Shadow Bass Boat...what is it...where did it come from?

[scawdthedog]

I had one...my first bass boat back in 1986 w/ 200 mariner bods nose cone 30 pitch chopper......88mph....that thing would roll..but would beat your brains out in the chop....

Brent

[2000 shadowboats]

[quote author=Ranger375 link=topic=1023.Just signed up and wanted to let everyone know that shadow did make boats in 2000 I have a 2000 shadow v21 with a 250 johnson on it and it will fly.....ill get some pics when i have time

[Don Wenger]

I took one of my son inlaws fishing in my Shadow 200VT yesterday for the 1st time,and all he could say when I got on the hot foot was ooohh shhhhhhhh

[Don Wenger]

That 1990 shadow 180V in picture above used to be mine,I sold it to a guy in Jacksonville NC A little over two years ago.He is trying to sell it now,if I had $5000.00 I would by it back from him.That picture is the one I put on BBC,who ever gets it is going to get one fine boat,oh he had a rebuilt 200 merc put on it last year' His name is Kevin Dessert ----phone#910-238-4709

[AllenB]

Just to add to the conversation. The boats were originally built in Maryville, TN, which was sold to someone in Ky. I know the person who has the very first one built and it is still running good.

[cootertwo]

I believe this is from the original Shadow mold.   http://www.cougarcustoms.com/12.html

[BandedBait]

I worked with Pats Boats in Blue Springs years ago and ran the Shadow. They were a good boat but did not have the backing or dealer base to grow. The tunnel with a 200 would run 78 without a problem. I did like the tunnel's stability and cornering ability. After they left KY the were made down in Murfb. TN.

[jamesdenson]

im looking at a shadow and may purchase it in the next few days and im a little confused i see people saying they have a 85 all the way to a 94 model shadow bass boat and i looked at the nada guide and the only years they have for them are 88 thru 91 and i was wondering if the 88 20b was a tunnel hull or not and ill let you know how fast it runs if i get it but 1000lb hull 225 horse should fly.

[Demonboats]

I found this thread on here and wanted to let some people know that i have a set of the shadow molds "bass boat"but that i will soon be comming out with a more modern closed bow style for the ones who like to go fast!! i`ve have been building boats for 18 yrs Stinger boats and Outerbank boats,are the companys that i presently own productions has slowed to almost nothing so i have gone into outboard repair you can go to demonboats.com and see some of what i`m talking about.i will post some more pics of the shadows/Stinger  bass boat version the closed bow will not be ready for a few months.if you have any questions give me a call at 843-870-3782 ask for Craigo i do have one demo that 20`1" and will run in the 80s with a 200 and that was on the Gps

[Don Wenger]

I have a 200VT for sale  or call me at 910-868-3064
                                                                            thank you,,,Don

[Chadwin]

I guess I have the real 411 on the Shadow Nu-legend boat because I actually own one.  I did a lot of research before purchasing my boat and here is what I have came up with, from time to time I stop by their shop to talk to the owner, he is a good christian man who actually lives it.  They bought shadow molds and started their boats in 1997, the problems with shadow were they were made light weight, the transims would break out and they chopped the boat leaving holes in the structure so they had to go out of business.  Nu-Legend boats bought the molds like i mentioned earlier except they put in extra reinforcement and hand lay the hulls.   They would have kept the shadow name but it was so tarnished from bad production they went with the new name.  The owners had their own sight to build and didnt use any of the junk out of shadow but made everything with all new materials.  By the way you can buy a nu legend boat for 1/3 the price of a ranger, I would love to own a ranger but i rather buy 2 brand new vehicles for what it cost to buy one.  Here are a few facts I have learned from some of the owners who mostly buy them for the south esp in the big lakes of Florida. 1.  They are great rough water boats, you will be out longer fishing while the others are heading back to dock and you may beat them back.  2.  These boats are Super fast and handle very very well at high speeds.  3  You will be the first out of the hole during the tournament, even if a few boats take off before you, you'll pass them.  4.  The owners stand behind their product, they will give you their home phone number if you needed them, i cant say enough about them.  Since they fished for years they actually chaged up the shadow with making rod boxes a little larger and easier live well access but from the outside it still looks stock.  606-523-2593 is their number and i highly recommend them.  Since the economy has gotten bad they do a lot of repair work on every kind of boat but still building new boats as orders come in.  They are not part of the Legend down south or the house boat company and Hustler misled in an earlier comment because the company has always done well. I dont bash other peoples boats, the same way i dont try to talk a Ford up to a Chevy man or a Dodge guy to buy a Ford.  Great warranty, great service after the sale, and the best price for you money.  I would recommend them to anyone, and May be trading mine in so they can build one to match my new truck.  By the way if you have a sharp vehicle they can do a custom match, wheels, colors, and the price isnt jacked up, its all runs about the same price... thats my $.02 worth. thanks for reading my story.

[wayne26]

Let me set everybody straight on these Shadow boats.
My name is Wayne Jennings.
I'm from Kingston Tennessee.
The owner/founder/builder of these boats was Jay Cox.
I bought his PERSONAL boat in 1981.
It was a 1980 20' Shadow tunnel bass boat with AME4000 kevlar bottom.
It was the ONLY 4 color Shadow boat ever built.
It was black, silver, red and yellow.
ALL other shadow boats were 3 color.
It was so thin on the top that when you opened doors up on the back to
get to your batteries you could see sunlight through the metal flake.
The serial number on the boat was JAYCOX 80
He had a bridge port 2.4 Merc on it and set a record with it.
I'm not sure which one.'
I put a 235 Johnson on it and it pulled a 28 Raker prop at 107 MPH.
The 17 1/2' boats were bad to break in half and there were many lawsuits over it.
There were ALSO several lawsuits over the "remolding" of this boat.
(Google "Jay Cox" or Shadow bass boat "remold" lawsuit. You'll find it)
It was a Glasstream? or some other top that Jay had been the builder of, but....
he made a tunnel "race" bottom for it and used the same "mold" and more or less went under because of the suits.
This was, by far, the best handling high speed boat I have ever owned in my life and I have had just about every Allison made except for an XB-2003. I just sold an XB-2002 that I absolutely loved but my new hip replacement didn't. You could actually drive this boat (Shadow) with one hand at 100 MPH!!!! There was no "chime walking". It just danced back and froth from sponson to sponson. It was a joy to drive. Unfortunately somebody wanted the motor bad enough to steal the whole rig and then took the motor off and attempted to sink the boat. I got it back and traded it to a guy east of Knoxville for a dang Check Mate ready for the water. Stupidest move I've ever made. That was a roomy, FAST, great handling boat. Now you know the REAL Shadow story.

[basshawk17]

The Shadow boat was made in Corbin Ky, true, VERY fast, VERY light and Very dangerious  . They would break in rough water. As for the Nu-Legend boat, it was actually copied from a Gemini Bass Boat that was designed by Bill West Morland. I owned one of the Gemini. Put it by the Nu-Legend and they are the same boat. They redone the back of the Nu-Legend so it did not look idenical to the Gemini. The Nu-Legend was made in London/Corbin Ky ( which ever you want to call it ). Only about 3 miles of road seperated the boat companies. They still have the molds for the Nu-Legend and if I remember right, they will still build you one to your specs.....

[DarthVenom]

Hello Everyone. I am an owner of an original Shadow. My boat is a 1986 20.8 ft Shadow Tunnel V with a freshly rebuilt 200 HP XP Evinrude. I haven't had her that long an am happy for the information on my rig you guys have mentioned. I am told mine will do mid 80's but engine is still not broken in from rebuild so I've only been running her around 40-50. I tell you, there's a lot left in her but I bought the boat cause I love to fish, not race.

My transom is in great condition but I do need to replace the carpet and buff out some very minor sun damage (just lost shine on upper facing areas). I even got the original Shadow tandem axle trailer with her. I've attached some photo's of my rig.

Again thanks for the info! Glad to be on the forum. 

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[okstone]

I have been reading some of the misconceptions about the history of the shadow boat and the oklahoma version.  I know all about this situation and how all this come about and the Oklahoma built boat is not from the molds of the old Shadow.

I joined this web site just to dispell some of these rumors.  Also the Oklahoma Shadow 22 Magnum was capable of 92 miles with a stock 200 hp mercury.  The weight of the boat was 1250 lbs with no motor.

Plans are in the mill to manufacturer this boat again.  I will post more later about this boat.

[DarthVenom]

My boat has a clear ID plate & says it's from Friendsville Tennessee, not Oaklahoma. I have heard a lot of misconceptions though since I bought my rig so I know what you mean.

[okstone]

My Avatar shows a picture of the last and newest Shadow Boat.  It should never have been called a shadow but the builder had a deal with the real shadow boat company in New Jersey.  Jay Cox and the Lynches never had permission to use the shadow name and ultimately ruined the reputation of Shadow.

New Ledgend, Shadow or any of the people who think they know where the Shadow came from, don't know a thing unless they were personally involved with the dealings of the pirates of Kentucky and Tennessee.  Then they would be afraid to tell the truth. ( The Movie Deliverance, if you know what I mean )

[fishinfranklin]

I cant say allot about them yet, My buddy Joe just got a 20 foot shadow and we just installed a 115 merc on it, had to have somewhere to assembly the 115, we are going to run the 115 for a while and see just how it does on the boat( we are think around 55mph) And if the 115 isnt enough we will put the 200 togather that i just picked up the mid section for. the transom is like new and has not be replaced, the hull is very thin like said you can see light thru it when you look into the lockers. hope to get it to the lake next weekend for its trail run,, I will post back along with  some pics of the boat

[DarthVenom]

Mine's hull isn't that thin as you are describing. You cannot see through mine and it is very strong. Must be the difference in model year of our boats. Mine's an 86, and 20 foot 8 inches, what year is your buddy's? Also, my boat is rated for 235 HP. I'm only running a 200 Rude looper though.

55 sounds possible with a 115 if it's set up right and with a light load and driven right if it's a tunnel V. If it's the standard V hull 45-50 maybe.

Good luck on the water! Hope to see some photos. 

[fishinfranklin]

Its a 87 20ft 6in tunnel hull. His is also rated for the 235Hp motor. He is hoping to to get it to the lake this week and try a few differant props out.

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[DarthVenom]

That's a real nice looking boat. I do see some slight differences between his & mine, but they look the same for the most part. Mine's color is the dark (charcoal) grey metalflake however it is only in certain parts on the sides and underneath. The rest is a kind of "no slip" surface such as on my console and in most of the inside areas.

Let me know how it goes when you get her out on the water. I am curious how it will run with the smaller motor. You do save a lot of weight with the 115 vs. my 200 V6 looper. I bet with the right prop and setup She'll do pretty well and surprise you. If you aren't familiar with driving the tunnel hull, remember to trim your motor in a little to lift th ~cfe stern on your high speed runs. Believe it or not, this really makes a lot of difference in stability, driveability, and top end speed.

[DarthVenom]

Well I've had my Shadow for over a year now and can say I absolutely love it! I did have to get rid of the 4 blade 27p. Shooter prop that came with her as well as all thru hub props 4 & 3 blade altogether and move to over the hub racing style props, also adjust the jack plate a little to cure a midrange speed (35-50 mph) porpoising issue. I'm currently running one of two props depending on conditions and load: a 15" dia. x 28"p. Hoss 3 blade offshore cut over the hub, and a 15" dia. x 27"p. DAH 3 blade Cleaver. With my 120 lb's and a light load she runs 85.6 mph GPS @ 5750 RPM running the Hoss, and with myself and one other person, full tank of fuel and a good tackle load she runs 84.8 in a light chop @ 5900 RPM with my Cleaver.

I've been off the water for a while at the moment doing minor floor repairs, modifications (deck extension, etc.), and carpet replacement also adding a windshield to keep my eyes from watering while driving her.

Upon pulling up part of my floor I discovered an additional bonus, my hull is hand laid kevlar & she does have flotation (before proceeding with repairs I had the hull material verified by a reputable local boat builder. This is necessary due to the differences between poly and epoxy resins. Because I have a kevlar hull I must use epoxy in my repairs and kevlar mat.). My boat does have very few stringers though -only 3 running longitudnal between her tunnels under the floor. Now I know what the "KEV-FBGLS" stands for under "construction" on my title. On most Florida boat titles it states either "Fbgls" or "Alum" depending on your boats hull material and construction.

Also upon buffing my boat out after removing the minor oxidation I found a name I can barely make out just forward of the large "Shadow" decal/emblem on her starboard side and underneath it, I can read "Worlds Fastest Bass Boat" in quotations. The name centered above this is too far gone to make out completely.

I am also removing the only wood in her -those 3 stringers and rebuilding them using kevlar mat & epoxy resin over foam. I am almost finished and will be back in the water for this falls fishing here in Florida. I can't wait!

So it seems folks that these boats do have a unique history, and now I know why my boat is a bit different in appearance to other 20+ inch Shadows I've seen and came across.

I know this thread is old, I just thought some of you may enjoy this update on my progress with my boat.

Wishing everyone tight lines. 
DarthVenom

[West6550]

Awesome read man. Cool boat too!

[Bigwrench]

I really enjoyed reading this entire post , so thank you for updating .  Get some pictures of the stringer replacement process you used and post up a new "How-To" thread if you get a chance or you can submit it as an article if you'd prefer   Sounds like some serious , well thought out repair work and I'd bet it would crossover to other brands if someone needed to do a similar repair   I love boat repair posts  as I am always doing something to mine and enjoy the final outcome.  Just a thought thanks again for the great read

[DarthVenom]

Thanks for the comments.

I plan to as I am taking photos of the process as I go along. I'm just waiting til I finish so I can post the whole process from start to finish. I see far too many of these that end in the middle of the process leaving you waiting to see the final result later on. When I post mine I want to be able to show you the process from start to finish.

What is hiolding me up right now is rain -every day rain from noon on to near 6 pm when I close down for the day. My boat is under a 25 x 12' canopy that is not closed in on the sides or rear. As soon as I get a break in the weather (I live in west central Florida about 2 hrs north of Tampa off of I-75 and we are getting the 'blow over' from all these tropical storms going by on the east coast.

The good news to this is when it finally does let up our lakes and canals will have plenty of water in them for test runs, he, he, he. However until it does let up it's just too moist outside to proceed at the moment.

I'll be going back in with 22 wt. marine grade dark grey carpet which should blend well with my boats exterrior.

Stay safe everyone!
DarthVenom