What's The Best Bass Boat And What's The Best Bass Boat For The Money?

[tcbass]

Looking at what the two best best boats in these two catagories. Looking for mainstream boats in central Minnesota that would have a dealership nearby. Not looking for boats like Bass Cat or Phenix that maybe great boats but the nearest dealership is in Missouri. So probably looking at boats like Triton, Ranger, Nitro, Skeeter, and others. These questions only pertain to fiberglass boats.

I already have an older multi-species aluminum boat and am looking at a second. I am in open water so I won't be beating this boat up.

1.) What is the best bass boat (money is no option)?

2.) What is the best bass boat for the money (value)?

[Brian6428]

Ask this question to 10 different people and you will get 10 different answers. Stick with any major brand and you will be getting a very good boat. Look at tritons, skeeters, nitros, rangers, and champions and see which you like best.

The best overall brand would have to be a top dollar brand, like bass cat, Allison, Phoenix, etc. sounds like you don't want those though.

Ultimately, look at the major brands, find the layout you like best and you can't go wrong.

[slonezp]

Looking at what the two best best boats in these two catagories. Looking for mainstream boats in central Minnesota that would have a dealership nearby. Not looking for boats like Bass Cat or Phenix that maybe great boats but the nearest dealership is in Missouri. So probably looking at boats like Triton, Ranger, Nitro, Skeeter, and others. These questions only pertain to fiberglass boats.

1.) What is the best bass boat (money is no option)?

The one sitting in your driveway.

There are many different things that could make one boat better than another. Do you want speed? Storage? Deck space? Craftsmanship? Ride? Rough water capable?Customer service? Warranty? Dealer network? and so on. 

2.) What is the best bass boat for the money (value)?

 

Nitro/Tracker carries that reputation but as of late, other dealers are offering a "value" boat in their lineup.

[Fishes in trees]

If I had unlimited funds, I'd most likely still have an aluminum boat, due to my style of fishing.  I frequently bump up against, slide into, run over enough stuff that fiberglass would be stupid for me.  I'd be seriously looking at an Express.  If I lived where you live, central Minnesota -  I'd be looking at multi-species style of boats for sure.

 

If I was looking at upper end fiberglass bass boats - I'd go with Bass Cat.  Back in the day when I was a rookie tournament fisherman, fishing the currently extinct Plains division of the BFL - Ron Pierce of Bass Cat boats was nice to me,  he was extremely considerate.  I was such a rookie co-angler that I didn't know what I didn't know.  I learned a lot from him that day.

[tcbass]

Ask this question to 10 different people and you will get 10 different answers. Stick with any major brand and you will be getting a very good boat. Look at tritons, skeeters, nitros, rangers, and champions and see which you like best.

The best overall brand would have to be a top dollar brand, like bass cat, Allison, Phoenix, etc. sounds like you don't want those though.

Ultimately, look at the major brands, find the layout you like best and you can't go wrong.

 

 

I'm not saying I wouldn't be interested in a Bass Cat, Allison, or Phoenix, but if they are only have dealerships in places like TX and MO, then obviously they are out of the equation.

 

 

I know that everyone will have an opinion.....which is why I'm asking.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at what the two best best boats in these two catagories. Looking for mainstream boats in central Minnesota that would have a dealership nearby. Not looking for boats like Bass Cat or Phenix that maybe great boats but the nearest dealership is in Missouri. So probably looking at boats like Triton, Ranger, Nitro, Skeeter, and others. These questions only pertain to fiberglass boats.

1.) What is the best bass boat (money is no option)?

The one sitting in your driveway.

There are many different things that could make one boat better than another. Do you want speed? Storage? Deck space? Craftsmanship? Ride? Rough water capable?Customer service? Warranty? Dealer network? and so on.

2.) What is the best bass boat for the money (value)?

 

Nitro/Tracker carries that reputation but as of late, other dealers are offering a "value" boat in their lineup.

 

 

 

I would hope that the best bass boat would have a lot of those qualities, great ride, storage, innovation, warranty, customer service, speed, deck space, craftsmanship, and so forth.

 

 

Obviously, one most likely won't have all of those features, but would have many of them.

 

 

 

I am looking for a boat that would have a dealership in the Twin Cities area. Does Bass Cat sell in MN?

[slonezp]

Have you already decide that BC makes the best bass boat?

 

Whatever boat you go with, I'd research the dealer first before making the purchase. I wish I would have done more looking into the dealer I purchased my boat from. They have really dropped the ball after the sale. Thankfully I have a Merc mechanic I can trust that I've used for almost 20 years.

[RoLo]

If I were looking for a brand new bass boat (I might be a little too old for that),

it would have to be a Phoenix or Bass Cat. Based on your restricted selection,

the Ranger and Triton are both excellent hulls but for different reasons.

Ranger is a quality boat with a hand laid-up hull and excellent resale value.

The Triton is a fine little chopper-gun hull that offers big bang for the buck.

In fact, I just purchased a 2011 Triton 17 Explorer a few weeks ago.

 

Roger

[tcbass]

Have you already decide that BC makes the best bass boat?

 

Whatever boat you go with, I'd research the dealer first before making the purchase. I wish I would have done more looking into the dealer I purchased my boat from. They have really dropped the ball after the sale. Thankfully I have a Merc mechanic I can trust that I've used for almost 20 years.

 

 

 

I haven't decided that Bass Cat makes the best boat, but someone said they made great boats and I was wondering if they had any dealerships in MN.

[tcbass]

If I were looking for a brand new bass boat (I might be a little too old for that),

it would have to be a Phoenix or Bass Cat. Based on your restricted selection,

the Ranger and Triton are both excellent hulls but for different reasons.

Ranger is a quality boat with a hand laid-up hull and excellent resale value.

The Triton is a fine little chopper-gun hull that offers big bang for the buck.

In fact, I just purchased a 2011 Triton 17 Explorer a few weeks ago.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

I don't understand the references in your post. What is a chopper gun hull?

 

 

 

 

What is the most innovative out of those two, Ranger or Triton?

[slonezp]

I don't understand the references in your post. What is a chopper gun hull?

 

 

 

 

What is the most innovative out of those two, Ranger or Triton?

Probably Ranger.

Ranger has a reputation of being a heavy and slow hull compared to most other bass boat brands. They also have a reputation of being a stable rough water platform and hold their value better than other brands.

[slonezp]

Check this puppy out http://legendmarine.com/v20

[RoLo]

 

I don't understand the references in your post. What is a chopper gun hull?

 

There are two major layering methods for constructing fiberglass hulls: Chop-gun and Hand-laid.

A chop-gun uses hard fiberglass strips fed into the gun which chops them into epoxy particles.

A separate input line that enters the chop-gun supplies a liquid resin hardener that's blended

with the epoxy particles. The chop-gun pans back-&-forth while spraying epoxy resins into the hull mold

until the desired thickness is attained.

 

In contrast, 'hand-laid' hulls are laid by hand, where several sheets of fiberglass mesh

are laid right in the hull mold which are separated by hardener.  In a perfect world, a hand-laid hull

would compare to a plywood board, while a chop-gun hull would compare to particleboard.

In the real world though , it's really not that cut-and-dried. Both epoxy layup methods have their pros and cons,

in fact, the best hulls incorporate "both" methods. Chop-gun layup is automated, and so it's more cost-effective.

but hand-laid hulls are 'generally' stronger and more durable than a chop-gun hull. One reason for superior strength

is uniform thickness, something that's difficult to achieve while panning a spray-gun back-and-forth.

On the other hand, chopper-gunning is superior in tight corners where there are air pockets. For this reason,

the best hand-laid hulls use a chopper-gun in tight corners to eliminate weak open pockets. Back in the 1960s, chopper-gun hulls were a horror show, but today they're far superior than they used to be.

 

What is the most innovative out of those two, Ranger or Triton?

 

That would depend on which boat features are most important to you.

The Triton Explorer I just bought is my 14th boat, so I've got a pretty good idea what features

I must have and those I can live without.

 

Roger

[tcbass]

There are two major layering methods for constructing fiberglass hulls: Chop-gun and Hand-laid.

A chop-gun uses hard fiberglass strips fed into the gun which chops them into epoxy particles.

A separate input line that enters the chop-gun supplies a liquid resin hardener that's blended

with the epoxy particles. The chop-gun pans back-&-forth while spraying epoxy resins into the hull mold

until the desired thickness is attained.

 

In contrast, 'hand-laid' hulls are laid by hand, where several sheets of fiberglass mesh

are laid right in the hull mold which are separated by hardener.  In a perfect world, a hand-laid hull

would compare to a plywood board, while a chop-gun hull would compare to particleboard.

In the real world though , it's really not that cut-and-dried. Both epoxy layup methods have their pros and cons,

in fact, the best hulls incorporate "both" methods. Chop-gun layup is automated, and thus more cost-effective.

Hand-laid hulls is "generally" stronger and more durable than a chop-gun hull. One reason for superior strength

is uniform thickness, something that difficult to do with a panning gun. On the other hand, chopper-gunning

is superior in tight corners where there are air pockets. For this reason, the best hand-laid hulls

use a chopper-gun in tight corners to eliminate weak open pockets. Back in the 1960s, chopper-gun hulls

were a horror show, but today they are far superior than they used to be.

 

 

That would depend on which boat features are most important to you.

The Triton Explorer I just bought is my 14th boat, so I've got a pretty good idea what features

I must have and those I can do without.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

Cool. Are those two boats similar in price?

[Smokinal]

If $ were not an option I would own a Ranger. Unfortunately for me, it is. So, I bought the best value out there and I own a Nitro.

[RoLo]

Cool. Are those two boats similar in price?

 

No.

The Ranger is hand-laid while the Triton is chopper-gunned.

The Ranger is considerably more expensive, but arguably

has a softer ride and greater durability, and unarguably better resale value.

Again, it depends on the boat-buyer's priorities.

 

Roger

[FrogFreak]

I'd like to chime in on the dealer issue. I fish in Central MN and I'd probably buy a Lund, Crestliner (what I own) or an Alumacraft since all three are supported throughout the state. They also seem to have pretty good resale value up here. I have a friend who bought his new boat from a dealer that is about 90 miles away (the only dealer in a 2 plus hour raduis) and he has needed to bring the boat back in on two occasions. What a pain!

[SoFlaBassAddict]

The best and the best for the money?

Something completely custom and completely paid for.

[warpath58]

The best boat bar none Allison XB-21 Check out their facebook page. look at cost of ownership. You can fit a full size person in the front or rear storage. The closest Allison dealer to you would be in TN and I have owned 2 of their boats and never had a problem that had to be taken to the dealership, the most likely problem you would have would be with the outboard, and you can have whatever brand you chose serviced at any dealership of that outboard brand. Now all you need is about $80 k laying around and you all set.

[Further North]

Pertaining to glass boats

1.) What is the best bass boat (money is no option)?

 

Ranger.  Great boats, cost too much.

2.) What is the best bass boat for the money (value)?

 

Skeeter, hands down.  To the point that I'd buy a Skeeter before I'd cough up the absurd amount Ranger wants for their boats.

 

For aluminum boats....I run a 2005 Crestliner CMV 1850.  Why they quit making them, I don't understand.