Still Looking For A Bass Boat But Have A Question.

[Justbass11]

I have posted on here about a bass boat that I was going to look at which I still haven't looked at. (A co-worker has a 2001 Triton 17' foot with a 2002 115 murcury 2 stroke that I want to look at) But I have been looking online for other boats, that being said, my question is....How old is to old of a boat to be a 1st time boat??? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated from all experience bass boat owners

[PourMyOwn]

Condition and how it has been cared for are as important as age.

[Way2slow]

Age has some to do with it, but there are other things to be considered.  Several years back, I was looking at a Sprint bass boat a dealer was selling without the motor.  Someone had traded boats but was keeping the motor off the Sprint.  I had a motor so that was what I was looking for.  The Sprint was only three years old and looked great but it didn't take long to figure out why he was trading it.  It still had the motor on it, where the dealer was waiting for the new hull to come in before he took it off. I trimmed it up, climbed on the mid section at the anti cav plate and bounced up and down with my 215 pounds of a**.  I could actually see and hear the transom bowing and cracking when it did this.  Transom was totally rotted where who ever put the motor on, didn't seal the bolts/bolt holes.  That three year old boat was basically pure junk. 

[Justbass11]

Would it be best to get a aluminum bass boat for a first time boat, Way and Pour???

[WIGuide]

How a boat was cared for has a lot more weight than just age alone. Yes it's true that as they age there are things that can go wrong, and even possibly something that the owner doesn't know about or can't control. If a boat was cared for, it'll last a lot longer than one that wasn't. As a great example, up until last year I owned a 1986 Ranger. It was in better shape and had less issues than multiple boats in our club that were from the 2000's. I had my fair share of projects with it, but those were projects I chose to do like adding compartment lights. The only thing needed to be replaced were the aerator and bilge pump which were easy fixes. From my experiences the older boats that were cared for are pretty easily spotted. If you can find an older boat and it's in great shape, I'd rather buy that than a newer one that's been beaten to death.

 

As far as aluminum vs fiberglass that's a personal decision. Aluminum is more forgiving if you have no clue what you're doing, If you've owned a boat before and can get it to the dock without smashing into it, or you don't fish shallow rock infested rivers, I'd go fiberglass, but that's just me.  

[PourMyOwn]

Would it be best to get a aluminum bass boat for a first time boat, Way and Pour???

 

I would go aluminum up to 18' and then fiberglass. That 17' Triton/115 is going to be more stable than say a BPS Pro Team 175 aluminum-however it won't be significantly better to fish out of. I don't particularly like smaller fiberglass boats, there's a lot more cost just for the stability and ability to go faster with your outboard. If you get into the 18'/150 hp boats then I'm going to lean fiberglass. Where I'm at in NH, there just isn't enough big water to justify an 18', so I traded my Nitro for aluminum with a 4 stroke. Glad I did.

 

I had a 17' Nitro with a 115 Merc for a few years, I couldn't wait to get rid of it. My old 17' Fisher marine from 1981 was just as nice and I didn't care if my buddy got Red Man spit on the side of it.

[BaitMonkey1984]

My first bass boat is my current boat. It is a 2001 Ranger that I got about 5 years ago now. It was kept in pristine condition. To date, I like WIGUIDE have had some projects. I needed to update the two fishfiners, replace the trolling motor, replace the batteries, replace the trailer jack, replace the winch, get new tires, redo the trailer brakes etc. This was over the course of 5 years and now, after redoing the seats and carpet everything will be updated. I actually enjoyed personalizing the boat and making it mine. DO not be put off by the age of the boat. The first two considerations should be the condition of the hull and the motor. 

[PourMyOwn]

And if it's a private sale, look at the condition of as many of his other toys as possible. That's a good indicator of how he is with preventative maintenance. 

[tander]

I would personally go aluminum. I this year, got a 1997 Lowe 17' aluminum. Most can't believe it is that old. Previous 2 owners kept in under a shed and with a cover. Don't rush and you will find what you like. Winter is a great time go get a good deal also.

[Justbass11]

Thanks all for the advice it is much appreciated

[Further North]

Condition is more important than age, IMO.

 

In the spring of '14, I bought a 2005 Crestliner CMV...with 3 hours, 34 minutes on the big motor.  The carpet inside the compartments was so clean it sparkled.  You could eat out the bilge it was so clean.

 

I had it double checked by a dealer I selected and plunked down cash.

[Robeng]

I have a 1991 Lund with 40HP Mercury. Garage kept in Michigan. Still great compression and clean. Condition more important than age.

[fishnkamp]

Lets answer a few questions first.  Where do you fish?  If you fish rocky rivers than by all means it would be aluminum.  If you fish fast moving river currents than I would look for an aluminum with a tiller control engine.  If you plan on trolling a little in lakes or big rivers than a tiller deep vee would be my choice.  If you intend to fish ordinary mid sized lakes than a typical 17 to 18 foot aluminum side console will serve you well.  If you intend to fish the same type bodies of water plus a few local tournaments than an 18 foot 150 fiberglass would serve you best.  The choice should be made by type of water you fish, your financial budget, and your personal preference.  If tournaments are not your biggest interest then there are a lot of good aluminum boats for sale.  Look at the used Lowe's, Alumacrafts, Lunds, Trackers,Polar Kraft, Rangers, and Tritons.  They will serve you well as a first boat.  They are easier to use ( lower fuel costs, less expensive to maintain etc. ) and can be equipped with good electronics, bigger 24 volt trolling motors, on board battery chargers etc.  My wife and I have owned 11 boats over 35 years, that includes a lot of aluminum and 3 fiberglass boats.  I have enjoyed fishing from them all, but each one met certain needs better than others.  Some of them were river boats, some lake boats and now tidal Chesapeake Bay boats.  Good Luck with your search.  If I can help any more with ideas or info let me know.

[Justbass11]

Fishnkamp, I live in North Florida and would be fishing mainly lakes, my big concern is being that I am a big guy I'm looking more at fiberglass but not ruling out aluminum boats. Also looking in the 17 to 18 ft range. But I am not rushing this and most likly going to do something at the start of the year. Thanks for the Info

[fishnkamp]

I guess my cut off for too old in a fiberglass boat would be around 1990, prior to that almost all boat manufacturers used some wood in the transom.  That has no influence on an aluminum hull.  I recommend that before you start your search go check out a website my friend Brian runs.  Here you can read a great piece on this subject.  Go to Baybass.com. When the main page opens go down and click on the "Forums" tab. When it opens choose "boats and motors"  then slide down and click open his  "The Under 10K Bass Boaters buyers Guide"  Brian did not only write a terrific educational guide to buying a used boat, but he even followed its steps to a tee.  His prize is a late 90's Ranger with a Merc 200 in mint condition for less than 10K.  It was his favorite rough water hull, and in its condition he can fish off it for at least 20 more years if he maintains it properly.  This guide will definitely help you get started.   As for a big guy I am in the same situation.  The better laid out aluminum boats like the Lowe Stinger, HP series, the  older Triton VT's (which later became the Crestliner VT-17 and Lowe HP series), some of the older Skeeter aluminum 19s, which took 115hp outboards, and of course the Ranger and Xpress boats were good choices.  In fiberglass I would look at some of the 90 to mid 2000s Tritons (TR186, TR 189 etc)  some Rangers like the R80's, 518 vx, Stratos 18 to 19 footers, of course a Champion around that same time say a 186 or 190, 191's etc.  Down in your area you may run across a nice Bass Cat, Bumble Bee or Javelin.  I hope this helps some.

[Worm Man 2020]

Justbass11, This is between you and you. 

First: How much is he asking for it? Then, take-in all these members comments, they are invaluable.

Second: Take it to a Boat shop you trust, have them check it out for you. You want an estimate! If they charge, pay for it. But demand a written Quote. (weak Deck, Hull stress cracks, wiring, etc. etc. etc.), Those are things you can not see, but are big money to fix, even, if your're good at repairing fiberglass. (Then, you can't say you didn't know, and lose a friend/co-worker) You will learn, a lot from that mechanic, also.

Third: Ask this! Why are you selling it? Check out his other stuff, see how, he takes care of that.

Fourth and finally: Boat means: Break out another Thousand!

With all of that being said, Aluminum is lighter, more forgiving when you, hit anything, and although Bass Boat people refer to them as "Tin-Cans", You will still be in tournament... they are less expense, then most fiberglass ones.

Wait until you here, I have already replaced this and re-done that, Man, it will make your head hurt.....I know, I lived it.

I too never even fished from a boat. FYI. That's when, I when, to BPS, bought brand new one, they finance for like 10-12 years, have bumper-to-bumper warranty for like 5 years, and the payment was like $200.00 a month. Right? NO, BRAINER

Then, you can either pay it off early (simple interest loan) or Trade it on Nitro, or used fiberglass boat they sell, from trade-ins, or consignment, or sell it online and lose a little bit of money. Lessons don't come free, you here horror stories all the time. 

Take all is with a grain of salt.

KEEP FLIPPING & PITCHING, BABY !!!!!!!