Tested By Capt. Ron Svoboda

Despite mother natures attempt to foil the introduction of Trophy’s all new 1903 Walkaround by dispensing three major hurricanes this year, the practical fishing rig finally made its depute.

This new model boasts a sizeable cockpit, giant windshield and a round porthole for the cabin, which gives the Trophy line a distinct, new look.

The most obvious characteristic of this new boat is the elevated helm station and massive windshield, designed for anglers that like to fish where the water gets really rough but want a compact size for easy maneuverability.

Fishing Features Aboard

The business end of the 1902 supplies a transom with a pair of molded swim platforms on either side of a large engine well. The advantage here is that the boat works comfortably as a snorkel and dive platform and not just for fishing. The transom also utilizes a pair of self-draining boxes which can be used for storing fish, beverages or other items.

At the center of the cockpit, a livewell is concealed under a port side seat that will keep you comfortable while waiting for the fish to bite. A matching seat can be found on the starboard side and under its cushion is a deep fish box.

At the Helm

The helm is designed with all the instrumentation and accessory switches on one side of the dash to allow for electronic fish gear and navigational displays on the other side, keeping you well organized. A large stainless steel wheel gives added leverage for easy steering and is complimented by gunwale mounted engine controls. The captain and companion seats are wraparound buckets and are a great improvement over previous models.

Moving Below

Entry into the cabin is through a large bi-fold door that secures open with the help of a snap and strap. Interior space is good enough to store gear, get out of the weather or to simply use the head. Trophy’s round port hole adds light and cross ventilation to the cabin, as well as an unusual look to the exterior of the boat.

Up on the Bow

Getting to the foredeck is accomplished with a pair of narrow side decks that are capped off with a tall railing that looks good and adds to the safety while forward. At the bow, you’ll find just enough room to work your grounding tackle and there is also a convenient anchor locker.

Specs

Even though this fish boat measures just over 19 feet, she provides the ride of a much bigger boat. The 8 foot beam is roomy enough for several anglers to work effortlessly, while her dry weight of 3,618 pounds will make towing a breeze for most vehicles.

Performance

Equipped with a single, 150 horsepower Mercury Optimax two-stroke the 1902 achieved a top speed of 41.3 miles per hour, while turning 5,500 rpm. At cruise speed, we recorded an economical 22.5 miles per hour which resulted in 4 and three quarter miles per gallon and a range of 236 miles from her 55-gallon fuel tank.

This 19-footer handled rough water and wake crossings with confidence. While her turning ability was good, hard-over maneuvers were met with some propeller cavitation and required backing off the throttle until the prop was able to bite again.

Overall the 1902 WA offers a great entry-level fishing platform for the angler that’s just getting into the sport, and wants a boat that’s capable of both going out with the family for a cruise or heading to the fishing grounds with the guys any day of the week.

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions