Need Help Picking A Boat 2024

Rick99 reply :

I need some help. I can only store a boat in my garage that is less than 21 feet. I have looked at new boats and there are a few dealers close to me in PA. I saw a Tracker ProTeam 175 TXW, A Lowes Stinger 175 and than a Nitro Z 7. I'm taking a boat loan and didn't want to spend as much as the Nitro but when I saw it I loved it but just not sure I can justify it or if it is the right boat for me. I fish small lakes in my neighborhood and that's really it. The Nitro is fiberglass and I have only owned a small 16 foot aluminum. I fish a few times a week on about 3 to 4 local lakes with electric only hp. After I get one of these boats, I plan on hitting Blue Marsh Lake which is about 45minutes from my house that has unlimited hp. I always here of people fishing the flats in the upper Chesapeake too but have never been there. I am assuming if I ever go there, the only boat out of the three that could handle it is the Nitro but I'm not sure that is big enough either. So anyway, I am looking for a good bass boat in the range of $17k to 23k. The Nitro is about 28k. Any advise or if there is another boat I should be looking at please let me know. I have really battled myself here as most guys at the local tourneys seem to have trackers and Some Rangers. Thanks for any help!

Rick99 reply :

How about a Stratos? Seems to come in below the Nitro in cost.

00 mod reply :

$28k for that Nitro is WAY to much! WAY!!!!

Jeff

Rick99 reply :

The Nitro Z7 is priced at Bass ProShops National Pricing with a Merc 150 Optimax. I didn't realize that was high...I thought it was a no haggle price nationwide right? Or are you saying they Nitro ischarging too much for that model? I think the same size Stratos is going for 23k

00 mod reply :

Sorry, I should have gone into better detail.

I think that Basspro is charging too much for that boat. It should be in the lower 20's, compared to other similar boats. But, the main reason for my statement is that you can get WAY more boat out of a tin for 10k less than that.

Jeff

gardnerjigman reply :

Agree with 00 mod, but if you do go glass, no doubt I'd go with a statos. Buddy got a practically new stratos (2 years old but virtually no hours on it) for a little over $17k.

Rick99 reply :

Thanks guys...I've had aluminum In the past and really want to get a glass boat so I can fish bigger waters and not get blown around so much.

sprint61 reply :

A brand new 18 foot stratos or triton with a 115 can be had for I think under 23k. But I like the new aluminum rangers awfully well particularly the 188.

slonezp reply :

First off, you need length on the trailer to be under 21', not the boat. Even with a swing away tongue, you may find difficulty in finding a boat. I store my boat in a secure storage lot. Second, I wouldn't buy glass for the sake of buying glass either. You will get more out of a new 25k tin than a 25k glass boat. Third, if you are somewhat handy and have basic tools, you can save a lot of money buying "extras" online and installing them your self. Boat dealers sell the "extras" at msrp, and charge for the installation. You can buy electronics and trolling motors and the like cheaper online.(once you get past drilling the first hole in your new boat, the rest are a piece of cake LOL)

If you're going to buy new, buy in the spring. You may find a leftover and, there are better discounts and promotions in the spring. Not only for boats, but the motors and accessories. Crawl around in each model and check out the layout and storage. Some of the entry level glass boats have A LOT to be desired in this area. Make sure there is enough room for your crap, for your partners crap, for the wifes crap, for the kids crap and so on. Max out the hp on the motor you buy. Get the biggest trolling motor you can afford with your budget. Don't skimp on batteries. Get an onboard charger with 1 bank per battery. If you can afford it, getting small incidentals like boat buckles and rod buckles are nice.

My take on BPS. They offer their boats priced with marginal equipment. If you were to deck the boats out with above average and /or top shelf stuff, there pricing is very similar to the other brands. I almost bought a Z9 back in 2013. It was a new leftover 2010. It was roughly 10k less than a current year model. The boat was sold as is meaning I could not upgrade the underpowered motor or the bare bones basic equipment. That was enough to turn me away.

Rick99 reply :

Ok...gotta say I really like the Nitro Z7, 18 Feet 8 inches in length, the Whole package, decked out with a 24volt Minkota troller 70#, three batteries, cover, 150Merc Optimax, Two Lowrence HDS 7Chirps Bow and Console. 3 Bench Seats. 2 Pedastal Seats total cost $31,000

I got on the Stratus 186 and 189 and can tell you the deck felt flimsy compared to the Nitro. Just my opinion but the Nitro felt a lot more solid too me and a better build. Same package for the Stratos 189 was $33,000.

Pretty sure I'm ordering the Nitro at the end of August. Il let you guys know how I make out.

Thanks!

Jig Man reply :

If you are serious about a Nitro, call Pro's Choice Marine in Warsaw MO. They are the largest Nitro dealership and often sell for several thousand less than any other place. You may be able to save enough to justify the trip to pick it up there. I just looked at their web site and saw 3 Z7s all for under 30 large and that is before any haggling.

http://www.proschoicemarine.com/

Rick99 reply :

Hey Guys....I need a little more help. I found a 2014 Skeeter left over. I am going to look at it hopefully this week. Two questions:

1) Compared to Nitro....what are your thoughts?

2) The Skeeter comes with a 175 HP Yamaha. The Nitro a 15o Merc OptiMAx. Which is a better engine? I heard good things about the Merc but nothing about the Yamaha.

THANKS

gardnerjigman reply :

On 8/5/2015 at 1:29 AM, Rick99 said:

Hey Guys....I need a little more help. I found a 2014 Skeeter left over. I am going to look at it hopefully this week. Two questions:

1) Compared to Nitro....what are your thoughts?

2) The Skeeter comes with a 175 HP Yamaha. The Nitro a 15o Merc OptiMAx. Which is a better engine? I heard good things about the Merc but nothing about the Yamaha.

THANKS

Newest skeeter I have been on was a 2007 and I hated the ride. Felt like I was on a skipping stone going across the water and I wasn't very impressed how it handled the chop. Simply off of that, if it were my money, I'd go Nitro

As far as the motor, I'm a Merc guy. You will always be able to find a good Mercury mechanic. Down where I'm from, taking a yamaha to my boat shop would be like taking a new honda car to my old truck mechanic. Does that mean the Mercury is a better motor than the yamaha? I have no clue, but the ease of finding a mechanic and parts is worth something.

Rick99 reply :

Hey guys...sorry to keep asking questions but I narrowed this down to 2 boats and I have one more. I am deciding between a 2015 Nitro Z7 for abour 32k with some updates.

or a 2014 Skeeter (Left over) with the same updates but this also has a Hot Shoe and the cost is about 29k.

Here is where I need help, I fish tourneys, I just joined a Bass Club here in PA.

The Skeeter is showing two live wells 13 gallons seperated by a divider. I think I can remove the divider so does that make it a 26 gallon or is it 13 gallons total?

Anyone think this is really small? We dont catch a ton of big bass here in PA. Probably 2 to 3 avg and 4 to 6 big avg.

If I had a rider and we each caught our 5 max (10 total) would this handle 10 fish?

Thanks for the help!

slonezp reply :

26gal will handle 10 fish

Rick99 reply :

On 8/7/2015 at 1:36 AM, slonezp said:
26gal will handle 10 fish

Thanks for the response. Will it matter how its seperated? First dealer told me its a 26 gallon Tank with a removable divider(with holes) so you can make it one 26 gallon tank.

The other Dealer told me the Divider is NOT removable and you have two sides that equal 13 gallons but the divider has holes so the water is shared with both sides. Does this matter?

FlipSide reply :

On 8/7/2015 at 2:30 AM, Rick99 said:

Thanks for the response. Will it matter how its seperated? First dealer told me its a 26 gallon Tank with a removable divider(with holes) so you can make it one 26 gallon tank.

The other Dealer told me the Divider is NOT removable and you have two sides that equal 13 gallons but the divider has holes so the water is shared with both sides. Does this matter?

The divider should be removable...

Make sure the length of the boat on the trailer is going to be able to fit in your garage. Would suck to get it home and not have a roof to put it under.

Rick99 reply :

On 8/7/2015 at 4:52 AM, FlipSide said:

The divider should be removable...

Make sure the length of the boat on the trailer is going to be able to fit in your garage. Would suck to get it home and not have a roof to put it under.

he told me it's not removable as in you just reach down and pull it out. He said you would have to break it to get it out. Since I'm not wanting to break anything on a new boat, does it matter that each side is only 13 gallons in size? Is that to small of a shape for 5bass over 15 inches? Or should I just bust it out and use a culling system when I have a rider on board?

FlipSide reply :

On 8/7/2015 at 5:38 AM, Rick99 said:
he told me it's not removable as in you just reach down and pull it out. He said you would have to break it to get it out. Since I'm not wanting to break anything on a new boat, does it matter that each side is only 13 gallons in size? Is that to small of a shape for 5bass over 15 inches? Or should I just bust it out and use a culling system when I have a rider on board?

It might not come out but it should fold out of the way. Not a deal breaker though. I keep mine in 99% of the time. One side for me and other for a co or if I'm solo then one side for fish I'm sure I'll cull and the other side for bigger fish.

slonezp reply :

Think about it. If you had 13 gal of milk, how much area would that cover? 26gal? Plenty of room for 5 bass. If you were bringing in limits of 10lb+ bass, you would need a removable divider. I think your good.

Rick99 reply :

Alright...thanks guys. Just don't want to but something and regret it later!

MasonV reply :

I haven't ridden in a Skeeter but they're shallow boats and gardnerjigman isn't the first person I've heard say they're like a skipping stone. I have a 2011 Z7 and am VERY happy with the boat. Sturdy good sized front deck that's easy to fish from, pretty smooth ride, when you're by yourself it's very quick out of the hole, and IMO you can't beat a Mercury Optimax.

Jig Man reply :

Every Skeeter that I have been in porpoised something awful.

Bluebasser86 reply :

Are you completely set on a new boat? I bought my 2012 very lightly used for 17K. 18' 9", 150 Pro XS, 80lb Maxxum, and a 34 gallon livewell with a removable divider that will hold 10 bass, or a small person.

MasonV reply :

On 8/10/2015 at 7:20 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

Are you completely set on a new boat? I bought my 2012 very lightly used for 17K. 18' 9", 150 Pro XS, 80lb Maxxum, and a 34 gallon livewell with a removable divider that will hold 10 bass, or a small person.

Like BB86 said, you can find a boat just 3-4 years old that has been taken care of in the 18-19' range with a 150 HP for under $20k.

LuckyGia reply :

Hav you checked out Robbins Marine in PA.

They are a triton dealer and I am willing to bet you can get a better price than the Nitro.

I picked up a 189TRX a month or 2 ago and left their dealership feeling very comfortable with my purchase.

I am not going to bash Nitro as they have enough of that going around anyways.

My only real input would be make sure it is a boat you will want to keep as long as the bank note lasts.

I bought a tin last year ( 2009 Smokercraft 171 pro bass ) . Nice litle boat that was going for 10k.

I jumped on it and paid cash thinking it would keep me happy for years to come.

Well I traded that boat this year at Robbins Marine for a glass Triton.

You get in those tins up here on the finger lakes with a North / South wind, you better put your life preserver on.

Jed Cutshall Fishing reply :

If you are looking into getting your first bass boat you need to look at G3. They make aluminum bass boats from seventeen to nineteen feet. I have a seventeen foot Eagle 170 with a Yamaha 90hp 2-stroke. These boats are able to handle a bigger engine than their aluminum competitors, and the bigger motors are going to push the boat more easily and, in turn, be more efficient. G3 also uses custom made Bear Trailers, which means the boat and trailer are fitted to each other. This makes loading up a breeze, which will come in handy if this is your first bass rig. They've got great storage for your tackle and your rods, you can ride 3 people comfortably, and you can get the new ones with 3 different wrap options. They look awesome! They come standard with 2 Garmin fish finders and a Minn Kota Maxxum or Edge trolling motor, built in cooler, and aerated live wells. They are light weight and easy to launch by yourself. Check them out at G3boats.com and you can find your local dealer.

Good luck!

Jaw1 reply :

The skeeter would be your best bet in my opinion due to the ability to resell it if the need arises. I personally fish from a tracker 175 that was a deal I couldn't pass up and it works fine for me, but I fish tournaments occasionally with friends that own stratos,Phoenix,and nitros and the nitros are the least favorite around here. Personally I like the new stratos boats the best but just can't make myself take the plunge on a new boat right now. Good luck with whichever one you choose their all fun to run in my book

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Need Help Picking A Boat 2024

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