Took a ride in the Bad Cat 22 with the Evenrude 300.....have to say was super stable and hit plane so fast I was surprised! Top speed was unreal for a nice fishing boat, turning and handling was different from a "v" hull, yet very stable and fast.Truly impressed, will be my next new boat, I'm sold!
I am the proud owner of a 22’ BaD Cat Angler Edition. I replaced a 21’ Skiff with the 22’ BaD Cat. I am extremely pleased with the boat. It handles rough water like a dream, one of the main reasons for relinquishing my skiff. The amazing part is that it gets up on a plane in less water than the skiff did. As I am an inshore fisherman and fish in a 12” to 18”s of water a lot of the time having the ability to jump up on plane in shallow water is a must for me. Having 14 rod holders in the console is also a major plus. As I have an early version my boat does not have the built in fish boxes in the floor and a couple of the newer features that are now standard in the new 22’ BaD Cat Angler Edition but I am looking forward to upgrading to a newer boat. As good as mine runs I was amazed at the performance improvements when testing the new boat at the Miami International Boat Show. FISH-0N!
As a v-bottom enthusiast we never imagined owning a catamaran because we could do whatever they could do and until most recently they always looked funky and ugly. While in Miami at the February boat show they had the coolest looking fishing boat in the water, and we couldn’t even tell it was a catamaran. It was their 22’ BaD Cat and we signed up to do a demo and we could not believe how comfortable, dry, and fast it was. The fuel efficiency you’ll have to see for yourself. Simply mind blowing how comfortable it was in such a nasty chop. My wife doesn’t like to go fast as she gets very nervous and scared. Yet we were cruising with a single outboard at 47mph and she was smiling, nodding her head, as she liked it. Then the captain asked if we minded running it wide open for the other couple on board to see how fast it would go with a full T-Top with spotters’ station. I said go for it and within seconds we were doing 60mph and I got nervous seeing ahead some nasty three footers for a 22’ boat thought we might get banged around. To my surprise this BaD Cat sliced through that nasty chop like it wasn’t even there. I was SHOCKED at the performance, the smooth ride, how dry it was, and then the captain slowed down, turned around heading back to the Miami Marine stadium to the docks. I was ready to buy my first boat at a boat show. As I stood back looking at this good-looking fishing machine I knew I had my wife’s approval. So, I looked over and saw her looking at another cat next to us. I asked are you ready because I really love this BaD Cat? She said she like this one and it was the twin engine Falcon 22’ but it looked like it was 24’ if not bigger. So, we went out in the Falcon with another captain and it was soupy nasty where all the 40’ and bigger boats were showing off and this 22’ Falcon kept right up with them and the faster the captain pushed it the nicer the ride. She liked the twin-engine Falcon and I loved the BaD Cat, and both would work perfect for us in the Keys where we are moving to for a 2nd home. We are in a dilemma because the only solution is two boats and so I’m making arrangements once we relocate to find a place with two docks, so we have the best of both worlds. The single outboard cat draws 9” and the twin outboard cat draws 14” which serves all our fishing and boating needs. If we saw these boats on trailers we would have walked right by them. But being in the water they not only caught my attention but riding in them changed my view on what we have been missing. We rode in a few other cats thereafter and gotta admit that nothing in this size could compare to what the owners are building at Falcon Boats. They are much more comfortable, stable, dry, and affordable. Their fit and finish, their rigging, and the features they offered do not compare to anything else we saw or looked at. Their staff was so nice and professional that we actually had a great time hanging out with them at the show. They have earned our business and we know what will be our next boats! Thanks for making me a believer,
To the person looking for just the right boat ….. I have personally been on the new 22’ Bad Cat and the Falcon 22’ Offshore. I think these cats are great and are the best riding boats out there. I personally have been a V-hull guy my whole life and the second I went out on these cats I knew I had to have one. I’ve been in some other catamarans and they were unpredictable and scary. These Falcon’s are very fast, very smooth, and when you’re about to the hit the wake of another boat or a big wave there is no reason to brace yourself for impact as this cat design slices through as if it wasn’t even there or passing over a speed bump. Each boat they make is custom to your liking. I personally love the 22’ Bad Cat with the tower on top. My son and I were on top of the tower all day long and had a great time. This boat is absolutely great and turns heads everywhere it goes. It is a great looking, fast, smooth riding, stable, comfortable, and dry boat. As soon as you get on one you will see the difference.
I’ve enjoyed the privilege of piloting and test-riding on all of these vessels. Spending lots of time in the water with conditions varying from slick calm to water too rough for traditional mono-hull boats and the Falcon lineup performed admirably! For the boater looking for a small vessel offering more stability, more comfort, great handling characteristics and a drier ride than traditional vessel designs you’d be hard pressed to find a better series of boats. Each of these boats proves to be nimble, fast and responsive; performing at a level beyond their physical length. I was impressed how the hull designs of these vessels overcame so many of the issues common to many catamaran hulls on the market. Did I mention there are lots of custom option available… there are! The Falcon 22 hull is simply a marvelous option for offshore anglers who want a smaller vessel that is equally at home on the inshore waters. This twin-engine vessel would be my first choice if I was a dedicated ocean fisherman. The Falcon hull is fast, tracks like an arrow, even in quartering seas and backs-up wonderfully when docking! The 22 Bad Cat in either configuration does more with a single engine than many lesser quality cat-boats do with twin power options and they don’t SNEEZE! Though these boats were created for inshore applications they are right at home in the ocean’s nearshore fisheries. My overwhelming favorite, though, is the 203 Bad Cat! “Why”, you ask? Because I’m an inshore fisherman at heart that likes to fish the flats as well as drift the inlets and chase tarpon, cobia, big jacks, etc. on the local beaches. This small boat is easy to maneuver in tight spaces, like mangrove lined canals or residential docking areas. It’s a breeze to launch, load and trailer. It handles choppy water so well we had to try to get wet and only managed a little spray in the face. The 203’s stability seems the equal to the 22-foot hulls. It’s OK if everyone stands on one side to see that trophy fish come to net… Finally, its wide-open floorplan lends itself to as many custom features as the buyer’s imagination can dream-up.
My Dad bought our first boat when I was 8 years old and I've been "Hooked" ever since. I have always owned V-bottom boats. I've been for rides on a couple Cats over the years. I finally had the opportunity to drive a couple Cats in February and March, and it's a Complete Game Changer !! The comfort and stability is spectacular, especially in choppy water. I had the opportunity to spend a couple days with Falcon Boats / Bad Cats Boats doing some performance testing, photo shoots, and I was so impressed by everything about their boats. You can tell the boats are designed by avid boaters and built by avid boaters. I had some friends in town a couple weeks ago, and took them for a boat ride & fishing at the Inlet in my 22' Center Console V- bottom. It was a little windy and choppy that day. After being spoiled by driving the Cats, I find myself wanting a Cat for myself. Best description I can relate to is a V-bottom is like riding a dirt bike. Cat hull is like riding a 4-wheeler. So much more stable and comfortable. I'm so impressed by the Cat hull technology, that I'm considering listing my 22' CC V-bottom to purchase a Falcon Boats / Bad Cats Boat. Thank you,
Often the first description one hears about catamaran powerboats is how comfortable and smooth they ride, especially into head seas. This has been my experience owning and running a number of different catamaran boats between 18 and 32 ft. What many fail to realize, until physically getting aboard, is the amount of usable space these platforms provide. The beam at the bow, amidships and crossing the transom is basically the same. For my purposes I can have two, sometimes three anglers fishing side-by-side at the bow or stern. Fishing boat manufactures stress the square footage of the cockpit, with a cat of similar length the cockpit will be similar, and the big gain is in the bow. Simply put a cat will ‘feel’ like a bigger boat. Stability and safety are another important factor to me. In 2019 my first opportunity to ride the 22’ BaD Cat. Myself and 3 big guys aboard, acting like kids (or clients) we all rushed to one side to see the ‘big fish’. Stable. The boat didn’t tip even with 4 of us at the gunnel. I recently ran the new offshore Falcon F-22. The gunnels are higher (a safety factor with my grandkids aboard) and similar to most catamarans, great stability. My first impression of the Falcon F-22 was the unique hull design. The sponsons are quite wide at the entry and symmetrical in shape. I know that design gives a softer ‘landing’ in a choppy sea, but the downside of many boats with this type hull is speed (lack of). It’s very similar to my current 20’ flats boat cat hull and the 27’ (well-known brand) I run offshore. Comfortable, but slow. Walk around the boat and sponsons are asymmetrical with sharp sides inboard. That type of hull is more like a racing catamaran. What captured my interest was how the designers created a transition and during the couple times I have now driven the boat, accomplished the best of both worlds. At lower speeds, trolling or docking, the wide symmetrical bow rides smooth. Give it a little throttle and she jumps on plane. With 4 adults on board and ½ fuel I had no difficulty reaching 48mph with only twin 140’s for power. My final comment is about the construction. The technology of infusing resin into molds, as Falcon does, results in a stronger, lighter hull and more consistent built from boat to boat. For all these reasons and more, I have agreed to help Falcon as they introduce their new boats.
I like the Falcon 22' cat as it has a ton of storage, the ride is awesome, it's much smoother than any v bottom hull we have ever been in, and it has no sneeze like a lot of cats do. The hull is very stable as I'm 350 lbs and I can stand on the side and the boat barely moves, unlike a mono hull I have to be very careful where I stand. It's an awesome catamaran for serious fishing, hanging out at the local islands with a draft of 14" we can get anywhere we want when we want. We’ve been in a lot of other catamarans that have nowhere near the room of this 22’ cat. The finish work and craftsmanship is of the highest quality we’ve seen in these smaller boats. The 25’ and 26’ mono hulls don’t have nowhere near the room as this 22’ and this center console 22’ cat rides better than any 25’ center console we’ve been in. There are so many feature comforts with many ways you can set this boat up for inshore, near-shore, hardcore offshore fishing, or just cruising and doing family excursions. Your options are endless and the 22’ BaD Cat is an awesome bay boat with a 9" draft that can go where no other v-bottom can consider getting into. It’s on a plane within its own length and the most stable catamaran we’ve ever been in. The bow and aft platform provide so much fishing space that you’d think you were on a 26’ or bigger vessel. I guess that because it is 8’ 6” wide from bow to stern. Both of the catamarans have a head in the console which is unusual in a center console catamaran and both self bailing which was really important to us. The handling of the 22’ BaD Cat is awesome for a single engine cat and it fly’s and feels like driving a sportscar with no cavitation, no ventilation, turns on a dime, and they really nailed it. It also has a ton of storage throughout the boat. Your options are endless for how you want to set it up from just cruising around, island hopping, to any kind of fishing you desire. I like the spotters station to! It allows you to instantly and easily get up higher for better visibility. Both of these are great cats and you won't be disappointed in either one and the best part is they are Made in America!
When you sign up for a Demo, Factory tour or request a Custom Quote,
you'll be contacted by one of our catamaran specialists to answer your questions!.
