August may not be a good month for fishing but it is a busy month for boat manufactures and the retailers. This is the month when most builders schedule their dealer meetings to show off the new and improved products. Triton Boats of Ashland City, Tenn., a leader in bass, bay and pontoon boats recently completed their dealer meeting. The 2008 line-up is quite impressive. The trend of building less expensive boats without sacrificing quality continues. For 2008 (available now) Triton is offering fiberglass rigs priced below 20K. That’s a big plus considering most people cannot afford boats priced from 30 to 60K. The new Explorer series by Triton will be arriving at dealers in early September.

Triton made some changes in the upper end models, changes that I’ve been waiting and hoping for. As a Team Triton member I have the opportunity to get at least two or three boats a year. My choices are the TR20 and 21 Tritons in the High Performance and the wider easier to drive but slower X2 models. The TR20XHP was rated for a maximum 225HP and I am getting speeds in the upper 70s when powered by a 225 Mercury ProXS. Running 77 to 79 mph is fast on water but some of us, with the need for speed, are never satisfied. Prior to the ’08 year model this rig was rated for a maximum of 225HP.

I wanted the 20XHP with a 250HP engine and thanks to Triton the 2008 Tr20XHP is now rated for 250. This means we now have a Triton hull that will run with the Bullet’s, Blazers and Allison’s. Tricked out with a worked prop and the right motor height I am sure we’ll see speeds in the mid 80s with this new rating. A loaded 20XHp powered by a Mercury 250 Pro XS will retail for 50K or more. I recently sold my second ’07 Team boat, a 20X2/250 Pro XS and ordered an ’08 powered with the 250 Pro XS so I’ll have some numbers on this new hull in a few weeks. This will be a fun and very fast ride for sure, not to mention Triton’s are fishing machines with the best lay out and live well system on the market.

Another big plus is the 2008 Tritons incorporated some of the TR20X2 and 21X2 changes into the High Performance hulls. The TR20 and 21XHP’s will have the same center fuel cell as the X2. That gets the weight of 52 gallons of fuel off the back and puts it in the middle of the boat where it should be. The fuel tank location will create better control and more stern lift. Boats get speed from stern lift not bow lift. The neat wrap-a-round bucket seats in the X2 are now available in the HP models. These seats are real comfortable and much safer than the older style bench seats. The automotive style buckets are mounted on slides so the seats are adjustable.

The TR20X2 and 21X2’s were very popular in 2007 so Triton now offers two new models…the 18X2 and 19X2. Longer and wider casting decks and a hull that anyone can drive will make these two rigs a hit among those that have trouble driving the high performance hulls.

Eddie Roberts writes a weekly fishing column for The Democrat. He can be reached at fishingwitheddie@cox.net.