We’re blasting across the lake in a hot-coal red, single-console Bass Cat Puma. He’s at the helm and I’m riding shotgun. The console is not on my side.

My right foot is jammed against the bulkhead. The numbers on the radar gun in my left hand are a blur; the tape recorder in my right hand documents shouted comments.

Behind me, the Mercury 225 Pro XS is wound up tight. Ahead, a picturesque Missouri bluff closes rapidly.

Leaning over, I scream in the driver’s ear

“Man, what a solid boat.”

He nods and grins.

And so it goes, another day in paradise: open water, a fast boat and no particular place to go.

MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

By any definition, this is a beautiful boat. But you know what they say about appearances – “it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” The Puma’s not only gorgeous; it has tremendous inner strength as well.

The stringers, hull, deck and everything in between are tied together to form a single monolithic masterpiece. Fiberglass stringers, with a cross section similar to a bar joist, run the length of the boat, stiffening the hull and providing a foundation for the subfloor and deck.

Every nook and cranny in and around the stringers, hull and subfloor is pumped full of flotation foam that expands to seal the whole works together. It’s like having a steel-reinforced concrete floor in the bottom of the boat… but without all the weight.

By the way, if you ever want to take the deck off a Bass Cat, you’re Sorry Out of Luck. The deck cap is fiberglassed right to the hull; there are no sheet metal screws through the rubrail on this boat.

Between the deck and the hull, strategically placed compartment partitions act as bulkheads to create an I-beam effect: The deck is the top chord of the I-beam; each partition/bulkhead is ‘glassed to the deck and the hull to form the webs of the I-beams and the hull is the bottom portion of the I-beam.

With the structural components permanently bonded together, the Puma could be considered a one-piece boat. This oneness is what makes the boat feel so solid and secure at high speed.

BATTLE STATIONS

Three fishing seat bases allow an angler to subdue quarry from the rear casting deck, amidships and from the forward deck. Each seat base is fastened to the hull itself, not simply lag-bolted to the deck. So go ahead, lean on that seat all you want; it’s not gonna come loose.

The aft fishing position is situated in the center of the rear deck for maximum casting effectiveness. A thirty-two gallon partitioned livewell lies within easy reach of the rear angler, as do two generous dry-storage compartments.

An amidships fishing position enables the professional guide to keep an eye on his charges, without getting in the way. The bulk of the Puma’s storage surrounds the center seat base, with rod lockers to port and starboard, a small cooler slightly aft, and a monstrous in-floor storage box immediately in front of the center seat.

Forward of the center seat base is a handy net storage compartment. This narrow cubby is surprisingly deep; it’ll hold a 64-inch handled net, a Golden Rule keeper board and a boat paddle -- all at the same time. It’s obvious the folks at Bass Cat fish a lot. On either side of the net holder you’ll find two more compartments containing tackle-organizing systems to keep all of your secret weapons in order.

The front deck features the third fishing seat base, a place for an optional trolling motor and a recessed area for the trolling motor foot pedal. In fact, Bass Cat originated the concept of molding a dedicated space for the trolling motor panel right into the end of the deck. A 24/36 volt trolling motor plug, up and down trim buttons, navigation and anchor light switch, and an accessory switch are all nestled in the foot pedal pocket.

This recessed area has plenty of room for the foot pedal and for the largest LCR graphs on the market. It looks clean and tidy, and it sets low enough as to not obstruct the driver’s view.

COCKPIT COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

Luxurious bucket seats cradle two anglers in decadent, but firm comfort. A center fold-down seat is provided for a third crewmember to enjoy the ride. Only two aboard? Flip the center seat down to create a step, complete with rubber non-skid, to the aft casting lounge.

Other niceties abound. For instance on the single-console model there’s a place for five rods on the port side of the cockpit: butts in the bulkhead, tips to the rear.

Also on the single-console boat, let’s not forget the footrest on the port bulkhead and the hang-on-for-dear-life grab handle just below the wind-whipped passenger’s right thigh.

Trust your refreshments to the two portside cup holders; tuck your pliers and scissors in the handy tool slot directly in front of the center seat. Slightly forward of the cup holders and to the left of the cooler, is a small storage box, complete with internal cup holders for storing fishin’ formula, dippin’ dye, cell phone or what have you.

The helm station is big. How big? Let me put it this way: There’s enough room between the driver’s seat and the steering wheel for our 6-foot, 9-inch photographer to stand up comfortably. No scooching across the vinyl and trying to squeeze under a go-kart-sized helm. Just walk right in, sit right down and make yourself at home.

INNER WORKS

Open the lid to the rear service area and you’ll see a clean, finished compartment with room for three batteries and an oil tank. Look closer and you’ll notice that the pumps and switches are easily accessible; nothing’s covered up or concealed.

The Puma has two livewell flush valves that wash debris out of the spray bars so the livewells work like they’re supposed to. A partition divides the livewell into two separate compartments so you and your partner can keep track of your fish. Both sections of the livewell work simultaneously on any of the boat’s four livewell management systems.

There are actually two freshwater aeration systems: The first is set up for either manual or automatic operation; the other functions on manual only. The third livewell management system is a recirculating livewell arrangement, either manual or automatic with timers, which recirculates the water just like in an aquarium. The fourth management system is actually a pump-out system to remove the water from the livewell.

Beneath the rear deck on either side of the battery box are two 11-gallon fuel tanks that pull down simultaneously to maintain equilateral weight distribution. The 33-gallon main fuel tank is located under the seats in the cockpit and is easily accessed by removing the seat base assembly.

Thermal circuit breakers are incorporated into the Bass Cat’s A10 touchpad dash panel; if something trips, the breaker cools off and resets itself. The trolling motor system is protected by a 40-amp circuit breaker, and a 20-amp breaker is on the main boat power source.

Fuses? Just two in the Pro Air livewell aeration circuit.

THE FINE POINTS

The Bass Cat Puma has all kinds of features that’d be easy to overlook during a quick overview; they’re important and add value to the boat, so we’ll highlight a few here.

We’ve already talked about the multitude of storage compartments on this boat, but we haven’t mentioned that each compartment’s completely finished, most are illuminated so you don’t have to dig around looking for stuff in the dark, and that there’s a gutter system around the top of the individual compartments to prevent water from leaking in.

All the compartment lids are gasketed. They seal tight when you close ’em, just like a refrigerator door. To keep sticky fingers from pilfering your gear, every compartment can be easily locked with the turn of a key.

The portside rod box comes standard with an eight-rod organizer. Ten to fifteen more rods will lie nicely in the bottom. The enormous starboard-side rod locker is open to store rods, tackle -- or a mouthy fishing partner.

PLEASURE CRUISE

The burble of the big Merc only compounded the anticipation as we idled through the no-wake zone on our way to The Big Water. As soon as the boat cleared the last go-slow buoy, it was throttle forward, trim up and hang on tight.

Acceleration with the Puma/225 Pro XS was outstanding, with a 0-30 mph time of less than six and a half seconds. And handling? Nimble doesn’t begin to describe how well the Bass Cat zipped through the standard maneuvers without even a hint of letting go in the turns. Mid-range response was fantastic, with the Mercury shoving us back in our seats every time the throttle was slammed forward.

Riding in the Puma is sheer enjoyment for those with enough seat time to know the difference between a good boat and a great boat. With a Mercury 225 Pro XS on the back, you’ve got a bona fide thrill machine on your hands. It was truly a case of post-Bass Cat blues when it was time to put the boat on the trailer.

TAKING IT WITH YOU

A Bass Cat is for all practical purposes a custom boat, and a custom boat deserves a custom trailer. That’s why Bass Cat builds all of its own trailers, tailoring each one to a specific model of boat. Fiberglass fenders are squirted with the same gelcoat as the boat, so the trailer complements the boat’s color scheme perfectly.

The swingaway tongue on a Bass Cat trailer is unique in that there are two locking pins to secure the tongue in place, rather than only one as you’ll find on other trailers. The tongue slides into the trailer frame a bit and the second pin goes through the frame and the tongue for added strength.

FAST AND FURIOUS

The Bass Cat Puma is a battleship of a bass boat. Every square inch of this boat is engineered for strength, durability and speed. Substantial…that’s the word I’m looking for…the Puma feels…substantial.

The Bass Cat muscles over wakes and waves without any apparent effort or complaint. Water rushes under the Puma with a subdued rumble. If you didn’t know better, you might think that the Puma intimidates the very water in which it floats.

Lots of time has gone into making the Puma fast. The pad, strakes and chines are straight, sharp and true for maximum hull efficiency and handling.

TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE

The Pierce family started Bass Cat over thirty years ago. Ron Pierce founded the company; his son, Rick Pierce, now leads the organization to an increasingly larger presence in the performance arena of the marine industry.

Perhaps the fact that both Ron and Rick Pierce are passionate about boating and are active in the tournament circuit has something to do with why Bass Cat’s a driver’s boat in every respect.

When executives actually use the products they make, it goes a long way in creating a quality product.



BASS CAT PUMA

Base Price (w/ Mercury 225 OptiMax and trailer): $42,499

Price as Tested: $47,599

Top Speed: 76.1 mph

0-to-30 mph: 5.47 seconds

Construction: Fiberglass

Console Type: Single side console

Length: 20' 4"

Beam: 7’ 10”

Hull Weight: 1685 lbs.

Rigged Weight: 2789 lbs.

Trailered Weight: 3909 lbs.

Fuel Capacity: 52 gals.

Livewell Capacity: 33 gals.

Maximum Horsepower: 285



Standard Equipment: 12/24/36 bow panel plug; three 12-volt accessory outlets; manual jackplate; single-partitioned aerated livewell; freshwater aeration system w/ timer; recirculating aeration system w/ timer; triple-bank battery charger; two bilge pumps; Teleflex SeaStar hydraulic steering w/ tilt helm; Lowrance LCDI440 (in dash); front accessory switch; front power trim switch; helm gauges; hydraulic lid openers, interior courtesy lights; lighted handrails and storage boxes; livewell control valve; passenger foot rest; recessed trolling motor basin; two Tempress fold-down fishing seats; A10 touch pad dash panel



Optional Equipment: Pro Air aeration system; hydraulic jackplate; AM/FM/CD stereo; anchor reins; aluminum dual-battery tray; Bounce Buster; butt seat; boat and motor cover; dual consoles; electronics; OEM flush-mount controls; Hamby's bow protector; Hot Foot w/ slide; lighted livewells; security system; ski ladder; ski tow bar; Teleflex Pro Trim; trolling motor; windscreen



Engine Tested: Mercury 225 Pro XS

Type: 60 degree V-6 DFI two-stroke

Horsepower: 225

Displacement: 3.0L (185 cid)

Weight: 505

Recommended WOT RPM: 5500-6000

Gear Ratio: 1.75:1

Propeller: 133/4x26” Mercury Trophy Plus 4-blade stainless steel

Jackplate: Detwiler hydraulic

Setback: 8"



Weather Conditions

Air Temperature: 49F

Water Temperature: 45F

Wind: 5-10 mph

Water Conditions: Light chop