As we come to a close on the model year of 2025 and new 2026 fishing boats, outboards, and electronics hit the water, there have been a number of improvements and/or developments to existing lineups that anglers will want to be aware of:
Grady-White Canyon 386
Grady-White said their customers requested more seating options for the Canyon 386, and as usual, Grady-White obliged. There’s now an option to have an aft-facing mezzanine-style seat for three behind the leaning post. It also adds four large stowage drawers for your gear and tackle, a wastebasket, and a knife/pliers/lure holder. Comfort boosters include lumbar-support backrests, angled seat bottoms, fold-down arm rests, cup holders, grab rails, fold-down footrests, and two rod holders.
Yamaha F150/200
You love tiller steering, but hate fighting the tiller? Yamaha now offers a power-assisted tiller steering system for their F200R and F150R in-line-four tiller-steer outboards. Available in standard and eight-inch tiller lengths, a hydraulic-assisted system makes handling these 16-valve, DOHC, multipoint EFI outboards easy to handle.
G3 Bay Boats
G3 bay boats now feature quick-release hardware on the windshields and folding grab rails, for easier garage storage. The leaning post has changed, too, with two additional rocket launchers and a lower, more comfortable profile.
Parker Boats: Fathom This
Parker is adding Seakeeper Ride systems as standard features on many new boats in the lineup, including Fathom models. Fathom? Yes, Fathom. Parker has instituted a name change to go with the new and improved lineup. Stay tuned—you know we’ll be back with more on these boats.
Humminbird Apex Update
The Humminbird Apex and Solix G3 software update 5.340 introduced this summer brings with it a new power menu, home screen, and favorites screen; improved MEGA Live 2 zoom; chart proximity search ability; and multiple general updates. Note: we’ve used and we love the quick-access power menu, especially for easy dimming at dusk and the standby mode.
Mercury 425 HP and 350 HP Verado Outboards
Mercury Marine has added 25 horses to its top V10 offering, now the 425 Verado, while also enhancing the 350 Verado’s performance. Mercury says their testing showed the 425 Verado to be three seconds faster going from zero to 30 mph when compared to a 450-hp competitor. The 350 Verado is said to be four seconds faster as well as having a 2.7-mph faster top-end, and being 15-percent faster from zero to 50, as compared to the old 350 thanks to enhanced midrange torque.
Raymarine and Suzuki Outboard Integration
A new collaboration between Raymarine and Suzuki allows boaters to bring digital gauge interfaces to the helm on Axiom chartplotters. The 4.10 LightHouse operating system can offer a full suite of monitoring including details like oil pressure, trim/tilt position, average fuel economy, and more. The Axiom can support up to four engines and is compatible with Suzukis of 40 hp and above.
Tideline 28
Tideline Boats has announced a new model: the Tideline 280 Bluewater. The first hulls should hit the water in 2026, and Tideline says the boat will be more similar to the 365 than to their 235. The 280 Bluewater has a wide 10’ beam and the base boat sports twin 300s, multiple livewells, integrated tackle stowage, and a custom sea chest. Estimated top-end is expected to be in the neighborhood of 60 mph.
Furuno TZ MAPS
Furuno TZ MAPS on NavNet TZtouchXL delivers a serious boost to the chartplotter, with new features like AI Routing, AI Avoidance Route, and BathyVision. An "intelligent" routing engine and the inclusion of real-time radar returns not only creates safe routes but can even steer around hazardous targets and calculate potential collision risks. Meanwhile, 3D bathymetric views and satellite photos allow customization of charts and provide spectacular detail of the views both above and under the water.
Honda Outboards
Honda has restyled seven of its large outboards for a modern look more closely reflecting the design concept behind their flagship BF350. They’ve also added a new remote-control and seven-inch multifunction display, which offers a trim support function that automatically controls trim based on engine rpm and speed to maintain a pre-set running attitude. The BF200, 225, and 250 enjoy the addition of a new oxygen sensor to boost fuel economy, plus an oil leak preventing mechanism in the engine cowl to reduce messes during filter changes.