Bass Boats

[GoneFishN]

what in everyone's esteemed opinion is the best bass boat for the dollar. (only those with should take to posting at this one) I'm looking at an 07' Skeeter 22i but a friend has suggested the Champion or the Ranger V-22. I would like to get into a more reasonable $ amount. Nitro seems to be less expensive but my club members reccomend against them. Let the debate begin.

[WTL]

Actually I think everyone here was in pretty much lockstep agreement that skeeter by far is the best and safest boat around!!

[bassintom]

totally in agreement billy boy.




lmao

[1FASTLASER]

I Agree with the above statement. Skeeter for the dollar is about as good as ya get. STAY away from Niteo's. They dont run the high numbers with any reasonable amount of saftey.

[FlyRod]

You might wanna check out some other established brands and one new one.
Established:
Ranger (An Icon! Too much bux but you pretty much get what you paid for. NOT a fast boat, but beautiful and very well-made.
Many prefer the VX series to the newer Z Class.)
BassCat (Highest Customer Satisfaction Survey rating. Big? one choice...Puma, otherwise Pantera IV.)
Stratos (A lot of boat for the money. Good quality)
Triton (Current fad, pricey and can be squirrelly at high speeds. Be sure and try putting in the drain plug before you buy. Trailers have had issues.)
Champion (Established brand. Devoted following. Pretty much considered the best rough water boat. If you are determined that you want a bigger boat, you might like the Model 206. Excellent quality and a handsome critter.)

Nitros...Dealers often suck. A lot of boat for the money, but don't expect all the bells and whistles...BE SURE to check on the warranty, especially re the hull itself.
I fish often from a 17' Nitro and it IS a VERY fisherman friendly boat.

Newbie: Legend (These are fairly priced but well-made and designed boats. The folks that build them are friendly, love to have you visit and design YOUR rig, and bend over backwards to please. Sexy but tasteful boats.
The LE21 and the new LE199 are amazing. They are all the rage and may prove to be the new "Class Leader" over time.)

Others:
Gambler (If you want to get stared at, OK, but there are drawbacks.)
Allison (Made for more speed with less HP, but not the best fishing ergonimics...awful pricey.)
Bullet (More of the same.)

My one great reservation re Skeeter I-Class is that there have been issues with the "fly by wire" systems and I'd be fearful of that, especially when it comes to "do it yourself" quick fixes, until ALL the bugs are worked out. Otherwise, very, very nice.

Do you really need a BIG boat? If you do, because of frequency of rough water encounters, go Champion. Otherwise, the LE199 might make you very happy.
Special notice: Don't buy for sex appeal. Check out storage, overall layout, deck space, etc. Remember that you spend more time fishing than running around the lake...I hope.

Engine choices...
Yamaha (Jewel-like quality. HPDI is fuel-efficient. Good rep for dependability but $$$$ to work on.)
Evinrude (E-Tec has had some lower unit issues, now resolved, and they are quiet, fuel-efficient, and just pretty!)
Mercury (Well, there are a LOT of them out there! Must be doing something right. The OptiMax XS is a killer. Good mileage and fast.)
Mercury Verado (Not only NO, but Hell NO! Obese! You don't need an overweight 4-stroke unless you fish way offshore in the salt. These are not selling like hotcakes to the bassing crowd. NOTE: Some dealers, especially Nitro, will force you to accept a 4-stroker (Merc) on some packages...fight back!)

Trollmotors (Only two brands, and get the most powerful one that matches well with the boat. Don't skimp!)

ALL of the above are opinions, not expert advice, and not intended to start arguments. They result from observation, on the water experience, and reports (positive and negative) from real-world users.

Good luck and congrats on whatever you choose!

F.Rod

[PowerBass]

If your want to look at Alumuminum Bass Boats I can help ya, somewhat. I own A 2006 Bass Tracker PT 170 TX, and I love it. No complaints on it or anything.

[Vabass22]

I fish weekly on a friends skeeter, and he loves it (so do I) . I have also heard nothing but good stuff about trackers, and rangers. I'm looking into getting a sketter next spring.

[GoneFishN]

I've been talking with both Legend and Gambler, I'm leaning to the Legend 199. What are you guys thoughts?

[bassintom]

skeeter.................

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by GoneFishN

I'm leaning to the Legend 199.

You can't go wrong!

But, to be fair, it's always a bit more of a crap shoot when you buy from a new company. After a year or so, the risk factor diminishes, if the warranty period has elapsed. Still, were the company to fold, the resale value of your boat would suffer.
If I were you, though, I'd go with the Legend anyway. If there was ever a new manufacturer that showed signs of lasting, it's Legend.

FR

[Herdbull]

This can open a can of worms. If you looking for an economical well built aluminum, check out the G3 line. They make the same boats as the Skeeter people.

I have to say I really love mine and I fished out of just about every aluminum boat out there.

[ILfishinman]

i fished off a charger boat sunday, its a real nice boat, lots of room and one thing i thought was cool is the pipes that go to the livewell run along the cooler under the seat to help keep the livewell water a lil cooler. and they have lots of storage too. check em' out

[HOG Ranger]

Of course I am going to say RANGER!

There are many choices and just about everybody makes a decent boat. In the top of the line boats there are going to be subtle things that justify (to some people) the additional cost. IMO, some folks go about it backwards as they pay big money for a boat and shortchange on the outboard HP. You need to make sure the outboard and the boat complement each other.

[bassnman30]

What has happened to used Nitro's ?
You just don't see them around.
Do they scrap these boats to make other projects ?

As they say, Once you go Ranger, you'll never go back !

[Fisher Dan]

I run an 05 War Eagle and for a Alum, boat you can't beat the ride, they are a little pricey tho...

[skeeter944]

welcome to the forum dan!

[BassMoJo]

Nice power ... I own the same boat except it was made in 2000

[PowerBass]

Originally Posted by BassMoJo

Nice power ... I own the same boat except it was made in 2000

yea they are nice boats. Watch it in the wind tho. Mine likes to get blown like a kite. What lb TM do you have on the front? I have a 46 and it is weak, but I learned how to combat the winds.

[BassMoJo]

46 as well w/ 40hp on back

[PowerBass]

Nice. I may be gettin a 40, and puttin my 9.9 on as a kicker. How fast she rolling?

[BassMoJo]

with 2 30-32 mph

[PowerBass]

Very nice. Im pushin a record 10mph