Skeeter Skeeter FXR21
A fast, well-laid-out flagship tournament bass boat that fishes and runs with the best, held back only by Skeeter's persistent fit-and-finish and QC gremlins on some hulls.
Best for: Serious freshwater/tournament bass anglers who want a wide, deep, fast 21-footer with a big front deck and are willing to pay flagship money (and inspect a new hull carefully before delivery).
The good
- Composite modified-vee hull is light yet strong (2,275 lbs) and runs a genuine 68-72 mph real-world on a 250, with magazine tests of the platform topping 75 mph
- Big, wide front casting deck and dual-console layout owners specifically praise for graph/gear room and freedom of movement
- Premium, fishing-first standard kit: dual Humminbird Helix 12s, Minn Kota Ultrex/Raptor options, livewell aeration, integrated rod storage, SkeeterBuilt trailer
- Strong brand pedigree and resale; Skeeter has 75 years in performance bass boats and the FXR remains a current, full-lineup model (FXR20/FXR21 PRO for 2025)
The bad
- Recurring gel-coat stress cracks reported by owners, notably in the splash well and around the pad (bbcboards.net, iboats.com, in-depthoutdoors.com threads)
- Quality-control complaints span multiple model years: leaking livewell pumps, battery-charger failures, and water intrusion into rod boxes and storage compartments (bbcboards.net FXR warranty thread)
- Some owners report multiple dealer/factory trips to resolve metal-flake and gel-coat issues, and friction in warranty handling
- Chine-walk at speed was common enough early on that Skeeter added a hook to the pad to tame it which also cost some top-end speed (bbcboards.net FXR20/21 top-speed thread)
The FXR21 is a legitimately excellent fishing platform: it's fast, wide, deep, and rigged like a tournament boat out of the box, and most owners love how it fishes. But Skeeter's Achilles' heel for years has been quality control, and the forums back that up with attributable reports of gel-coat stress cracks, livewell and charger failures, and water getting into storage. None of these are universal, and forums skew toward complaints, but at this price you should PPI a new hull hard before signing. If your unit is clean, it's a 4.5; account for the QC lottery and it's an honest 4.