Nitro 929, The Cadillac of Bass Tournament Boats
Written: Apr 12 '07 (Updated Apr 24 '07)
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Pros: Very Stable, Sharp looking, Fast, a pleasure to fish from.
Cons: Sometimes it's too big, but not often.
The Bottom Line: If you want to turn heads at the weigh-ins or just cruising the lake, this is the boat that will do it. It is very comfortable, fast and sleek.
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| smallmouth's Full Review: Nitro 929 CDX |
This boat is great. It is the top of the line Bass Boat for Nitro. Years ago Nitro was the at the lower end of bass boats for price and quality. This boat floated them to the top. I have to admit I don't own this boat but my good friend and tournament fishing partner does, which is sweet for me. I feel qualified however to write a review on it because I have logged 100's of hours on it fishing at least 40 tournaments and 50 other times on it's deck just fishing for fun.
Size:
I have fished from several different brands of boats. Ranger, Skeeter, Triton, Champion, Bass Cat and Nitro. The front and back decks on the 929 are as wide as they get. My fishing partner and I each weigh over 200 pounds. When we are landing fish we stand all the way out on the edge of the boat, one of us with the fish on the line and the other trying to get it into the net. Thats over 400 pounds on the very edge of the boat and it isn't even a little bit tipsy.
It stays high and dry as well. When fishing we both stand on the outer edge of the boat which helps with accuracy while casting, flipping, or pitching. It also is helpful for seeing the bottom and any fish swimming by.
The Nitro 929 is just under 21 feet long, measuring 21 foot 9 inches. It is 22 inches tall from the transom to the deck, I must say it sits a little higher in the water than most Bass Boats especially the Triton. At the seats it is 96 inches wide, the back deck is about 95 and the front deck tapers down to a gradual V.
Overall this boat is a very large Bass Boat, they don't come much larger if any. This only poses a problem when trying to fish small or skinny waters. My friend actually chipped his gel coating while trying to fit through a large culvert that 6 boats already went through.
Features:
For the passenger it has a very nice console as an option I strongly recommend. They are nice for storage and serve as an excellent wind breaker while moving at over 70 mph. They come equipped with a grab handle, comes in handy on a windy or choppy day on the water. The driver of course holds onto the steering wheel. I call this the Oh Sh@# handle. Also comes with a fire extinguisher, hopefully you never have to use it but most state laws require it on boats over 16 foot long.
On the deck are four pull out cleats for tying up to docks or other boats. I like the fact that they are pull-out so they wont be in the way while fishing.
Storage:
The Nitro 929 has plenty of storage which it seems you can never have too much of. It will hold 12, 7 foot rods, under the front deck with individual rod holders. On top of the front deck are 2 rod straps to hold them down while motoring. One thing I like about the size of the front deck is that the tips are on the deck with about 6 inches to spare. On some bass boats I have fished from, the front deck is not long enough to hold a seven foot rod without the tips being propped up on a console.
In the center of the front deck are three large storage compartments for tackle. One of them is specially made for tackle trays, another is large enough to hold life jackets and anything else you might need while out on the water.
There is a cooler located on the lower deck between the consoles, I found this cooler very small once you get a bag of ice in it and a couple of Gatorades.
Under each seat is a storage compartment including the third middle seat. You have to lift up the seat by a strap which hinges forward. These are'nt very large compartments but they have been water tight. We usually keep our cull buoys, scales, weigh in bags, and some various plastic bait packs in them.
There is a glove box on each of the consoles which are not very big but they do lock and keep things dry.
On the back deck there are two storage compartments along the outer edge with plastic inserts. They are large enough for extra clothing, life jackets, lunch, tackle, etc. Between these two compartments are the live wells.
The 929 comes with a Lowrance 332 c Depth/Fish finder with GPS. This is a nice machine, most people equip the front with a depth finder of their choice for fishing off the bow.
The seats are very comfortable and highly padded. Two pedestal seats for the front and back which you can lean or sit on while fishing. Three seats go across the middle of the boat for use while motoring. The bow and stern seats are adjustable for height.
The passenger seat has a rod storage ramp running alongside with a rod strap while motoring or trailering. The carpeting is stain resistant and padded for fishing comfort.
Livewells:
There are two livewells, side by side, in the back deck. They each hold 18 gallons of water. They are equipped with 2 500 gallon per hour aerator fill pumps which can be used with timers. These are no hassle no worry pumps. They also have 2 750 gallon per hour recirculator pumps, both with timers. They also have dual remote drain controls, a pump out sytem, and they are shaped with rounded corners. I prefer a one piece livewell with a divider but these are great livewells, never had a problem with them.
Power and Price:
The Nitro 929 has partnered with Mercury outboard motors. This boat will hold up to a 300 horse power motor which I don't recommend because most tournaments only allow a 250 hp motor. The price for this boat with the 250 horse Pro XS Optimax is $41,800. With the 225 Pro XS Optimax the final price is $40,245. The 225 Optimax which is standard is $37,995. The cheapest model is the 200 Optimax for $36,695. I recommend at least the 225 horse power motor. The 225 is a little slow getting up on plane with the fuel tank and livewells fully loaded but as soon as it is up it really moves. Top speed we have seen with the GPS was 71mph with the 225. A friend has the same boat with the 250 hp Merc, he pops up on plane faster and get about 8 more mph.
Check out my other reviews of Nitro Bass Boats:
Nitro Z-9 The Next level of Bass Boats
Nitro 750 Great Starter Bass Boat"
Motor Guide 82lb Thrust
Click on my other Fishing Reviews:
Lures:
Terminator Ball Buster Buzzbait
Strike King Premier Spinnerbaits
Strike King Redeye Spinnerbait
Rebel Pop-R, Pop, Pop, SPLASH
Jitterbug, That Old Classic
Storm Wiggle Warts Lures
Terminator Finesse Jigs
Gary Yamamoto's The Kreature
Zoom Lizards
Zoom Salty Chunk Trailer
Uncle Josh Original Pork Trailers
Reels
Quantum Energy PT Baitcaster
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 4600C3
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500 C3
Abu Garcia C4 series Reels
Abu Garcia C3 series Reels
Abu Garcia Cardinal 500 Series Spinning Reel
Quantum Kinetic PTi Spinning Reel
Shimano Curado CU-200B5
Shimano Curado CU-200B
Other:
Frabill Vinyl-Coated Minnow Trap
Frabill Sit-N-Fish Bait Container
Berkley Trilene XT
Berkley Trilene XL
Lindy Marker Buoys
Evinrude 15 HP Four Stroke Outboard
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 40,000
Brand of Motor: Mercury
Primary Location of Use: Large lakes and reservoirs
Primary Type of Use: Fishing
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