Are you looking for the perfect boat for fishing the lakes, rivers, and estuaries? The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS will take you into the flats and other areas where other fishing boats can’t reach.
This model is the ideal freshwater fishing boat, with a huge casting deck, plenty of power, and comfortable seating for those long days out on the water.
Contents
Design Overview
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS is the latest model from this legendary bass boat brand. This model retains all the design principles of older models, with an updated touch that makes it one of the best bass boats in its class.
The slender, low-profile design sits low in the water, and the shallow draft combined with a tilting engine and bow-facing trolling motor bring you a boat capable of reaching those flats you’ve always wanted to fish.
The Puma STS is part of the Bass Cat “Project Stealth” program, with the goal of designing a boat that creates less interaction with the bottom, preventing disturbance of the sediment and sounds that might scare off the fish.
The Bass Cat Puma STS is a solid choice for fishing enthusiasts that want a reliable, high-performance bass boat delivering years of fun fishing.
Engine
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS gets its power from the Mercury 300 Pro XS four-stroke motor, belting out 300-HP to get you to your fishing spot fast. The outboard features Mercury Fury 14″ x 24″ 3-blade stainless steel props, with a gear ratio of 1.75:1 and a total fuel capacity of 25-gallons. This boat knows how to float, supporting up to 450-lbs of passenger capacity.
The “Soft Touch System” (STS) employed in the engine management system provides you with unbelievably soft landings and superb handling in rough water conditions. Thanks to the shallow hull draft, this boat is fast, and it’s easy to get the vessel up to cruising speeds approaching 80-mph, even with a full load.
Cruising with the boat at 4,000-rpm gives you a speed of just under 40-mph, with consumption rates at 9.2-GPH and 4.3-MPG. As a result, you get a 227-mile range from a full tank with a 10% reserve.
Hull
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS comes with an updated hull design that’s part of the “Project Stealth” program initiated in 2018. The Jaguar STS was the first boat to get the updated hull design, with the 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS following suit this year.
You get a 20’7″ length from bow to stern, with a wide 96″ beam carrying forward, and no change to the outstanding performance of this boat from the updated hull design. The all-new “Soft Touch Series” (STS) provides the hull with a smooth running surface, setting class-leading performance for handling and maneuverability, with minimal drag and optimal fuel efficiency.
Bass Cat has a reputation for producing attractive gel coats, covering the durable hull. The hull features design and construction with durable woven roving, featuring lamination between chopped skin. The topcoats use premium-quality resin, optimizing the flexion and tensile strength of the hull. There’s no chance of the hull cracking with a slight knock on submerged objects when fishing the flats.
The transom features an 18-layer design and construction with bonding to the stringer grid for superior stability at speed and when making turns. The foamed-in hull features a fiberglass layer for sinking resistance, and there’s no wood used in the boat’s construction and no need to worry about rot.
Interior, Seating, and Deck
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS offers you a two-seater with plenty of casting space. The comfortable, padded bucket seats in the cockpit hug you tightly, keeping you in place during high-speed turns on the water.
The driver’s cockpit comes with dual screens for your GPS and fishfinder, with easy access while controlling the high-performance 6X BCB steering wheel. The open configuration of the cockpit means the screens don’t interfere with your view of the water. You get SeaStar Pro hydraulic steering as standard with this boat, and there’s a molded foot throttle for easy control over the engine’s performance.
There’s a cooler mounted in front of the seats, with a step-plate for accessing the bow casting deck. The bow and aft decks feature a recessed foot pocket for better traction when fighting fish. We love the new “slam” latching system on the Puma STS, opening with a tap of the latch lever and a light pull. The hatch seals gutter water overboard, keeping your gear dry.
The transom design routes discharge ports for the livewell drains and bilge, avoiding splashback to the Power-Poles. There’s also a three-step boarding ladder included.
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS offers you a wide, stable fishing platform, with an efficient bow deck layout featuring Reflex rod pads and offset lids, with plenty of underfloor storage available. You get integrated net storage systems flanked by the central tackle storage for stowing all your gear.
The Puma STS comes with large BCB live wells and dual removable folding-flat access doors, and the live wells come with automatic pump-in and pump-out action. The flooring features a 28-oz non-slip marine carpet, and you get double rod boxes with one organizer.
We love the optional trolling motor for the bow. Tilt the Mercury motor out of the water, install the trolling unit in minutes, and drift around the flats without disturbing the water or the fish.
The bow and aft casting platforms have plenty of room, and exceptional stability, with raised edging allowing foot positioning for additional stability.
Pricing
Bass boats are known to be expensive vessels. However, the 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS offers you a great value deal.
Considering the features and performance, the Puma STS offers you excellent value, with a price tag of $107,835.
There’s a trailer included in the deal, and you have plenty of optional extras available to customize your boat any way you want.
Additional Features
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS comes with a bevy of optional extras to improve the boating experience and fishing experience.
Here are some of the optional extras available, but don’t get too carried away. It’s easy to add $15,000 or more to the purchase price if you go overboard with the customizations.
- Minn Kota Ultrex 112/MDI/IP 45″ 36V trolling motor.
- 2 x Helix 9’s pre-wired.
- Thru-hull and SI transducers.
- Aqualon boat cover.
- Keel guard.
- Bobs Jack Plate.
- XLT jack.
- Dual pro trim.
- Fiberglass step box.
2022 Bass Cat Puma STS – The Verdict
Overall, you can’t beat the value you get with this bass boat. If you’re looking for a new fishing vessel for freshwater conditions, we highly recommend the 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS.
You get all the features you need to navigate the flats, including the option of adding the trolling motor – which we highly recommend.
The 2022 Bass Cat Puma STS offers you a high-performance fishing boat with industry-leading design and an affordable price tag. We doubt you’ll find another bass boat offering this level of design quality and features at this price point.
