Tips On Where Or How To Buy A Bass Boat For Cheap?

[1099gl]

I need some help I am wanting to buy my first bass boat and I need it cheap my budget is $1500 for a boat that i can fish tournaments with. livewell,trolling motor,fish finder,ect. any ideas?

[slonezp]

My first "idea" is to tell you not to waste $1500 because you won't find much in the way of a tournament ready boat.

[Coherence]

Unless you have a family member or a good friend selling a boat, it is going to be hard to find a boat with all of that for $1500. Double your price point (I know that is easy to say, and hard to do) and you'll probably start finding some older boats that have a decent amount of the options you are interested in. 

 

I know a couple of people who have "pieced" boats together - bought an aluminium shell basically, slapped a trolling motor on the front, small outboard on the back, and use a large cooler in the middle as a live-well, but I'm not sure where they got the hollow body from. 

 

Keep an eye out on your local listings, you might get lucky and come across something serviceable that you can upgrade as you go. 

[200racing]

i am afraid the only kind of bass boat $1500 will buy is one that needs a lot more $$$ spent on it. 

 

now a a good jonboat is another story. 

 

a key to remember is when you are shopping used is your buying a outboard and the hull comes second.

[Bluebasser86]

You MIGHT be able to get a used bass tracker for that but I highly doubt it will be worth it. I know it's hard but you'll be really glad you did later in life, I know I wish I would have never bought my old Ranger. 

[WIGuide]

That's gonna be tough, but if you keep a really close eye on CL you might find something come up. Those type of deals are very rare. I've been lucky enough to come across a few. Bought my first Ranger for $1400. Got it from a guy who got it when his dad passed and he wasn't a fisherman. Boat was in great condition for the year and I ended up getting a deal on a newer bigger motor. Sold the old one and still only had $1600 into it. I've added things since then, but that was a tourney ready boat at your price range. Managed to do close to the same thing again for a newer Ranger. Best advice is to be patient, and know what you're looking at. Things on cl that are well priced go very quickly, so you need to know what you're looking and need to know enough that when you get there, you don't get hosed by being sold crap. 

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Good luck.

Sounds like you're going to need to save up for a bit though. 1500 bucks isn't going to get you far.

There are a lot more expenses immediately after you pay for just the boat. Registration, insurance if needed, along with the costs just to operate it. That's not even touching any repairs that will eventually come up.

[1099gl]

Good luck.

Sounds like you're going to need to save up for a bit though. 1500 bucks isn't going to get you far.

There are a lot more expenses immediately after you pay for just the boat. Registration, insurance if needed, along with the costs just to operate it. That's not even touching any repairs that will eventually come up.

true I hadnt even thought of that and I am just now in hs so I really want to fish a few tournaments like fun fish but insurance will be a pain in the butt maybe i need to start looking for a jon boat

[tomustang]

true I hadnt even thought of that and I am just now in hs so I really want to fish a few tournaments like fun fish but insurance will be a pain in the butt maybe i need to start looking for a jon boat

 

Insurance isn't bad at all, its cheap

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Join a club and fish as a co-angler. You'll learn a lot about different boats and if you're lucky running a TM. There's a learning curve there for sure.

[Bluebasser86]

Join a club and fish as a co-angler. You'll learn a lot about different boats and if you're lucky running a TM. There's a learning curve there for sure.

X2. I started fishing in a bass club when I was 16 as a non-boater and learned a ton. Now they have lots of high school teams and junior clubs. I started in an adult club and it was a pretty big debate if I'd even be able to join at the time. 

[odell015]

Look right before winter. People have fished the season with their boat and if they are looking to sell it, will let it go cheaper in the early winter to avoid winterizing/maintenance.

Just my thoughts.

[Way2slow]

As mentioned, join a club as a non boater, most have them. You fish the back seat and you get to learn.

Just be sure to pay your fair share. It's very expensive to run a boat and as a minimum you should at least offer to pay for the gas. After all. The boater is making the payments, upkeep, insurance and and coast of hauling it. Realize also, most tournament boats can burn a lot of gas if running very far so don't just offer a few dollars.

Remember also, the front half the boat is his, so don't be trying to make cast beyond the center of the boat.

[Fishes in trees]

Keep looking and praying you never know when something will turn up.  When I was a freshman in college, there was a guy down the hall who got an 8 year old Porsche for $400.  It seems that some guy took his girlfriend to Cancun without telling his wife and she found out about it and in retaliation she sold his Porsche.  Of course, even in 1971, insurance for a 19 year old kid owning a Porsche was expensive, somewhere around $1500 a year, in 1971 money.  He only kept it a couple of months, couldn't afford it.  He sold it to a professor going through a mid life crisis.

 

Anyway, finding a steamed wife is an option, considering the karma involved probably not a real good option.

[Sam]

And don't forget to check the obits for bass fishermen so you can contact the widow for a good price on their boat.

[Slade House]

get the craigslist app for your iPhone or smart phone "craigspro" much better using app on phone than actuall site on your computer.  if you must use your computer, use search tempest or onecraigs to search nationwide.  , make sure you add up to the closest 10 counties around you.  basically you have to expand your search area to 500 miles or so.    and everyday go to "boats" and search "bass"  or just search all (you can also search "moving" to find people who have to sell quick)   be ready to drive up to 300 miles at the drop of the hat to get a good deal.  do yourself a favor and spend $2000.  best time of year to get a boat is in the fall , september , october and november.  

[Way2slow]

As for buying cheap boats, it's really going to depend on how much you know about the and how good of a mechanic you are.

I've bought tons of cheap boats, matter of fact, that's all I do buy. My current boat was an $18,000 boat at the time I bought it in good, running condition. I got it at auction for almost nothing because it had an Evinrude Ficht engine and all the injectors, along with some other parts were laying in a storage compartment. It only cost me $1,200 to get it running where the average person would have had to spend thousands.

If you can fix them yourself, know what to look for and give one a good checking out, there are some very good deals to be had. If you are new to boats and not a fairly good mechanic, the cheap boat you buy could be one of the more expensive boats you could ever buy.

Everybody knows some fishermen will tell a lie, guess whose telling you how good that POS boat is someone is trying to unload, so check them out before you buy.

[coachfozz]

Here's a few I found on CL in your area.  They seem to be the best in your price range.  

 

http://delaware.craigslist.org/boa/4623308722.html

 

http://delaware.craigslist.org/boa/4586433609.html

 

http://delaware.craigslist.org/boa/4598693093.html

 

http://easternshore.craigslist.org/boa/4573945658.html

[Felix77]

Join a club and fish as a co-angler. You'll learn a lot about different boats and if you're lucky running a TM. There's a learning curve there for sure.

x3 - Don't rush into your bass boat.  You will regret it.  I am 3 years into my club as a co-angler and I have learned a TON, I mean a TON, about boats in that timeframe.  Buying the boat is the easy part.  It's the maintenance that is the PIA!  Have seen my fair share of issues on the water to verify that.

 

I can't wait to get into a boat BUT I am thankful for the opportunities I have as a co-angler to learn from guys who have been doing this much longer than I.

[EmersonFish]

You can probably find a decent boat to get you on the water for $1500, if you are not picky about how it looks, or expecting quality electronics and other extras. The problem is that $1500 boats are $1500 for a reason, and unless you are knowledgeable about outboard motors, and wiring, and things like that, you are going to be calling in a lot of favors.

If you do buy an old used boat, consider what comes with it as well. I assume $1500 is a big investment for you? Well if some guy is selling his old boat because he is upgrading and he keeps his anchor, his oar, his spare tire, his battery and charger, his bearing grease gun, his fire extinguisher, and everything else not strapped down, you will find you have a long Christmas wish list before you have everything you need to get started.

There is a lot to consider when buying a boat. I paid $3000 recently for a boat to use primarily as a catfish boat. I don't even want to think about how much I have in that boat now, but I know if I had it to do again, I would have spent more on the boat on the front side. I just couldn't wait any longer. I didn't want to waste another season without it. Then I broke my foot, and haven't been fishing much anyway.

[gripnrip]

If I were you, I'd save more money. I believe the 5,000 to 7,500 price range will get you a great boat. Also something else to think about is what comes with being a boater in a tournament. There is a lot more involved than you realize.

For example. I have been using my boss's boat. He was kind enough to approach me and offer the use of it. So I jumped on the opportunity. Well Sunday I had to change a flat tire on the trailer and I was far from prepared. Thank goodness for my fellow club members pitching in to help with a better jack than my truck had and a 4 way tire iron. All things I didn't think of. Just my 2 cents.