When looking for a used bass boat: Advice?

[eetz]

Looking for some advice from the masses here at greatlakesbass: I want to buy a boat!  I want one before bass season opens, but this ice on our lakes may delay the process since I should drive the boat before purchasing.

I found some really good information on CMUROSS' post about purchasing a boat in the spring, and was hoping everyone could expand on that. 

I'm not really sure about my price range.  I suppose under $15k, but I'm not sure what price range I should be in to find dependability.  Obviously, the less I can spend, the more flexibility I'll have with upgrading electronics and whatnot. 

Any advice, even if you think it's totally obvious will help. 

Thanks!

[mikesmiph]

I know when I bought my first bass boat I knew nothing about them. I wish I would have asked for advise on here before I bought it, but I found this site after it was too late. I paid too much for what I got. I know that now, but there is no way to go back, so I made it into the boat I wanted. I put a LOT of money into my boat, so that it would be what I found out a bass boat should be. I'm not even all the way done yet. I have already come to terms with the fact that I will never get my money back on this boat. So, I guess my first piece of advise for you would be to learn all you can learn about bass boats, and what you want from a bass boat, before you even think about buying one. This site is an excellent place to start. Some key questions to ask yourself. Where are you going to do most of your fishing? I have fallen in love with Lake St Clair. My boat isn't big enough to be comfortable out there on most days. I still go, but a bigger boat would be nice. If you are going to fish inland lakes only, then a smaller boat will cost you less money. What options do you want to have on your boat? My boat came with a tiller steer 35lb trolling motor and no electronics. I had to add all of that. Lots of money. You need to make sure that everything works. When you have to start replacing batteries, pumps, and motor parts, it gets expensive. They tell me that the letters B. O. A. T. stand for break out another thousand. I have lived that for two years. LOL. My boat will be for sale sometime late winter. Its not perfect. Its old. But someone is going to get a great deal because I already changed or fixed most everything on it. And, I spent the money. I wont get half what I have into it. I'm starting a new project boat very soon. Going to sink another ton of money into an old boat, but with the things I've learned over the last couple years, I now know how much I can afford to do to this boat and still get my money back when I sell it. I hope this helps. I wish someone would have said these things to me before I bought one.                           Mike

[32eml24]

Another thing I'd like to add (may be totally obvious) but make sure it comes with a cover! preferably a factory one!  I bought a 1994 that had been using an aftermarket cover which sagged in the cockpit area.  The floor was very soft and it was something I didn't think through until after my purchase, but the rain pooled up in that area.  Didn't necessarily drip through, but all the times of removing the cover with a HEAVY puddle of water in that area, some of it's bound to end up on the floor.  One more piece of advice which is definitely obvious is don't buy it without an on-water trial. 

[HellaBass]

I did  a blog on this after buying my recent boat - http://fromthedock.nbcsports.com/2011/11/09/how-to-buy-a-used-bass-boat-%E2%80%93-part-1/

[REEL_MAN]

sounds like you may have a good chance of getting a good boat for 15K. There a lot of good sites for used boats (bass boat central, probass, bass fishing home page as well as many others). I have had new boat but the last was used. It was at that time 5 years old in good condition. Since then it has had several upgrades depth finders (GPS) batteries, pumps and other things.  This is just part of boat ownership and no way around it.
Make a list of what you want (24 or 36V trolling motor, depth finder(s), carpet condition, has the owner had the engine maintained (lower unit , plugs changed ect.). This is just a few things to look for, but don't get hung up on serviceable parts remember your not looking at a new boat just a good sound hull and engine, you will want to up grade the amenities anyway.
Good luck it's just the beginning of a fun adventure

Reelman

[eetz]

Thanks everyone.  I really appreciate the advice.  A lot of good information.

When it comes to the motor, I know everyone depends a lot on the compression test.  I believe the mechanic can also pull the operation hours at the same time. 

How many hours do you feel is too many to purchase?

[bob o]

if your interested in a fiberglass boat look for a 2000 model year or newer, just about all of the big manufactures went to using all fiberglass (no wood) in there hulls around the late 90's early 2000's. and if big water will be your stomping ground get as big as you can afford, my 19'-3" basscat pII handles st clair ok i would feel much more relaxed in a 20'+ boat out there. good luck on your search and take your time and don't jump the gun at someone's fixer-uper deal. and check other fishing sites for boat listings ie. bass boat central has a good for sale section but most of the boat are out of state so you might have to drive a while for a test ride/purchase.

[eetz]

Hi Rich,
In your blog, you mentioned that you traveled 8 hours for your boat.  

How confident about the boat were you before you made the drive?  Or was it just a chance you took, that maybe you would see the boat and not want it?

[motocross269]

Sherm's Marine has my 1999 Bass Cat Jag that I traded in.....It is a very solid ride set up for Big water fishing....20 foot 4 inch boat with a 225 carbed motor....Carb motors drink gas but they are very reliable..
This boat will probably sell for well within your price range...

IM me if you have any questions...

[Waterfoul]

Nothing will tell you more than an on-the-water test.

Crawl thru the boat.  Look in EVERY compartment, under the helm, in the bilge, etc.  Look for signs of rot in carpet, transom (especially around holes for cables, etc...).  Is the wiring under the dash all in order (sure sign of repairs and tinkering if it's not).  Look at the bottom of the boat.  Is it all scratched up?  Cracked anywhere?  Does it have a keelgaurd?   How does the prop and skeg look?  Clean edges?  Dented?  BENT???

Do all the electronics on the boat work?  Gauges work?  Trim work?  Does it steer easily, if cable steer does the wheel cycle lock to lock with ease or do you have to man handle it to make it do this?    Check the dates on the batteries.  All batteries have dates on them... most being the alpha numeric type where B1 would mean it was made in Feb. of 2011, C11 is March of 2011,  D10 would be April of 2010, etc...

This is just a start.  Look for anything out of the ordinary and ask the owner about it.  Then, take it for a tow down the road to a boat ramp for the on-th-water test drive. Use your own truck for this!

While towing it, how does the trailer handle?  Sway?  Tires in good shape?  Bunks and carpet in good shape??  Brakes work?

While on the water, does it start easily?  Shift easily?  Handle like you want it to?  Open the bilge hatch... water?  If so... it leaks!!  When dropping off plane does the wake wash over onto the back deck (my Triton does this... kind of annoying)??

After doing all this, ask yourself "Do I want to part with my hard earned dollar for THIS boat?"  If so, congratulations.  If not... look at more boats. 

[Mike S.]

Definitely take everyone's advice, go for a ride. Don't take their word for it. I learned this the hard way, this summer actually. I was in a major hurry to buy another boat after mine was hit. I wanted a minimum of 20 feet, and no less motor than a 225. I bought the first boat I could find close to home, from a dealer, with no test run. Well, guess what, the boat had a high speed fuel issue. It stalled at 64, every time it got there. Trust me, it is a major pain in the behind to drive back and forth to a dealer not in town, twice a week for the first month you own your new boat. Not a good experience.

Make sure your electronics are usable. I had to sink a lot of money into the trolling motor on my new boat. The whole upper part was destroyed at one time. First time I used it, I noticed the pointer didn't work, and the light inside didn't work. When I pulled it apart, I noticed the damages. Missing parts, the upper and lower control box halves had been glued back together, and were held on the shaft with a hose clamp. I also had to replace the bushings and bolts on the pivot point, because someone cobbled it together.  Now, its all good, but I have almost $200 in parts for an old trolling motor.

Check the gauges. First time out, I notice my trim gauge doesn't work. They had to replace the trim sender unit.

If it has a hydraulic jack plate, make sure you check for leaks. Mine had a fitting leak that had to be fixed, also.   

I spent $18,000 for all these problems. So, buyer beware. It could be a nightmare. I have personally seen a few of the boats that are for sale on here, and would recommend checking on some of them. If you want an older boat, check Mike's out. Check with River Rat about his Champion. If he's still got it, that was a really nice boat. I saw Skip's Skeeter at LSC this year. Looked like a pretty nice boat. Good luck man.

[fiker]

I spent a lot of time doing research prior to buying my boat.  I watched all the sites for about a year learning what was available in my price range. 
But the smartest thing I did was get acquainted with Ralph Blasey at Wonderland Marine.  Ralph knew just what I was looking for and what I had to spend.  When a boat came in on consignment he hooked me up.  If it wasn't for Ralph I would never have gotten the boat and the deal that I did.  Wonderland took care of everything.   

[Redbone]

Everyones tips are good. I would like to add that you should unscrew the lower units grease screw.  If any water comes out instead of grease DONT buy it.  That means water has been sitting in the lower unit rusting the bearings and shaft. And that pretty much means a new lower unit.  I drove 6 hours to Indy a few years back only to unscrew set screw and see crystal clear water.  2 minutes after seeing that, we were on the road home.

A test drive on the water is a must when spending that much cash.

[Bender]

I agree with what Mike said up at the top. You might find a great deal but if you don't like the boat then it isn't worth it. Look at deck layouts, storage arrangements, gunwhale heights, etc. Find the boat that you are comfortable fishing out of and driving first then look for a good deal on one. If you are like me you are going to spend a lot of time in it so you better like it.

[SethV]

Hi Rich,
In your blog, you mentioned that you traveled 8 hours for your boat.  

How confident about the boat were you before you made the drive?  Or was it just a chance you took, that maybe you would see the boat and not want it?

I bought my last 2 boats sight unseen - between 6 and 10 hrs from home.  But - they were demo boats with full warranties, so the risk was much lower than buying an older used boat.

Good advise here so far.  Biggest risk is the motor.  Just make sure it is black and you will be ok!   

[LAPORTE]

Black as in a Yamaha !!

[Mike S.]

Black as in a Yamaha !!

Right along the line of thoughts I was having. A black cowl counts. Even though, mine is dark blue....... .

[Mike S.]

This time of year isn't right up there on people's lists as the time to test drive a boat, but it may not be a bad idea. I had a 97 Merc 150 efi on my last boat.  This time of year, it was a major pig. It didn't like to run in cold weather. I had to feather the throttle, and hope it would keep moving forward. I did let it warm up very well at the dock first. I am not speaking of all Merc's. Just speaking of my personal experience.

My Yamaha, it loves all weather. It runs the same in 30 degrees as it does in 80 degrees. Just saying this because there could be an issue somewhere, and you'd never know until it was cold out.

[eetz]

Thanks so much for the advise.  I definitely feel more confident looking at boats with everyone's comments. 

If anyone thinks of more, please let me know.  I'll be looking from now on. 

The black motor comment is funny.  I see a lot of late '90s boats with the white Johnson outboards.  I"m guessing I should avoid those? 

[Waterfoul]

Most older Johnson motors run/start terrible in colder weather, smoke like crazy, and drink fuel.  Unlike Mike's 97 EFI Merc, mine loves the cold weather.  Starts first turn of the key even when it's 30 degrees out.  BUT, mine only has about 15 hours on a fresh rebuild. So, as others have said, the motor is the biggest reason to buy or not to buy a particular boat.  Drive it first!!!