HookedOnFishingBoats.com

Want a boat that’s so hot it sizzles? Blazer Bay’s 220 Professional has all the fishing features you need to compete in top-level tournaments, finish details that will surprise even the pickiest of mariners, and handling as sporty as a two-seater.

The foredeck of the Blazer Bay is flanked with rodboxes, and in the foredeck itself there’s a pair of fishboxes. There are three livewells, one for anglers fishing at the bow under the forward console seat and two aft wells in the aft deck. Open the hatch next to the center aft well, and you’ll gain easy access to all of the boat’s pumps and mechanical systems. The leaning post, which is capped off by a quartet of rocket launchers, houses a 94-quart cooler below. Pull-up cleats make fly fishing snag-free, while seat pedestal bases (one in the bow, and two in the aft deck) mean you can lean back and relax while you cast.

To get a real feel for just how well the Blazer Bay is thought-out, poke your head into the center console and look at the undersides of the vertical console rodracks. Each rod tube has a small drain tube fitted to the bottom, which will carry any errant water into the bilge. On many lesser boats, that water would simply run into the console and reek havoc with your gear.

Our test boat was rigged with a 225-hp Mercury Optimax outboard swinging a three-bladed stainless-steel prop. It shot the boat onto plane in seconds, and the Blazer Bay weaved through tight turns like a thoroughbred while pounding down the chop without hesitation, rattles, or bangs. The hull bottom features a small pocket at the transom, and draft was reduced even farther with a hydraulic jack plate. Once the flats are within casting range you’ll have no problem powering up the electric trolling motor, since there’s dedicated stowage for the batteries inside the console. Performance? Hot. Looks? Hot. Fishability? Hot, again—there’s just no better word to describe the Blazer Bay 220 Professional.