As the bobber dips beneath  the surface of the Gulf of Mexico's clear waters in Homosassa, Florida, 6-year-old Claire squeals with delight and slowly reels in her fish with a look of concentration normally reserved for a surgeon performing a delicate operation. After posing for a photo, she lets go of the hand-sized pinfish and gets re-shrimped, ready to catch fish number two. Moments later, 10-year-old Evan gets a bite and reels in a nice sea trout. Although neither fish is very big by most anglers' standards, the memory of the catch will be huge for the two kids who have just landed their first saltwater fish.

Outwardly, the new Pro-Line 24 Super Sport is a serious fishing machine that handles as well when you're 30 miles offshore trolling for dolphin as when you're fishing the mouth of the Homosassa River on the west coast of Central Florida. But it's not just for hardcore fishing. In the few short minutes that it takes for Claire and Evan to reel in their first saltwater fish, the boat's true purpose is revealed: to collect great memories.

The steamy summer day aboard the Pro-Line 24 Super Sport begins with loading up the circular, 20-gallon livewell (located in the corner of the transom) with shrimp from the weathered shack that is McRae's Bait and Tackle shop - itself a Homosassa legend - not far from the freshwater springs that form the headwaters of the river, which are home to herds of manatees in the winter. For those who need more live-bait capacity, Pro-Line offers a 25-gallon livewell in the leaning post that has under-seat storage and a backrest located on the centerline, which helps to avoid the slight list that the transom well causes.

The deep, 27-inch cockpit is family-friendly, as are the thickly- padded bolsters that keep anglers from getting bruised during rough water fishing trips. Under the tall gunwales, there's plenty of room for the horizontal rod racks that hold four apiece on either side, with the upscale leaning post providing four more rocket launcher holders. This boat is equipped with the Tournament Package, which gives you two rod holders in the gunwales and a hard top with four more, for a total capacity of 18 rod holders. If you have more fighting sticks than that, you're dangerously close to reaching Imelda Marcos shoe-collector status. In addition, the Tournament Package comes equipped with dual battery switches, a lockable overhead storage box, a freshwater cockpit shower, spreader lights, trim tabs and a hard top, which is necessary to option the Pro-Line 24 Super Sport with outriggers.

The Super Sport series, which also includes the 26 and 29 models, are Pro-Line's most sophisticated center consoles, sporting Euro-style transoms with integrated swim platforms and a deeper, 22-degree deadrise performance hull, as compared to the 19-degree deadrise hulls found on the Sport models. This gives you superior slashing ability when the goin' gets tough, although it does make the 24 Super Sport slightly more tender, as evidenced when all seven people on board head to one side of the boat to look at the XXL spotted eagle ray that cruises alongside.

The helm station features an ergonomically correct, stand-up driving position. The Plexiglas windshield is tall enough to keep the crew unruffled by the wind, and there's an optional tilt steering wheel. If you're a fan of large-screen, flush-mounted electronics, the Pro-Line 24 Super Sport is your boat, with a console that can accommodate anything smaller than a big-screen TV that you might see in a sports bar.

Powering the Pro-Line 24 Super Sport is Mercury's 225 Verado outboard, a supercharged 4-stoke that delivers a blast of acceleration like you wouldn't believe, and it's quiet, at  only 55 decibels at idle. The SmartCraft DTS electronic control is a dream to use with its smooth, effortless shifting and precise throttle control. Jamming the throttle pushes the Pro-Line 24 Super Sport to plane in less than five seconds, and it accelerates to 30 mph in about nine seconds. Top speed is almost 45 mph, which is pretty impressive for a single 225 pushing a 24-foot-5-inch boat with a trailerable 8-foot-6-inch beam that weighs 3,400 pounds dry. A constellation of crab traps buoys provides a good test of the Pro-Line's maneuverability, which can be characterized as nimble and predictable.

If you get hot and boat some nice fish, you won't have any problem finding a place to put them with a 32-gallon box inset into the cockpit sole or the gigantic  70-gallon forward fishbox located up front. Anchor retrieval on this boat is manual override, but there's a standard pulpit with a roller to assist you. The huge rode locker, which some will use as a platform to stand on to toss a cast net, also helps. For those who like to bottom fish in deep water, the optional electric windlass is the way to go.

Dry storage is abundant, with a pair of lockers set into the casting deck up front and a cavernous center console that also houses a standard portable head - a must for family fishing boats. The 24 Super Sport also features plenty of seating with a bench in front of the console and a flip-up stern seat that stows away quickly when it's time to fish. When catching rays is as important as catching fish, there are optional filler cushions on the casting deck, which transforms it into a sun deck. When it's time to cool off - provided that the fishing contingent isn't chumming for sharks - you can walk through the transom door, dive off the rear swim platform, and then reboard via the three-step telescoping swim ladder, which would look tidier if it was concealed under a hatch.

The price as tested when equipped with the Verado 225 and Tournament Package is $65,207, which places it toward the upper middle of the pack, pricewise. But there's plenty of value in this serious fishing boat that has an impressive list of family-friendly features, a high level of fit and finish, and the ability to get you home safely. For those who want to get offshore in a hurry (and if the seas will let you), the Pro-Line 24 Super Sport can be rigged with twin engines up to a total of 300 hp. For Verado fans, moving up to the 275-hp version might make sense, since the engine weight is the same as the 225-hp model.

While the 24 Super Sport is a real looker - with its graceful shearline and sporty hull colors - its real beauty comes from the fact that it's the perfect boat to get your family out on the water. So, not only are you getting a great fishing machine, you're also investing in something that's sure to provide lasting memories.

The Verdict

The 24 Super Sport is a stylish center console with loads of standard features that will appeal to families and hardcore anglers alike. Its well-thought-out layout and performance hull make it appropriate for many types of fishing. A couple more rod holders in the gunwale and transom would be a nice addition. 

Pro-Line 24 Super Sport

LOA 24'5"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3,400 lbs.
Fuel 140 gal.
Top Speed 44.9 mph 
(w/225-hp Verado and Tournament Package)
Time To Plane 4.6 seconds
0-30 mph 9.2 seconds
Decibels @ Idle 55 dB-A 
Decibels @ 30 mph 84 dB-A
Decibels @ WOT 92 dB-A
Base Price $55,477
(w/225-hp Mercury OptiMax)
Price As Tested $65,207
(w/225-hp Mercury Verado and Tournament Package)
Hull Warranty 10-year transferable
NMMA Certified? Yes

Pro-Line Boats
P.O. Box 1348
Crystal River, FL 34423
(800) 344-1281
www.prolineboats.com