Contenders are built by a staff who are aware that serious fishing calls for serious boats that can go anywhere, anytime, no matter the weather. You join the design team when you buy a Contender boat because you select many of the details that make the semicustom sport-fishing boat your own. 

The first Contender was the 25 Classic, introduced by freediver, spearfisherman, and still company owner and ­president, Joe Neber, who founded the company in 1984. Admittedly competitive by nature, the Miami native has ­consistently pushed the ­envelop in boat performance. (Neber is also a strong supporter of the sport-fishing community who also possesses a strong ­conservation ethos.)

Contender offers models from 23 to 44 feet, on both step-hulls and deep-V hulls, and in tournament, bay, and fish-around models. Each boat awaits your specifications, from engine power to electronics to upholstery, including teak packages, power-actuated hatches and coolers, livewells and rigging, and forward and rear seating options.

Contender boats 35 feet and larger are built in Homestead, Florida, while those 32 feet and smaller are built in a new facility in Fort Pierce, Florida. 

More tournaments are won on Contenders, the company says, than by any other brand.

Contender 39ST

One of the most advanced and thought-out fishing platforms on the water is how Contender describes its 39ST. It has also described the center-console boat, powered by triple Yamaha XTO 425 outboards, as “a ­rocket ship on water.” 

Standard equipment on this rocket ship includes a sport console with a clear enclosure and console side-entry door, 40-gallon freshwater system, 105-gallon aft fish boxes at port and starboard, forward fish boxes of a generous 145 and 260 gallons, forward oversize in-deck bilge access, cockpit coaming pads, forward underdeck rod lockers port and starboard, two pressurized 40-gallon clear-topped transom livewells with separate pumps, full transom with dive platform and transom dive door, and Livorsi trim tabs.

The menu of options is rich: hardtop, tackle center station, stand-on tower and second station, coffin box, additional rod holders, outriggers, electric-reel outlets, third transom well, kingfish rod holders, extra-large walk-in lined and finished console with head compartment, fish-box diaphragm pumps, lockable storage, and more. There’s even additional fuel capacity of 50 or 100 gallons more. Lebroc helm seating is available, as are many other comfort additions. A coffin box/forward lounge option provides convenience while maintaining an open fishing area forward. The aft cockpit offers abundant fishing room as well.

The 39ST is big, but big doesn’t mean slow. The boat turns in a blistering 72.7 mph top end, at 6,000 rpm, at a respectable 0.64 mpg. And with its generous 500-gallon fuel capacity, at 36.6 mph (3,500 rpm) it has a range of 450 miles.

In the decade since its introduction, the 39ST has become a sea-taming, wide-ranging, tournament-winning classic.

Editor’s Note

I kite-fished for sailfish off the upper Florida Keys and Miami aboard the ­Contender 39T with Capt. Jon Cooper, and I found this boat to be one of the best-suited platforms for this popular technique, especially with the tower and second station. -Jim Hendricks

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Yamaha XF 425
• Test Props: 16″ x 25″ XTO OS
• Test Load: 5,686 lb.
• Test Speed: 36.6 mph at 3,500 rpm
• Max Range: 450 miles (with 10% reserve)

Specifications

Contender Boats – Homestead, Florida; contenderboats.com

The post Contender 39ST: 2025 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Contenders are built by a staff who are aware that serious fishing calls for serious boats that can go anywhere, anytime, no matter the weather. You join the design team when you buy a Contender boat because you select many of the details that make the semicustom sport-fishing boat your own. 

The first Contender was the 25 Classic, introduced by freediver, spearfisherman, and still company owner and ­president, Joe Neber, who founded the company in 1984. Admittedly competitive by nature, the Miami native has ­consistently pushed the ­envelop in boat performance. (Neber is also a strong supporter of the sport-fishing community who also possesses a strong ­conservation ethos.)

Contender offers models from 23 to 44 feet, on both step-hulls and deep-V hulls, and in tournament, bay, and fish-around models. Each boat awaits your specifications, from engine power to electronics to upholstery, including teak packages, power-actuated hatches and coolers, livewells and rigging, and forward and rear seating options.

Contender boats 35 feet and larger are built in Homestead, Florida, while those 32 feet and smaller are built in a new facility in Fort Pierce, Florida. 

More tournaments are won on Contenders, the company says, than by any other brand.

Contender 29Bay

Contender’s new 29Bay represents the largest bay boat in its three-bay-boat line, the marine version of a terrestrial SUV. Feature-packed, it can, the company says, do it all in meeting the needs of a growing hybrid-boat market.

There’s no need to sacrifice performance and fishability for comfort in this big fishing machine. And with the standard Seakeeper Ride dynamic attitude-control system and a standard fuel capacity of 185 gallons, the Contender 29Bay is ready to take you to waters inshore, offshore, and ­everywhere in between.

Standard on the 29Bay is a heavy-duty jack plate for adjusting to shallow waters, where the 15.5-degree deadrise step-hull draws just 16 inches. Casting decks beckon at both the bow and the stern of the Contender 29Bay.

An 85-gallon insulated ­in-deck fish box forward of the console is fish-ready. There’s an 80-gallon dry-storage compartment in the bow, adjacent to an 85-quart cooler within the forward step. There are also port and starboard 30-gallon storage compartments under the forward seating, which are topped with cushions. Aft, flanking the cockpit, are port and starboard 30-gallon fish boxes, and the transom sports a pair of 26-gallon livewells.

Seating includes full-size helm seats, a molded-in cushioned lounge at the console front, and port and starboard cushioned bench seating in the bow. There’s an aft center jump seat that opens for access to a spacious, lighted bilge ­compartment.

The helm features an oversize electronics face, a helm pod, a side-entry console door, and a blinker-style jack-plate control switch. Standard is a 38-inch fixed-back aluminum leaning post with backrest, four rod holders, a tray beneath the seat, a folding footrest, and a cooler base. A leaning-post upgrade, with a third livewell, is also available for the 29Bay.

Boathandling is made even easier and more pleasant with optional Helm Master autopilot and full maneuverability, second station, hardtop and soft T-tops with lighting, upgraded isinglass enclosure for T-tops, clear acrylic windshield, and an electric head inside the console.

Other fishing options include additional rod and rod/cup holders, electric-reel outlets, outriggers and bases, upgraded livewell system with pump box, trolling motors, and Power-Pole shallow-water anchors.

You can choose between single or twin outboards for the Contender 29Bay, which is rated for a maximum of 700 horsepower. The 29Bay ­offers a maximum cruising range of 400 miles to take you fishing far and wide.

Editor’s Note

The depth of the cockpit in the 29Bay offers enhanced safety when venturing outside the inlet, while the elevated fore and aft casting decks are ideal for fishing calmer waters inshore. Twin livewells under the aft deck offer immense bait capacity. -Jim Hendricks

Specifications

Contender Boats – Homestead, Florida; contenderboats.com

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To avid freediver and spearfisherman Joe Neber, boatbuilding seemed like a natural career path growing up in Miami. Entering that industry, he soon came to found his own company, Contender Boats, in 1984. Admittedly competitive by nature, he has constantly pushed the envelope in boat performance, quality, fishability and innovation.

Contender, based in Homestead, Florida, is a recognized leader in building semicustom sport-fishing boats, carefully engineered, meticulously handcrafted and unmistakably aimed toward fishing, even when seas get rough.

Today, Contender ­offers models from 24 to 44 feet, each ready for custom details, from engine power to electronics to upholstery, including teak packages, power-actuated hatches and coolers, livewells and rigging, and several forward and rear seating options.

Neber is also a supporter of the fishing community and a committed conservationist, as evidenced by his company’s 11th-annual donation of a boat (this year, the 2024 ­Contender 28T center-­console) to benefit the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, which undertakes projects such as habitat restorations, artificial reefs, shoreline stabilizations, and restocking of clams, oysters, redfish and sea trout.

Contender 35 ST

Contender proudly calls its 35 ST center-console fast, efficient, powerful and fishy. 

Its patented dual-stepped hull boosts speed, fuel efficiency and handling. A single-level deck, massive fish and storage boxes, and a sea-taming ride make this a fisherman’s dream. Triple (or quad) engines and a 400-­gallon fuel capacity make it a dream with far-­ranging options. It speeds at 70-plus mph.

The 35 ST has Contender’s hand-laid fiberglass construction with multidirectional fabric and a foam-cored glass stringer; foam flotation, an integral dive platform, a full transom and swing-in transom door; and a self-bailing cockpit and a nonskid cockpit sole and deck. Movement is easy on both sides of the two-abreast console, which is lined with vertical rod holders. 

A semicustom boat, the 35 ST has a long and wide list of available custom fishing options, including towers built to spot fish or birds from miles away. Complete second-­station setups give the captain the true bird’s-eye view of air and ocean and their inhabitants. 

A leaning station features a novel removable rigging table. The station is topped by a half-dozen rod holders, and the transom by a pair of 40-gallon clear-topped livewells. Another 80-gallon livewell can be installed in-deck aft of the leaning post as an option; each livewell is served by its own pump installed within a sea chest. Forward of the console, a lounge is lifted electrically to access a large central storage compartment flanked by two other in-deck compartments, besides the coffin box itself. Additional in-deck storage and fish boxes are available.

Editor’s Tip 

Fuel capacity is often ­overlooked, but it’s as important as the boat’s motors. It doesn’t make sense to have a fast, capable vessel and limit its range with a tiny tank. If you plan on unleashing 1,200 ponies, make sure you can fit at least 300 gallons below deck. -Joe Albanese, Executive Editor Salt Water Sportsman

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Yamaha F300s
• Test Load: 1,200 lb.
• Test Speed: 68 mph at 6,000 rpm
• Max Range: 576 mi. at 32.7 mph, 3,000 rpm

Specifications

Contender Boats – Homestead, Florida; contenderboats.com

The post Contender 35 ST: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

To avid freediver and spearfisherman Joe Neber, boatbuilding seemed like a natural career path growing up in Miami. Entering that industry, he soon came to found his own company, Contender Boats, in 1984. Admittedly competitive by nature, he has constantly pushed the envelope in boat performance, quality, fishability and innovation.

Contender, based in Homestead, Florida, is a recognized leader in building semicustom sport-fishing boats, carefully engineered, meticulously handcrafted and unmistakably aimed toward fishing, even when seas get rough.

Today, Contender ­offers models from 24 to 44 feet, each ready for custom details, from engine power to electronics to upholstery, including teak packages, power-actuated hatches and coolers, livewells and rigging, and several forward and rear seating options.

Neber is also a supporter of the fishing community and a committed conservationist, as evidenced by his company’s 11th-annual donation of a boat (this year, the 2024 ­Contender 28T center-­console) to benefit the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, which undertakes projects such as habitat restorations, artificial reefs, shoreline stabilizations, and restocking of clams, oysters, redfish and sea trout.

Contender 44 ST

Contender calls its flagship center-console 44 ST tournament fishing’s “most feared and revered,” depending on whether you’re fishing against it or you’re in it. 

The boat is engineered to outpace, outmaneuver and out-fish the competition, no matter the conditions. It is built for speed, range and finding big fish in blue water.  

Rigged with up to 2,000 hp (most often triple or quad ­Yamaha XTO 450 engines) and boasting a standard 600-gallon fuel capacity that can be augmented by 100 gallons more—for this boat, as the company says, “just about nothing [is] off-limits.”

Contender has stayed focused on hardcore fishing with the 44 ST, leaving standard family and cruising touches to other boats—or options on this one. Its fleet mates, the 44 FA and 44 CB, offer more standard protective amenities on the same hull. The 44 ST comes to fish. That’s seen in a wide-open 12-foot-beam, a level deck that welcomes doubleheaders, and a low-profile helm that boosts visibility while still accommodating a pair of 24-inch Garmin screens and Yamaha Helm Master EX controls.

Fishing-ready options ­include a deck-mounted rocket launcher behind the helm seats, and a coffin-box lounge forward of the console. The leaning post, topped with rod holders, features a tackle ­station and a slide-out cooler.

Forward are massive 340-gallon fish boxes and 315-gallon storage compartments; another is accessed electrically beneath the coffin box—you won’t run out of space on this one. The 44 ST has ample bait capacity, with two 55-gallon transom livewells, plus an optional 110-gallon in-deck well aft of the leaning post.

A second-station tower is among options, as is triple Llebroc sliding seating at the helm. An integral engine bracket provides for a full, fishing-friendly ride. 

The standard step-in ­console interior has a flush toilet, a vanity and a sink, with 6 feet, 4 inches of headroom.

Editor’s Tip 

The 28-inch-high gunwales in the stern and bow are the perfect height for reaching the water to release fish. Aside the console, 31-inch-wide walkways make it easy to follow a hooked fish toward the bow. Padded coaming bolsters encircle the interior to cushion legs. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Yamaha 425 XTO outboards
• Test Load: 5 people, 400 gal. fuel
• Test Speed: 66.1 mph at 6,000 rpm
• Max Range: 491 mi., 0.91 mpg @ 3,500 rpm

Specifications

Contender Boats – Homestead, Florida; contenderboats.com

The post Contender 44 ST: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Founded in 1984, Contender is a recognized leader in building carefully engineered and meticulously handcrafted boats from 24 to 44 feet long, with custom choices in details from engine power to upholstery, all to deliver the performance, convenience and comfort that anglers expect.

More tournaments are won on Contenders, the company says, than any other boat brand. 

Contender 26 Bay

The new Contender 26 Bay builds upon the legacy and running surface of Contender’s popular 25 Bay, adding an integrated transom bustle, new console design, and expanded fishability. The transom bustle helps extend the setback for a single outboard motor of up to 400 hp.

Among the 26 Bay’s other credits are improved bilge access; increased storage, fuel and water capacity; improved rod storage; wider jump and forward seating; and better console area ergonomics—making it easier to move about the fish, fish-on or not. That console’s electronics panel can accommodate a 22-inch screen or a pair of 16-inchers, and speaker mounting surfaces are improved. 

The console front seat, which contains a 70-quart cooler, is wrapped by additional seating, housing three sealed storage compartments. Forward is yet another 125 gallons of dry storage. The deck contains a 70-gallon insulated fish box. The 26 Bay also boasts a standard 40-gallon livewell and 12-gallon baitwell. 

Options include custom electronics packages, underwater and undergunwale lighting, hard and soft T-tops, stand-through second station, shallow-water anchors, trolling motor with lithium battery, casting platforms, and custom seating and leaning posts.

Lenco trim tabs fine-tune the ride. With a 15.5-degree deadrise and 12-inch draft, the 26 Bay is at home in bays, the backcountry or blue water.

Manufacturer’s Remark

The 26 Bay displays Contender’s continued dedication to innovation through fishability and performance.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Yamaha 300
• Test Props: 21 Pitch SWS II prop
• Test Load: Three people, 50 gal. fuel 
• Test Speed: 61.4 mph at 5,800 rpm 
• Max Range: 360 miles (90 percent of 100 gal fuel capacity at 4.0 mpg, 31 mph, 3,000 RPM)

Specs

Editor Says

Contender’s new 26 Bay improves helm ergonomics expanding space for crew and electronics. The integrated transom bustle improves performance with extra setback for single ­outboards up 400 hp. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

More Info

contenderboats.com

The post Contender 26 Bay: 2023 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Founded in 1984, Contender is a recognized leader in building carefully engineered and meticulously handcrafted boats from 24 to 44 feet long, with custom choices in details from engine power to upholstery, all to deliver the performance, convenience and comfort that anglers expect.

More tournaments are won on Contenders, the company says, than any other boat brand.

Contender 39 ST

Contender calls its 39 ST center-console, powered by triple Yamaha 425 XTO outboard engines, “a rocket ship on water.” Its destination? Your favorite kind of fishing, from Florida Bay to the deep Atlantic.

Contender builds your new 39 ST, but you help design it, selecting electronics and the console on which they’re displayed; determining rod holder type and location, including kitefishing rod holders; and picking power—indeed, details down to the upholstery stitching.

Contender’s palette from which you choose elements of your 39 ST includes, in part: hardtop, tackle-center station and stand-on tower, custom fishing towers, lined and insulated forward fish boxes of 145 and 260 gallons, coffin box, port and starboard aft fish boxes of 105 gallons each, two 40-gallon clear-top transom livewells, flush-mount gunwale rod holders, extra-large walk-in lined and finished console with head compartment, lockable storage, and more. 

This two-step deep-V-hull boat tops out at 72.7 mph at 6,000 rpm, and just under 60 mph at 1,000 rpm lower than that. With a standard 500-gallon fuel capacity, you’ve got the oats for a round-trip range of 450 miles.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Yamaha XF425
• Test Props: XTO OS
• Test Load: 250 gal. fuel, two people, 40-pound gear, five batteries, optional upper station 
• Test Speed: 72.7 mph at @6,000 rpm, 0.64 mpg, 113.8 gph
• Max Range: 450 miles (90 percent of 500 gal. fuel capacity at 0.98 mpg, 36.6 mph, 3,500 rpm)

Specs

Editor Says

Many of the brands we cherish today sprang from the same boatbuilding region in which Contender’s roots were formed. They continue to own bragging rights for smooth riding performance and competitive fishability that backs down to no one. -Randy Vance, Editor-at-Large Boating and Fishing Group

More Info

contenderboats.com

The post Contender 39 ST: 2023 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Contender builds semicustom sport-fishing boats, each matched to the individual needs and tastes of its owner. 

Homestead, Florida-based Contender Boats says its employees’ extensive experience in boats imparts a companywide respect for ever-changing offshore conditions. The boats are ready for adverse weather but, in the meantime, provide superb platforms for fishing and family boating. Contenders—25 to 44 feet—are built on both stepped and deep-V hulls, and come in the Tournament, Bay and Fisharound models.

Among Contender’s nearly 40-year record of successful tournament fishing, Contender One was the top center-console fishing boat in Bluewater Movements’ 2017 Quest for the Crest. More tournaments, the company says proudly, have been won on Contender boats than any other brand.

Contender 44 CB

Contender’s latest model is the 44 Canyon Berth, inspired by the fishing die-hards of the Northeast for whom far-off canyons seem ever-calling.

Sharing the proven hull used in Contender’s 44 ST (a traditional center-console) and 44 FA (a Fisharound, with a more expansive cabin), the CB splits the difference. The modest console cabin, with a two-person padded berth, offers an escape from the elements—or a place to rest up during overnight trips to the canyons or islands or. A -slide-out marine toilet, plus a sink and freshwater faucet, make the break more pleasant.

On the spacious deck are two 55-gallon transom livewells; you can opt for another belowdecks. A pair of 110-gallon fish lockers are beneath the aft deck, another of 340 gallons is in the bow. Two rod lockers in the bow, by the way, welcome rods up to 10 feet long.

In the front of the cockpit, a console lounge seats two; additional seating options are available throughout the boat. Other options include air conditioning, a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer, and vertical rod holders in the cabin.

The 44 CB is powered by triple or quad Yamaha 425 hp XTO V-8 outboards.

Manufacturer’s Remark

Being a semi-custom builder allows us to craft boats that deliver the ultimate performance, strength, durability and comfort you expect from a Contender.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Yamaha 425 XTO
• Test Props: XTO Offshore, 16 1/8” x 23”
• Test Load: 21,950 lb.
• Test Speed: 66.6 mph @ 6,000 rpm 
• Max Range: 491 mi., 0.91 mpg @ 3,500 rpm

Specs

Editor Says

Contender’s long standing reputation for hardcore fishability, power boat performance and durable
construction is exemplified in their latest models. – Randy Vance, Editor-at-Large, Boating & Fishing Group

More Info

contenderboats.com

The post Contender 44 CB: 2022 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Contender builds semicustom sport-fishing boats, each matched to the individual needs and tastes of its owner. 

Homestead, Florida-based Contender Boats says its employees’ extensive experience in boats imparts a companywide respect for ever-changing offshore conditions. The boats are ready for adverse weather but, in the meantime, provide superb platforms for fishing and family boating. Contenders—25 to 44 feet—are built on both stepped and deep-V hulls, and come in the Tournament, Bay and Fisharound models.

Among Contender’s nearly 40-year record of successful tournament fishing, Contender One was the top center-console fishing boat in Bluewater Movements’ 2017 Quest for the Crest. More tournaments, the company says proudly, have been won on Contender boats than any other brand.

Contender 35 ST

It gets to the fishing spot in a hurry, then swiftly back to the dock for weigh-in or ahead of a storm. In between and always, the Contender 35 ST is ready for fishing.

Credit the blistering performance—including top speeds of 70 mph—to the innovative dual-step hull design, which, in addition to boosting speed, aids fuel efficiency and handling.

A single-level, nonskid sole and deck facilitate efficient fishing. Within that deck and elsewhere are enormous fish and storage boxes. An integral dive platform—and full transom with transom door—makes dealing with a big catch a breeze.

Contenders are all semicustom builds: You select the fishing options—such as towers, a second station and more—that match your fishing style and tastes, add navigation and sonar to suit your budget and Contender assembles them.

Beyond stunning speed comes generous range. A 400-gallon fuel capacity provides for a range of more than 550 miles.

Manufacturer’s Remark

Being a semi-custom builder allows us to craft boats that deliver the ultimate performance, strength, durability and comfort you expect from a Contender.

Performance Data

• Test Power: Triple Yamaha F300s
• Test Load: 12,000 lb.
• Test Speed: 68 mph @ 6,000 rpm
• Max Range: 576 mi. @ 32.7 mph, 3,000 rpm

Specs

Editor Says

I’ve experienced Contender’s step-hull design first-hand on the 35 ST while fishing for sails off Florida’s east coast. The design offers strong lift and level trim for efficiency and speed, as well as a smooth ride and easy handling. – Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Fishing Group

More Info

contenderboats.com

The post Contender 35 ST: 2022 Boat Buyers Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

First Impressions

Location: Miami, Florida

Timing: Late fall

Weather: Sunny, winds W 10-15 mph, 2- to 3-foot chop

Load: Six adults, 350 gal. fuel, 100 gal. water

Contender’s 44 Fish Around offers features that bluewater anglers crave, along with a cabin and accommodations that enable multiday offshore-fishing trips.

On the fish side, the 44FA comes with twin 55-gallon transom livewells with an 80- or 100-gallon deck well available as a custom option, a 300-gallon forward fish box, and a pair of 100-gallon fish lockers under the aft deck.

Read Next: Contender Boats 44 ST Boat Review

Cabin amenities include a queen-size V-berth; galley with sink and freshwater faucet, refrigerator/freezer and electric cooktop; and enclosed head with a vanity, sink, faucet, electric marine toilet and stand-up shower.

Triple Yamaha 425 XTOs rocket the twin-stepped hull to a top speed of 65 mph at 5,500 rpm, where the three engines burn 112.5 gallons per hour for 0.58 mpg. At 3,500 rpm and 36 mph, the 44FA achieves optimal fuel efficiency of 0.87 mpg, equating to about 450 miles of cruising range, based on 90 percent of the 575-gallon fuel capacity.

Performance

Engines: Triple Yamaha 425 XTO outboards

Time to 30 mph: 12 sec.

Top Speed: 65 mph @ 5,500 rpm

Best MPG: 0.87 mpg @ 36 mph (3,500 rpm)

Hull

LOA: 43 ft. 10 in.

Beam: 12 ft.

Transom Deadrise: 22.7 deg. DRAFT: 2 ft. 3 in. WEIGHT: 22, 500 lb. (ready to fish)

Fuel: 575 gal.

Max HP: 2,000

Base Price: $665,980 (base with triple Yamaha 425 XTO outboards)

Contender Boats

Homestead, Florida

contenderboats.com

The post Contender 44 Fish Around Boat Review appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Contender builds boats from 24-44 feet for fisherman and their families to explore the blue water, or just enjoy a day cruising around the bay to the sandbar.

Each boat is custom-built featuring different options for engine power, electronics, and upholstery. The list of options seems nearly endless with a variety of fishing, convenience, and other options available to every model. Front and rear seating are available on all models, but standard options traditionally keep the cockpit minimal and clean.

Contender Boats’ founder, president and owner Joe Neber is an avid saltwater angler who has been very active in marine-resource conservation, particularly the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).

The company proudly proclaims, “When adverse weather prevails without notice, people are confident in our product to get them home safely and comfortably.”

Contender 44FA

The 44FA, new for 2020, is built from the same hull as the game changing 44ST, with a fisharound cap that features queen-sized berth, an enclosed head with shower, a galley sink, refrigerator/freezer, and stovetop. Together they create a luxurious and comfortable setting for travelling offshore or to the islands. Compared with the 44ST, it’s more cabin than console, but doesn’t sacrifice walk around fishability for the cabin comfort.

The 44FA remains very much a fishing boat, and one that allows you to catch ‘em big: The 44FA has a 250-gallon forward fish box and a pair of 110-gallon aft fish boxes.

78 percent of walkaround boaters are satisfied with one livewell, but the 44 FA (designated by the Fish Around cap) offers two 55 gallon live wells for dividing baits between multiple tanks, a practice used by many tournament fishing crews.

The dash is massive, ready for two large multifunction displays. There is no lack of feature choices on the custom boats including triple Llebroc helm seating, second-row seating beneath the hardtop, bow lounge seating, and triple or quad Yamaha 425XTO Offshore outboards.

This boat may be luxurious, but it’s not boring–it’s “44 feet of full-tilt, wave-cutting, chest-pounding bad-boy boat,” according to Contender.

Survey Says: On Target

⋅Spacious fish boxes

⋅Two livewells to keep separate bait species lively

Owners Say

⋅Looks sharp

⋅A great fishing boat

⋅Handles very well in heavy seas

⋅Fast, spacious, reliable

⋅Built like a tank

Brand Says

⋅Built to fish

⋅Unparalleled fishability, comfort, range and speed

⋅Boats born from passion

More Info: contenderboats.com

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