Product Review: 2022 Pathfinder 2700 Open - The Fisherman

Product Review: 2022 Pathfinder 2700 Open

PATHFINDER
2022 Pathfinder 2700 Open

When I first saw the plans for the Pathfinder 2700 Open, it got my attention. When I saw one in the flesh, I had no doubt it was the ideal boat for a Northeast angler like me. It’s capable of fishing almost anywhere from the shallows to miles out. I took delivery of mine last September.

I fish out of the New York Bight and to date have caught bass from tidal rivers and bay flats where the boat was in 20 inches of water to bluefin tuna on the 40-fathom curve. It’s killer for wreck fishing tog, drifting for fluke, live baiting and trolling stripers, hitting the pots for mahi, trolling and jigging tuna, light tackle plugging or fly fishing. For me, it’s the perfect boat and the way I have it rigged you can do it all with one or two people.

The 2700 Open is a cross between a large bay boat and a center console. The twin-step hull with 18-degree deadrise is designed for a single outboard. Power options are Yamaha’s 425-hp V-8 XTO or the V-6 F300. I opted for the V-6 that pushes the boat to 50 mph and gets surprising fuel economy. It has a 9-foot, 4-inch beam that gives it a ton of fishing space, a bow casting platform big enough for two along with the 36-volt Rhodan trolling motor which adds significantly to the boat’s fishability. The Anchor Mode is priceless for holding position in strong tides or over wrecks and rock piles when bottom fishing.

The rig has a two live wells, a 42 gallon behind the comfy helm seats and a 22 gallon in the transom, plus two massive in-deck fish boxes with macerators, a cooler seat and a drink box forward of the console. There is a ton of storage, much of it lockable, and below deck storage for two cast nets. The console can be ordered with a head, which made my favorite lady angler very happy! The optional T-top has a radio box and a PFD storage compartment plus mounts for the outriggers, radar, spreader lights and additional rod holders. The 90-gallon fuel cell paired with the optional 30 gives the boat over 200-miles range.

I ordered Yamaha’s Helm Master EX system for single engine. It integrates the electric steering F300 with a digital throttle and shift binnacle, joystick and autopilot and syncs with a suite of Simrad electronics with twin MFDs, Chirp sonar, sidescan and radar. The rig is fast, nimble, shallow water and offshore capable. It also turns heads, at least among the fishing crowd. If you’re looking for an incredibly versatile midsize fishing machine, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

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