Favorite Bass Boats?

[gonefishin3]

Skeeters a great boat but I dont like the deck lay outs on them much... Champions another good boat and so is Triton, but I bought the Ranger so I gotta go with what I picked

[bobbygib]

In the "Love the one you're with" vein, I'll go with Stratos.

Have fished Ranger, Triton, Skeeter, Allison, Cajun, tracker, Nitro, procraft, and have found qualities in all of them I like.

Naturally, since the only one I have ever "owned" is the Stratos, gotta tell you, love this boat. rides, drives and fishes fine for me.

Now that I have it properly propped and have "most" (there'e always more....stuff...;-) of the stuff on it I like and want, and...it's paid for, I doubt I'll be looking to buy a new/different one for a while.

However, I must admit I do peruse the classifieds and Craigslist from time to time and am amazed at some of the bargains out there!

For less than $20,000.00, you can get a nearly new bass boat of your dreams! For less than $10,000.00 you can find the occasional deal of a lifetime.

Saw a guy at a Sheetz/quickmart couple weeks ago pulling a nice Triton TR-21. Went over to talk to him and he told me he had just come from Tennessee where he just bought the boat from some guy advertising it on Craigslist. Finally got around to asking him what he paid for it....he tells me $8,000.00!!!! Amazing. And it was full of tackle! Must have been 20 rods and reels in the rod boxes the guy just let go with the boat!
Told me the guy hadn't used it in several years, but had been stored indoors. It looked beautiful, just a little dirty/dusty. I asked him if he'd started the motor (merc 225) and he told me when he saw the boat and the clear title he just wanted to get out of there before the guy changed his mind. Cant say I blame him. That fancy a$$ Trition trailer alone was prolly worth $8,000.00! What's a new boat like that sell for? $40,000+ maybe? Seemed like a decent guy...didn't get the impression he was B-S ing me.

I'm sure the economy has much to do with that, but unfortunately, many guys buy these nice boats only to realize down the road that don't have time to use them and they just want to unload them.


hope I can find a deal like that when it's time to upgrade.

God I love to fish....

[walkeraviator]

Originally Posted by gonefishin3

Skeeters a great boat but I dont like the deck lay outs on them much... Champions another good boat and so is Triton, but I bought the Ranger so I gotta go with what I picked

Im curious what about the Skeeter deck you dont like... I always saw that front deck as one of its biggest selling points...

[lilmule]

More like 42 k and up,but used they dont bring that much,depends upon the year of mfg,many selling their tritons at 5 yearts of age as no longer qualify for the triton gold money or T,ranger is about the same 5 years old or less to fish the ranger trail T.
Ive owned rangers,thundercraft, skeeters,glassport,phantom ,jaguar and now an allison,many nice features of most of them.
As for a good buy an 88 xtb allison wrapped was on ebay for 7,900 with a 200 ,looked like new,allisons providing one doesnt go back so far as wood boats are all composite and a steel reinforced transom,and last forever.Mine is a 90 model.And very few boats that could pass it with a 250hp on it,only another allison or bullet.All that hp really isnt needed i recently repowered mine with an old xflow 140 and it runs about what a tr 21 would do with a 200 on it low 60s

[IowaBasser]

I voted for Nitro. I don't currently have a boat. A good friend of mine has an Allison - it's crazy fast and he loves it. (His wife loves to fish) I'd like to get a boat in a year or two, but I doubt I will get a bass boat. I'm looking at more of a sport boat for the family. (My wife hates to fish, but likes to ski and cruise) It looks like a good compromise for us. For now I'm stuck borrowing my dad's walleye boat.

NITRO 189 Sport

[bamabassman]

Please don't get a Nitro, go to a fish/ski by anyone other than Nitro. Sorry, I have looked at Nitro's over and over. Just not a very stable rig in my opinion. Just my worthless 2 cents. You can get a REAL nice used rig for what you buy with a new Nitro.

[IowaBasser]

Thanks for your 2 cents on the Nitro - I just like the set-up, with the stow away space for the trolling motor, and the rear deck for casting or sun-bathing, and room for 5 or 6 people when the kids want to go inter-tubing. I haven't seriously begun looking yet.

[woody]

IowaBasser, here's my 2cents.

That boat is underpowered with the 115. Go with at least a 150.


-Mark

[lilmule]

Stratos 476 fs while shorter runs quite nice with a 115,while not a light boat is less weight ,costs less,and is better built for a low end entry level pkg than a nitro.

By the time you build that nitro it will be about 26-27 k,as it wont do well for sking with a 115.

The stratos hp rating is 115 it will do well with one in comparison.Get the 115 hp,boats within or near their hp rating run better

An no dont own a nitro or a ski boat or a stratos, buddy of mine had the larger version fs it did ok, particular if it stormed nice top to slide under.
The ride however in any fs isnt quite as good but tradeoff for more family options
Propped with about a 19 P four blade it will pop two skiers up,and run about 50 mph,and get much better gas mileage than a 150.

[walkeraviator]

My 2 cents is that new fish and ski boats suck...all of em. Older ones are more fishing friendly my dad has a 96 stratos 278FS and it is much better for fishin than the new stratos FS boats

[lilmule]

Agree the ride isnt as good but multi purpose and its what he wants not what we want.
Its not strictly a fishing boat,fish-ski family wife kids etc
How often are the wife and kids-dog in your bb,wanting to ski,sightsee,tube and generally ride around?
They are slower attract all sorts of critters as well,like you im a bb owner,generally alone or with a fishin bud,they just arnt built for everyone,guess thats why so many models of boats are out there.
I posted it due to it being a better deal all around than a nitro is all,dont own one,but do envy the attempt at all in the family enjoying it.

[walkeraviator]

I wasn't knockin fish and ski boats.... just pointing out that one could save a lot of money and get a better boat by buying a used fish and ski over a new one. And actually Dads boat rides super dry and only rides rough in super choppy waters we encounter on windy days out on KY lake. As for speed... it will do 60mph with a 150 Evinrude Intruder... but we never run it that fast. Keep it under 4000 rpm and you get really good gas mileage running about 35mph... and that old outboard will run 3 large adults in the boat and still pull two pretty big guys on a tube...

As far as NEW fish and ski boats go... I like Ranger if you can afford them...

[lilmule]

Agree again I buy used,as for 60 with a 150 it is slow compared to a fast bb at 70 with the same motor.And ky lake wont always let one run wot,another reason i downsized in hp 200 wasnt needed on ky lake in an allison,july and aug one can get it up there at times,rest of the year my lil 140 isnt utilized entirely,and it does with about 120 actual hp as rated at powerhead about what that used f and s you are referring to.
It does however take someone and a friend who knows something about boats to buy a decent used one,suspect since its a family thing he wants new and a warranty.
9 months out of the year it is windy here on ky lake ,july aug 10-15 mph with some late aug and sept being 5-10.
I do know where the lake narrows down under the bridge and the current is greater that with it blowing 40 steady and gusts to 55 my lil allison will go forward on 70 pd thrust,went out on plane in 30 mph came back in off plane,and felt like an idiot for being out in 7 fters,they bob like a cork even thou small.But thats unreal and unsafe.
Same wind broke barges loose,sank two of them as well.
I owned a 373 191/2 ft f and s Ranger for ten years,ran good on the ohio river but not here,solid well built ran 59 on gps with a xflow 150 on it,you cant sink one,but hull slap is quite annoying.They do however resemble a dual console bb a lot more than modern ones.

[IowaBasser]

Living in Iowa... I fish a lot of smaller lakes. At 40 mph, it usually only takes me 10 or 15 minutes (at the most to get) anywhere on the lakes I fish. My Dad lives on a private lake, and they have a 35 mph speed limit. Hell, a lot of small lakes I fish are either electric motor only or no-wake! So 115 hp is really plenty for me. A friend of mine has an Allison with a 200 or maybe even a 225 hp motor on it? He races it once or twice a year just for fun. I'm not sure how fast it is, but I'm guessing it goes close to 90 mph or more with his racing prop. They fish the Mississippi, so they travel 40 miles or more up or down stream occassionally. Still, with all the crap floating in the Mississippi they don't run more then 40 mph.

If I fished bigger waters where I needed to travel greater distances or had to deal with bigger waves I would consider the bigger motor, but I think a 115 is just fine for me.

Realistically when the time comes, I probably will buy used. I'm just looking at new boats to see what's out there; where'd I put my lottery ticket, I need to check this week's numbers!

[lilmule]

Rangers are a decent boat well built but like you the customer need to be taken care of,no disrepect your z9 is well built but many entry level nitros arnt,or wernt.
The FLW atttitude isnt due to rangers in general more to their format,they have their office right above me in Benton,Ky,in flw the coangler is just there to help pay for expenses ,no say in where the boat goes and he cannot throw past center of the boat,as a result losing ground to other T orgs.
As for bass pro they put together pkg deals that appeal to the buyer,as for the sales,and sort of spread out all over the outdoor sports to make a profit.Not just boats.
The attitude of both Ranger and FLW tend to make people go elsewhere these days

[bamabassman]

The FIRST rig I bought here when I moved back up here was a fish/ski stratos. 97 model. I liked it just fine when it was just me and the wife. BUT, when I added the dog, or my brother and his son would go with me it was HORRIBLE. 3 men can't fish outta the dang thang, lol. So i traded it for another rig. Electrical problems ALL the time, yes another used boat. So i sold it and got another rig. Smaller one this time, the previous 2 were 20 footers and this one was only 15. That didn't work out for me, it was a bumble bee to tell the brand, it was too small, had no storage to speak of and it was real wobbly out on the water. So....i sold it and got the present rig. Still not a new rig, 97 model again. Cajun to be exact. I love this rig, it is PAID for, lmao. Has the storage i need, nice paltform, and it floats, hahaha. It is now in need of some repair and i wasnt to upgrade the fish finders and i have GOT to get a bigger trolling motor. but after i restore it one day......it'll be jsut fine i think. Has to, wife ain't gonna let me get a newer rig for a long time, IF EVER! Hahaha.

[Vegasspider]

The bass boat is like Harleys. Most of the neg. comments come from those who don’t actually own or ride/drive one. Like all other companies, entry level is just that. What most of the problem is some will buy entry level and try to use it at a tournament level or something else and it's not meant for that. I would put my Z9 up against anything that takes a pounding week in and week out.

Of course, again the bass boat and Harley comment applies to all brands. I can’t tell you how many people say I would never buy a so and so brand and if you ask them if they had a bad experience the answer is always well no but a friend of my brother in law had the best one they make and it was crap etc. etc. etc.

I tell you what I am impressed with and that’s the aluminum line-ups. If I did not have as big as water as I have here, I would buy one in a second. For me here it’s not the size of the water it’s all the recreational boats for the first 2 miles from the ramps etc. I have a buddy fishing out of a Tracker and he loves it.

[bamabassman]

vegass, not to make you mad or nothing ok? But I have owned a ranger, a long time ago, but I am NOT an expert on boats. The ranger I had was an 82 model, made the old fashioned way, lol. It was a great rig and I loved it. The rigs I have OWNED since coming back here have been stratos', bumble bee, and a stryker and now a rajun cajun 205 tourney edition. I have been in several rigs since beening back as well, have been in a skeeter, procraft, basscat,bullet and triton. I have also talked to several nitro owners. So I guess I really can't tell a person anything but what was RELATED TO ME on nitros. So I am sorry for that. You are correct in correcting me there buddy. It is just that every owner of a nitro I talked to has had ill feelings towards them. Maybe it is because they were the OLD nitro's. I dunno. If YOU love that rig, I am behind you 100%. Thank you for correcting me.

One thing we can all agree on with any boat, car or truck or whatever it is out there. Somebody is going to say something negative about it. So I will retract my statements about nitro. I say go out, test drive the different rigs, drive it like you stole it. Then make up your OWN mind. Agreed?

I truly am sorry, hindsight is 20/20.

[Vegasspider]

Hey buddy I was not upset and nore was I trying to change your mind or correct you. I just said what I felt and I do know the older Nitros did not come with a good send off. Even the best boat can have cussing under your breath. I was more making the Harley Bass Boat statement. Those who have the most to say often dont even own a boat. O and I am no expert by any strech either. My Ranger had small issues but they were made to be big as they never wanted to take care of it. And I waited 6 months for a title! I will go out on the limb and say, almost all of the new boats are nice regardless of their make.

Originally Posted by bamabassman

vegass, not to make oyu mad or nothing ok? But i have owned a ranger, a long time ago, but i am NOT an expert on boats. The ranger i had was an 82 model, made the old fashioned way, lol. It was a great rig and i loved it. The rigs i have OWNED since coming back here have been stratos', bumble bee, and a stryker and now a rajun cajun 205 tourney edition. I have been in several rigs since beening back as well, have been in a skeeter, procraft, basscat,bullet and triton. I have also talked to several nitro owners. So i guess i really can't tell a person anything but what was RELATED TO ME on nitros. So i am sorry for that. You are correct in correcting me there buddy. It is just that every owner of a nitro i talked to has had ill feelings towards them. maybe it is because they were the OLD nitro's. I dunno. If YOU love that rig, i am behind you 100%. Thank you for correcting me.
One thing we can all agree on with any boat, car or truck or whatever it is out there. Somebody is going to say something negative about it. So i will retract my statements about nitro. I say go out, test drive the different rigs, drive it like you stole it. Then make up your OWN mind. Agreed?

i truly am sorry, hindsight is 20/20.

[walkeraviator]

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...ro-XP-95666771

[lilmule]

Year end closeouts ,sales boats etc not someone elses colors,just one that thats already made in that color and or options,still new.
Now take that link above decide you dont desire it because wrong color or something about it you do not like,then start the calculator as that boat aint already made,nor sitting waiting on a buyer.
One can often buy a new boat at closeout year end sales for less than what a 1 year old used boat is being priced by those who picked their options.
40 K sounds like a good deal over 50 some lol

[falcooon]

Again ...there are misc boats out there that are specials. this is a 2010 with an 250 hpdi (no longer made) with a closeout engine special from Yamaha....and the older model of electronics ...it's a good deal but if you want the latest model with a current engine, something new that has not been driven or demoed ....it's a whole other ball game.

Try pricing a new 2011, pick your own colors ... and see what you get. You get right up there at $50k+++!

If I could order a new boat and start out with pricing like this before options, I would write a check!

Picking out the exception to the rule is not the purpose of my post!