Why Are Bass Boats So Expensive. 2024
barroncooper reply :
I just can't fathom why bass boats are so expensive. Comparitively speaking, if you bought a car of equal value. say... 65,000 dollars, you'd have a marvel of modern technology. I personally think that automobiles have evolved at a much faster rate than boats. vehicles offer so much more for the money. Whats 65000 get you in a boat? vinyl seats, a tub of fiberglass, some carpet and minimal electronic circuitry compared to a car. We are the fools for showing boat manufacturers that we will pay as much as we do for a dang fishing boat. yeah i know the engines are a large bulk of the cost but still, you can't tell me that a 2 stroke or 4 stroke outboard is worth 20,000 dolars.
freebie reply :
the key word you used here is BOAT. boats are a luxury item and they come with a luxury price. when you think of a 65000 bass boat you need to compare them with a top of the line sports car to make the playing field even. I get what you're saying that as Americans we pay way to much for things in general but as long as the money spending public continues to buy at these prices we are stuck with it.
barroncooper reply :
I agree with you. but the price doesn't fit with what you get as far as materials and technology offered. I know its like comparing apples to oranges though
tomustang reply :
On 5/8/2012 at 9:57 AM, freebie said:the key word you used here is BOAT. boats are a luxury item and they come with a luxury price. when you think of a 65000 bass boat you need to compare them with a top of the line sports car to make the playing field even. I get what you're saying that as Americans we pay way to much for things in general but as long as the money spending public continues to buy at these prices we are stuck with it.
Cars are luxury items too, some don't realize this since they are just about everywhere, the point here is a boat is a toy and has one specific purpose so the demand warrants a higher price.
NCLifetimer reply :
supply and demand. because its more profitable for them to sell x amount at 60k then x+y amount at 40k. If no one bought a boat over 50k, then all the current models would max out at 50k. Bass boats are like cars. You can get a mercedes for 80k or a toyota for 30k, only difference is quality, but not usually 50 thousand in quality. Same with a ranger vs a nitro.
herefishy42 reply :
The above poster nailed it. There just isnt enough people out there to buy boats at a lowered price and still try and make a profit
Michael DiNardo reply :
NCLifetimer knows a thing or two about Economics. Good answer.
Mike
Glenn reply :
I think it's a volume thing. A car manufacturer sells tens of thousands of cars of a single model per year, whereas bass boat manufactures sell a few hundred of each model per year.
Long Mike reply :
And people wonder why Tracker sells more boats than any other manufacturer. They build Toyotas.
Fishing Rhino reply :
There is a simple answer. Cars are made out of parts stamped from metal, or molded from plastic. Cars continually get lighter and more efficient.
Boats need to be built to withstand conditions in which most people will never use them. While boats can be built on an assembly line of sorts, most of the process in building boats involves intensive hand labor. Parts are assembled and welded together by robots in auto manufacturing.
If you want a "fair" comparison, check out the prices of automobiles which are built individually by skilled labor. Ferrari, Lamoborghini, etc., come to mind. Boats hulls and components are not stamped out or vacuum formed like hot tubs.
The most hostile environment for any conveyance is the marine environment. When a plastic stamped out canoe or kayak, with no means of propulsion can be sold for thousand dollars or more, consider this.
Take the Nitro Z-8. The basic Z-8 with no options goes for a tad over 30 grand. The standard 200 HP Mercury Optimax Pro XS sells for more than 15,000 dollars. That means the rest of the rig, boat, trailer and all components costs the customer about 15,000 dollars.
If you really think the prices are outrageous, answer this question. Why have so many of the top names been merged into conglomerates in order to survive, let alone thrive?
A more reasonable comparison would be to compare the price of a bass boat to the price of custom cars or motorcycles that are custom produced by Chip Foose or the custom chopper shops. Heck, a paint job on those cars which is comparable to the metalflake gel coat finish on bass boats will set you back more than the cost of a complete bass boat package.
Fishing Rhino reply :
It's all in perspective. I can remember when bread was 12 cents a loaf. I can also remember my parents saying they could remember when bread was two cents a loaf.
At that rate, two or three generations prior to that, the stores must have been paying people to take the bread off their hands.
SirSnookalot reply :
I think Glenn is right, we may see a lot of boats but the market really isn't that big. If you want to spend a buck on a boat, try a sailboat, or cabin cruiser.
J Francho reply :
Why spend so much? You don't need to spend $65K. I spent $7K on mine, and finish in the money all the time. I take my kids, friends, relatives, the occasional soldier, etc.
clayton86 reply :
On 5/8/2012 at 7:32 PM, Fishing Rhino said:It's all in perspective. I can remember when bread was 12 cents a loaf. I can also remember my parents saying they could remember when bread was two cents a loaf.
At that rate, two or three generations prior to that, the stores must have been paying people to take the bread off their hands.
wow your old 
lol
barroncooper reply :
there is no way in hell I'd spend that much money on a toy that depreciates the way they do. I'll buy one thats 5-8 years old maybe older if its a good boat.On 5/8/2012 at 10:17 PM, J Francho said:Why spend so much? You don't need to spend $65K. I spent $7K on mine, and finish in the money all the time. I take my kids, friends, relatives, the occasional soldier, etc.
SirSnookalot reply :
You don't need a half dozen Loomis NRX's and 6 tackle bags full of lures to catch fish either. People that can afford an expensive boat, all the power to them. Is a Bentley worth 150K more than a Chevy, most likely not, but it's a darn sweet ride and so is a $50,000 boat.
I had a 34' Carver, great boat and I didn't even fish out of it. I fished from a rowboat with 6.5 Elgin hp ob, cost free, people left it with the home.
200racing reply :
there is a number of people who want the best of whatever.equally there are plenty of people who are not scared of being in debt.
i dont understand spending that much but hey.............life,liberty and pursuit of happiness!
i wouldnt have it any other way.
Michael DiNardo reply :
Nonetheless, the laws of supply and demand set the price. If noone would pay 65,000 for a boat, there would not be a boat that cost $65,000.
Mike
barroncooper reply :
what amazes me is some of the rigs I see at local tournaments. the newest of new top of the line boats with two 1198's, two powerpoles, all the bells and whistles while being pulled by a brand new jacked up diesel with obnoxious rims and tires. I make a d**n good living and still couldn't fathom paying1/4 of what some of these truck/boat rigs have to cost. but yeah who ever said it is right... to life, love, and the pursuit of happiness and debt. i guess I'm a bit jealous but I'd love to know how people afford these things, especially if they have children.
flippin and pitchin reply :
On 5/9/2012 at 7:49 PM, barroncooper said:what amazes me is some of the rigs I see at local tournaments. the newest of new top of the line boats with two 1198's, two powerpoles, all the bells and whistles while being pulled by a brand new jacked up diesel with obnoxious rims and tires. I make a d**n good living and still couldn't fathom paying1/4 of what some of these truck/boat rigs have to cost. but yeah who ever said it is right... to life, love, and the pursuit of happiness and debt. i guess I'm a bit jealous but I'd love to know how people afford these things, especially if they have children.
Loans with terms of 360 years.
GrundleLove reply :
The problem that i see is , i think that boats are just flat over priced. period. i bet the time and material tha goes into, lets say, a nitro Z8 is no where even CLOSE to 34k the asking price. Frankly, the most expensive part is the engine, which is TOPS probably 10k with parts and labor (i also think outboards are freakin way over priced) so you are telling me the rest of that boat is like 22 grand? Go screw. I dont believe it. The problem is that its a collective overpricing. from the boat maker, to trolling/outboard motor maker...etc...everyone is over pricing, thus we suffer. there is no way a rep from Tracker Marine or Triton/Stratos the most overpriced boat ive ever layed eyes on, and says "Actually Grundle we are only making like 500 dollars in profit" yea right, its probably like ******* 10 grand.
Fishing Rhino reply :
A 200 HP Mercury Optimax runs about 15,000 dollars. If you want the 250 on a Z-8 it will cost you another five grand. Three grand more for the 225 HP engine. Half the price of the boat with 200 HP is for the engine.
Why is it most folks feel they are underpaid, and most things are overpriced?
Unless you know what the profit margin is on a boat, or anything else for that matter, you have nothing other than guesswork to say anything is overpriced.
I can tell you this much about any fiberglass products that are laid up by hand. They will cost much more per pound than items such as bathtubs or shower stalls which are "laid up" with chopper guns. In addition, when I started doing fiberglass fabrication in 1994 I could buy a five gallon pail of black or white gel coat for around 70 dollars. Today, the same product, from the same distributor costs about 260 dollars. Polyester resin which was about nine dollars per gallon is over thirty dollars per gallon.
I'd hazard a guess that the cost of labor has also increased significantly in the past 18 years.
Unless you have access to the books of these companies building bass boats, statements about them being overpriced is only an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.
WookieeJedi reply :
I don't think boats are that expensive. NEW boats are expensive, but used boats seem to be very reasonable. I checked out my local internet ad site and found more than a few nice rigs for under $8K. Most of those boats won't depreciate much more over a 4 year period, meaning you could get most of your money back on a resale later on. A new boat takes a 30% hit just by being purchased. A new boat seems like a poor investment, even worse than a car.
"BRB" reply :
On 5/9/2012 at 10:26 AM, Michael DiNardo said:Nonetheless, the laws of supply and demand set the price. If noone would pay 65,000 for a boat, there would not be a boat that cost $65,000.
Mike
Couldn't agree more if people keep buying them...
RyneB reply :
iv always been into cars. I have owned nice and fast boats and nice and fast cars. Here my theory. You can buy a bone stock corvette ZR1 with 700 horsepower for $100,000. Or you can buy a $2,000 piece of junk. Both get you from point A to point B. One does it faster and with a lot more attention. I sold all my fun toys except for my 2004 GTO. I had tons of modifications in to it. It was my baby, but i sold it to get a brand new bass boat. But after i sold it i realized that my 2002 Tracker Pro Crappie does me just fine. Yeah, it doesnt have the storage, deck space, and "look at me" factor as a brand news Ranger. But i upgraded the electronics and it does what it has to do. Boat manufacturers are just like car manufacturers. If i lived on kentucky lake or guntersville, i could justify buying a $50,000 boat. But I live in Illinois and fish strip mines and small rivers. For instance, if i lived near the Autobahn, id own a modded out Porsche GT3. As long as there are people out there willing to pay, theyll keep selling.
basscatcher8 reply :
iv always been into cars. I have owned nice and fast boats and nice and fast cars. Here my theory. You can buy a bone stock corvette ZR1 with 700 horsepower for $100,000. Or you can buy a $2,000 piece of junk. Both get you from point A to point B. One does it faster and with a lot more attention. I sold all my fun toys except for my 2004 GTO. I had tons of modifications in to it. It was my baby, but i sold it to get a brand new bass boat. But after i sold it i realized that my 2002 Tracker Pro Crappie does me just fine. Yeah, it doesnt have the storage, deck space, and "look at me" factor as a brand news Ranger. But i upgraded the electronics and it does what it has to do. Boat manufacturers are just like car manufacturers. If i lived on kentucky lake or guntersville, i could justify buying a $50,000 boat. But I live in Illinois and fish strip mines and small rivers. For instance, if i lived near the Autobahn, id own a modded out Porsche GT3. As long as there are people out there willing to pay, theyll keep selling.
Thats where I am now. Id love to get a new ranger but I live in Illinois and spend most of my time on the Illinois and Fox rivers. No reason for the ranger an new aluminum does just great. But alot of guys around here want that new ranger instead and act like they live on ky lake or guntersville.
clayton86 reply :
iv always been into cars. I have owned nice and fast boats and nice and fast cars. Here my theory. You can buy a bone stock corvette ZR1 with 700 horsepower for $100,000. Or you can buy a $2,000 piece of junk. Both get you from point A to point B. One does it faster and with a lot more attention. I sold all my fun toys except for my 2004 GTO. I had tons of modifications in to it. It was my baby, but i sold it to get a brand new bass boat. But after i sold it i realized that my 2002 Tracker Pro Crappie does me just fine. Yeah, it doesnt have the storage, deck space, and "look at me" factor as a brand news Ranger. But i upgraded the electronics and it does what it has to do. Boat manufacturers are just like car manufacturers. If i lived on kentucky lake or guntersville, i could justify buying a $50,000 boat. But I live in Illinois and fish strip mines and small rivers. For instance, if i lived near the Autobahn, id own a modded out Porsche GT3. As long as there are people out there willing to pay, theyll keep selling.
I noticed this doing a local bass tournament held by a starting out tackle shop on our small little lake. there were 15 teams so 15 boats they were all big dollar high end boats a few rangers, 2 basscats, 3 Z9s, a few other big name boats then there was the boat I fished outa with my co worker a run down 14' with no trolling motor no electronics just the loud arse outboard. We were the only ones with out a bass boat and we finished in 4th place missed it by like 5ozs most the guys didnt even catch a limit and they had all these big fancy rigs. Dont get me wrong I would love a new nitro or bass cat anything really but the more iv been sitting and thinking on it iv realized all i fish is little lakes and I wont ever go out into the big part of ontario so iv found my self looking at smaller more economical boats that my wife and kids can enjoy as well.
Dave P reply :
There's a lot of satisfaction in being able to do that Clayton86!!!
Sam reply :
So you want to know why bass boats and other watercraft are so expensive.
There a number of reasons.
1. Cost of materials. Cannot buy massive quanties of materials to have on hand as boat building is a slow process.
2. Facilities to build the watercraft. You need to have a safe environment with good equipment and warehouse space which adds to the cost.
3. People. You need highly trained people to put the watercraft together.
4. Insurance. Ocean Marine insurance for boat building is expensive for third-party liability. Boat manufacturers have to purchase at least $10,000,000 of liability insurance over and above their basic $1,000,000 Commerical General Liability contract to protect their assets. Add in the cost of direct and indirect damage coverage, vehicle fleets, professional engineering liability, dishonesty bond, transportation costs and group health, dental and vision insurance and you have located the #2 expense on the profit and loss statement.
5. Number of units produced. You cannot set up an assembly line for boats. It is not like opening the door of a DeSoto and stepping onto the ground if something goes wrong. You have to have a tight quality control program and follow it to the letter which is time consuming. The number of watercraft a manufacturer produces a year is not a high number so the advantage of economics of scale is difficult to achieve.
6. Quality control. As stated in #5 above, quality control is the heart and sole of watercraft manufacturing. Blowing in the foam; checking the electrical connections; adding the motor and its cables and lines; making sure there are no cracks in the hull's plastic; have the correct trailer and tires to carry the boat safely; and the list goes on and on.
7. Aerodynamics. But in the water. Testing of hulls and other changes are expensive but must be done to improve future watercraft.
There are other items we could list as stated above.
When you put yourself, family and friends in a watercraft you want to make sure the watercraft is safe and efficient. You do not want any problems on the water. To give you this peace of mind is expensive.
This is why you are one your own when you buy a used boat. You have no idea if what the hull has hit; is the gas tank leaking slowly; has the motor been reveed up over 5000 RPS and if so, how many times; is the steerin safe and correct; and lots of other concerns that we block from our mind.
Boat building is labor intensive and people are expensive. However, remember the famous economic formula: People + Assets = Profit.
People are expensive!!!!!
Triton21 reply :
I have a 2004 21ft Triton with a 225 opti I bought as a retirement present for myself. The price tag was $58,995. This boat was used on a TV fishing 3 times. I bought it for a lot less than half price. It will last me the rest of my life. I have no payments and a GREAT BOAT. There are great deals out there if you look.
Kelley
Long Mike reply :
A couple of years ago i bought a 2004 Tracker TV-18 with a 150 Merc for $8500. Tracker doesn't make that boat any more, but it was the type of boat I was looking for. It's an eighteen footer with a modified deep-V hull. I fish larger lakes so I needed something that would handle big water if need be. The thought of buying a glass boat never crossed my mind. I've spent probably another five grand on that boat, as I have added the latest Lowrance HDS electronics, a Minn-Kota Terrova trolling motor with iPilot, and a few other bells and whistles. I'm sixty-five. It's the last boat I will ever buy. I love it!
salmicropterus reply :
There is a definite trend toward a downsized bass boat. The boat builders are getting it. The Z-7, smaller Skeeter, Triton etc. Basically an 18-18.6 boat with a lot of the bigger boat goodies, wider beam etc equipped with a 150 HP class motor. Price points in the mid to high $20s. There is a lot of utility to a boat like this and if you compare the marginal benefits of 2-2.5 ft of length and 75-100 hp, this class of boat makes a lot of sense. People have said "well if people are buying at $65K then they will sell". Problem is not enough volume at these price points so whatever little economy of scale there is in boat building (there isn't much to begin with) is lost. I can tell you that at any price, the dealer isn't making much either on the boat or the motor. I am a Mercury, Evinrude and Yamaha dealer and if we make $500 on a $15,000 motor, it's a cold day in July in South Florida. I don;t think the boat dealers are working with much margin either
Nice_Bass reply :
My promblem is with Mercury. Dont get me wrong I love the motors, they have had issues but give 5 year warrenty- but the various engines are all on the same blocks. 75, 90 115, all the same. i believe 225 and 250 are the same as well. Why...i dont know.
salmicropterus reply :
My promblem is with Mercury. Dont get me wrong I love the motors, they have had issues but give 5 year warrenty- but the various engines are all on the same blocks. 75, 90 115, all the same. i believe 225 and 250 are the same as well. Why...i dont know.
This is an attempt by the motor companies to develop some economy of scale. The differences in HP for each block or motor family lies in the mapping of the computer.
Nice_Bass reply :
This is an attempt by the motor companies to develop some economy of scale. The differences in HP for each block or motor family lies in the mapping of the computer.
So a reprogram, along with changing out the airflow would essentially upgrade the motor?...interesting.
WookieeJedi reply :
So a reprogram, along with changing out the airflow would essentially upgrade the motor?...interesting.
I was thinking similarly. I would think there would be some gear ratio differences in the foot section as well.
J Francho reply :
Yeah, that simple. Throw in injectors, lower unit, and you can also throw away your warranty too. Basically everything you would need to accomplish this would cost more then just buying the motor you wanted in the 1st place. Why any of this is a "problem" is beyond me.
Nice_Bass reply :
Yeah, that simple. Throw in injectors, lower unit, and you can also throw away your warranty too. Basically everything you would need to accomplish this would cost more then just buying the motor you wanted in the 1st place. Why any of this is a "problem" is beyond me.
You can throw away the warrenty, but no it would not cost more than buying a new unit. The problem is some boats (my boat) model year had a lower hp than the year previous- and if we are talking the same weight motor than after the warrenty is up i would like to upgrade- just would have to work within the means of the current max hp listed.
J Francho reply :
You think buying a 75, and doing everything to convert it to a 115 will be less than buying a 115? Keep dreaming.
Nice_Bass reply :
Just 90 actually. As always keep up the positive thoughts.
J Francho reply :
I'm a very positive, and optimistic person, but I live in reality. A 90hp Opti is
Nice_Bass reply :
franco- you just dont get it dude- you are arguing against yourself.
parts are the same and you can upgrade it yet manufactorers have the different limits essentially to make various price points- thus creating more expensive boats. That is my point that you pointed out as well.
J Francho reply :
I'm arguing against myself? That Mercury sucks because it costs less to simply repower than to "rebuild" a 90 into a 115? LMAO. They do this to make it CHEAPER FOR YOU and make better margins. I am not confused at all. Sell your 90 and get a 115, if you want to go the cheapest route. Ripping apart your 90 and trying make into a 115 will cost you more. If you think it's simply a "reprogram," you are mistaken. The LU alone blows the budget. Think about it. If it's only $325 difference, don't you think using the same platform has just a little to do with it? The whole reason they have to offer three different sizes is something you posted yourself - hull specific HP ratings. So, what don't I get again?
Nice_Bass reply :
For one you dont get that 2 or three times i have said going from a 75 to a 90 in merc opti. But we wont let symantics get in the way. I dont need a new lower unit!!!!! they are the same!!!!!
J Francho reply :
On 5/17/2012 at 9:33 PM, J Francho said:You think buying a 75, and doing everything to convert it to a 115 will be less than buying a 115? Keep dreaming.
On 5/17/2012 at 9:41 PM, nice_Bass said:Just 90 actually. As always keep up the positive thoughts.
Mea Culpa, sounded like you were starting with a 90. You're probably better off spending the dough on a prop job. Is yours a stainless? Couple hundred bucks, and no turning a reliable motor into a potential PITA. I'm getting mine done, since I nicked a blade anyway.
Nice_Bass reply :
About maxed out with the stainless-really i should not complain-I love the merc, only have had to replace a coil pack so far. Just my issue is with my boat is max rated for the 75hp when it should be rated up to 90 since they weigh the same. Guess i should relax a bit.
J Francho reply :
http://marksprops.com/orderform.html
Nice_Bass reply :
On 5/18/2012 at 3:05 AM, J Francho said:http://marksprops.com/orderform.html
sent an inquiry there- need a new spare (my current was) and could benefit from a high performance prop. out of curiosity, what kind of price range are they in. Mid to high I assume?
J Francho reply :
I don't know about new props, you may be better off looking at used, but what a buddy told me was he would bring his munched prop to stock for $150 ish. I gotta think mine can't be much more, since it's just a 13.5 X 22P Lazer II.
J Francho reply :
Sorry for the off topic stuff, but it just goes to show....
Forget what this guy said, bass boats are EXPENSIVE, even if you buy used, LOL:
On 5/8/2012 at 10:17 PM, J Francho said:Why spend so much? You don't need to spend $65K. I spent $7K on mine, and finish in the money all the time. I take my kids, friends, relatives, the occasional soldier, etc.
GOOCHY reply :
I wonder if the time involved to go back and forth on an internet message board over whether it's worth the upgrade was worth $325?
Nice_Bass reply :
On 5/23/2012 at 2:41 AM, GOOCHY said:I wonder if the time involved to go back and forth on an internet message board over whether it's worth the upgrade was worth $325?
I wonder if trolling should be in the fishing tackle or rods reels and lines section.
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