Wellcraft 352 and 162 Fisherman

Wellcraft recently introduced a new flagship to its Fisherman line: the Wellcraft 352 Fisherman.

There’s some serious innovation built into the Wellcraft 352. That includes a T-top design that supports a second station up top with hinged feet so you can lower it to sneak under bridges. Access is easy with a well-designed pipework ladder.

Power choices include twin or triple packages with Yamaha 350-425s or 350-hp to 400-hp Mercury Verados. The 352 features plenty of seating options, fish and tackle boxes, a 35-gallon clear curved livewell, side and transom doors, and more. Inside the console is a bed, head, sink, and, potentially, a Seakeeper stabilizer.

The baby of the Fisherman line deserves a mention because it’s a different design that will
appeal to another part of the fishing spectrum. The trailerable 162 has a high freeboard and a hidden flange under the rub rail that deflects spray. This flange also creates a handhold along the hull so you can move her along a trailer or sandbar with ease. The 162 has five seats plus a convertible seat/casting platform. The removable windshield allows the boat to stow neatly in a garage on the trailer that comes standard.

Wellcraft 352: 35′ 6″ LOA, 10′ 8″ beam

Wellcraft 162: 16′ 4″ LOA, 7′ beam

wellcraft.com

Return to the Center Console Roundup

Wellcraft 262

The new Wellcraft 262 has everything a fisherman needs for a day on the water. The center console has a fiberglass T-top, ample rod holders and rod storage, port and starboard baitwells/livewells, raw water wash-down, and port and starboard fish boxes with macerators.

The bow area features a unique sliding cooler for multiple seating layouts, and the optional dive door makes boarding and departing easier. A deluxe leaning post delivers with a backrest and cooler, and a folding aft seat provides more room to fish as well as extra seating when open. The 262 (26’4″ LOA, 9′ beam) is designed to handle twin engines with up to 500 horsepower. wellcraft.com

Wellcraft 242 Fisherman

The Wellcraft 242 Fisherman (24’4″ LOA, 8’6″ beam) is available with three distinct packages and seven color schemes to meet any fisherman’s tastes and needs. Built in Cadillac, Michigan, the base 242F includes a host of standard features, including six gunwale-mounted rod holders, aft rod holders, gunwale rod storage, leaning post, and port and starboard bluecoat baitwells/livewells with lights and timers.

Ample storage in the 242F’s bow includes port and starboard fish boxes. There is an enclosed changing room with a head in the console pod for convenience. Add an optional fiberglass T-Top or deluxe T-Top to complete the package. For comfort and enjoyment for the entire family, opt for the Family Package: a bow table, forward facing backrests, bow backrests and cushions, bow fill-in cushion, and aft backrests.

For the ultimate fishing machine, there’s the Scarab Offshore Package: an upgraded leaning post and interior, helm floor pad, eye-catching Scarab Offshore graphics, and an aggressive Tri-Tone Gel Coat scheme. Powered by engine packages ranging from a single 250-hp to twin 200-hp outboards, the 242F reaches top speeds of 53-56 mph and cruises at 32 mph with a range of 400 miles.

wellcraft.com; (231) 775-1351

By Doug Thompson, Southern Boating Magazine July 2016