GreenvilleSC_fishing

First boat, 2021 Vexus AVX 1980. Took her on the maiden voyage this morning at Lake Keowee, SC.

Whelp, it made it here from Missouri! Found a contractor to transport it, and he did a great job. Excited to take the Vexus out Saturday morning.

It is indeed a 4 year-old Vexus, not a 45 year-old. 😅 I found an insured company who can take it, but I’m going to have the trailer checked out to make sure I feel good about putting 800 miles on it rather than paying double for the flatbed.

Trailer is 2021. Great feedback on getting it over to a trailer shop - I got some quotes today and as expected it’s about half the price for towaway than putting on a flatbed. It’s appealing to try to get it out here towaway with the rate, I just don’t want to make a bad decision.

I’ve been hunting for a year, and I finally pulled the trigger on a boat. It’s a used Vexus 1980 on a single axle trailer 800 miles from my home in Missouri. Curious if anyone can offer advice on how to get this thing to me in South Carolina. If I don’t find a shipping option I plan to just drive out there in my F-150. Single axle trailer is sketchy for this journey, but for the deal I think I got it was worth figuring out. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for all the feedback! It is very helpful. Regarding some of the financial points, I believe I can financially support this, and my decision is whether I invest dollars into something like a rental property (which I already have a couple of) or buy a toy. I’ve been investing for a while and have never really splurged on something like this. So the financial consideration for me is not whether I can in theory afford it, but rather if it is wise to burn dollars to do this instead of something that makes dollars. I have zero experience with boats and have only ever been a passenger. There would definitely be a learning curve. Rather than dollar considerations, I am curious how difficult this is for someone who is technically minded but does not have previous experience. I’m curious if newbies harm boats and motors from lack of maintenance experience or if the list is fairly manageable (things like winterizing motor).

I’m very close to pulling the trigger on a 21 foot bass boat with 250 hp engine (pending nothing crazy happens to the economy after the election). I’m debating whether I should do this or spend less than half that to get a nice fishing boat with a hull generally designed for shallower water but decent for a calm lake. I would be fishing primarily with my two young sons in the upstate of SC and western NC with primary bodies of water being Lake Hartwell and Lake Keowee. Curious for feedback on someone like me pulling the trigger on a really nice bass boat vs something like what I described. I have never owned a boat. Thanks for the feedback!

I’m considering getting the Orochi Ronin for a spinning jerkbait setup. For a short rod with constant “jerking,” I am considering if I should drop down to Vanford 2000 or just stick with 2500 like I use normally. The 2000 is a full ounce lighter than the 2500. Any input would be appreciated.

Has Minn Kota fixed the issues with the Raptor stomp switches, or are they still finicky? All the terrible reviews on the stomp switches are pushing me toward power poles. It’s unfortunate because I’d otherwise love to pull the trigger on Raptors.

I’ve seen the dealers listed on their map but am looking for some sort of positive recommendation.

Greetings, all. I have been slowly shopping for a bass boat. I'm curious if anyone knows the estimated price difference between an X19 with 200hp and X21 with 250hp. Also I'm struggling to find dealers in the southeast with X19s or X21s in stock. Does anyone have a recommendation for Xpress dealers in the southeast? I'm in South Carolina but willing to travel a bit to get the boat. Thank you!

Obviously Gator Trax Strike Series is an awesome bass boat… but for a non-tournament angler who’s also looking for some diversity in use (like inshore fishing) do y’all think the GT model would still make a nice bass boat?

Hey y’all, I’m gearing up to fish more seriously with my sons this spring. Fished my whole life but only recently starting to take gear and technique more seriously. I have 3 baitcasting setups that I’d like to try most things with. MH fast 7’ with 16 lb flouro M moderate 7’ with 12 lb flouro (crankbait / small treble topwater) H fast 7’6” with braid I’m wondering if I should put 50 lb or 65 lb braid line on the 7’6” heavy. I want to accomplish as much as possible without having to switch line. For this setup I’m thinking frogs, light swimbaits (S Waiver, Spro Chad Shad), mini-Alabama Rig, heavy jigs. I have plenty of mono and flouro for leader depending on what I’m doing. In general I want to be able to do as much as possible with these 3 baitcasters. I do also have some cheap spinning setups for finesse. Thanks for the insight!

Thanks for the replies, folks! This is very helpful!

Hello! Longtime lurker, but this is my first post. I’ve bass fished my whole life in the southeast, but always as a casual angler. Recently I decided to do a deep dive, purchase some nicer gear, and expand from fishing almost exclusively Texas rigs and classic topwaters on cheap gear. 3 high quality rods I just purchased: 7’ MHF Baitcasting 7’6” HF Baitcasting 7’ MM Baitcasting A usable rod (but cheap) I also have: 6’6” MLF Spinning (very light line, using for ned rigs and the like) My question is - can I fish a jerkbait effectively, and what should I use for it? The 7’ MM is an awesome crankbait rod, but the moderate action seems like the opposite of what you want for ripping a Jerkbait. The MH fast is an all-rounder, so I’m thinking I may just use that even though it might be a bit heavy. My understanding is that something like M very fast would be the best for Jerkbait. Open to any feedback and thoughts here, thanks!