Blog on P2: We all tend to forget our past and so have I. We have a shop boat at BCB, which is a Pantera II model with a 200 Opti, TR-82 and a pair of 787c Humminbirds. Presently being in a boatless and borrowing position I have been shuttling around in a Pantera II model. I had planned on using a Bobcat, though we are still researching set ups on that one. Thus the P2 is the option. We all get trapped in the bigger is better scenario and of course I had several P2 models in the 80s & 90s till the Eyra and then the Jaguar were the favorites for use. It has been a while since we just sat our tails in and used a Pantera II model. Of course it is also fairly new in this present design. Those we used were back in the days of competing in those models on the BASS Top 100 and Invitational draw circuits. Dragging P2 and Sabre models from Havasu, Powell and Lake Mead to the Potomac, Saint Lawrence seaway and Lake Ontario in joint seasons. No doubt they performed well there from coast to coast. P2s managed to carry me across the USA and experience more fishing than most will ever have in their lifetimes as a whole. Having been there and done that with a P2 in trail! After spending several hours in one, the memory comes back. Lately it has been a time of strong winds, fronts and waves. Slick water in the creeks and fishing that offered everything from bouncing points in 2ers to fishing schoolers in slick coves. My youngest (Dylan 16) and I managed to really get the pulse on this one this weekend. First The height of these rigs is just perfect for reaching over, the ride was great, the deck fishes just right and the room is all we needed. This boat fishes just great! And we have fished in about everything up to the more recent models of many manufacturers. He started the ride driving and I finished. He is a fundamental novice with little time, though managing 2 and sub 3ers was not a problem for him. He only got close one time to tipping one wave, and was pretty edgy on the nerve side. Though he was not real experienced in these type situations. The graphs were far superior to what we had back when, and the troller was more than we need for holding on the points in really windy conditions with small craft advisories in place. The deck was the perfect width and height for everything from stick baits on down. It never compromised the rod on tipping the rail when popping a stick bait, or cranking a bait and holding the rod. One did not have to stoop over to reach the water or lean to miss the deck. Wider boats offer that massive deck, though it does take more work to miss the deck with the rod on the beam. The fuel was enough in the 33 gallon tank to more than handle our use, though we did have the 10 gallon kicker as support. All while we ranged from the 30 mph range up to the 70 plus range in those creeks and on flat water. Norfork is not large, though one can definitely range out there some. The hull is a great riding rig on these waters and very forgiving. And the console was great and the aesthetics were good. This weekend brought back a lot of memories, and it made me realize that this is probably the ideal boat for most people uses and fishing. It doesnt offer the full creature comforts and room of a Puma FTD or a Cougar FTD, though it more than does its job efficiently. So pardon my blog, though we dont sell as many Pantera II models as we thought we would. It is a forgotten size as folks tend to sprint over these for other boats. Now that I myself have spent some quality time in it, I really think it is all I need myself for most of my uses here on Bull Shoals and Norfork. In summary, we really enjoyed the day, and this was a premium boat and the most popular model and size we ever built for a reason. The 19 Pantera II Model really does everything that many of us will ever need and does it all quite well. Would I buy a Pantera II model? Man that is a tough question though this rig is all that most any will ever need, if they check their egos at the price and pay line. If I only fished Arkansas waters, and wanted the most efficient and comfortable rig we build, yes definitely is the answer. Fast enough, dry, fuel efficient, long enough, enough equipment, storage, fuel capacity, seating, shallow draft, and more, So Yes! I appreciated the memories and the thoughts that came back, and the feel we had once again in an old friend that I just got comfortable with again. And it offered more memories as we caught a few fish, saw a pair of eagles and had a great time together. Not to mention some quality time with a son who is always too busy with baseball this time of year. Thats what its all about! Thanks for letting me share. Rick Pierce PS: and yes we are still working on that Bobcat and the ratings. We know a 25 is fine, and we are working to make a 40 work like we want. I dont know if we will have it running by the OI or not, as we are a bit tied up and short on staff.Last edited by Bass Cat Boats on April 20th, 2009, 1:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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