pro swivel chairs, one of which is in the forward casting deck are standard fit.

Four other seat pole spigots are in the cockpit deck with one pole tube welded to the front of the bulkhead supporting the rear casting deck. This seat position might also advantage those that prefer the comfort when swinging the long tiller arm from that position.

In the starboard corner, a hatch cover held under a lip against the hull side and secured with a bungee cord is removable to access the single standard-size fuel tote tank. The 40hp Evinrude ETEC bolted to the transom is not going to be a fuel guzzler however, we think thaty in the name of more stowage space, the optional 40-litre underfloor tank would be handy and then perhaps a tote tank here for back-up on long hauls.

The central hatch in the rear casting deck gives access to the bilge so you can install aftermarket gear such as bilge and livebait tank pumps and have them thru-hull fitted. In this compartment on the 449 Proline Angler, the crank battery was fitted which kept its centre of gravity mid-ships and low down. On this rig, the crank battery was in the compartment under the rear casting platform port side. The afore-mentioned central hatch would be too tight  for a battery and more is the pity; it would have been handy to extend that compartment to get the battery central and free up another hatch for tackle and the like.

ONE THE WATER
- Safe and with a dry ride
The change in the Striker Series hull dimensions and shape have been a plus for this new series of Proline models across the board. Noticeable was the extra stability when moving around on the forequarters of the forward casting platform; an improvement over models of old that in reality were no slouch in that department either.

With no instrumentation on board to gauge performance, a mobile phone GPS will show that WOT was 26.9 knots and with 40 horses on the transom it did it comfortably from hole-shot throughout the throttle range. Coming out of that hole, the hull took on a planing attitude at around 8.1 knots and cruised comfortably at 19 knots.

Steering was as direct as it could get (the entire Proline range is tiller steer) and there was nothing alarming about the comfort levels when riding over chop. It was as dry as could be to boot!

LIKES
>> Comfortable and stable as good as it is going to get for this dimension of boat
>> The finish is excellent
>> A good base for a serious fishing rig

NOT SO MUCH
>> A rope easement in the anchor well hatch is much needed
>> Would have been a more practical to have a larger central rear hatch for the crank battery

RATINGS
Overall: 4.6/5.0
Mechanical: 4.6/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.7/5.0
On water performance: 4.7/5.0
Value for money:
X-factor: 4.5/5.0
Performance: 4.6/5.0

Specifications:
Priced from: $14,598 (with 30hp Evinrude)
Length overall: 4.36m?
Hull length: 4.36m?
Beam: 1.88m?
Depth: 0.90m?
Hull weight: 155kg
Bottom sides: 2.0mm?
Topsides: 1.60m?
Maximum power: 40hp? maximum
Engine weight: 120kg?
Engine as tested: Evinrude ETEC 40hp tiller control
?Fuel:  Tote tank
Maximum person: Five

Supplied by:
www.stacer.com.au