Bass Boat hierarchy 2024
Bigs reply :
Can someone plz explain the hierarchy of bass boats to me. Im gonna replace my aluminum bass boat asap and theres too many choices. I was gonna go with a fish n ski but changed my mind. Im gonna be buying a 20 foot dual console bass boat but I wanna get the right one. I know nitro, champion, bass cat, triton, ranger, bullet are all great boats but what is each company known for? Like for example I know bullets are made for looks and speed and bass cats are known for their superior ride. So if someone can break it all down for me that would be great. Im actually considering a 2000 Javelin renegade 20 foot dual console with a 225 H.O. on it. The guy wants 10,500 for it. It has GPS and 2 fish finders plus an 82 lb trolling motor. How does Javlelin compare to a champion or a triton? Where would stratos fall into the mix ? My other option is a 20 foot champion Im checkin out for just a little more money. Also what would I need to tow a 20 foot boat like that ? Right now I have an early 90's 4wd v6 toyota truck.
Jig Man reply :
You are asking for a lot of info in one post. First off my ranking is Champion (ride and good fishing platform), Bass Cat (ride), Ranger (good fishing platform), then all the rest. Lots of guys will have different opinions.
The Javelin was a pretty good boat in its day. Genmar cancelled it when they bought out Champion and moved it from AR to the Stratos/Javelin plant in TN.
Stratos is an ok boat but not top of the line.
Check NADA for the pricing of the Javeline.
Towing isn't as bad as stopping. Be sure you have good trailer and tow vehicle brakes. My wife pulled my 21' boat all over MS, AR, MO, and TX with a Ford Winstar mini van. She is now pulling it with a Jeep Liberty CRD.
Catt reply :
FYI
Alan Stinson, professional bass boat designer, has designed the Stratos Boats XL® series. Stinson raced boats back in the early 1970s, and in the mid-'70s worked at Skeeter where he designed the Skeeter Starfire. He later started his own boat company - Nitro, which he sold to Bass Pro Shops in the late '80s.
My list
Champion
Bass Cat*
Skeeter*
Ranger
Legend
Stratos
Triton
Nitro, Javelin, Blazer, Sprint, Pro Craft
* Tied
Wayne P. reply :
Earl Bentz (Mr. Triton) started the Javelin boat co and designed the Javelin hull. He liked to go fast too. The Javelin line was pretty much the "package" boat of the OMC Stratos line factory-rigged with outboard, electroncis, trolling motor, etc.
HydraSports and Javelin bass boats used to be produced in the same factory in Murfreesboro, Tenn
Sam reply :
Everyone has their favorites.
Some guys swear by the Rangers; I like the Bass Cats; Nitros seem to be gaining popularity; Champion is very good; Triton is super; and on and on we go.
I suggest looking at the size of the fishing platform; how easy is it to get to the batteries; how large are the gas tanks; what size motor do you need; where is the oil container and is it easy to fill; is there a place to put the WASS satellite dish so the non-boater will not step on it; how large are the rod compartments; and on and on we go.
Then, decide what length you want and start comparing each boat on their Internet site and in person.
Have fun and let us know what you buy. 
Jig Man reply :
If you really want to go nuts, visit about 5 or so different dealerships in one afternoon and look at 6-10 different boats at each one, both new and used. Then go home and try to figure all this out. Be sure not to drink any beer before or after this trip or you will really get confused.
jimmieO reply :
Champion 198cx is the sweetest boat I've ever been in. Fast, fishes 3 folks very comfortably.
Bigs reply :
Im debating between a mid 90's bass cat or champion versus something like a late 90's or early 2000's nitro or stratos. Its like the difference between buying an older lexus versus a newer hyundai. Im gonna spend the next few days lookin at about half a dozen and see what I come up with. My budet is 10 grand or less right now which would include GPS.
Jig Man reply :
In that age group, I'd stay away from John L's boat. His newer ones are supposed to be a lot better quality.
TruflShufl reply :
QuoteIm debating between a mid 90's bass cat or champion versus something like a late 90's or early 2000's nitro or stratos. Its like the difference between buying an older lexus versus a newer hyundai. Im gonna spend the next few days lookin at about half a dozen and see what I come up with. My budet is 10 grand or less right now which would include GPS.
Shop around and take your time. I just bought a 99 Champion 186DC for $8700 in good condition.
Wayne P. reply :
Check this site for used boats once you have made up your mind on the brand. It will give you an idea of what is available in your price range-------- http://www.iboats.com/used_boats/boats--10/power_boats--100/bass_boats--1002/
BassnMan Mike reply :
I LOVE my ChampioN 210 Elite! IMHO, nothing better
cart7t reply :
Get out and start taking test drives in the boats that are interesting to you.
What anyone else thinks is a great riding boat or great fishing platform may not be for you.
Ride and decide.
Bigs reply :
Theres a 97 champion 21 foot on ebay but its 14 grand which is a lil more then what I wanna spend. I already set up 2 test drives locally and hopefully it wont take forever to find the right boat. Theres sure is a ton of good deals on 18 and a half footers right now tho. I just dont think 18 and a half feet is big enough for my taste. Keep in mind I have 2 herniated discs in my back so I need the comfiest ride I can possibly get especially when Im out on the tidal potomac river.
cart7t reply :
You need a Champion then.
Keep your eye open for mid 90's 201's or late 90's 203's.
Catt reply :
Since you are moving up from an aluminum boat my next question will be, have you ever driven a high performance bass boat?
Ellesar reply :
QuoteSince you are moving up from an aluminum boat my next question will be, have you ever driven a high performance bass boat?
I think this is an important point. Its been my experience that the driver has more to do with how comfortable a ride is than the hull does. There is no boat made that won't ride like absolute crap with someone who doesn't know how to drive. I think the biggest issue you will have is just figuring out how to drive the boat to give you the most comfortable ride you can get.
Catt reply :
After reading 420Angler's response mentioning Keep in mind I have 2 herniated discs in my back so I need the comfiest ride I can possibly get, I can tell you right now with 2 ruptured disc and torn ligaments in my lower back it tends to make you want to drive different but under adverse conditions you must drive the conditions. Also check out the seats I made the mistake of changing out the console seats on my '96 Stratos with some from Academy which turnout to be crap.
cart7t reply :
I'd suggest SAS style seats for anybody with back issues. they are expensive but well worth it after a bouncy ride down the lake.
Bigs reply :
Ya Im gonna pass on the 20 foot javelin I found and concentrate on champions and bass cats. Seems like Rangers hold even more value cuz I cannot find many 20 foot rangers in my price range unless its early 90's. Im eye ballin a 2000 anniversary edition champion 202 for 15 grand. I'd have to sell my aluminum boat to make up for the extra money I'd be dippin into. Altho I do have the 15k , I just dont wanna part with it all. I'm hoping I can get it for 12,500-13,000 to make it worth it for me. Im curious tho, would you guys say an 18 and a half foot champion rides as nice as most other brand 19 and 20's? If so I know of a few for right around 10 grand that are brand new lookin. I just dont wanna set up test drives for boats unless my research tells me that it suits my style and needs.
Bigs reply :
oh and to answer, no I havent driven any performance boats at all. Just a few small bass boats, pontoons and some ski boats. This is part of the reason Im stayin from the countless cheap bullets Im finding and stickin with somethin that wont have a difficult learning curve for me. I have however owned several 700 hp cars over the last few years so its not like Im new to speed or anything like that. And I have been doin alot of reading bout technique for different conditions and what not. So Im not gonna go into this whole thing totally naive. I always do tons of research before I buy anything whether it be a TV, boat, musical equipment , car or whatever it might be. So I been spending my time researching so I can narrow it down to a specific category of boat which at this point is something between 19-21 feet, mid to late 90's high end boat ie. champion, skeeter, ranger, bass cat....
Ellesar reply :
QuoteYa Im gonna pass on the 20 foot javelin I found and concentrate on champions and bass cats. Seems like Rangers hold even more value cuz I cannot find many 20 foot rangers in my price range unless its early 90's. Im eye ballin a 2000 anniversary edition champion 202 for 15 grand. I'd have to sell my aluminum boat to make up for the extra money I'd be dippin into. Altho I do have the 15k , I just dont wanna part with it all. I'm hoping I can get it for 12,500-13,000 to make it worth it for me. Im curious tho, would you guys say an 18 and a half foot champion rides as nice as most other brand 19 and 20's? If so I know of a few for right around 10 grand that are brand new lookin. I just dont wanna set up test drives for boats unless my research tells me that it suits my style and needs.
I would say no to the 18 and a half foot champion. I don't think any 18 1/2 foot cookie cutter boat is going to ride as good as a 20 1/2 foot boat.
cart7t reply :
QuoteQuoteYa Im gonna pass on the 20 foot javelin I found and concentrate on champions and bass cats. Seems like Rangers hold even more value cuz I cannot find many 20 foot rangers in my price range unless its early 90's. Im eye ballin a 2000 anniversary edition champion 202 for 15 grand. I'd have to sell my aluminum boat to make up for the extra money I'd be dippin into. Altho I do have the 15k , I just dont wanna part with it all. I'm hoping I can get it for 12,500-13,000 to make it worth it for me. Im curious tho, would you guys say an 18 and a half foot champion rides as nice as most other brand 19 and 20's? If so I know of a few for right around 10 grand that are brand new lookin. I just dont wanna set up test drives for boats unless my research tells me that it suits my style and needs.I would say no to the 18 and a half foot champion. I don't think any 18 1/2 foot cookie cutter boat is going to ride as good as a 20 1/2 foot boat.
Depends on the driver... remember.
Catt reply :
Quoteoh and to answer, no I havent driven any performance boats at all. Just a few small bass boats, pontoons and some ski boats. This is part of the reason Im stayin from the countless cheap bullets Im finding and stickin with somethin that wont have a difficult learning curve for me. I have however owned several 700 hp cars over the last few years so its not like Im new to speed or anything like that. And I have been doin alot of reading bout technique for different conditions and what not. So Im not gonna go into this whole thing totally naive. I always do tons of research before I buy anything whether it be a TV, boat, musical equipment , car or whatever it might be. So I been spending my time researching so I can narrow it down to a specific category of boat which at this point is something between 19-21 feet, mid to late 90's high end boat ie. champion, skeeter, ranger, bass cat....
A Champion 183 Elite, Skeeter ZX190, or Bass Cat Sabre with a 175 hp are far from cookie cutter boats and quite capable of handling chop of 2-3' comfortablely.
All 3 boats listed above are high performance bass boats that are quite capable of scaring the crap out of a rookie driver in rough water. Experience with a 700 hp car on a smooth highway aint the same as 175 hp in chop period.
Bigs reply :
Well Im goin out on a fully and I mean fully loaded 2000 Bass Cat Pantera Classic DC tommorow, its 19 feet 1 inch and in mint condition. Has a newly rebuilt 200 efi on it that comes with 5 years and 8 months left on the warranty so its good to go. Only thing it will need imo is a 36 volt trolling setup for the tidal potomac, it has a 24 volt 67 pound on it right now. Im gonna be test drivin it on the cold side of lake anna tommorow and if all goes well Im buying it for 10 grand cash. I'll let the owner take me out at first so I can feel how it is when properly driven. If I want a 20 foot Im gonna have to spend an extra 5 grand unless I settle for something like a stratos or javelin, no way around it. Keepin my fingers crossed on this one. Thanks for your advice guys, it goes a long way and is much appreciated.
cart7t reply :
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/boa/1262633170.html
Here's a 20 footer I've been pondering. If I hadn't just sunk a bunch of money into rehabbing my boat this is definitely one I'd be looking at. The 201's may have been the best riding 20 footers of all time. Certainly the best all around handling.
Jig Man reply :
That 19' BC is a real good boat. On of my buds has a 1994 Pantera. I have ridden and driven it in all kinds of weather. It is a good ride. I agree that you need more than 67# of thrust on the tm.
tillerybass reply :
what new boat has the largest deck space with the most storage? I saw a picture of the new Ranger z521 and it looks nice.
Bigs reply :
Well I went and saw the bass cat and fell in love. It was immaculate. So I agreeed to buy it for his asking price of ten grand. I had the cash on me ready to go. I was supposed to go back the next day to test drive it and complete the deal and now now the guy is stringin me along sayin the boat he was gonna buy sold so now he wants to find another 20 footer to replace this b4 he will sell it to me. So Im pretty salty about the whole thing. But Im gonna be patient and if it's meant to be then it will be mine b4 long, in the meantime Im gonna keep my options open for another bass cat or a champion.
cart7t reply :
Did you you leave a deposit and get it in writing?
Ellesar reply :
QuoteQuoteQuoteYa Im gonna pass on the 20 foot javelin I found and concentrate on champions and bass cats. Seems like Rangers hold even more value cuz I cannot find many 20 foot rangers in my price range unless its early 90's. Im eye ballin a 2000 anniversary edition champion 202 for 15 grand. I'd have to sell my aluminum boat to make up for the extra money I'd be dippin into. Altho I do have the 15k , I just dont wanna part with it all. I'm hoping I can get it for 12,500-13,000 to make it worth it for me. Im curious tho, would you guys say an 18 and a half foot champion rides as nice as most other brand 19 and 20's? If so I know of a few for right around 10 grand that are brand new lookin. I just dont wanna set up test drives for boats unless my research tells me that it suits my style and needs.I would say no to the 18 and a half foot champion. I don't think any 18 1/2 foot cookie cutter boat is going to ride as good as a 20 1/2 foot boat.
Depends on the driver... remember.
Obvioulsy I was implying that with equal drivers that was true, figured that was fairly obvious and went without saying. 8-)
Bigs reply :
No I didnt leave a deposit cuz I didnt know this guy at all and I hadnt tasken it out on the water yet at that point. We shook hands and agreed it was sold to me pending the test drive the next day. I told him as long as it did well on the water then it was sold. We arranged a time for the next day for me to take it out and complete the deal and of course he faked out on me. A man's word should be good enough , the way my dad taught me when I was young ya know. I figure I had cash in the amount of his asking price so what could possibly go wrong? I think he might have sold it to someone else but I can find out very easy. He fishes the lake anna tourneys every friday night out of high point marina. So Im gonna go down and find him and see I don't understand is goin on. I wasted alot of time and energy as well as driving around for 2 days with 10 grand in my pocket. If I had gotten pulled over I could have been in for a real adventure with VA state police. If I find out he sold it to someone else after I was first to see it and first to offer him 10 grand , then theres gonna be some serious hell to pay for him. I dont take kindly to gettin jerked around, I have no time for games and Im a busy man. In the meantime Im also lookin at lund and lowe deep v hull aluminum fishing boats. Its hard to find the right one for the right price tho. So Im keepin my options open at this point. Just sux havin cash in hand for a boat and not b eing able to find the right one within a few hundred miles. Theres a lowe on ebay down in TN that I reaaalllyyyy like but its a hike down there, probably at least 7 hours from me.
cart7t reply :
While being a man of his word would've been nice, you'd have had a lot more leverage with a committal to buy in writing along with a deposit down, including a date of delivery upon the water test of the boat on a prescribed date. Since there was no loan involved, your end of the deal is clear as stone.
I'm sure this guy is probably in the heart of his tournament schedules and doesn't want to be boatless but...... he did offer to sell. Press him for a clear cut date for a test run and final transfer of title if the test goes well.
I Love BassResource reply :
I've been researching, driving, riding, reading, etc.. for the past several months. My personal conclusion has been narrowed down to Basscat or Champion.
I'm leaning heavily towards a Puma FTD at the moment...
Bigs reply :
Well no worries , I bought a boat tonight so its all good. I got a deal I couldnt pass up. The guy listed this tracker 2004 Pro Guide V-16 SC yesterday for 5500 and I stole it for 4900 so I'm happy. It's not exactly what I wanted however it's exactly what I needed right now. Its roomy, comfy , has a great fishing platform and best of all handles choppy water like a champ. I'll upgrade later on in a year or two. So for now I'm gonna focus on fishing rather then wasting months looking for a boat I dont really need anyways. With the money I saved , I'm gonna get some nice electronics and what not, a new prop , a few more sol's, fuego and a zillion or two.
South FLA reply :
My list of top mass production boats.
1. Bass Cat/Champion
2. Ranger/Trinton (I own a Ranger)
3. Skeeter
4. Legend
5. Nitro/Tracker
Some models of some manufactures are better than others.
I really love Bass Cats though, they are awesome boats and Champion is the ultimate in luxury!
retiredbosn reply :
I was a heavy weather cox'n in the Coast Guard, if you don't know what that means, it meant I went out in anything. Especially stupid surfers trying to catch the perfect wave before a hurricane. I have been out in a myriad of conditions and it is the driver more than the boat when it comes to ride. I could safely run the RHIB (rigid hull inflatabe) in 6 footers, while others couldn't run it in a chop. Boat handling skills are more important than anything else when it comes to a smooth ride. Unfortunately I don't know of any boat handling schools, that would be a good small business option for someone.
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