Anyone really regret a Boat purchase?

[tcbass]

Ever want something bad, finally get it and then realize it's not what you thought? That's me and bassboats. I started out with a 14' jon boat and when I was in my mid 20's I got a used 2000 Crestliner Fishawk. I loved that boat. However, after getting into bass fishing I thought a bass fishing boat was in order. My next and current boat was a 2014 Stratos 186VLO. It's a really nice boat, no doubt. But then I realized that a bass boat wasn't the boat for me. 

 

I normally fish 2 to 5 people. After fishing in this boat I realized it's really a 2 person boat, fisherman and co-angler. Sure you can squeeze a third person up front but it gets crowded. If i had more room I could take the bow pedestal off and store it, thus leaving more room for 2 people up front and one in the back, but it lacks the storage to stow it, and I like having it with me.  

 

You really lose about 3 feet of space because of the way you sit down in a bass boat which makes a 19' foot boat more like a 15' boat. I've also noticed that hitting some hard waves can be really jarring on your spine. Perhaps some newer more expensive bassboat seats fix that problem. I know that boats with regular pedestal seats come with air-ride style seats. 

 

I thought that the low profile would be good for the wind but adding Talons to a boat can make that problem obsolete if you fish shallow a lot like I do. And the big casting deck is nice but I prefer to fish 1 person up front anyway and a Ranger 621FS style bow is pretty big too. A Minn Kota Ulterra is great to keep you on spot but Talon or Power Poles are what you really need to keep from floating into docks when it's windy.  

 

Also, less than a year after buying the boat my wife and I had our first child and now a bigger boat is necessary. A boat like a Ranger 621FS which has 4 seats in back and one in the bow. Plenty of room and closer to 21' feet. Also, I'd rather have the baby riding lower inside the boat than up high like on a bassboat in his seat. Obviously he wouldn't be riding in a regular chair. We were hoping for a child but didn't think it'd happen so quickly for various reasons but it did. 

 

So, now I'm looking for a more multispecies boat someday. 

 

 

Anyone else regret buying a particular boat or boat style?

[Further North]

Nope.  I learned something from every boat I owned, even the ones I didn't keep very long.

 

My first three fishing boats were multi-species boats and they got the job done, but here's what I learned, for me and how I fish:

 

1. Compared to a bass boat, there's not nearly as much storage space until you get much bigger...and even then there's always "stuff" kicking around all that passenger space at the back of the boat.  Tackle boxes, rods, nets, coolers...all in my way when I went to move around the boat to get a different angle on a cast, or to land a big fish.
2. The high sides get in the my a lot:
   • Landing fish
   • Climbing in and out of the boat.
   • Wide gunnels (most Lunds of the vintage I was looking at) made the issue worse.
3. I typically fish with several rods on deck at the same time.  No room to lay them down on the front deck of a multi-species boat.

I'm not saying multi-species boats are bad, or that everyone should have what I've got - I'm just talking about what made me make the choice I did.  There are millions of folks who love their multi-species boats and how they fish because that's their style.

 

If I had to do it over today with a new boat, I'd be on the Lund Pro-V Bass in a heartbeat.

 

One more thing that didn't work for me on multi-species boats that other people just love:  Full windshields.  Got in my way all the time, but I know lots of folks who wouldn't own a boat that doesn't have them.  I'm a dual console guy, fits my style better.

 

BTW, if you can fish with 5 people in the boat with out folks getting in each other's way, or spending an hour a day digging hooks out of people's hides...you are a better man than I am.

 

Enjoy your search, it takes time to learn what you like/don' tlike about boats and to zero in on what's best for you.

[slonezp]

If I recall, you had these same reservations prior to purchasing the VLO.

[gim]

I have a similar situation as you tcbass.  For years, the primary boat I used was a crestliner 17.5 fish hawk with a tiller.  At the time, I did more back trolling and trolling in general (walleye fishing) in addition to bass fishing.  I never fished with more than 3 people in that boat no matter what style of fishing we were doing.  I have an 18 foot aluminum bass boat now.  In my opinion,  bass boats are designed for 2 people - one angler in the front and another on the back deck.  Occasionally I still do some pan fishing or walleye fishing (bobber style fishing) and it works fine for 3 anglers.  I would never put more than 3 in my current boat now because there's only room for 3 in the **** pit.  Not to mention its just really unsafe for a passenger to ride on the front or back deck of a bass boat.  Having 3 or more anglers in just about any style fishing boat is a risk because you're gonna be in close casting proximity to someone else and it can get unsafe.  Unless your just anchored there bobber fishing, of course.

 

If I went back to more walleye fishing and trolling, etc I'd consider a multi-species boat with higher sides and more seating capabilities.  However, at this time, most of my fishing is bass fishing so I'm happy with a the decision to purchase a bass boat in 2015.

[WRB]

One mans folly is another mans dream. Sell the boat to someone who is looking for a bass boat. Use better judgement and buy the boat that meets your needs.

Tom

[tcbass]

45 minutes ago, slonezp said:

If I recall, you had these same reservations prior to purchasing the VLO.

 

 

Yeah. lol. I'm one of those guys who learns by making mistakes. lol

1 hour ago, Further North said:

Nope.  I learned something from every boat I owned, even the ones I didn't keep very long.

 

My first three fishing boats were multi-species boats and they got the job done, but here's what I learned, for me and how I fish:

 

1. Compared to a bass boat, there's not nearly as much storage space until you get much bigger...and even then there's always "stuff" kicking around all that passenger space at the back of the boat.  Tackle boxes, rods, nets, coolers...all in my way when I went to move around the boat to get a different angle on a cast, or to land a big fish.
2. The high sides get in the my a lot:
   1. Landing fish
   2. Climbing in and out of the boat.
   3. Wide gunnels (most Lunds of the vintage I was looking at) made the issue worse.
3. I typically fish with several rods on deck at the same time.  No room to lay them down on the front deck of a multi-species boat.

I'm not saying multi-species boats are bad, or that everyone should have what I've got - I'm just talking about what made me make the choice I did.  There are millions of folks who love their multi-species boats and how they fish because that's their style.

 

If I had to do it over today with a new boat, I'd be on the Lund Pro-V Bass in a heartbeat.

 

One more thing that didn't work for me on multi-species boats that other people just love:  Full windshields.  Got in my way all the time, but I know lots of folks who wouldn't own a boat that doesn't have them.  I'm a dual console guy, fits my style better.

 

BTW, if you can fish with 5 people in the boat with out folks getting in each other's way, or spending an hour a day digging hooks out of people's hides...you are a better man than I am.

 

Enjoy your search, it takes time to learn what you like/don' tlike about boats and to zero in on what's best for you.

 

 

Thanks. Yeah, I hate full windshield but the half windshields on a Ranger are almost just as bad. 

 

I hate feeling that cramped feeling when walking through full windshield, you think you're gonna break it. 

[Further North]

1 hour ago, tcbass said:

I hate feeling that cramped feeling when walking through full windshield, you think you're gonna break it. 

I was never worried about breaking the windshield...I was worried about breaking me.

 

Twice - once while trying to boat a 48" musky and another time while trying to boat a big smallie, I was trying to work my way through windshield and the boat zigged when I zagged...and with my hands on the rod, I smacked my ribs against the frame.

 

I may have uttered a word or three I wouldn't want young children to hear...

 

1 hour ago, tcbass said:

Thanks. Yeah, I hate full windshield but the half windshields on a Ranger are almost just as bad. 

 

Not sure what you mean my "half windshield"?

[tcbass]

19 minutes ago, Further North said:

I was never worried about breaking the windshield...I was worried about breaking me.

 

Twice - once while trying to boat a 48" musky and another time while trying to boat a big smallie, I was trying to work my way through windshield and the boat zigged when I zagged...and with my hands on the rod, I smacked my ribs against the frame.

 

I may have uttered a word or three I wouldn't want young children to hear...

 

 

Not sure what you mean my "half windshield"?

 

Not sure what it's called. 

 

[RoLo]

 

In retrospect, I must've regretted many of my boat purchases,

because I'm now on my 14th boat and counting!

 

Roger

[Further North]

1 hour ago, tcbass said:

 

Not sure what it's called. 

 

 

Dual consoles.  Really just there to keep the bugs out of your teeth.

[N Florida Mike]

I regretted the one bass boat I bought so much that I never bought another one.

• I had it in the shop as much as I had it in the water ,actually MORE.

• The boat cracked open on the side one day fishing a tournament on Lake George.( 2nd biggest lake in FL)

After my tournament days I sold it and bought a Jon boat and little 3 hrs. kicker. I've had it 30 years now.

I relate to your need for room though.I can only fish 2 in the jb.

 

[tcbass]

2 hours ago, Further North said:

 

Dual consoles.  Really just there to keep the bugs out of your teeth.

 

 

So are dual consoles good?

 

 

 

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

I regretted the one bass boat I bought so much that I never bought another one.

• I had it in the shop as much as I had it in the water ,actually MORE.

• The boat cracked open on the side one day fishing a tournament on Lake George.( 2nd biggest lake in FL)

After my tournament days I sold it and bought a Jon boat and little 3 hrs. kicker. I've had it 30 years now.

I relate to your need for room though.I can only fish 2 in the jb.

 

 

 

I'd like to bring my wife, son, brother, and his gf. 

 

So, that's a lot of folks. lol. Only me, my bros gf, and I would be fishing though. 

[Further North]

1 minute ago, tcbass said:

So are dual consoles good?

I like them better than single console and full windshields...but you may find you feel differently.

 

I've already talked about why I don't care for full windshields...but they do a great job of blocking the wind in bad weather.  Hard to argue with that...but I fish more than ride around in the boat...so not important to me.

 

Single console boats open up the floor a bit, but if you take someone else along, they're gonna eat a lot of bugs...or get really cold and/or wet in adverse conditions.

 

...best thing to do is figure out what you like.

[Bluebasser86]

I bought the first bass boat I found that I could afford, a 92' 451V Ranger with a 150 Merc for 4,500 when I was 17. Boat looked pretty nice, motor never worked right. I sunk another couple thousand into it before selling it for 5k and cutting my losses. I spent 2 years shopping for boats before I bought my current one. Coincidentally enough, a 189 VLO. 

[tcbass]

21 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I bought the first bass boat I found that I could afford, a 92' 451V Ranger with a 150 Merc for 4,500 when I was 17. Boat looked pretty nice, motor never worked right. I sunk another couple thousand into it before selling it for 5k and cutting my losses. I spent 2 years shopping for boats before I bought my current one. Coincidentally enough, a 189 VLO. 

 

 

lol. Ironic. 

 

 

The boat itself is great. Just not got my needs. 

[Bluebasser86]

15 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

 

lol. Ironic. 

 

 

The boat itself is great. Just not got my needs. 

I fish 3 out of mine fairly often, it's a bit cramped even with the single console. Would not want to fish more than that out of it, but most bass boats are geared towards having 1-2 people fishing from them. 

[S Hovanec]

My only regret is getting the 17' instead of the 18'.  I had delusions that it would be more manageable than the 18' on the limited HP lakes.  I was wrong.  Nothing that size is manageable with a 20hp motor mounted 3' off center.  Boat topped out at a whopping 8mph with a tail wind.  The regret isn't that big though cause 12 years later, I still have the same boat.

[slonezp]

14 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

Not sure what it's called. 

 

They call those bubble windshields. I've got them on my Lund

[TOXIC]

Needs change.  Don't beat yourself up.  Weigh your options and get what suits your needs.  If it isn't a bassboat then so be it.  Way too many factors that are unique to each one of us for anybody but you to make the choice.  

[tcbass]

33 minutes ago, slonezp said:

They call those bubble windshields. I've got them on my Lund

 

Do you like them?

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

They call those bubble windshields. I've got them on my Lund

 

42 minutes ago, tcbass said:

 

Do you like them?

 Yes.

A-Jay

[slonezp]

11 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

Do you like them?

Like is a relative term. I've had 2 walk thru windshields prior to this and have never owned a true bassboat. Walk thru windshields are a life saver during cold runs and cold wet runs. They offer the option for full or partial canvas enclosures as well. The bubble windshields on my Lund are easily detachable. They are made of some type of plastic and can get scratched, but are easily replaceable and much less expensive to replace than a cracked glass windshield. They do offer some function, but no less and possibly more than a bass boat windscreen. I wear a Save Phace during the spring and fall and will wear fleece during the weeks immediately before and after ice.

 

As far as the boat buying process, and I offer no apologies for the statement I made at the beginning of the thread. Think of the boat as a tool for a specific job. Your entire first post minus the first paragraph is the job you need a tool for. When you search for boats, think of all the specifics you require and determine which boat is going to fulfill most if not all of your requirements. The one thing you failed to mention in the original post is what type of water you fish. Safety should be your #1 factor. 

 

I spent 3 years boat shopping. I know for a fact @A-Jay and @Junk Fisherman spent well over a year or 2 searching for their perfect boats. I think I can speak for all of us that we are happy with our decisions. Put time into your decision making process and you won't have regrets.   

  

[moguy1973]

I really like my Bass Tracker.  It's a great boat for my first boat. I wasn't planning on buying it but it was my uncle's and he gave me a really good deal on it.  My only regret getting it is that there aren't many good fishing lakes relatively close to my area to use it in.  The closest decent lake is 2 hours away in Illinois and even then in the summer it's a party lake and my small boat doesn't handle the wakes well.  I live 5 minutes from a river boat ramp, and several others on really good smallmouth streams are within an hour's drive.  If I would have done it different I would have a river jon with a jet on it for shallow running.  It would definitely get a lot more use as right now I'm only getting mine on the water 4-5 times a year and even though its paid off its not really worth filling up half the garage 3/4 of the year.

[lo n slo]

yes

[sully420]

After reading this thread I am incredibly happy with my choice of boat the only thing I would have done differently is just bought units and power poles and trolling motor and finance it in instead of doing it one project at a time. I really wanted a bass boat because I do like the storage options but 50% of the time I have two Buddy's in the boat and having that side console and the ability to add seats and remove seats in the freedom of movement really pays off. And for a 16ft boat I feel so comfortable and confident in big water and even for a v Hull I can make it through the skinniest of water and you just know the hull is not going to warp or bend.