Buying a Bass Boat?

[Jmcfarland]

 I have pretty much made up my mind that this late winter early spring I am finally gonna buy a bass rig. The old 14 footer is just too small for all my stuff anymore. I have a lot of ideas and questions. I am planned on buying a 16-18 foot model. I am really thinking fiberglass is the way to go for the lakes i fish. I am looking to spend between 8000-12000 dollars. Is that enough $$ to get me into a good boat even? Im sure it is but I dont want to spend that much and get a piece of krap that i have to dump money into every time i turn around. Is that a big enough boat or am I gonna want a bigger one in a month? A lot of things I cant think of right now so if you guys want to throw anything out there go for it. Thanks for the help

[Dan]

You will always want one just a little bit bigger, but IMO the minimum you want is an 18 footer especially if you want to fish two out of the boat. My Skeeter I sold was an oldy but a goody and I sold it for $5,5000 and it was an 18 ft. with a 150 on it and the guy I sold it to has had it for two years now and never put a dime in it. My newer boat that I bought, so I wouldn't have to put money in it, has had to have the engine rebuilt, and two lower units, plus a new VRO pump. So if you are buying a used boat you just never know, but in your price range you ought to find a boat if you are patient.  It helps if you are mechanically minded or have someone who is willing to give you their best advice.

[MBell]

Wouldn't buy a bass boat under 18 feet, they just don't have the necessary beam for that kind of hull to handle well.  Don't understand whay these small bass boats sell, they don't do anything an aluminum wouldn't do, and they cost more.  I would go with some sort of aluminum vhull for the smaller boats.  I would buy used, it is a buyers market now.  What lakes are you planning on fishing?  Nothing wrong with a 14 footer, when it's calm it's better for fishing.  I still use my 14 footer up on saginaw bay, especially in the spring when the fish are shallow.  
-Matt  

[Skip Johnson]

I wouldnt buy anything smaller than an 18 fter either and you need at least a 150hp! be very carefull what brand of boat you buy used and where it has been used alot of boats that have been on big water have alot of stress cracks and are very loose!
there are alot of cheaply built boats out there so be carefull your not buying someones headache, if I were looking for a used boat I would look at skeeter ranger champion and bass cat and in that order stay away from boats like nitro and astro and it should be powerded by yamaha or mercury but my opinion is yamaha outlasts mercury so if I bought used I would try for a yamaha.

[Jmcfarland]

 Mbell, my 14' is a V-hull. It seems like its never calm when I fish. The wind catches the boat and blows it all over the place. I can not control it even with the trolling motor mounted in the front. It has no livewell so I have to rig up a cooler system and thats always a tossup as to wether or not 5 fish would stay alive, let alone 10. Not quite understanding what you mean by them not handling well. I haven't ever even operated a bass boat so i thought the smaller the better but ive been wrong before. What kind of aluminum V-hull are you talking? Like a lund style or like a newer bass tracker style? Just a few more questions.

[Skip Johnson]

If you want to fish st clair or erie you wont want aluminum they will beat you up and blow too easy, the fiberglass bass boats sit lower on top and in the water and are heavier so you get a better ride! the difference between a 17 ft and 19 ft bass boat is totaly night and day plus you might want to fish tournaments someday so you mind as well get the right boat if you got 10k you can do it if you shop and dont be afraid to shop out of state where the boats only been on small water, I totald my 2002 skeeter last year and had to pick up a boat cheap I looked hard and everywhere I even went and looked at one in minnisota 11 hour drive each way but I found a 1997 skeeter 20'2" with a 200hp yami for 12k in kentucky and it was in better shape than my 2002.

[MBell]

Bass boat hulls tend to spear waves more than other hull designs.  They are built for speed and shallow water more so than big waves.  With the smaller hulls even the best driver will spear some waves.  The shorter boats are also narrow and unstable, and they can flip in rough water.  I had a 54lb trolling motor on the front of my 14' row boat.  It was more power than I needed but I used it.  I also used drift socks and achors a lot.  Also had the cooler setup, 5 good fish was a tight squeeze.  Cheaper boats are in the south, there are some good deals.
-Matt

[fowlmouth]

check harrisonmarine.com , they repo boats. It's a good place to look in the winter, you can bid online but I would go look in person before bidding. i talked to a guy from there and he said most boats sell for "around wholesale". I bought my 1st bass boat last spring from a GLB member, a javelin venom 17 I was really suprised with how well this boat rides in rough water. The best thing is  I only burn aboat a 1/4 tank of gas in a tourney. I have had it out on lake michigan and on saginaw bay but I'm not so sure i would enter a tourney on open water in it. I'll take it out there when I want to, not when I have to.

[Cy]

I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't buy a fiberglass bass boat under 18'.  I have a '99 19' Javelin and I some days I would like a bigger boat, but I never wish I had a smaller one.  This is also my first boat and I don't have any problem running it or being comfortable in it.  The more I drive it the more comfortable I am in it.  I bought mine for a good price at a repo lot in West Michigan.  The boat was from AZ and I couldn't find out anything about it before I bought it.  It seems a little risky but it worked out very good for me.  I haven't had to put any money in to it that I didn't want to.

Cy

[canvsbk]

 Junk comes in all colors. That said, if you are at all mechanically inclined buying a used boat will be easier, if not - you need good buddies to help.
I agree that 18' is a minimum with a 150 on it. The older boats don't have a lot of the fancy stuff on 'em the newer boats do but you can add things - hot foot - recirc pumps - auto bilge - etc.
There will always be somebody that's bigger and faster no matter what you buy.
Good luck.

[Jmcfarland]

Well guys, you really burst my bubble    That said I had a 17' ranger that looked pretty good for a reasonable price. Do you guys think a 17' would perform well on waters under 20,000 acres? Burt and Mullett are the biggest lakes i plan to fish and i fish them out of my 14 footer quite often. I am really not wanting a big gas sucking boat. Remember im 21years old and $12,000 is a LOT of money for a boat for me.I would also have to buy gas,oil,insurance,tourn.fees,etc. Anyways thanks for the help and keep the comments coming. 

[MBell]

You would probobly be fine on Burt/Mullet with a 17' boat.  Check out boattrader.com if you haven't already you can see what's out there.  Insurance might get you, when I was 21 I was paying 1200 a year, and now 3 years later it's 700.  Everyone I talked to when looking at boats said 300-500, not the case.  Another thing to remember is that the motor is usually at least 50% of the boats value. 
-Matt

[smbassman]

There's not many inland lakes in Michigan that a 17' boat would be too small for.  And Ranger builds good boats.  If you really are wanting to do the tournament thing, expect to be fishing the great lakes and you will need a bigger boat for that.  If you do want to be able to fish the bigger waters out of a smaller boat, you should look at Champions or BassCat.  The BassCat Eyra (no longer made) was probably the best rough water 18'er made(some '96-'97 used boats are available at decent prices), but the Sabre's are very good also.  And yes I am a BIG fan of BassCat boats, but I am not sponsored in any way - they are just great boats.  Ride in one and you will agree.

Also, for used boats, I would recommend you get a boat with a Mercury EFI.  They are definitely the most dependable 2 stroke motor from around '95 to early 2000's.  Maybe some carb motors are just as good, but I doubt any are better.  Try to avoid any DFI prior to around 2002.  I know there are good ones out there, but failure rates and cost of repair are higher with these.

[Revtro]

You'll be fine with a 17' if Burt/Mullet is the largest lakes you plan to fish.  But check out Boatsville.com also.  In 2 secs of searching I found many 18 footers in your price range.  Check out the Ranger and Nitro below:

http://boatsville.com/used_boats_detail.cfm?BoatID=27291&Ranger&482VS
http://boatsville.com/used_boats_detail.cfm?BoatID=46940&Nitro&884%20Savage

[Jmcfarland]

Hey thanks for the new site to search Revtro, I appreciate it. I will definately keep all these things in mind while searching for a boat.

[REEL_MAN]

One thing to remember when you buy a boat: It's better to wait than to settle for something less than what you want. If your goal is a boat that has a 150 Hp and you settle for a boat with a 125Hp you will regret it in the long run. Every time you take out the boat it will be in your mind Why did I buy this? There are alot of boats and web sites to shop from, take your time and get what you really want.

Good luck see you on the water

REEL MAN

[Revtro]

No doubt.  It is totally a buyers market.  You should have no problem finding exactly what you need at the price you want if you're patient.  Good luck!  Be sure to let us know about the new rig when you get one.

[Pkleppert]

You can give me a call if you want, I know of a great boat in your price range that one of my dealers has.  I tell people to buy the biggest boat you can afford because you never see people trading down.  If you can snag a good 18' boat with a 150 in good shape, it will be cheaper in the long run than if you get a smaller boat now and trade up in a year or two.

Pat Kleppert
(269) 207-4864

[djkimmel]

I would definitely recommend a discussion about boat insurance with Bob at Worldwide Marine Underwriters - the phone number and link to his web site is up there on the top left under GLBass.com Sponsors - 800-339-1235. Bob has the resources of 27 different insurances companies and knows how to get each individual boat owner the best coverage with all possible discounts - some discounts that you never hear about from other insurance companies!

I guaranty you will get more and better information about your marine insurance situation from him - that is all he does and he is really good at it. Insurance is a key factor in buying large items like boats, and information is power in making good decisions.

Also, you may be able to get a 'carfax' like report on used boats for a small fee if you feel it will make you more confident about a particular boat. One source of these kinds of reports is through my partnership with Boattest.com on the GreatLakesBass.com Boating Resource Center page - click on the Boat History button.

Just want to make sure everyone is aware of available resources.

[Jmcfarland]

 Dan,
I will check with Bob after the holidays. Im young and I need good insurance at a good price. I got a quote from a local insurance agency and it actually was quite cheap,but the coverage is less than stellar. I will definately be checking around a little more before making a decision. Thanks for the tip.