Boat fishing readers should by now be familiar with the Anglapro brand of boats.
The Australian tinny company has a line-up of craft covering most estuary and light offshore fishing styles and caters for most budgets.
We recently tested the Outlaw 484, a top notch aluminium bass punt with all the bells and whistles. You can read more about that in the July 2013 of Boat Fishing.
Our camera boat for the day was a new model to the Anglapro line-up, the Chaser 454. While it’s only a basic tinny, this style of boat is an ideal entry point into the world of boating and we thought it was worth a mention on its own. The 454 is the latest addition to the Chaser range and joins the smaller 394 and 424 models.
The Chaser range is Anglapro’s “affordable” option. However, unlike a traditional bare-bones tinny, the Chaser CLX range comes with a few additional features which make it an ideal foundation for further customisation and improvement.
The CLX range fits between the basic spec and optioned-up Pro series. These boats features unpainted hulls, carpeted decks and rear and forward casting platforms. There was plenty of storage under the carpeted forward casting platform on the test boat and I noted space at the rear for fuel tanks.
The test boat also featured two pedestal seats with three additional pedestal mounts to rearrange the seating layout as you please. Up front was a built-in anchor well. Other standard features include grab rails fore and aft, side pockets for storing tackle and extruded gunwales.
With front to back carpet and a tiller steer configuration, the design leaves loads of available floor space for fishing. With the boat’s 2.1m beam and 600mm freeboard, you have a tinny with more space than many cluttered big boats.
Keen fishos could take this “blank canvas” and add electronics, rod holders, electric motors and extra storage. There are plenty of options to consider.
The ride
The Chaser CLX was powered by a 40hp Suzuki two-stroke tiller steer. It’s a basic engine, much like the Chaser being a fairly “basic” boat, and keeps the price at an affordable level.
While this donk is little noisy, it does the job and offers a reliable starting point for entry-level boaties.
There’s always the option of a four-stroke for quieter running and better fuel economy, but the initial spend would be more.
While we didn’t have any electronics onboard for speed readings, the 40 pushed the 454 up on the plane quickly and maintained a respectable speed, more than enough for any tiller steer boat. The CLX has a maximum rating of 60hp but I can’t see a need to upgrade from the 40.
The hull itself punches above its weight in performance. The 454 has a sharp deadrise for its reasonably short length.
A windy day on Sydney’s Botany Bay was no match for the CLX – the sharp entry point and reverse chines resulted in a dry and reasonably soft ride. At rest, stability is good thanks to the wide beam.
In my view, this boat would make an ideal estuary rig. You could also run out to close-in reefs when conditions were right.
As tested, the Chaser CLX has a price of $15,490 with the Suzuki 40hp two-stroke, a Dunbier Sports 4.4m trailer, one year‘s rego, plus inshore safety gear. At that price, I reckon the Chaser represents great value for without sacrificing the essential components of any good fishing boat.
Check out www.anglapro.com.au for more details on the Chaser range and
available options.
This story was first published in the Fishing World October 2013 issue.
