Question For Mac about Champion Boats

[Christopher Laurencio]

Mac,



I seem to remember that you have a lot of first hand knowledge with Champion Boats. From what you have said they handle rough water very well. Is it because they have less "pad" and more "V" to the hull?



The reason I ask is I may be in the market for one, and trying to find out if the hull design would make it more difficult to "Float" it on the trailer, you know the whole NJ electric only lakes I fish, would hate to get a boat only to find out it's impossible to get on trailer without using O/B. I have used the TM and muscle power to get my friends 522 on his trailer many times. Would a 19" Champion be any more difficult?



Thanks



Chris

 

[Sisco Sisk]

I'm not mac but I do have a champion so I hope you don't mind me replying. You are definatley correct about the ride....it's smooth. I have a 181 and it handles 1-2 foot chop extremely well. I have noticed that it's a little more difficult to crank up by hand if I don't run it all the way up. Lately I've been sinking the trailer a little more and it always runs up. I think you'd be OK but you would have to sink the trailer a bit more on these lakes.

 

[Pat Goff]

I sell Champs, and worked for them for 16 years.



There are lot's of variables that go into a hull design to make it ride good. V angles are part of it, also lift characteristics, pad design all work together to give a good ride.



What Champion figured out long ago, and everyone else is still trying to do, is build a deep v hull that actually is easy to drive. Triton builds a deep v, but it's handling woes are well known, likewise when you build a big fat pad, that same pad will pound a wave.



As always, take one to the lake and see for yourself, owners are always going to biased, because they want to think they made the best decision, in spite of evidence to the contrary.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I have ridden in a lot of boats, but never a Champion. None the less, everyone I have every spoken too about riding in one or that owns one says it is the best rough water ride they've ever owned.

As long as you drop the trailer deeper, you should be able to get ANY hull on with only a TM and the winch. We pulled a completely water filled Ranger 520 onto the trailer last year. They don't sink, but will fill up to where only the cap and windshields are out of water. This boat was destroyed on the rocks and had no transom left. But we still got it on. The truck bed was under water, but the boat go on there.



With a normal situation I think a Champ will be no different than any other hull.

 

[Jim B]

I know im not Mac either but before i owned my nitro i had a champion. Champs are just an awesome rough water boat, I had a 16' one and i had it in stuff that would give my 882 fits. As far as trailering goes it went on about the same as my nitro does. It was very easy to get on the trailer.

 

[Ken Neeley]

I'm not Mac either, but I wish I was!!!

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Thanks MAC :huh:



Ken, can I use that boat in Assunpink Lake in NJ?? LMAO

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Would the real MAC please stand up? :lol:



Thanks all for the answers

 

[Pat Goff]

Chris,

It's pretty simple, but some people have a difficult time understanding.



From the very beginning, Champion has always simply asked for the opportunity to take you to the water and see for yourself what the boats are all about. Most boat companies and dealers still want you to make a decision on a boat sitting on a trailer.



Any champ dealer will take you out and let you see for yourself.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Thanks Pat,



The dealer is in TN I'm in NJ. The reason I asked about the hull is, like I said 9 out of 10 times I will be using the TM to get the boat on the trailer, ( It becomes an art form in NJ), if the Champ's hull deviates that much from let's say a Ranger or Nitro, it would become a useless purchase for me if I can't float it on in poor condition ramps. If it's no harder than a Ranger 522 it will work. One of my fellow club members has a Champion, I will ask him if he has a problem with loading it the NJ way.



Pat, I'm still toying with the idea of trading in my 185 for a GlassBoat and seen a used Champion 190 for sale @ C&O marine in TN.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Oh Pat, here's a different way to ask the question. Does a Champion have a comparable "draft" to other Bass Boats. Can it get Shallow with that hull?



Heres a link to the Champ



Unless you got a better one out iN TX



I really like black clolored hulls
http://www.candomarine.com/images/95champion.jpg

 

[Texas Transplant]

I gotta ask this question:



If you are only able to use the trolling motor 9 out of 10 times, why in the world are you wanting to buy an expensive bass boat (other than the obvious - you are a guy and want a great toy!)?



Tex

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Tex,



1) Comfort



2) Stability



3) Storage



4) 1, 2 & 3 become VERY important as my 4 & 6 year old boys grow , wife also likes to fish.



5) I like sparkles very much



6) Safely go in big bodies of water, that 1 out of 10 times.



7) I'm waiting for you to put your boat up for sale



8) With the new Star wars movie coming out, the "Dark Side" is calling me.



9) My wife told me to keep the 185 Tracker, trade the motor for a 9.9 hp, and GO GET ANOTHER BIGGER BASS BOAT. :wub:



10) What you said, bubba

 

[Michael S]

Hey Patt I have a question.....



What is the better all around 18ft bass boat, The Champion, The Ranger or the CAt.

 

[Ken Neeley]

5) I like sparkles very much

'Dem bassus luv sparkles too!!!

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

that's why I wants a junebug colered rig, to match my power worms

 

[Mark Gross]

MAC ROCKS !! SAVVY GUY.........

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Yes Ken, I need the BLING-BLING, can I get spinners for trailer wheels?

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Be careful with Todd at C&O. That's where I bought my Ranger. For details, you can e-mail me.

 

[Bill McElroy]

Hey CJL,....I just got home from work,...and I gotta leave in a few minutes for my 3D Archery league!! LOL I love punchin' holes in foam critters!! :wub:



Pat's pretty much said anything I could tell you about Champs. I had a '96 202 and it was a primo ride!! The V is a little deeper in the nose and it had a narrower hull which made a huge difference in the 2-3ft waves we get up here. It sliced the waves like a warm butter knife......I still think even today that Champs are probably the nicest riding hull in rough water. (and by rough,..i mean BIG choppy, nasty multi directional bathtub stuff!!) Most glass boats now days all take the 1-2 foot stuff fine, but driver's skill will play a big part into "how" good they perform....a bad (or rookie) driver can even make a Champ feel rough!! LOL



As far as draft,....I had a 200 EFI Mariner on the back and with a full tank of gas it sat low back there,....and I could still fish easily in a foot of water. The advantage of that kind of draft would be that it's easier to keep the nose up in rough water (spearing waves sucks) and it would also make it easy to use your TM to ease up on the trailer. I can't say for sure if they all sit that way,...but most Champs I see always appear to sit lower in the back. It's a first class bass boat, that's for sure!! I wouldn't hesitate to own another one, and with them being a Genmar boat now,...they're still going to have the top shelf fit and finish that they always had. I sold mine to a buddy and it still looks great,...no stress cracks,...and that ol Mariner still runs like a scalded dog.:blink: He's deffinitely gotten his money's worth. In the 8 years he's owned it,...he's had ZERO work done on it with the exception of TM battery's and a steering cable. He couldn't be happier!!



A 19' (196??) would be a piece of cake to deal with,...it'll ride GREAT and I can gaurantee you it'll be easier to load than your buddy's 522!!..LOL Get dealer or a buddy who owns one to let you drive it,..like Pat said,..TRY before you BUY!! You won't be dissapointed!!



Carry on,...

Mac

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Mac's in da house!!:lol:



TOXIC

 

[Ken Neeley]

Mac is Whack!!!

 

[Pat Goff]

Chris,

You know you could always mount some guides on the trailer to assist in floating it on a crappy ramp.



Todd runs a first class operation, but we do a pretty fair job here too....

Used boats are really thin right now, I've only got one used Champ, a 202 BnB, 225 EFI. It's a full grown bad toy. It was actually my factory demo boat when I worked for Champion. All kelegecel construction, stringers, transom, decks. Boat only weighs in a 980 lbs. Turns a 28 Trophy 5,900 rpms, runs mid 80's. The guy who bought it from me never used it and brought it to sell.

 

[Larry Harp]

Sheit Moslem What a boat!!! I'm in love. Be back in a little while...gotta go rob 15 or 20 liquor stores.



Love those Champs



Harpo

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Rob, I will email on Thursday from my daytime email address. Interested in what you have to say.



Did you see the brown fish I posted from Sunday, that's the spot I was taking you to if you made it my way on your business trip, LOL maybe next time.



BTW - I got a new LC pointer in "Misty Shad", looks like a good color.



Later



CJL

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Chris, I have a 187cx if you would like a ride or take a spin. I love it, I am still new to the HP bassboat, I always had Tin before and it even makes me look good. With the hydraulic steering it drives better than my truck.

e-mail me if you want to hook up or anymore info.

BF

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Just blind em' with one big "bling bling"....they better have sunglasses on!:lol:

 

[Texas Transplant]

My eyes hurt, again. Tee - still a great looking rig.



Tex

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I'll clean er up this weekend and take a pic of the truck too....been adding a bunch of mods and just finished up last nite with a new hitch. Added a few things on the boat also.