ALUMACRAFT TROPHY 205

If you have five fishing buddies who like to catch walleye, or you have a family of six, this is the boat for you. With seating for a half-dozen in the cockpit, the Alumacraft Trophy 205’s seating arrangements remind me of a movie theater.

At first you only see the quad pedestal seats, but the stern features a pair of flip-up seats, which, when not deployed, make up part of the large rear casting deck. The foredeck is even bigger and, like the rear, can accept one of the pedestal seats. One of the coolest features is the Quick-Fold bow platform that folds up like a map and tucks into a slot, so whether you want legroom for bow seating or a full platform, you can convert the seat in about 10 seconds. A nice family addon is the optional filler cushions that turn the entire bow section into a playpen for tanning.

Although the Trophy 205 is clearly a fishing boat with top-notch amenities like a top of the gunwale rod locker and twin livewells fore and aft that hold 22 and 21 gallons, respectively, it’s not a one trick pony. With the maximum rated 225 hp it makes an awesome ski boat for slalom skier or inflatable fans. Since the company is based up north, they don’t call it a Bimini top but rather a topset, which is standard, connects to the windshield for better coverage and stows away out of sight when not in use.

Powered by a Honda BF225, this Trophy can fly. Time to plane was 3.8 seconds and we reached 30 mph in 6.2 seconds. In the cool morning air in Minnesota, it was really nice to have the full protection of the tall windshield, especially when we went to WOT and cracked the 50 mph mark. A nice addition would be a dam to completely cover the walk-through, especially if you want to extend your boating season. It was pretty calm, however, so we didn’t get to test the legendary Alumacraft ride.