outdoorsmaninky Posted October 31, 2015 Posted October 31, 2015 I currently have a bass boat but am thinking of getting something different. I like my current bass boat but it is somewhat limiting. I would like a boat that I can use for conventional bass fishing, trolling for stripers and something that can fish 3-4 guys comfortably. The more I explore boats the more I keep coming back to saltwater bay boats. Examples of the boats that I find appealing are the Ranger 2310 and 2410 bay boat and Triton 240lts. There are others I like but these are two in particular that I like and think would work well for me. I'm wondering if anyone else has jumped from a bass boat to a bay boat and what their experience has been like. I would like to see what others think. I am also considering a 'v' hulled boat like a Lund. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted October 31, 2015 Super User Posted October 31, 2015 WOW! That 2310 is sweet. 1 Quote
outdoorsmaninky Posted October 31, 2015 Author Posted October 31, 2015 WOW! That 2310 is sweet. Yeah I really like the Ranger bay boats quite a lot. I also like salt water fishing and that's how I discovered bay boats. They refer to them as bass boats on steroids and that's kinda what I'm looking for. Recently my son and I took fishing trip to Alabama and fished Pickwick and Guntersville. We really could have used a bay boat or something bigger than our 17 foot bass boat for that trip. I was surprised how rough the water can get there and how quickly it can develop. I did't mention that in my post above but that's another reason why I think I would like another boat. Quote
Snakehead Whisperer Posted October 31, 2015 Posted October 31, 2015 WOW! That 2310 is sweet. You aren't kidding. Just looked it up and saw prices ranging from $55-110k. Ouch. Gonna take me a while to save up for that. A lot of the pics that I've found of that boat have inland state registration numbers on them. Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted November 1, 2015 Super User Posted November 1, 2015 I guess this post did not belong, deleted it. Quote
outdoorsmaninky Posted November 1, 2015 Author Posted November 1, 2015 This is the one my son has and it totally sucked as a bass boat. http://hayniebayboats.com/boat-models/21-cat/ You either cast to the side, or you didn't cast. We took it up to lake Falcon a couple of times and while yes, you could bass fish from it, it dang sure was not a good of a fishing platform as my 20' Javelin. Thanks for the reply. Why couldn't you cast form other directions? Did it have a tower which got in the way? What other limitations did you experience? Quote
Big C Posted November 2, 2015 Posted November 2, 2015 This is always turns into a knock down drag out brawl of an argument when somone opens this can of beans in my house. My dad loves bay boats for their magical versatility. My brother and I have always gone the bass boat route. (Note: we have neither a bay or bass boat, we regretably have kayaks) Here's how I see it. I can do everything I want to in a bass boat...FISH FOR BASS. If you think you're going to take out a bay boat more than your bass boat go for it, get what you are going to use more. Quote
BaitMonkey1984 Posted November 6, 2015 Posted November 6, 2015 In the market for a bay boat and I am a Ranger guy but had no idea these boats existed. Thanks for the post, I will definitely keep my eye out for a used one. My only concern would be how to keep those boats clean- the white makes me a beat nervous. Quote
Super User Further North Posted November 7, 2015 Super User Posted November 7, 2015 I think a center console boat makes a lot of sense...to be able to fish all the way around the outside of the, and to fight and land a big fish around the outside makes sense to me. ...but bay boats lack the storage of my current rig. I'd go for a hybrid, center console, high decks like a bass boat with storage underneath, low sides to bring fish over, lower dead rise for shallow running, but enough for bigger water. Quote
Snakehead Whisperer Posted November 7, 2015 Posted November 7, 2015 In the market for a bay boat and I am a Ranger guy but had no idea these boats existed. Thanks for the post, I will definitely keep my eye out for a used one. My only concern would be how to keep those boats clean- the white makes me a beat nervous. I have a white McKee craft and it's a never ending battle to keep it clean. Sponging it down every time you pull it from the water helps tremendously. Quote
Gotfishyfingers? Posted November 8, 2015 Posted November 8, 2015 Check out the brands Pathfinder, Hughes and lake and bay if you have not already. Quote
Super User WIGuide Posted November 10, 2015 Super User Posted November 10, 2015 I've only fished out of a bay boat once before. My dad's friend bought one so we took it out fishing. It was a 21' Nitro if I remember correctly. Fishing three out of it was no good. There really wasn't a back deck and the front deck was small. The person fishing in the middle didn't have much room to move around the awkwardly large center console. Storage was very limited in that boat as well. I'm sure some are better, but it definitely wouldn't be my first choice for fishing multiple people if you're bass fishing. Quote
dave Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 My fishing partner has a Mako 2201. Many a day we've bass fished on creeks, on rivers, and on the Chesapeake Bay. Looks like this Quote
Super User Maxximus Redneckus Posted November 19, 2015 Super User Posted November 19, 2015 Way2slow thats a flats boat,made for shallow water comparing that to a bass boat is like comparing a barge to a jetboat the only things that they have in common is h2o Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted November 19, 2015 Super User Posted November 19, 2015 deleted text. Didn't realize to be a bay boat, it had to come out of a specific mold. Quote
Klebs01 Posted November 19, 2015 Posted November 19, 2015 I agree that the boat you mentioned does not fit with the general bay boat segment. The bay boats I have fished out have had great layouts for bass fishing or inshore and have never had an issue making casts as long as there was a little situational awareness. If I lived near the ocean I would get a 24' bay boat in a heart beat to cover inshore, reefs/wrecks, and bass. May not always be the best option, but it would be the most versatile option. Quote
desmobob Posted November 19, 2015 Posted November 19, 2015 I fish in a buddy's Panga Marine nineteen- or 20-foot boat every spring at Cape Cod. It's a customized center console and it's one of my all-time favorite boats. I'd love to have one just like it. We fish two or three guys out of it with no difficulties. I guess the only drawback I might find is lack of fully-enclosed rod storage. I don't think I'd feel restricted in any way if it was my only boat. What it lacks in traditional bass boat conveniences it more than makes up for in big water and inshore versatility. Tight lines, Bob 1 Quote
grampa1114 Posted November 19, 2015 Posted November 19, 2015 Back in Ot 3 I felt it was time to part company with my 8 year old Ranger R70 which owed me nothin'. Great boat but was gettin' a little long in the tooth....Decided....like outdoorsmaninky....to go the Bay Boat route. Picked up a Fishhawk 170.....nice little boat....handled rough water on Champlain very well....high sides were a little tough in the wind and it was harder for the little woman to drive onto the trailer from blowin' around....Even took it into the ocean a couple o' times. Unfortunately...not the easiest boat to fish out of...long story short....2 years later....foot control trolling motor and Gel battery(because an acid battery wouldn't fit)....and a front pedestal seat....all were traded back for a Triton Bass Boat....much better for my kind of fishin'....still got it....you asked....that's what I've got for ya... Grampa Quote
outdoorsmaninky Posted November 21, 2015 Author Posted November 21, 2015 Thanks for all the replies. Saw in another thread that Lund is coming out with a Pro V bass boat. I'm going to give that a good look before deciding. Still considering a bay boat but most reply have been lukewarm about using a bay boat for bass fishing. Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted November 22, 2015 Super User Posted November 22, 2015 Thanks for all the replies. Saw in another thread that Lund is coming out with a Pro V bass boat. I'm going to give that a good look before deciding. Still considering a bay boat but most reply have been lukewarm about using a bay boat for bass fishing. I'm pretty interested in the new Lund offering myself. A-Jay Quote
Super User Further North Posted November 22, 2015 Super User Posted November 22, 2015 Same here on the Pro-V Bass. If something happened to my current rig, that'd be my first go-to. Quote
outdoorsmaninky Posted November 22, 2015 Author Posted November 22, 2015 I am definitely interested in the Lund Pro V bass. I worry that I might get a case of onefootitis though. If it was 20 ft in length I would feel better about it. Quote
Super User Further North Posted November 22, 2015 Super User Posted November 22, 2015 I fish out of an 18 1/2 ft. Crestliner now...honestly don't want bigger. Too much of a PITA to get into some of the water I fish. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted November 22, 2015 Super User Posted November 22, 2015 I am definitely interested in the Lund Pro V bass. I worry that I might get a case of onefootitis though. If it was 20 ft in length I would feel better about it. I've got the 20ft version which Lund no longer makes. It's a lot of boat. I'm confident this 18'10" boat will ride big. You really need to see the hull on a trailer side by side with a bassboat, to appreciate the difference between it and a bassboat hull. 1 Quote
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