[jaredchasteen]

Here are some pics of Capt. Mike Ellis new 33 Freeman Cat that fred sent me. It looked very nice and is supposed to ride very fast in a 4 foot sea. I hope he doesnt mind me posting this.


Edit: His phone number is 504-715-6597

 

[crazyjigr]

I'll be on it march 1st and 2nd and will report

 

[Mitchw123456]

here she is getting built

Boating & Fishing Forum - Freeman 33 cat update

tons of info on it and hull #2 over there

 

[marlintini]

nice boat. billy is having one built and should be ready in june.

 

[gimmedeal]

When I arrived in Venice,this boat was on the trailer and I went to get my camera and get some pics. By the time I returned, Capt Ellis had put it in the water and making it ready for the next day. He invited me on and this boat is fishy as all get out. Ellis said it's the best fishing boat in Venice. At that time he'd had it about a month and a half.
Took the pics. The boat is very well set up for fishing, lotsa room. That coffin box up front is large. The boat seemed to be very solidly built, latches and hardware were heavy.
Capt Ellis raved about the boat. Said it's fast and fuel efficient. He said fuel burn is about .1 miles per gallon more than his 26' Glacier Bay going 10 miles an hour faster at cruise. Pretty impressive with double the HP and a much larger boat.
Time will tell how well the Freeman holds up but it certainly seemed solid.

Fred

 

[Capt. Mike Ellis]

I was told that this was up on here and decided to take a look. As Fred has already mentioned the boat is a beast. At 4500 RPM I am running anywhere from 34-36 knots and burning 27-29 gallons per hour. The ride is the best part it will out ride any other boat out there. All of the negative characteristics that cat boats have this one has none of them. No more bottoming out when trolling and best of all the sneeze is almost nonexistant. Plus the side to side rocking is gone with the 11' beam. The livewell is large enough to keep small blackfin alive in. I tried it the other day just to see if it would work. He lived more than long enough to put him on a hook. The thing that I think you guys in Texas could benfit from is the fuel capacity. I would never make the runs you guys do with all that extra gasoline on the deck. I have easy Green Canyon range on her. Which for that trip you are looking at about 300 miles round trip give or take a few. On a trip like that I expect to use about 200 gallons or so. The coffin box was designed to put whatever in it I would ever want to I forget the exact measurements but I think they are 75"X28"X31" these may not be 100% accurate. But I do know it is considerably larger than a GB 26 fish box. And no pumps to go out on you it just drains straight through the bottom. The durability aspect was a concern at first with the boat being cold molded. But how many million dollar plus sportfishers are made with this technique. I have no concerns whatsoever with the boat holding up. I have put her through the paces since I have had her. There is no creaks or rattling at all and I have never had the boat shudder no matter how big the wave. Billy builds a top shelf product and I fully expect to just keep putting set after set of engines on her through the years. And yes it is oh so very nice when you pass the monohull guys at speed and watch them take a beating trying to keep up. It was mentioned about hull #2 Billy Wells should have it sometime in late April early May. I expect to see quite a few Freeman's in the next couple of years.
Capt. Mike

 

[Bill Fisher]

i see you haven't had time to mount the trolling motor or front pedestal seat

so,.......... when we going bass fishing?.......... LOL!

JK,....... hopefully next winter i'll find someone wanting to come down (or 'over' as-the-case-may-be) and make a trip-r-2 with you
(love that 11' beam!)

SC 3915 RY?

"SC"???!! ........... man!, that's gotta go!

 

[Capt. Mike Ellis]

Bill Fisher, I don't understand what you are talking about. I guess that went way over my head. Anyway back to fishing for the next several days or so.

 

[Bill Fisher]

Bill Fisher, I don't understand what you are talking about. I guess that went way over my head. Anyway back to fishing for the next several days or so.


registration # beginning with "SC"?........... the two boats that i keep in Louisiana begin with "LA"

your's registered in south carolina?

 

[Bret]

Hey Capt Mike, that is one sweet looking ride.. We drooled over it at cypress cove...

 

[Rottweiler22]

Hey Mike, Nice boat, I bet it is turning allot of heads down there. I know you are putting her through the paces and applying a liberal coat of fish slime every day.

I bet that 11' beam will make those overnight trips esp comfy.

BTW Mike is a hell of a fisherman and a good guy. He really knows what he is doing on those swords....
View attachment 2722

 

[Lordofbarbeque]

I heard he ( Capt. Mike ) was so happy about getting a real boat that he was giving away a free fishing trip. It was rumored that he was going to give it ( the overnight trip ) away to the 100th person who PM'd him about it from this forum.

 

[SkeeterRonnie]

maybe this is what billfisher was referring too....
100 MPH "bass"boat.. LOL!!

 

[Ragman]

I heard he ( Capt. Mike ) was so happy about getting a real boat that he was giving away a free fishing trip. It was rumored that he was going to give it ( the overnight trip ) away to the 100th person who PM'd him about it from this forum.


Hey LoB!

They're supposed to cc you on each PM so you could help him keep track!

 

[Bret]

maybe this is what billfisher was referring too....
100 MPH "bass"boat.. LOL!!

this is what a 100mph bass boat will get you...... miss a turn, run aground, get flung into the air 150ft only to get impaled by a fence post.... He survived and was able to walk after several surgeries and months of therapy... Sorry for the continued hijack....
I still think that freeman 33 is one of the sleekest looking fishing cat I have seen.

 

[gman]

OMG I can only pray his unit wasn't cut off. How does one survive an accident like that

 

[Bret]

OMG I can only pray his unit wasn't cut off. How does one survive an accident like that
The story I got was that the post was wedged so tight that he actually bled very little despite lots of internal injuries.. No word on his winkie....

 

[Bellyups]

After he saw that nurse, I bet that wasn't the "woodie" he was hoping for.

 

[SkeeterRonnie]

his winkie is laying on top of the post.... dont look like here was much there to start with .. LOL!!!

the offfshore cat is one freakin awesome boat!! WHEN I win the lotto- I will buy 3 of them One for Venice, One for South Padre, and one for Freeport , maybe one for Florida too- and learn how to swordfish

 

[gman]

hows the fishing off South Padre Island