Photo courtesy Skeeter Boats
January 22, 2018
By Game & Fish Staff
Photo courtesy Skeeter Boats
As part of our 2018 fishing boat reviews, Game & Fish takes a closer look at the Skeeter ZX 250.
2018 Boat Review: Skeeter ZX250All-inclusive, ready-to-fish packages gained popularity several decades ago. These boats have every gadget and option for the weekend angler and tournament professional alike.
Skeeter's revamped ZX250 model offers a new fishermen-friendly storage layout, eight new color options and power supplied by the formidable Yamaha V Max SHO VF250.
The Skeeter ZX250 features a smart console.
The ZX250 sits on a gorgeous double-axle trailer, with aluminum mag rims, dual brakes and trailer tongue step.
The ZX250 comes bundled with popular aftermarket accessories, such as an 8-foot Pro 2 Series Power-Pole, Minn Kota Fortrex 112 trolling motor, Lowrance HDS-12 and HDS-9 Gen3 electronics on the console and bow.
Bundled boats save buyers thousands on these angling essentials (as compared to rigging them yourself) making it hard to justify "building" your own boat optioned out the same.
This particular package comes with a limited lifetime structural warranty and a three-year component warranty.
2018 Fishing Boat Reviews
Game & Fish reviewed the following 2018 fishing boats for the upcoming season:
Split-center storage rod lockers are intuitively designed and located where you need them while fishing and running.
Fishability Pliers, measuring board, rods and tackle are all within a step of anglers fishing forward or aft. The boat's stability surprised me, with anglers on the bow and stern, you didn't feel the boat rock or lean when reaching over the gunnel to land a fish or stepping down to re-rig.
Handling With a Yamaha 250 SHO turning their 25-T2 three blade stainless prop, the hole shot was phenomenal. The ZX250's top end speed is 75 mph, and varies slightly depending on how the boat is loaded. When heading into white-capping waves, it jumped to the pad, and gave a more comfortable and drier ride than expected.
What We Liked Two "day boxes" are located on both the port and starboard sides. I really liked this when fishing two anglers, allowing both to have their own storage for personal items with quick and easy access. The split center storage is fantastic, with two mega rod tubes and storage for 11 Plano 3700 boxes (included).
What We'd Change What might be described as mostly a nit-pick, I'd like to see a second Power Pole, one which would make fishing in current or wind a bit easier (keeping the boat from pivoting).
Specifications
Length 20 feet, 11 inches
Beam 95 inches
Dry Weight 2,175 lbs.
Fuel Capacity 44 gallons
Max Power 250 hp
MSRP $55,995
(MSRP includes Yamaha 250 SHO)
