FISHABILITY

Contender 26 Bay The new 26 Bay proves fast, smooth, dry, and eminently capable for nearshore fishing.

- By Karl Anderson

Contender Boats possesses center-console genre. This longtime Florida boatbuilder has thousands of boats on the water, and it continues to introduce new, refined and well-executed boats that meet the demands of today's skilled boating anglers. Though Contender has forged its reputation with offshore center-consoles, the company is certainly no stranger to developing fishing machines for nearshore waters, as evidenced by the new Contender 26 Bay.

The 26 Bay evolved from the successful 25 Bay and has features that are sure to impress, including a twin-stepped hull and vacuum-infused fiberglass construction for its hull, deck and small parts.

We tested on a November day with northerly 10- to 15-knot winds on Biscayne Bay, which gave us a great look at the performance in choppy, windblown waters. Our test boat was powered with a single 300 hp Yamaha outboard and loaded with a host of options, including a pair of Power-Pole 8-foot stern anchor blades, a Minn Kota Riptide Ultra 112 60-inch trolling motor with a lithium battery upgrade, underwater lights, and fresh- and raw water washdown systems.

There were two of us aboard for the test, with 45 gallons of fuel in the tank. The 26 easily ran across the chop. I expected a bit of spray as we turned into the waves but felt none.