There’s a lot of serious fishing boat packed into the Trophy 2103 Center Console. If you are looking for an all-rounder or something to pack the whole family on for a picnic, keep looking. In terms of a pure, dedicated fishing platform for a group of serious anglers, the 2103 is all business.
For starters, the way it’s built pays proper respect to the offshore conditions it is meant to fish in. This is just one in a new generation of Trophy hulls, redesigned and reconfigured as of the 2000 model year. It’s a cut above the former Trophy series, and the new reputation is being forged with a better product.
The 2103 sports a sophisticated list of hull-design elements, including a wide, flared bow with plenty of overhang keep the slop and spray at bay. The variable-degree deadrise starts with a deep vee in front and flattens aft, providing stability, a smooth entry and exceptional rough-water handling. A delta pad on the keel provides a lot of lift and the ability to hold plane at the lower end of the rpm range. Reverse chines aid dryness and help the hull hold an edge. The one-piece stringer system provides an exceptional stringer-to-size ratio, bolstered by all-cored construction.
All of this sounds like good catalog copy, but when we headed out of Baker’s Haulover Inlet in Florida into a serious onshore wind shoving against a hard-running outgoing tide, it all became very real. The tall waves in the center of the inlet precluded any real speed, and at 21 feet this is a relatively short boat. But with a little intelligent and prudent handling, the 2103 came through beautifully. Better yet, it felt solid and safe underneath us.
Powered by a 150-hp Mercury, our test boat had plenty of response for the big seas. Running down-sea, the bow rode high enough for good control and buoyancy up the backsides of the waves. Running a beam sea required the boat really be driven in order to maintain comfort and dryness. But it’s a responsive combination, and nimble enough to take a lot of the work out of successfully running through challenging water, and we cut along at a pretty good clip considering the conditions.
Cruising at 4000 rpm, the 2103 turns 30 mph, getting about two mpg. Wide open, it’ll hit 37.2 mph with the standard Mercury 150. Upgrade to the 225 OptiMax and it’ll do 45.4 mph, according to the manufacturer’s figures.
Fishing amenities on the inside show an equal amount of serious forethought. The cockpit is anchored by an in-transom, 30-gallon oval live well. Fill and recirculation takes place through dual vortex nozzles that set up a circular current inside. Overflow is handled by a choice of top drains or a standpipe, depending on how full you need the well to be. The addition of a venturi valve on the feed lines allows air to be pulled in with the circulating current, improving the health of the baits.
All pumps and plumbing are accessible through the transom bulkhead, and the access hatches hinge on the side, so they neither hang above your head, nor get in the way on the floor. In the starboard transom corner is a plumbed bait-prep station with fresh water hose and shower. Beneath the gunwales is a raw-water washdown on a retracting coil hose. To port is a storage bin adjacent to the oil-fill cap, just outboard of the transom door, which is equipped with a slam latch that fastens securely, open or shut.
The cooler sits under the rocket launcher, and the leaning post features twin tackle-storage compartments that hold two trays each. The leaning-post cushion folds forward to reveal the battery switch. The batteries are mounted on the cockpit sole in a molded, finished compartment, and sit beneath a removable storage bin.
| ¿ SPECIFICATIONS LOA: 21′ 3″ Beam: 8′ 6″ Deadrise: 20 ¿ Dry weight: 3,380 lbs. Fuel: 101 gals. Base price w/ 150-hp Mercury Classic outboard: $26,624 |
Under-gunwale racks hold three rods up to seven feet long per side. Two pair of rod holders are flush-mounted in the covering boards, and three drink wells in the covering boards do double duty for holding small items of tackle. The T-top is an option, but the hull comes with metal plates cast into the stringer system, ready to be tapped in case the option is exercised.
The console sits pretty far forward. There’s enough room to walk between it and the bow deck, but most of the open space is in the stern. The bow deck is large enough to fight a fish, to throw a net from or easily handle anchoring chores. The anchor hangs on a stainless bow bracket, or stows on a hanger beneath the bow hatch. The forward below-deck fishbox drains overboard.
All fittings are Gemlux stainless, and all electrical accessories are wired through push-button breakers. There is no wiring in the bilge. Instead, everything runs through chases, and a pair of chase wires comes pre-loaded for adding other accessories or electronics.The 2103 is a tidy, efficient little package. Best of all, it shows evidence of being designed and put together by people who really know and really care about fishing.
Trophy Sportfishing Boats, Everett, WA; (800) 544-6220; www.trophyfishing.com.
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