In springtime, while the hordes of beer-guzzling college students congregate on the sandy shores of Daytona Beach trying to turn the same color as the Red Lobster sign on Speedway Boulevard, there is another group of people seeking another skin tone: fluorescent green. Because while the masses come here for fun in the sun, the fishermen come to run and gun, and their prey is the colorful dolphin ' a.k.a. mahi-mahi on your seafood menu. To find fish in this often-featureless liquid offshore desert, you've got to stay moving ' even when it gets rough ' and there are few boats better equipped for this than the Boston Whaler 270 Outrage.

It's the perfect size for this style of fishing. At 27 feet long with a trailerable beam of 8 feet 6 inches, it's big enough to run hard in the chop, but not too big that you give up speed or need to rig it with triples. Powered by a pair of 225-hp Mercury OptiMax engines, the fully gassed and iced 270 Outrage accelerates to 30 mph in about seven-and-a-half seconds, and hits 54 mph on the short stretch just before Ponce Inlet. As is usual for the East Coast, the inlet is pretty nasty, and the driver slows down enough so that the 5,160-pound hull doesn't launch after cresting one of the rollers coming through the inlet. The direct-injected 2-stroke OptiMax 225s provide the ultimate in speed control. If you goose the throttles just a touch, you get immediate acceleration, and backing off is almost like having brakes, so picking your way through a rough inlet is easy, once you get used to the responsiveness.

Once clear of the inlet, advancing the throttles to 4000 rpm nets a cruise speed of 40 mph. Recent tests show that this should result in fuel consumption of a little less than 2 miles per gallon (mpg). Optimal cruise speed is around 35 mph, where you should get just a little better than 2 mpg. With a 200-gallon fuel tank, this gives you plenty of range to head to the Bahamas and back without paying for more expensive island gas. Although there is a moderate ocean swell of about three feet in the Atlantic, the ride is very comfortable. Occasionally, the 270 Outrage launches off a steeper wave, but with its Accutrack hull, a modified Vee that features an ultra-sharp entry and 22-degree deadrise at the stern, the Whaler doesn't slam into the face of the wave, but knifes through and lands softly. The 270 rides very level, and trimming up the engines gets a lot of the hull out of the water, with just an occasional tap of the standard electric trim tabs needed. For those who think Boston Whalers have a harsh ride, they are living in the past, because the new generation of boats is not only unsinkably tough like the old ones, but they feature a cushy, dry ride.

Searching for weed lines, the best place to find fish in the open ocean, proves fruitless. There are a few blown-out remnants, but nothing that would qualify as fish habitat, so the 270 Outrage continues farther offshore. The helm station is perfectly suited for long days at the wheel looking for fish. The rounded, wraparound tempered glass windshield is stylish, functional, and lets taller drivers peer above it for an unobstructed view. The standard leaning post seat is the equivalent of most companies' upgraded deluxe models. The firm seat cushions flip forward to reveal a deep, dry storage compartment, and the removable backrest and flip-down footrest means you can sit for hours comfortably.

The large console has plenty of room for a pair of flush-mounted electronics displays directly in front
of the driver, complete with a lockable cover for security. The three-spoke stainless-steel wheel for the hydraulic steering is stout and features a spinner knob, so drivers can have one hand on the throttles and still be able to whip the boat around when needed, an especially useful thing when dodging debris or docking. From the outside the console doesn't look that big, but opening the door reveals a real head compartment, complete with sink, freshwater shower with 20-gallon capacity, loads of storage, and the option for a real marine head instead of the standard portable head with pumpout.

After scanning for signs of fish for a few hours, there off in the distance, just above the horizon, is an encouraging sign: a black dot. While the uninitiated might clean their glasses in response, to an observant fisherman, seeing that black dot occasionally dip down to the horizon is a sign that might as well be written in neon: fish here. What they are watching is a frigate bird that is following feeding fish and swooping down to claim any leftovers from the carnage. So while the captain closes the gap, the crew gets ready to troll. The 270 Outrage is one boat where you will always have the right rod for the job within easy reach with 11 rod holders, including four next to the bow lounges and three in the stern. With one of the optional T-tops that have an additional five holders, and 10 rod racks, you can pack an impressive arsenal and take advantage of any opportunity that could arise.

At the stern, one of the fishermen reaches into the 23-gallon livewell that is dry today because the bait du jour is dead ballyhoo, which has been thawing here. He rigs the baits at the bait prep station, which has a cutting board and rigging and leader storage below. After swinging out the optional Taco outriggers, four lines are spread as they try to anticipate the direction of the zigzagging fish, without spooking them. While waiting for the strike, the beefy flip-up stern bench is a great place to sit. And when a bright green 10-pound bull dolphin smashes one of the outrigger baits and launches six feet in the air, the seat is easily folded flush to the transom for more fighting room.

Like other Whalers, the emphasis is on safety, and with stainless-steel toe rails and 28 inches of gunwale height, staying in the boat on rough days is easy. Although they keep the caught fish in the water, which can sometimes keep the school around the boat, the fish they've just reeled in is a single, so they gaff it, swing it aboard and plop it in one of the two 5-foot-long in-deck fish boxes/storage units in the cockpit. With another deep 84-gallon fish box up front that also has a pump-out and drain, the 270 Outrage has an amazing fish-hauling capacity.

After cleaning up with the standard raw-water hose and grabbing some ice-cold drinks out of the 94-quart Igloo under the leaning post, they re-rig and re-acquire the frigate bird that is almost invisible in the distance. They manage to put another couple more dolphin in the box to keep the other one company and begin the 25-mile run back in. This is one Whaler that can do more than work the day shift. After cleaning the fish and washing the 270 down, you could have a nice little cocktail party and invite 13 of your friends and not exceed its 4,300-pound capacity. It even has a swamped capacity of almost three tons, so bring on the heavy hors d'oeuvres. There's plenty of bow seating for guests, and for sunbathing there is an optional filler cushion. Of course, there is also plenty of under-seat storage.

The Boston Whaler comes as a turnkey package that really only needs a T-top, electronics, and a Clarion stereo option to be fully loaded. This year you will be seeing some nice optional hull colors showing up. Priced at $96,601 with a pair of OptiMax 200s, this is not an inexpensive rig. But the 270 Outrage is a premium offshore boat with a 10-year transferable limited hull warranty that you can take your family out fishing in and bring them back, even if things get ugly out there. How much extra is that worth?