Buying a new tournament caliber boat - need some guidance

[lknbassman]

Bassmasters, I am getting ready to pull the string on a tournament class bass rig. I have the cash for it now and have been testing out several new models & makes. So far I have it narrowed down to Basscat, Ranger, and Triton. My preference so far has been the Triton 20X2 over the Ranger Z20 & Z520 as well as the Basscat PUMA for price to performance ratio considerations. Would love some insight from you guys, not just opinions but real insight on why any one of these might be better than the other. The engine frontrunner right now is the 250 Pro XS over the Evinrude E-Tec. OMC upset a lot of boat owners back in the old days when they went under and bailed on supporting older Evinrude models. Technically speaking, I'd like your opinions on the engines also. Thanks for any help.

[Tin]

I have been in the Triton's, Ranger Z-Comanche's, and older Bass Cats. They are all great boats and you would be happy with any of them. As for the motors, I like Mercs, but the E-Tec's are great engines as well. Either way go test out each one of these boats to see which one you like best.

[cart7t]

As much money as any of those 3 boats are going to set you back,  the only way to make a wise choice is to spend time in each of them and decide for yourself.  The boats and motors are all fine choices and all you'll get from here, or anywhere for that matter,  is opinions swayed towards whatever that person owns.

Ride and decide for yourself.  You're the one that will have to live with the boat.    

[Jig Man]

Of the three you listed Bass Cat will have the better ride and Ranger will have the better fishing platform.  Look at the little things like storage boxes and rod lockers, trailers, dash layout, fishing deck room, back deck room, etc.  You will probably be spending a lot of time in this rig and should have things the way you want them.

I wound up with a Champion 206 when I did all that.  I looked for a year at 100s of boats on lots and in boat shows.  I found that I wanted storage for all my junk and a big box for the guest as well as dual consoles, dry storage, no box locks to trip on, and a big deck for me.  I found all that in Champion.  I did have them change the engine and upgrade the tmotor and df before I took delivery.  So far I have spent over 3000 hours in my boat and would only change a couple of things if I had do overs.

Good luck.

[Catt]

Basscat hands down  

[Al Wolbach]

I faced the same delima 10 years ago and ended up with a 20' Champion and have never been sorry. That said, of your choices I would choose the BassCat. I have only heard positive feedback on BassCat.

Two problems with the Triton 20x2 that I have heard:

1- The seat pedestal mounts have been breaking, not the fishing seat but the drivers and passenger seats. Apparently the pedestal does not support the seat adequately and have been breaking. I heard this from a friend that is a Triton salesman.

2- When they moved the fuel tank forward in the x2 it totally changed the handling of the hull at high speeds especially in turns while on the pad. I do not know any other details and this is really unconfirmed rumor. My salesman friend had not heard of any handling problems with the x2. He said only positive feedback except for the seats breaking and Triton was addressing this problem.

As far as motors go, I believe they are all good. I would let the lenght of available warranty and price help with this decision..........Good Luck........................Al

I'm not knocking the Triton, only repeating what I've heard. I believe you would be happy with any of these boats.

[jdw174]

First off, let me just say that if you have the cash to plop down on a fully equipped Z520, my hat's off to you

That said, my opinion is this:

Go and climb over, under, around, and through every single one of those boats you mentioned.  Next, take every one of them for a test run, preferably with at least some chop on the water.  Look at the interior layout, storage bins, the works.  Pay close attention to the items that are most important to YOU.  You'll find one that suits you more than the others.  Buy it.  Of the three you mentioned, I would lean towards the BassCat.  I would also take a gander at the Skeeter I-Class boats, Champion, and Legend.

For engines, I've had good service from Johnson/Evinrude for over 20 years and see no reason to change.  It would be the E-TEC for me.

[Garnet]

Get a Skeeter ZX and all your choices are good.

Make sure you get over kill trolling motor,Charger,batterys, front and console gps/fishfinder and make this part of the deal. If these toys are not cheaper than BPS find another dealer.

Buying a boat like this they will have dealer pro staff deals you get this and more.

And write everything on the contract free coats,hats the correct prop for you, don't pay in full until everything is met.

Garnet

[Nick_Barr]

I would say BassCat, support the smaller, better bass boat company. Among those 4 I think you would be more satisfied with the BassCat

Along those lines, if you have never heard of Legend, give them a look. www.RidewithaLegend.com

-Nick

[lknbassman]

Fellow anglers, thanks for sharing your wisdom.  This is a frustrating but also a very fun process as it's taken a long time to get to the point of having this problem of having to choose but is of course a blessing to be able to have this as a problem so I'm not complaining believe me!  Here's the score so far:  2007 & 2008 Ranger's are out, I can't fit in their boats with a hot foot period.  The local dealer and I have tried every way to make it happen and my bigness is too much for em to tangle with.  Too tall and too big so I'm done.  Basscat is out too at least the 20 foot PUMA is as the TM footpedal recess was so far forward on the bow that I felt unstable in rough windy conditions which I sought out for my day on the lake and I felt more worried about being tossed vs focusing on fishing.  The boat felt narrow to me also for some reason even thought the beam is sizeable.  It was made to go fast which is awesome of course but not my only motivation to buy.  The lean post/seat was helpful with the TM position issue but the boat overall just did not turn my crank as much as I needed it to for 44K the styling was a little dated.  The Triton 19X2 gave me the same feeling as the PUMA did - cramped when on the TM for a guy my size.  The bigger Triton's; the 20X2 and 21Xhp both are the overall front runners right now and are both rigged with 250 Opti Pro XS's which I really like and come with lots of electronic goodies.  I did speak with the co owner of Legend boats today and really like what they have to offer and thier philosophy on business and customers.  I also think they are the sharpest looking boats on the market with their fade gel coat schemes.  They are just beautiful looking boats and trailer packages.  But how does a legend fish?  I don't know because there is not one in NC that he or I know about and there is no dealer here in NC so I'm stymied in that regard and may actually have to travel to Arkansas to see the real product and demo it.  This is asking a lot and then I of course still have to fork over 42-45K and wait 6-10 weeks for it to be built if I pull the string on one.      So it's kind of a stretch but is still a consideration...  Champion is next to be considered so that's where I'm off to once I can locate a dealer and set up a lake test.  All of the dealers are very helpful and they all have excellent boats to offer.  For that price range they should right?  So at this point it's a matter of the little nuances between them now that will get sway decision so I'll keep you posted.  Thanks to each of you who have taken the time and care to provide your input, it's been very very helpful and I really appreciate it.  I'm very lucky to be able to do this and don't take it lightly, I want it to be right and to the right the first time so your help is greatly appreciated.  If you have additional thoughts or things I should look out for please point them out to me.  Again, thanks to each of you.   If anyone can comment on the Triton X2 hull vs the XP hull I'd love to hear from you in terms of driveability and controlling chine walk or if you need to worry about it.  Thanks again to each of you.

[Catt]

Now that's what I'm talking about someone who does as much research as me  

First off I can't stand those little trash catchers called TM footpedal recess; really every thing in the world will end up in there.

Compare the Triton X2 hull vs the XP hull; I've driven both and all I can say is buy a good rain suit cause you gonna get wet in rough water; they both chine walk something I will not put up with.

I have a friend who just traded a Legend LE-21on an Alpha 21; both are outstanding in rough water and both have massive front decks. Both boats had Yamaha's 300 HP V MAX Series 2 on the back which I would choose over anything black. I've considered the LE-186 & LE-195 both are in the same class as Skeeter.

For the money you will be spending I would highly recommend you give Skeeter a close look.

[lknbassman]

Catt, that's great feed back.  Thanks a ton.  Do you (or any of you other anglers) feel as if one boat brand has a tendancy to chine walk more than another?  I know how to drive those that do so I can control it but is it symptomatic of a particular brand more so than another?  

Re: Skeeter, I like thier boats from what I've seen, never been in one, don't know if I fit or not so I'm hoping to see them at the upcoming boat show in a couple of weeks.  I don't know much about Yamaha outboards as I've never owned one other than that they are expensive to repair just like the other brands are.  My thinking is that Merc is a safe buy for resale as I'm thinking exit strategy on anything high dollar that I buy as I might want to upgrade or fall out of love with it in a few years and don't want to be stuck holding the bag for too many pennies.  Also service in my area is easy for a merc as there are not a lot of bass boat dealers around here for soe reason and the ones that are sell evinrude and merc almost exclusively.  Regarding the Legend boat, I think the thing is just incredible (the alpha 211) so I have some thinking to do on how to approach that one as far as going to Ark to visit the factory, meet the owners, test drive one, etc but will be giving skeeter a good hard look.  If yamaha will pony up the warranty that merc has on the table and I just loved the skeeter boat I'd definately consider it.  Thanks again guys for your insight on this process, it's helping more than you know.   Will keep you posted as I'm supposed to drive an 07 Triton TR21X HP w/a 250 Opti Pro XS and some kind of custom jack plate on it next week.  Will most definately bring my rain suit with me. ;D

[Brian_Reeves]

Just my take on triton...I rode one a few weeks ago in rough water.  Might as well have been on a submarine.  That thing plowed through and speared waves about as gracefully as a rock.  

If my dad doesn't give me his old boat, I'm probably going to be going with an xpress.  I have a fondness for their boats, even though they are aluminum.

Oh, about engine size.  If you're going to be fishing ABA, FLW, or BASS tournaments, be sure that a 300 isn't too big.  All the ones I've seen have a 250hp cap.

[Catt]

Triton boats are notorious for chine walking and a wet ride

Skeeter & Champion boats are probably the best rough water ride out there; they both rule Toledo Bend which is known for rough water. One more consideration is how tough the hulls are and Skeeter is rock solid, so are Bass Cat's.

I have 5 friends who own either boat dealerships or outboard shops and they all have more Merc's in the yard than Yamaha's.

Like Brain I'm also looking closely at the Xpress boats, they handle rough water very well and despite what other say they are not prone to being blown around by the wind. I don't plan on buying any thing with over a 150HP, don't plan on doing the tournament trail thing cause I've been there and don that, I will fish some open tournaments.

[lknbassman]

Had a great conversation with a Skeeter dealer in my area who also happens to sell Triton as of last year so he gave me the skinny on the two boats. Clearly he's not going to bad mouth one or the other as he sells them both but instead point out the subtleties between them. He did say the Triton would run faster than the Skeeter all things being equal particularly the HP hull. That's not really a selling point for me if I'm soaking wet or scared to death running it wide open... However he did say that the Skeeter will in fact ride better in rough water due to it's hull being lower and knifing through the chop more so than the Triton which also is why it's a bit slower (makes sense from an engineering stand point to me). He also mentioned that when fishing, the Skeeter boat would sit much lower in the water than the Triton which I like as I skip a lot of jigs, senkos, and other soft plastics under docks as that's our primary pattern post spawn and into summer/early fall. Getting up close is required on this lake if you want a big bite so that might be a good thing to think hard on. I'm going to go ride a ZX225 w/the Yamaha 250 HPDI on it. He's got a couple of 06's that are trades and some 07's that he did not move as well as 08's so he's got inventory and wants to sell a boat something bad. All things considered, is the Yamaha/Skeeter package among the top boats in the opinions of you tournament anglers who have seen and ridden in the others? Is there a huge difference in the i Class Skeeters than the ZX series? Anything I might want to look out for or steer clear of regarding Skeeter boats? How about things to ask for that should be included? Right now my must haves are dual 520c's ethernet'd together, a 36v TM (either brand is fine as I've had both and they are both OK), cover, keel guard, oxygenator, hot foot, pro tilt trim, etc. Thanks for any added input.

[Catt]

I would argue with your dealer about the Triton outrunning the Skeeter  

The difference between the I Class & the ZX series to me is like buying a Lincoln over a Ford it's mostly creature comforts.

You will be impressed with the ZX225 and the Yam-A- Hammer

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[Garnet]

The Iclass is a  about 8K for eclectronic dodads. The ZX225 is a weapon thats runs big water and fishes dirt shallow. I fish out of 1 for 2 seasons.

Get that dealer to pull out storage lockers and show you how thw hole deck comes off. Running wires just a breeze.

Garnet

[GeorgiaSpotSticker]

Have you rode in a Champion yet...

[Al Wolbach]

I like the options you have chosen. I would consider a black light package if you fish any at night and a dual console if you fish with friends, especially in cold/wet weather. Seventy MPH in an open cockpit sucks.

I have tried to avoid pushing my favorite brands but couldn't keep from saying at least look at the Champion powered by Yamaha. I ordered a 203DC in 1998 with a 225 Yamaha VMAX. I have not had a problem with either in almost 10 years of year round fishing(Tennessee). Enough said.

Good luck with your decision......................Al

[Al Wolbach]

By the way, don't overlook trailor options, ie., oil bath hubs, disc surge brake etc. These can save you a big headache several years down the road should you decide to keep that long.

I would avoid any trailor with fiberglass parts. IMHO, this is asking for problems. They look great but parking lots at boat ramps are great places for people with no experience manuvering trailors to practice............Al

[IneedAnewScreenName9886691]

Like Spotsticker said....before you buy you owe it to yourself to ride in a Champion.  

I am a little bias cause I own one (granted it's older) but she is still in great shape and they like big water.  

Fished out of an I-class last year and liked them as well- but not a Champ.  Nice boats none the less.  

I like your style - you are doing it right!    

[frogtog]

I am lucky enough to own a Triton TR20x and ZX200c Skeeter. I would feel bad to bad mouth either on the web. If you were to PM me

I would give the pro and con's of the two I own.

Also welcome to BR.

[thetr20one]

TRITON WITH A MERC. I admit I am partial though. I owned a Ranger previously and traded it in on a 01 tr-20 w a 225 Opti 4 years ago. I would not trade 4 a x-2 or z-series. The new Tritons are nice but I love my older tr. It handles like a slot car and is an absolute rocket but It also handles Lake Erie's weather n waves great. It's all about finding the right boat for YOU my friend!

[eyedabassman]

I have had 3 Triton's and I still have one. I think that the Triton boat is a very good ride and you DON'T get wet in a Triton!!!!!! As for plowing into the water, he maybe had the trim on the motor all the way down! I love all the storage the big and wide deck. The one thing I did not like is that on one of them I had alttle gas smell in the rod lockers but Triton sent me a vent kit and they paid to have them installed.Triton has the BEST Customer Service anywhere!!!!! As for the motor I would take the Merc.

 I know that there are many good bass boats out there and I am not putting any of them down, I just like the Triton and I will buy another down the road.

[PDB]

I can't offer any useful insight on your choices, but I can on the state of the boat market right now.  The boat market nationwide is depressed right now.  It is a buyers market.  Don't be afraid to wheel and deal, shop around and lowball offers.