I'm Buying A New Bass Boat What Brands Are Best? 2024

Fishinbuddy24 reply :

I'm a first time boat buyer. I have been on a few of my friends boats but I'm wanting one of my own now and I was wondering what brands are better or if they are all bout the same. Any suggestions on for what I might buy?

Fishing Rhino reply :

Every brand has its devotees and detractors. Some ride better, others are faster, while yet others have more storage space. Quality varies, as do prices.

What satisfies me may not please you. The most important part of any package, and is likely to need the most maintainence is the motor. Mercury, Evinrude/Johnson, Yamaha etc., are all similar in price, performance, and reliability. Most of the boats come with one of these models. In some cases, you may be able to choose your powerplant, while others come with a particular brand.

Unless most of your fishing is done on the larger bodies of water, most of your time on your boat will be at the bow using a trolling motor. On the small ponds and lakes around here, I can fish for eight or ten hours, and burn no more than three gallons of gas.

Fill up the 55 gallon fuel tank on my boat and I can fish for a couple of months, and that's three or four times per week.

The important thing to keep in mind is that the fish do not know, nor do they care if you're in a canoe, kayak, float tube, or a full blown 80,000 dollar bass boat. In the end, it will depend on your wants, preferences and finances, not necessarily in that order.

Jig Man reply :

In today's world, if I were buying a new bass boat I'd only look at 3: Bass Cat, Ranger, and since I haven't seen the Champion/Stratos cross I'd take a close look at them.

jhoffman reply :

Are you fishing rivers or lakes, whats your preference on gas, whats your tow vehicle, are you fishing tournaments...

Wayne P. reply :

The best one is the one that is paid for and not financed.

slonezp reply :

How much can you afford?

J Francho reply :

Best bass boat for what? Where? How much? How often?

To me, the best is Gambler/Sterling or Bullet.

Fishinbuddy24 reply :

I will be mostly lake fishing. Its a 55 acre lake. thats close to the house but i would like to take fishing trips to bigger lakes.I have a ram 1500 to pull it. I want a good I'm willing to put the money in for one. I don't want to spend 80,000. I was thinkin more in the ball park of 30,000 ish.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Here's something in your price range, if you are willing to "settle" for a leftover, and can find one. I got this 2011 Nitro Z-8 at the BPS in Foxborough Mass for just over 28,000 dollars. It's sticker was 32,000 and change. It was reduced by 3,000 dollars and I got a one thousand dollar BPS gift card which brought the net price down to the 28 and change. Powered by a 200 horse Optimax Pro XS, hydraulic steering, lighted front compartments, boarding ladder, 55 gallon fuel tank, two live wells with separate controls for each. It only had three options, a custom ratchet cable cover, trailer brakes on both axles, and retractable tie downs.

The only difference between it and the 2012 version is that the '12 has a 68 gallon fuel tank rather than the 55 gallon in the '11. I traded my 2009 Z-7 and got three thousand less than I paid for it two years earlier.

J Francho reply :

55 acres? Not sure you need anything more than a 16' jon boat for that.

slonezp reply :

Everybody will have their own opinion on what's best. What's best for you may not be whats best for me. Do as much research as you can. Alot of the big mfg's are making a less expensive line to compete with Nitro. Good electronics and a power pole can cut deeply into your budget. A 1 or 2 year old boat already took the depreciation hit and still have plenty of warranty left on them, which means you can get more boat for your money. From the research I've done, the best quality 'glass boat today that fits my needs is a Charger.

slonezp reply :

On 1/15/2013 at 1:10 AM, J Francho said:
55 acres? Not sure you anything more than a 16' jon boat for that.

A Bullet will get him there faster

flyfisher reply :

On 1/15/2013 at 1:10 AM, J Francho said:
55 acres? Not sure you anything more than a 16' jon boat for that.

I was thinking a kayak. Way less hassle to unload and travel with and i would bet in a lake that size the amount of water covered in a given period of time woudl be about the same.

Teal reply :

Question, would you turn a 16 year old loose on a 30 thousand dollar car. Of course you wouldn't. There are some growing pains that go with with boating just as there are with cars. Not just with safe operation of the boat, but the maintenance, upkeep, and small mechanical problems that will pop up if not closely watched for. And also the handling them boat in shallow or very rough water. Not to mention your comfort level of backing and handling a 20+ foot trailer.

I understand that you may have a lifetime of boating experience on large boats. But since you did not mention it, I'm assuming that you do not.

My suggestion, buy a boat. However, do not break the bank. You should be able to find a used boat for less than half of 30k. I would suggest a 16 -17 foot boat with a a smaller motor. An aluminum boat would be good.

Use it for a season or so and if you still want a nice bass boat then sell it,and go get one. I say this because alot of people get goo goo eyes and after a few months they lose intrest.

Remember you can save alot of money by looking thoroughly and buying used. Then you can use more money for gear!

Shewillbemine reply :

Since you're looking for a bass boat past the "entry level" price, you'll want to make this decision less with input from us on the internet and more from your friends with boats and experiences you've had in person.

I've owned my first boat for a couple months now and already I'm thinking of things I would like to upgrade to when the time is right. Fortunately, my purchase price was entry level (below $20k) which means I'm not underwater, can sell/trade if I choose to do so. It's exactly why I chose a cheaper boat for my first one.

There's good advice in this thread. You won't know your personal bass boat habits until you have one of your own. If you have the experience for the more expensive fiberglass models (and I don't just mean putt-putting around once in a while on a friend's boat) then go for it. If not, you may not want to go through the experience of ramming a $30k boat into a dock ramp. Don't ask how I know the pain of such a thing.

Brent Christian reply :

well i will say im stuck on rangers, in my opinon they ride the smoothest although they are not the fastest, but keep this in mind you get in rough water you will pass any bullet blazer or your fast boats cause they just can't handle rough water.

J Francho reply :

My 21' Bullet can handle some pretty rough stuff. I fish Ontario and Erie all the time. Been out in some nasty stuff. The 21XDC is nothing like the lighter 20' competition hulls. Plus, it outruns most anything. Not saying it's gonna outrun a Skeeter in 6' waves (no one should be out in that in a bass boat, lol), but to say it can't handle rough water isn't true at all.

Brent Christian reply :

we have some pretty rough water down here when we have tournaments that are 100 plus boats. and my 20 ft ranger with a 150 will run in rough water against any boat. Now smooth water obviously they outrun me by a mile lol

J Francho reply :

You talking about that 391 in the other thread? Nice boat, but it's more like 19', and probably pulls about 45-50 with the 4 blader. I can run that in 2-3' rollers no problem. 1' chop is where I can really get the most top end speed. Contrary to popular belief, you get more speed in a little chop. That said, your back will be in better shape when you catch up to me, heh. Though, the ride on this Bullet is MUCH better than on my 18' Xpress.

tbone1993 reply :

On 1/19/2013 at 3:24 AM, Brent Christian said:
we have some pretty rough water down here when we have tournaments that are 100 plus boats. and my 20 ft ranger with a 150 will run in rough water against any boat. Now smooth water obviously they outrun me by a mile lol

I dont know man my buddies 20 ft triton might give you a run for your money with his 250 lol

Crappiebasser reply :

On 1/14/2013 at 9:15 PM, Wayne P. said:
The best one is the one that is paid for and not financed.

x2 being able to swing the payments is not the same as being able to afford it.

Gunner59 reply :

I fish smaller lakes and some rivers, I have a 1994 17pro tracker.

It works great for what I do and I'm not worried about dumping a few logs.

Good luck looking, I went to the Novi fishing expo this past weekend and seen some

killer boats.

J Francho reply :

Quote
It works great for what I do and I'm not worried about dumping a few logs.

I love a good tin boat. I've gotten through some "interesting" cover in my Xpress.

Brent Christian reply :

my 391 will run over 60 in almost any water condition 63-64 crabs been worked on holes poked in exhaust my dads been a boat mechanic for over 30 years lol

Al Wolbach reply :

I climbed around a few boats last night at the annual Fishing Expo. These I can remember, Triton, Ranger, Express, Bullitt, Allison, Nitro, Phoenix, several tin boats and probably some glass that I can't remember.

All of these boats look good and are probably good boats. But one has impressed me for a couple of years and it is the Phoenix. The thought gone into storage compartment lay out and use is great. There is no comparison with the boats at this show.

I did not price any boat nor ride in any but if I was in the market I would not buy without looking and driving a Phoenix.

The only drawback I saw was the small console. It did not offer much protection from the elements, however some folks prefer an open cockpit and this one is open. This may sound a little confusing but the actual console is fiberglass top and bottom. Meaning no wires exposed above the drivers feet. This is the only bassboat I have seen with a closed console. And that may contribute to the small look of the console.

If you at any spring boat shows and they have a Phoenix take a look at it. And no I have no affiliation with any bassboat brand except Champion(I own one)........................Al

Brent Christian reply :

They are very nice boats and not as expensive as you would think.

hootersdoug reply :

I would argue on the side of buying a used boat as mentioned above. You can get a LOT more boat for the money which means that if you want to upgrade, downgrade or just change the style of the boat you buy, you wont be upside down as much as you would had you bought brand new. I spent $10K on my Skeeter ZX150 ten years ago, have put a good number of hours on her, and have only stuck about $1200 bucks into her over the years on maintaining her over the years (with the exception of @ $100 per year for winterization). I found mine through a local pro who fished in a local tourney trail. He pointed me to a well maintained boat that fit my needs and my budget. Since the owner knew the pro and was buying his two year old boat, i also got a break on the price by $2K. If i was going to sell my boat today, i would probably ask about $5-6K for it, so my loss on investment is low, but since it is paid off, not gonna sell it till it sinks!!

champ184 reply :

you can get a great used boat off of graiges list in your areas

RyneB reply :

I would definately go used. I got my 2000 Ranger for 10 grand. 18 foot boat with a 150, 2 Down imaging units. All the storage,space,speed i will ever need. Like many of us, i would love a brand new 21 foot bass boat with a 300, but that wasnt in my budget. I had a 10 grand max spending cap. I found this Ranger at my local marina and knew i wanted it but wanted to price new tins. I realized quickly that not a single brand new tin under 10 grand was going to give me the things i was looking for that the Ranger fulfilled.

I also have a kayak and i LOVE it. It seems i focus on everything more when im in my kayak. I dont have distractions like electronics,a deck full of rods, thinking i have to move. I fish the moment and focus on thing a lot more. I will have 2 rods rigged, usually one with a swimbait and the other a finesse setup. I will only carry a small bag with me with the essentials. 3 of my biggest 5 bass have been caught while i was in my kayak.

OkeechobeeAngler reply :

If you got big $$$

Big O Boats custom

Or a Storm

BrettD reply :

I would concentrate on looking for a 1-2 year old 17-18' aluminum boat with a 90-115 fourstroke. For what you want to do it will be plenty. We have a 18' express with a 115 yamaha 4 stroke and we can fish months on a tank of gas. New they run around 25k used under 20k. We fish Lake Okeechobee every weekend with ours. I will say this though at the end of the year it will be for sale and 21' bullet will be taking its spot. Dad wants to go fast now that motocross isnt an option for either one of us he needs to find the adreneline rush else where.

salmicropterus reply :

If you want to go new, most of the manufacturers are offering an 18-6 with a 150 motor priced in the high $20s. These boats fish bigger than their same sized counterparts of years gone by. Wider beams and optimized storage give the boat a tournament-size (20- 21') feel

The bargains are in the used market where a very good 20-21' with a relatively new (maybe a bit of warranty) motor can be had for the same price or less.I have seen asking prices for really good boats go down from mid-30s to a sale price of mid-20s. Have the boat and motor checked out by someone.ou A good dealer with a certified tech can quickly tell you if a motor has had regular service where manufacturer requirments have been addressed. A boat in this price range will have a motor capable of producing downloads from the ECU which will a tell a lot (hrs, engine fault history, current faults etc etc). Have a dealer for the brand of motor run a registration history of the motor which will detail all warranty claims, any outstanding and non-addressed recalls and service bulletins. If a Mercury, Evinrude and Yamaha, PM me the S/N and I can do that for you

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I'm Buying A New Bass Boat What Brands Are Best? 2024

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