Stessl Bass Boss 6.5

Stessl Boats has been producing quality aluminium boats for Australian and international markets for years.

During that time it has built a reputation for being at the forefront of aluminium boat design - striving to be an innovator rather than an imitator.

Stessl's latest, the Bass Boss, is likely to be the benchmark of freshwater and inshore aluminium fishing boat design in the new millennium. The brainchild of Alf Stessl's son Tim, it has just about every feature an avid inshore fisherman could ask for including being fast, dry, stable, comfortable and practical.

TROUBLE WITH TINNIES
Several years ago many people including myself took production line tinnies and tried to turn them into bass/barra boats.

We fitted false floors, casting platforms, side consoles and swivel seats. As would-be boat designers, we knew what we wanted in a boat, yet by adding the extra weight and changing the layout, we affected the tinnies' integrity and performance.

Eventually boat manufacturers responded to consumer demand and started producing vessels to meet the demands of anglers who wanted more than just a tinnie. Stessl was one such company and introduced the Edge Tracker - one of the best V-nosed punt's around - to meet the needs of the modern day inshore and impoundment angler.

The problem with the Edge Tracker though, was like all punts, its hull design did not permit it to go fast. When I say fast, I mean very fast, 80kmh-plus.

Who wants to do 40 knots you may ask? I do, and I'm not alone.

Tim Stessl wanted to go fast too and so set out to produce an aluminium boat that could provide such performance in safety.

I have been fortunate enough to drive a number of American bassboats - purpose-built craft, designed solely for competing in big -money US bass tournaments.

Many of these tournaments are conducted on large lakes.

It is imperative the boats are capable of performing high speeds over long distances in order to maximise anglers' fishing time.

The super-competitive anglers need to reach their favourite snag on the other side of the lake in record time because for every minute the American bass angler does not have a lure in the water it could cost them thousands of dollars.

It was these American craft which got Tim thinking... why not a similar craft in aluminium?

Thus the birth of the Stessl Bass Boss, first in a 5.2m model and now with both bigger (6.0m) and smaller (4.6m) versions. Our 6.0m test vessel is Tim's personal boat and no expense has been spared putting this first-class fishing machine together.

KEEPING A LOW PROFILE
The Stessl Bass Boss is a low-profile design, with a 2.3m beam and 17° deadrise vee hull which makes it incredibly stable both at speed and at rest.

The hull is different to anything produced before because it is fitted with trak rails - a series of longitudinal square-edged strakes welded to the pressed alloy hull.

From my observations the trak rails seem to act like a series of keels which literally grip the water. They really came into their own during tight turns at speed by preventing any sideways drift and eliminating chine walk.

Fitted with a Mariner Optimax 150 outboard, the boat offers incredible performance. And as expected the Optimax provides little or no smoke and much better fuel economy than a standard two-stroke engine.

Although 150hp could be considered a bit of an overkill for this vessel, Tim wanted a fast boat and he got one.

If speed wasn't the be all and end all and you wanted to save a few bucks the boat would still maintain good performance with any outboard down to about a 90hp.

One of the most interesting features fitted to the testboat was an outboard jacking plate. The jacking plate enables the outboard to be trimmed vertically. This translates to maximum speed without producing unwanted bow lift which can often be associated with trimming an outboard from maximum speed using a conventional system.

FISHING FRIENDLY
The fitout of Tim's Bass Boss has been extremely well thought out with not an inch of space wasted. A full-width bench seat provides seating for the helmsman and two passengers and divides forward and aft casting platforms.

The helm console is on the starboard side and is fitted with a tinted windscreen and sports steering wheel. The switch panel is within easy reach and all gauges are clearly visible. A matching console is located on the port side where the steering wheel and gauges are replaced by a handy lockable glove compartment, and stereo (of course). Forward of each console is padded seating with storage below.

The forward casting platform incorporates four very large storage compartments. These compartments ensure the decks remain clutter free which can be a godsend while lurecasting or flyfishing.

When fishing, a swivel seat or leaning post can be centrally located on the forward casting platform. The seat can give welcome relief during hours of casting and also provides an ideal position for controlling the bow-mounted electric motor.

The aft casting platform also sports huge underdeck storage compartments which can easily accommodate Eskies and tackle boxes. The aft compartment also provides access to batteries and the like.

Centrally located beneath the aft deck is a large live well. The live well can be used as a livebait tank or will even provide enough oxygen to keep your catch alive all day. Just the thing for catch and release tournaments.

GET TRUCKIN'
Putting the Bass Boss through its paces on the Southport Broadwater was exhilarating to say the least. The 150 Mariner punched out of the hole and on to the plane in the blink of an eye.

It takes time to get to know a boat and just how far you can push it but we still managed 87kmh (GPS-confirmed) on straightline runs with a bit of wind chop on the water.

This wasn't flat out and the engine may have been able to be trimmed a touch better. I was told the boat can pull close to 110kmh under ideal conditions. Now that's truckin!

Even at or 80km-plus speed the boat felt true in the water and the handling reminded me a lot of the American bass boats I have driven. One notable point was that the Bass Boss does not drift in the turns like the smooth-hulled yankee boats.

At rest the Bass Boss is extremely stable. Walking around the boat gave the impression of standing on a pontoon. It is even possible to walk along the coamings without the threat of going for a swim.

While the Bass Boss appears somewhat space-aged when compared to most tinnies on the water today, I feel this revolutionary design will be the forerunner of many inshore sportsfishing boat designs over the next decade.

With the popularity of impoundment fishing and the recent introduction of American-style bass tournaments here in Australia, there is definitely a niche in the market for the Stessl Bass Boss.