SUMMERTIME CHRISTMAS BY DENNIS SCHULE

Christmas has come early for John and I from Blue Ribbon guides this year.  We both have new boats. 

Those of you that follow our blog and fishing updates www.blueribbonguides.blogspot.com have probably read the last couple of articles by John Berry regarding his "new to me" Supreme boat.  John finally made the leap and purchased a used Supreme L60 river boat when it became available.  The boat was in pristine condition and John has been busy having numerous upgrades done at Supreme Boats.  For me, a new Supreme is what I opted for and ordered one in May.   

I started out 16 years ago with a Supreme 2000 and it was a great boat.  Then in 2012 I switched brands and had that boat for 4 years.  Now I'm back to Supreme and couldn't be happier.

For this boat, some thought was put into what I wanted and how it would be set up.  I opted for the Supreme 207XP and stayed with the Yamaha 40/30hp jet drive.  If you fish the White River a lot and like to get into skinny water you know a jet drive is an extremely valuable motor. 

Rob Williams and Chris Miller were who I met with at Supreme Boats and we discussed what I was looking for.  All they said is,  "We can do that with no problem!"   

So here is what I ordered: 

A Supreme 207XP, which is 20'7" in length and a width of 65"  with my own color scheme.

Glassed-in pedestal seat mounts on aluminum adjustable seat posts with Temperest seats.

Full length rod trays on each side, lined with shark skin.

Built-in rod storage tubes -- three on each side.

48" flush mount front deck.

Dierks anchor system with hidden rope.

Sawyer square-top oars.

All of these items were also on my old boat with the exception of the flush-mount front deck and the hidden anchor rope.  No more pulleys to get your line hung up on.   I also switched from Cataract oars to the Sawyers.  I stayed with the Yeti Tundra 45 cooler with my rowing seat attached.  

A couple of additional options that I added are three built-in beverage holders and a bilge pump.  No more client beverages rolling around on the bottom of the boat and no more bailing water out of the boat in the middle of heavy rains.  Just flip the switch and out goes the water. 

There are many advantages in dealing with Rob Williams at Supreme Boats.  The boats are built by hand right here in Midway, Arkansas by truly professional craftsmen.  If you need service, it's here.  Plus the hull has a full five year warranty.   I was able to watch the build of my boat from the gel coat being applied to the mold, laying of the glass, installation of the storage compartments, finishing the inside and the rigging.  Everything was done to my exact specifications and I cannot find a flaw.   

For a trailer, I stuck with the EZ loader supreme.  I added the Tuff coat like my last trailer which virtually eliminates rock chips.  One big thing I added to this trailer is roller bunks.  I back into the ramp and the boat just slides off.  Winching it on the last couple of feet is a breeze.  

In summation, this boat is absolutely fantastic.  It handles like a dream and gets up on plane quickly.  It is outstanding in really shallow water and rows with ease on a drift.  

If you are in the market for a new river boat, I highly recommend that you give the Supreme line of boats a serious look.  The color schemes are only limited by your imagination and if you want something special, they can do it.  

The Supreme boats aren't just for fly fishermen.  Many bait fishing guides also use Supreme.  And if you're a duck hunter, check out their duck blind wrap. 

Stop by your local Supreme Boats dealer and let them give you a tour of the new line of Supreme Boats.  You can find your local dealer by logging onto www.supremeboats.com and click on dealer locator.  You will be glad you did.