Contender 39ST: 2026 Boat Buyers Guide

Contender Boats has proudly built semi-custom sportfishing boats for more than 40 years. The company says each vessel is “carefully engineered and meticulously handcrafted – not because it is the easy way, but because we have a reputation to uphold.”

That reputation is all about building fishing-focused boats that outperform and outlast others, from its first Contender 25 Classic in 1984 to its latest models. 

The brand was launched by free diver, spearfisherman, conservationist and still-company-owner and president Joe Neber. Contender supports several fisheries conservation organizations. The company has two Florida manufacturing facilities—Homestead and Fort Pierce. The Homestead location serves as the company’s headquarters, and it is here where the larger custom Contender boats are built. The Fort Pierce facility produces boats in lengths ranging from 32 feet and under.  

No two anglers are alike, nor are two Contenders, since every boat is semi-custom built to each buyer’s specifications. The company offers 14 base models, 24 to 44 feet, on either step or deep-V hulls, and in tournament, bay and fish-around models. 

From power to electronics to upholstery to rigging, owners match boat features to their needs as anglers and families, as well as commercial applications, all while maintaining simple, clean and balanced performance to “get you in the fish, and safely back home,” as Contender likes to say.

Speed, fishability and utility are brand hallmarks. The company says more tournaments are won aboard Contender boats than on any other brand. Today, there are more than 10,000 Contender boats on the water.

Contender 39ST

Contender has completely redesigned the console, hardtop and leaning post of its tournament-tested 39ST.  

The sleek new sport console includes a helm pod behind a wrapaorund clear isan-glass windshield. There’s a portside entry door providing handy access to the console interior which has a toilet and access to the boat’s switches and fuses. You can store plenty of gear inside this space. Triple SV-style Llebroc helm seats offer comfort and support.  At the helm there’s a pair of big Garmin displays with access to a full suite of electronic functions, including navigation, radar, sonar and more.

Optional is a hardtop on stainless steel supports with six rod holders and two kingfish rod holders. Another option is a stand-on console tower with a second-station or stand on. 

In the bow is a cushion-topped coffin box with an electrically actuated lift. 

The leaning post features four rod holders and two cup/rod holders, with a padded bolster. 

Gunwale-mounted rod holders virtually ring the boat. There are under-gunwale rod racks, too. The transom contains a pair of 40-gallon livewells with clear lids, tended by a stainless-steel pump box. There’s an optional. bench at the transom and a door to access the swim step. Forward is a 260-gallon fish box, and a 145-gallon secondary fish box/dry storage compartment. There are also 105-gallon in-deck aft fish boxes port and starboard

With its 500-gallon fuel capacity, and outboards totaling up to 1,600 hp (triple Yamaha F350s or Mercury Verado 400s), this boat can get just about anywhere fast with with a range of 450 miles. Joystick piloting aids dock mastery, and the Seakeeper 3 gyroscopic stabilization helps tame the waves, while Livorsi 950 trim tabs fine-tune the ride.

Editor’s Tip

Whether fishing in a tournament or cruising to the Bahamas for a week, the 39ST is a serious fishing boat with the capacity, performance and ability to excel. An extensive option list is a blank slate for customization. -Alan Jones

Performance Data

• Max Range: 432 mi. (with 10 percent fuel reserve)
• Test Power: Triple Yamaha XTO 425 outboards
• Test Props: Yamaha XTO OS 25″ pitch
• Test Load: Tower boat plus 250 gal. of fuel, two people, 40 lb. of gear, 5 batteries, optional upper station
• Test Speed: 45.5 MPH @ 4,000 RPM

Specifications

Contender Boats – Homestead, Florida; contenderboats.com