Ballistic 204 - Great Bass Boat Search of 2021 - Video 31

[@KlingerNOK]

Ballistic was never even on my radar in looking for "the next boat". What I see so far is intriguing.

[@cjr4497]

Halleluiah, a boat company that measures to the transom and not sponsons in their advertising. This is why Champions, Rangers, and a couple others always seemed so much bigger than other boats of "equal length". Thank you Ken for getting that out in the open. I have talked about this for years with my club members, and they didn't get it. I also whish all the boat makers would stop putting metal latches in the lids of the coolers and livewells. All they do is draw in heat and beat up the fish.

[@waynelagarde7956]

These big bass boats are just so expensive it's crazy.

[@l8tapex]

That's why myself and buddies have purchased low hour boats and motors. We both went back to a (me a fully rigged 2006 with 2015 250 Merc, my bud bought a 2009 out of Tohoe marine. 70 hours on that boat and motor. Lot of wealthy 1st timers bought rigs that they wont use. Better quality each year of manufacturing so is $70-100 thousand for fiberglass affordable for a couple trips a month? Boat make was specific to what I wanted in ride. I owned many boats until 2013. Allison, Bullets Skeeter, Procraft, Ranger, Dominator, Triton. Knowing advanced composite layup most boats are still a fancy bath tub just adding better electronics. Competition in boating manufacture and the fact that banks allowing big loans has been pushing the boat prices up.

[@bigc8018]

Just as an aside, it seems like your guy doing the editing is doing a good job. The video looks sharper and I think the flow and the way it is put together with the different techniques makes for a superior look.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Big C I totally agree, he's also working with me to get my videos more stable, I think in the end it will be a good investment in the channel, I just hope my subscriber count bears that out!

[@baseballgod8065]

I love the stitching on the seats, they look like the seats in a Bentley. 😊

[@KenSmithFishing]

Mark that's funny, I actually thought the exact same thing, we saw one at an event a couple of years ago and it stuck with me

[@stevek5645]

Looking to buy bass boat and these videos are priceless, thank you very much for your videos on this. Spending 50-100k is a decision that should be more transparent and easier to access info on. You're videos are the best info out there on the differences between boats, thanks again 👍👍

[@KenSmithFishing]

Thank you Steve, it's a lot of work but really enjoyed going through them all

[@traestuart384]

"First focus is on the ride" and the speed comes with that. Trim weight everywhere possible, Merc 300 racing with 29 pitch prop. Hey, I dig it! 🤣

[@KenSmithFishing]

That motor is a beast...

[@mikeh9744]

My new favorite GBBS video. Nice work, nicer boat!

[@KenSmithFishing]

Thanks Mike, I think Jarrod is doing a great job editing for us!

[@bgrigsby1889]

I bought the DD26 steering lock and motor toter for my boat and they are really nice. Made in Arizona. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series. Keep up the great work.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Great to hear!

[@douglasspickler4925]

Ken, great video series, I really enjoy them. I run a 2014 Ranger 521C which I enjoy very much. Always looking for the next boat though and your videos help. Thanks for that. One thing important to me is how shallow a boat floats. I fish tidal rivers and draft and hole shot is important.

[@kenreese7873]

Ken, spray some Blaster Silicon Lubricant on your Atlas Jack Plate cylinders while you get your boat ready to launch. It will eliminate the jerking when moving the plate. They have a process for cleaning with Dawn, then spraying, but I do it at the ramp 3 times a year and it works well.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Good to know, thanks Ken

[@ScruffyCityFishing]

That easy access to the bilge is awesome. I said some really terrible things swapping mine out last year. Haha

[@KenSmithFishing]

really well laid out back there

[@robertjacobsfishing]

This boat intrigues me. Nice innovation!

[@KenSmithFishing]

apparently is does for a lot of guys!

[@Techangler65]

Beautiful boat looks like a very well built boat

[@KenSmithFishing]

It is!

[@kendalllunsford775]

OK Ken ............... Everything about this boat says 'Go Fast"....... Will be very interested in ride and handling........... Got a feeling at top end this thing will be a handful to drive...... Got to be honest.... I like that it is a minimalist design....but unsure I could live with the limited storage......... Awesome video Ken...... Really enjoy this series......!!!!

[@55mlapoint]

I had a Z520C and everything I had in my Ranger fits in this .204, I would consider it a medium load,about 150 ppunds of tackle, and I honestly believe I had to much tackle in it. It's all relative to how much tackle your boat and the bigger your boat the more you will put in it, good or bad :)

[@kendalllunsford775]

@@55mlapoint Im coming out of Nitro Z8 in to a Ranger 521L...... It is probably ooverkill for storage for me....... as I wont ever load the thing full.........It just "appeared" that the 204 had less staorage even than the Nitro.......

[@55mlapoint]

@@kendalllunsford775, gotcha, these wide angle cameras can be deceiving, I can say, there is certainly now way a Z8 has more storage than this size boat.

[@kendalllunsford775]

@@55mlapoint Thanks man............ I appreciate your feedback....!!! OBTW I really like the looks of these Ballistic boats.....A LOT....!!!!

[@KenSmithFishing]

Kendall it is a handful, really putting a lot of thought into how to score this boat out.

[@bakervinci163]

Would look great in powder Ole Miss blue

[@KenSmithFishing]

oye...that's just awful......go Hogs

[@timroyall6513]

Great looking boat, with lots of 21st century innovations. So, has Mr. Smith made any decisions yet?

[@KenSmithFishing]

Tim I am really, really close. I'm down to three boats but I haven't looked at the Nitro yet, I don't think it's the boat for me, but I thought that about 2 of the 3 finalist I have bouncing around in my head right now so I'm doing my best to continue to keep an open mind.

[@timroyall6513]

@@KenSmithFishing I don't think you will be impressed with a Nitro. Nothing against them, but after being in the boats you have I don't think you will like it. As long as money isn't the deciding factor.

[@chrissmith2305]

That boat is GORGEOUS!!!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@KenSmithFishing]

Looks fast sitting in the parking lot....

[@delylewoods1682]

Thanks Ken, the Ballistic line of boat was never on my radar but now it is. The only issue that I foresee but would like your take on it is the consolidated console. With all of your gauges and displays going through your dash screen, if it goes down or if it cracks then you could lose access to some if not all of your gauges. Since you had a better look at this boat, what are your thoughts?

[@derrickhouse7063]

I can't wait to see just how fast this rocket ship will go. great video!

[@Kdavis8377]

I have the .204 with standard Mercury 250. All my gear, 47 gallons of fuel and livewells half full will do 80.4mph with 2 guys. That’s with a 27p prop.

[@55mlapoint]

This is my boat and I purposely got it with a TorqueMaster lower unit because the SportMaster wouldn't hold up to stumps as good and you're guaranteed to hit some in Texas. So I'm told, there is a speed limitation from a safety perspective for the TorqueMaster of 86 mph. I've gotten the boat up to 84.5 mph with this prop, but the motor hit the rev limiter, I won't likely be getting a larger prop for 1.5 mph faster. A buddy of mine has a .204 with a 300R and they got it to 93 mph with a SportMaster and a Bravo 1 (not sure of pitch).

[@derrickhouse7063]

@@55mlapoint WOW! Since watching this video. I watched a couple others on KZbin running in the 90's! They look very stable even at those speeds. There is a lot to like about this boat. I really like the idea of the Czone. Will it integrate with Humminbirds and Garmins? The multifunction displays we buy nowadays has the ability to do so much more. I like what Ballistic is doing here, its forward thinking. If I can have it set up to control my entire boat with the redundancy that you showed then I'm all for it. It's a very nice boat you got.

[@55mlapoint]

@@derrickhouse7063 Thanks, appreciate it. Yes, you can integrate the Czone with Garmin and Humminbirds as well, several Ballistic owners have Humminbirds and Garmins

[@jeffporter100]

Oh thank goodness, a boat review! I was going through withdrawals missing boat reviews. Yeah, very interesting dash. Would take some getting use to but I think I would like it. Clean lines, easy sump access, nice looking. Very interested in the rough eater ride. Great start to a video series for ballistic

[@Kdavis8377]

Great video. Love my .204!!

[@hhwoutdoors1639]

Been waiting for this!

[@KenSmithFishing]

Looks like a lot of folks were!

[@williamriley2528]

Hey Ken... It's NEVER RPMs...! It's ALWAYS just RPM...! 1 RPM, 600 RPM, or 4,800 RPM. Because the total number of crankshaft revolutions are ALWAYS measured in ONE SINGULAR (1) MINUTE...!

[@craighaas946]

What we do without being corrected. Thanks for clearing the singular and plural form of revolutions per minute up for us. Lol

[@williamriley2528]

@@craighaas946 Well you can always tell an idiot that doesn't know what they're talking about when they say RPMs... Just saying... check the face of your tachometer... Just RPM.

[@craighaas946]

Thanks man. I’m glad you set everyone straight on that.

[@KenSmithFishing]

William I am a product of the Arkansas public school system, I still struggle with to vs too, there vs their, scary part is I was an A student there!

[@peteryeung111]

Very nice.I think the reaction/loading time on the electronics is a bit too slow, for today’s technology.

[@KenSmithFishing]

like my GoPro's, the more stuff they add the slower they load, burn more batteries and turn off in the heat from overheating

[@peteryeung111]

@@KenSmithFishing That’s the truth. Thanks for informations Ken. Cheers!

[@bakervinci163]

Where do I put my 16 foot rods? This boat has definitely gotten my attention.

[@KenSmithFishing]

gotta get you some of those saltwater rod holders that point straight up!

[@riccochet704]

Not a fan of everything being integrated in to a Lowrance. One errant jig, or just a bad control unit, and you now have lost all of your controls. I would definitely opt for manual switches.

[@Kdavis8377]

You still have controls. It has a controller in the right rod locker with individual jump fuses so you can jump out whatever you need to. Also, it’s a 100% custom boat. Jim at Ballistic will and have installed regular switches if that’s what you want.

[@55mlapoint]

The keypad is an inexpensive option that is now available which gives you full control, is backlit, and also shows if there are issues with the circuits, so you can get the best of both worlds.

[@markjohnson4344]

I am sure that you will enjoy the Ionic Lithium Batteries. I am certainly impressed with my Ionic setup.

[@bakervinci163]

Mark I’ve been thru 3 force trollers. Switched to ionics and am certain the force runs faster and quieter from the beginning of the charge. 13.2 volts at the end of a day of standing on it

[@Techangler65]

Only issue I have with all boats is the price. We have a 05 boat would love to have a new one with all the goodies but dang I need to win the lottery first

[@KenSmithFishing]

They are not cheap these days!

[@williamriley2528]

Looks like he gets the whole rig thru an 8' wide single garage door too...!

[@55mlapoint]

The trailer is actually wider than Ranger's due to the low profile tires and fender wells... kidding aside WIlliam, this boat is only 4 inches narrower than the 521C at the beam. And it's a 3 car garage, BTW

[@williamriley2528]

@@55mlapoint My '87 Ranger 375V will go into a std 8' garrage door opening w/ about 1/4" clearance on each side of the Ranger Trail trailer fenders.

[@williamriley2528]

If your bottom transom saver mount doesn't mount to your boat TRAILER, then YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO TRANSOM SAVER...!

[@Kdavis8377]

You don’t have a transom saver running down the River either. What the motor toter does is keep your motor tight while traveling. The new composite transoms don’t even really need a “transom saver”.

[@williamriley2528]

@@Kdavis8377 Think what you want... A transom saver transfers the outboard engine weight from the transom to the trailer... I prefer to get my information from a guy that replaces boat transoms for a living...

[@Kdavis8377]

I prefer to get mine from physics and engineers. Do you know how much your trailer bracket your transom saver attaches on shifts going over rough roads? Motor toter is fine.

[@williamriley2528]

@@Kdavis8377 That's funny... I've spent the last 40 years as a Mechanical Engineer...

[@williamriley2528]

As long as there's only 4 mounting points for that outboard, all the vibration is being transferred into the transom.

[@miketyree9188]

HMMMM, I guess I missed something? Did Bullet sale their boat design? Wow, looks like a bullet, I bet the pad does to?

[@KenSmithFishing]

Mike there are a whole bunch of similarities

[@Ace-sx2ij]

Bullet hull with a re-done top cap and plenty of cool extras.

[@Kdavis8377]

Definitely not a Bullet Hull. Fully vacuum infused and no cracks in the splashwell after 2 months😂

[@55mlapoint]

the pad is twice the width of a Bullet, more stable on pad

[@Ace-sx2ij]

Bet Allison would argue that wodth of pad does not equal stability. I've looked at them. Ot I'd a Bullet pop with some slight changes. But most boats are copies of an old design. Legend was a copy or a ranger 4 series back when it was Hawk or Cobra. The list goes wayyyy on. Not hating on the boat. But it is a modified copy.

[@thechestnutking736]

I’ve owned Bullets. This boat is built way way better with 21st century technology. Bullets are for people still stuck in the 90,s.

[@Ace-sx2ij]

I agree Bullet has really no innovated thier boats in a new direction in years. But, thays not what they do either.

[@gregorycox3]

They might as well be a million dollars

[@KenSmithFishing]

gallon of water now $1.32

[@adamportner8102]

I wonder if they can do the one screen dash setup in a garmin instead of a Lowrance if that's what you wanted

[@Kdavis8377]

Yeah they can also do Humminbird I believe. I know they can do Garmin though. Buddy had one

[@55mlapoint]

Yes, you can integrate the Czone with Garmin and Humminbirds as well, several Ballistic owners have Humminbirds and Garmins

[@kevinscott6301]

If your graph ever goes out you're screwed not knowing what your motor is doing

[@KenSmithFishing]

Makes me a little spooky as well

[@kensimpson8581]

Hey what ever happened to the bass tracking deal with TPWD?

[@KenSmithFishing]

Ken it's still going on, we try to get together about every 6 months to discuss whats happening, so soon

[@benskai2475akurfishing]

aku suka vidionya senior

[@KenSmithFishing]

senang anda menikmati

[@benskai2475akurfishing]

@@KenSmithFishing sanhat bagus sekali videonya senior jadi sedikit bisa tahu informasi tetang perahu pancing yang penuh dengan fitur fitur penduku yang cangih

[@bakervinci163]

I switched from agms to the same lithium batteries and my force trolling motor is a diff animal.

[@KenSmithFishing]

how so?

[@russackley1118]

People who are nervous about having only a multi function display for instrumentation and control of their boats need to look at todays commercial and military aircraft. Analog gauges are a thing of the past! All glass cockpits are common and super reliable.

[@jamssosv]

quite a leap to suggest that the multi-function display in a bass boat is as reliable as the one in a 100 million dollar aircraft

[@russackley1118]

Not really. The technology is out there and it is not crazy expensive. MFD's are mandated for NASCAR Monster Cup cars now and those screen in your late model cars and trucks are basically the same as well. If virtually every car, truck and motorcycle manufacturer on the planet can make them work both technologically and financially, why not in boats? The only problem I see is getting the required sensors and wiring correctly installed in a manner that will avoid water damage and corrosion and that is easily overcome using pre-built wire harnesses with quality connectors engineered specifically for a marine environment and properly installed.

[@jamssosv]

​@@russackley1118 Sure a product can be made to withstand the marine environment but implying that the Lowrance in this video is as reliable as the cockpit of commercial or military aircraft is certainly a stretch.

[@russackley1118]

Okay, let me be perfectly clear: I am not suggesting the Lowrance MFD is of the same quality as an MFD one might find in an F35, C17 or even an old KC135. What I AM suggesting is simply that the technology exists and can be reliable, and consumers should not be afraid of giving up their analog or digitally driven stand-alone gauges. We could have a long dicussion on 'aircraft quality' parts versus marine quality parts versus auto parts quality but that isn't what this video or my original comment was about.

[@jamssosv]

@@russackley1118 WHAT? This video clearly shows a Lowrance and your comment inferred that it's as reliable as commercial and military aircraft instruments, which it most certainly is not.

[@kylefairchild9794]

Yea 30 grand my ass that might buy the motor

[@KenSmithFishing]

I think thats not far off

[@jackiecornwell259]

How much do one of these cost?

[@KenSmithFishing]

I’m guessing $100k

[@shaybag]

when are you going to do a great bass boat search on a Triton

[@mikeh9744]

Triton wiil likely be extinct in 3 - 5 years.

[@KenSmithFishing]

Sheldon to my knowledge there is not a new one, or a dealer anywhere around me. If someone has one I'd love to review it. Funny to say that, I can't find a new Triton and they were everywhere a few years ago

[@CAN43725]

@@KenSmithFishing check out milliken fishing. He just got a new triton

[@williamriley2528]

Hey Ballistic... Measure twice, Specify once (correctly)...!

[@KenSmithFishing]

Agreed, had several comments from guys in the industry stating that some of this is done to allow larger motors per coast guard regs, which makes some sense but only what I heard, not what I know

[@curtisloden7201]

How does he back that boat in the garage without bashing the motor?

[@55mlapoint]

Very carefully and 35 years of practice :) In all honesty, I push it back the last two feet by hand

[@KenSmithFishing]

Mike I was thinking later you might hang a strip of bubble strip on the wall where the motor cowling is

[@55mlapoint]

@@KenSmithFishing the green material behind a cowling is a foam padding

[@d5ncat227]

Another cluttered up garage AND the boat won't even fit in it

[@sparkybars1854]

The digital switching is cool but just no, its going to break, its going to be expensive and when it does break on the water. Your fucked plain and simple. Ill take a rocker switch and a key i can jerry rig in 5 minutes if need be.