By Mike Holliday

PATHFINDER 2200 XL TE What do you do when you have a proven winner—one of the most versatile hulls in saltwater? You improve on the foundation by designing a deck and fishing friendly features that cater to the serious angler and in particular, the live bait enthusiast. The XP Tournament Edition is an expanded version of the Pathfinder 2200 XL, one of the most popular bay boats ever built. Make no mistake, this is a live bait barge that follows the Florida-based tradition of catching massive volumes of bait in one location, taking them to the fish in another location, whether that’s on the flats, in the bay or offshore, and then starting your own feeding frenzy. The 8’ 6” beam, 60 gallon fuel capacity and 250 h.p. maximum horsepower ratings are common ground with no reason for expansion, but once you look at the deck configuration you know there’s more to come. For instance, forward of the console is a below deck cast net locker with drain, the perfect place to put nets and other gear that

SPECIFICATIONS

Beam 8’ 06”

Draft* 11” Fuel Capacity 60 gal LOA 21’ 10” Maximum capacities 7 persons or 1,400 lbs Maximum HP 250 hp Weight (approx. w/ engine) 2,850 lbs (w F250)

are often wet (and occasionally stinky). If you’re like me and carry three or four nets at a time, you’ll be glad to see the extra space and that it drains for easy cleaning. Port and starboard of the cast net locker are locking storage boxes with strap down rod holders and rod tubes that can be utilized for carrying extra rods up to 9’ in length (including fly rods) or other gear you’d like to keep below deck and dry. The advantage of locking rod boxes will allow you to safely store your rods in the boat at home or on

Apr i l 2011

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Pathfinder 2200 XL TE

the road, which is a great feature if you like to get the boat ready for your trip the night before, but leave it in the driveway ready to go in the predawn hours. Raised forward and aft casting decks really provide a fishing advantage by positioning anglers higher up so they can see the fish around the boat easier and look deeper into the water column. It also keeps the angler away from anyone else in the cockpit, while providing an expansive open area to cast. It’s the attention to detail that really sets these boats apart from the rest of the bay boat market. The forward storage compartment on the raised front casting deck is huge, with enough room to carry all your safety gear and any tackle, clothing or gear you want on board. You’ll immediately notice that all the storage areas are guttered and gasketed to keep the water out, and have drainage tubes to help channel the water out of the area. You just don’t find that feature on a lot of boats. Also on the forward casting deck is a 15 gallon livewell for convenience of not having to move aft every time you need another bait and for quick access to your bait when fishing off the bow. There’s nothing worse than standing on the front deck running the trolling motor and having a big fish swim up with the only available bait in the back of the boat. Here, you simply reach down, grab a bait, hook it on and flip it to the fish, all without taking your eyes off your quarry. The forward anchor locker holds enough line, chain and a large enough anchor for fishing offshore or inshore, and keeps it away from the other storage areas unlike other boats where the anchor is bouncing around with your gear. The

anchor hangs suspended with the line below, and the hatch has a groove for the line so you can feed more line out without having to open the hatch cover. My favorite feature on the Pathfinder 2200 XL Tournament Edition is the aft casting deck, which features a livewell and release well, which actually spends time doing double duty as second aft livewell. These 40-gallon wells will hold more bait than you can use in a day, and the main livewell center also comes with a recirculating pump standard, which is a huge advantage when navigating through water with low oxygen levels or transporting bait from one location to another on the trailer. If you do a lot of live bait fishing like me, you can’t have enough livewell space, but with 95 gallons dispersed across three livewells, it’s difficult to go through all the bait you can carry. Three livewells also means you can diversify your bait options, putting one type of baitfish in one well and a different type in the others. They also come with different sized standpipes, with a small standpipe for low water volume in the well for crustaceans like shrimp and crabs, and a full-sized standpipe for baitfish.

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All the livewells are quick release-style 800 gph pumps with individual plumbing for ease of replacement. They take advantage of the below water sea chest system recessed into the running hull surface which strains and forces water into the livewells when running, yet exposes no hardware that can be broken off. Pathfinder Boats spent considerable research time using dyes to track the water flow inside the livewells, and has come up with a livewell system that flows water in through both the bottom and top of the well, which results in no dead zone areas that don’t get oxygenated or cleaned of waste products. The system incorporates a recessed standpipe with a Plexiglas grate in front of it which is ported with more and larger holes in the bottom of the glass to allow more drainage from the bottom of the livewell where baitfish wastes such as ammonia tend to collect and decrease the efficiency of the livewell to keep large volumes of baitfish alive and in top shape. Access to the livewell and bilge pumps, along with the fuel water separator and four position battery switch are through the large hatch on the starboard side of the aft casting deck. If a livewell pump goes down, simply close the check valve, unplug and spin off the pump, plug a new pump in, open the check valve and you’re ready to go, often quickly enough that you don’t lose the baits in your livewell.

The ergonomic console is a mixture of comfort and style while taking advantage of the space to include the most fishing and comfort features possible. The forward console seat flips up to allow access to a 48 gallon cooler, while the main console door provides access into the console storage which has enough room for trolling motor batteries and battery charger. In addition, the forward backrest is removable, providing great access to the backside of the helm area including the switch panel and your flush mount electronics. Four rods can be stored in each of the port and starboard rod racks on the sides of the console, and the first time you have to run hard in the rain or chop you’ll love the console windshield and sturdy grabrail. Anyone who spends a lot of time standing when boating knows how nice it is to have a cushioned leaning post to rest against when running, and this one comes with a foot bar, four rod holders and two cup holders. Underneath the seat is a spacious bucket allowing storage for those items that want to be kept close at hand like terminal tackle, rigging materials and pliers. Even nicer is having a second cooler on board, this 100 gallon cooler located underneath the leaning post can be utilized as a fish cooler or additional dry storage. Performance features that come standard on this boat include a jackplate (and blinker style control), hydraulic steering and 12-inch electric trim tabs. There’s also additional features that you’ll find standard on the Pathfinder 2200 XL tournament Edition, like flush mounted cleats (including a set of spring cleats), four gunwale mounted rod holders, backing plates built into the deck for mounting a trolling motor or T-top. The self bailing cockpit really stands out whenever you get water in the boat, whether wanted or unwanted or even when cleaning up after a long day on the water.

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Pathfinder 2200 XL TE

For those that want to trick out their Pathfinder

and make it even more fishing and family friendly, there’s the optional swim/dive platform for convenience of getting in and out of the boat, a leaning post tackle station for storing your gear, aft deck seating with backrest and cushions and the professional fisherman upgrade that includes a battery charger and eight foot Power Pole Shallow Water Anchoring System. There’s not much that needs to be said about

the hull on this boat. It eats up the chop when running, has an 11 inch draft, and is the same no wood no rot construction that has made Pathfinder a household name among boaters and fishermen. With all these fishing and family features, you can spend the morning fishing like a hardcore pro then grab the family and head for the sandbar in the afternoon. Whatever you decide to use this boat for, the Pathfinder 2200 XL Tournament Edition will get you and your baits where you want to go safely, comfortably and efficiently.