Bass Boat Opinion......

[BassHunter2k6]

Ok, I have been wanting a bass boat for some time now, but I have came to the conclusion that I can't wait much longer. So now I need to find out what kind of boat I want. I want to stick with something in the 17 to 18 ft. range, but other than that I am a little overwhelmed. My greatest fear is buying a boat and having the engine die on me. I know boat motors are the most expensive thing on a bass boat. I was wondering if it would be better to buy a new boat or a good used one. I know a new boat would have a warranty and such, and a used one would be just as is for the most part. However, in my price range, I would only be able to afford a 17 or 18 foot nitro with about a 90 hp engine on it if I were to buy new. That would be good warranty wise, but I know you can get a better value buying a used boat with a bigger engine, better quality, and already customized.... I would really appreciate any opinions you guys could give me on this. Thanks in advance!!!

[fishinfool]

This is what I did when I was in your position. Be very patient, don't get anxious about buying a boat bc you'll just end up getting one that you aren't 100% satisfied with. Make sure you take the boat for a test drive out on the lake under choppy conditions that way you'll get the real feel for how comfortable the ride really is. Other than that, make sure ALL the electronics work b/c its a pain in the arse to work on fiberglass boat electronic wiring(IMO)...Other than that, get something that suites your needs and the type of fishing you're going to be doing, you can customize the boat to fit your needs for the most part fairly easily, and its fun!! Good luck shopping, i'm sure some of the other guys will chime in with some great advice and info on boat shopping. I should know all there is about it, hell i've bought 3 boats in the past 3 years LOL....and i still have all and use everyone of them, all in great shape. They are the best investment i've ever made so far.... 8-)

[hootersdoug]

As far a buying a used boat, rely on either some of the guys on this site, or ask around your local small tourney participants.  The boat I bought ('95 Skeeter ZX150/150 merc) was owned by 2 guys before me, but the person who fixed me up with the seller knew both previous owners, both of whom were anal.  I picked up the boat for $10K, and have only had to replace the front depth finder which the seller told me was on the fritz.  Most of these tourney guys want to move up to better boats, so they want to unload their "old" boat to someone who will take care of it.  I did have the seller get a compression test and general check up on the motor, but offered to pay 1/2 of the cost if I bought the boat, which I did.  You can get a lot more boat for the $$$ if you buy used, just be careful who you buy the boat from.  Heck, if you don't mind driving to the Chicago area, I can call my contact and he can find a boat for you.  He is sponsored by Skeeter and turns his boat over every year.

[CJ]

You can buy a boat that is only a year or three old and the warranty can be transferred.You won't have as much warranty but you will save $$$.As far as boat brands go there are alot of them that are good boats.I would recommend a Stratos.But more than that I would recommend a Mercury motor.

[ironbeer78]

when i bought a new boat last year i lookied ALOT at warrenties. All i have to say about nitro's they are good boats and all but i asked myself this why do i wanna spend 20K on a boat and the boat maker (nitro) doesn't trust there boat making ability enough to garantee there hull? Boat makers like skeeter triton statos ranger are among the companies that do garantee there hulls for the life of the boat. speaking for my boat Ranger garantee's my hull for the life of my boat and if i sale it the other guy gets a 10 year warrenty i think it is. Only advise i can give ya is if you decide to go new i would watch yer warrenties with the boat. I went looking last year and have come to the conclusion IMHO all the top boat makers make some good boats. And listen to the guy that said be patent. I started looking for my boat around january and bought in late part of march. Good Luck to ya

steve  

[Madhouse27]

Basshunter, My vote is to buy used. Your dollar is going to go so much farther with a used rig. Bassresource is a great site with some busy message boards. You can read posts by owners of different boats to see what they like and dislike about them. Another great learning tool is ebay. For months I logged onto ebay and typed in bass boat. I did this every night. I must have looked at thousands of boats. I got so I knew some of the differences from one model year to the next and got a feel for used boat prices. This is going to be one of the biggest and certainly most awesome purchases of your life. Enjoy the process. Decide what rig you want and then be patient about finding it. Hopefully there is a nice used Skeeter with a Yamaha outboard in your immediate future

[Glenn]

There are several articles about buying boats in the boating section of this site: http://bassresource.com/fishing/bass_boats.html

[Cajun1977]

i just bought a bran new nitro   and my hull warranty is lifetime but its not transferable    the gelcoat isnt lifetime  but no dealer lifetimes gelcoat i think

[BassHunter2k6]

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the information. I plan to do a lot of research before I actually buy one. I just know it never hurts to get others opinions on stuff especially since many of you have a boat already. It may be that a used boat would give me more for my money, I will definitely weigh all my options....again Thanks!

[Nick_Barr]

My opinion if you were going to buy a new boat would be to get a Stratos, they are AWESOME Boats for the Price range.

[Guest JoshKeller]

If you decide to buy used, be dang sure you get that warrunty in writing!

[Ohio Bass Man]

My son was in your place a year and half ago.  Was dying to have his own boat.  Through the grapevine we got word of this 1980 Bass Halk, 18'.  We test drove it and ran out of gas on the test drive.  Used the trolling motor to get back to the ramp 1 mile away.  My son probably paid what the boat sold new for, but he (and I) fell in love with it.  Had big plans!

The first outing with the club, several members said; "Hey, you know anything about this boat?  This boat was Paul Elias's boat!"  So, who is this Paul Elias???  And of course they told us the whole story behind the boat.

This boat has a 150 hp Evinrude on the back.  But it definetly isn't stock.  Runs like a topfuel dragster.  Uses about as much fuel too.  Has a Chopper Prop on it.  As soon as you hammer it down, you have to hit the trim button.  It is instantly on trim and throws you literly back in the seat.  The exhaust is ported!  Six carbs bigger than I ever seen.

Talked to Mr Paul Elias last summer at the Classic in Pittsburgh.  He remembered the boat.  Going to take some pictures and send to him.  

Buying a used boat?   My son did.  Worked out great even for an old 1980.  Looks great, original carpet.  Paint slightly faded.  Still has the old sponsorship decals on the motor.

[billybass]

I've bought new and used. The boat I'm in now is a 1995 Stratos I bought last year. I had him take it to a shop and have the compression on the motor checked and an overall write up before I'd even go look at it. The boat turned out to have been garage kept for it's entire life, the motor runs great, and I saved about $3K over what I see the same boat selling for now.

Do like fishinfool said, take your time, don't get impatient. Their are lots of place to look at what's out there. Some dealership's will sell used boat after they clean them up (including the motor).

Good luck, let us know how things work out.  Bill

[NBR]

The first fully rigged boat I bought was used. I kept it for 6 years and fixed a few things but sold it for only $500 less than I paid. The guy I bought it from was a little lax with the soap, water and wax. When you buy a used boat get the motor inspected, crawl under the boat and look for cracks and chips and pay special attention to the transom.

My current boat was bought new but they have gotten so pricey my next will likely be used.

[cart7t]

Buy used!!!!!!

Bassboats depreciate worse than cars.  

A boat that has been well maintained and cared for will last for years with only minor maintenance from time to time.  There's a guy that's had a 20 foot 1993 Stratos with 200 Johnson on it on the flea market for a while. I think it's finally sold but he was only asking $10k and that boat looked new.  Look around, there are deals to be found especially this time of year.