Center Console Bass Boats....

[J.Vincent]

Years ago I remember Nitro manufactured center console bass boats ? Does anyone know if they still do? and also who else makes a similar design with the throttle control positioned in the center ? 

[Catt]

Nitro doesn't sell em anymore 

 

I know Allison & Bullet made one

[slonezp]

Nitro was the CDC model. Allison made/makes one or 2 different models. GatorTrax makes one

[J.Vincent]

All of these boats appear to be discontinued as of around 2014, and this sort of has me baffled as to how or why CDC or CC bass boats are not being mass produced and heavily marketed as the safest option for bass anglers ? The design itself offers greater boater safety and increased stability. So am I missing or overlooking the reasons why current and ongoing industry standard is still Single Console and Dual Console with one or two seats between passenger and driver ? 

[Logan S]

I fished out of a dual-center-console Dynatrack many years ago...IMO, it sounds like a great idea right up until you get in the boat and start using it.  Biggest annoyance to me was the fact that you had to leave the seat to tie up no matter which side you dock on (since it's in the middle and not the starboard side).  Layout with the console in the center is also not ideal IMO for both fishing and modern electronics mounting/rigging.

 

The reason they weren't/aren't more popular is because most people didn't/don't like that layout for a bassboat.  

 

 

[J.Vincent]

Your point is interesting and something I haven't considered; but I must admit 90% of the time when I approach a dock to moor up, I leave the wheel anyway and typically approach while on the trolling motor. But i definitely see how for some this could be an issue. But do you agree a CDC is more stable in comparison or have boat hull and design changed enough in the past 10 years to equalize this specific benefit ? Because it seems having driver passenger centered in the middle would still offer safety benefits and a more stable ride ? 

[DINK WHISPERER]

Many moons ago I had a Nitro CDC. It was definitely a stable boat but I think that's mainly due to how heavy it was. Not sure how center consoles would be safer? The contribution to balance by the centered weight of the driver/passenger would be marginal imo. I could be wrong though. Looked really cool though that's for sure. 

[Ktho]

I have an 1860 Blazer Bay that I use in freshwater and I absolutely love it. The Ranger Bahia I've been on and some of the other saltwater bay boats I've seen are essentially CC bass boats with the way the livewells and rod storage are constructed. 

 

It's great being able to fly down the lake while it's capping. I'm not sure why others don't give it a try sometimes because these desert lakes out this way can get quite nasty when the wind kicks up. 

[WRB]

For pure speed having the weight centered in lieu of to one side is ideal.

For bass fishing the consol to the right side (in lieu of the left side) takes advantage of off setting pro torque and accessing the front platform from the center of the boat for safety without walking around a centered console.

There are a few center consol boats like Boston Whalers that some anglers modify into bass boats, usually most CC boats are stand up driver operated or racing hulls.

Tom

[J.Vincent]

1 hour ago, Ktho said:

I have an 1860 Blazer Bay that I use in freshwater and I absolutely love it. The Ranger Bahia I've been on and some of the other saltwater bay boats I've seen are essentially CC bass boats with the way the livewells and rod storage are constructed. 

 

It's great being able to fly down the lake while it's capping. I'm not sure why others don't give it a try sometimes because these desert lakes out this way can get quite nasty when the wind kicks up. 

So you find a center console to be a drier ride in general ? Because that's a pretty big advantage , if it's true across the board and especially if it's true on a fiberglass bass model 

[Ktho]

6 minutes ago, J.Vincent said:

So you find a center console to be a drier ride in general ? Because that's a pretty big advantage , if it's true across the board and especially if it's true on a fiberglass bass model 

 

My boat is very dry I don't recall ever getting wet beyond a misting from crosswind. The Ranger i've been on can get wet at times but haven't experienced getting wet in it in freshwater. In the saltwater with a even a little swell the ranger gets pretty wet but it can smoothly crush through nasty chop going 50mph+

 

 

[slonezp]

3 hours ago, DINK WHISPERER said:

Many moons ago I had a Nitro CDC. It was definitely a stable boat but I think that's mainly due to how heavy it was. Not sure how center consoles would be safer? The contribution to balance by the centered weight of the driver/passenger would be marginal imo. I could be wrong though. Looked really cool though that's for sure. 

Center weight distribution is used by Lund which contributes to their ride quality. Fuel tank, remote oil fill and batteries are all placed parallel with the keel.

[fishnkamp]

The answer to why the manufacturers do not make them anymore is VERY simple. They did not sell well enough and money is everything.  Think about it! Money (in the form of sales) drives this market.  Dyna Trak was one of the earliest brands to make one. I rode in one back in the early 90's.  Then of course Nitro, Gambler and others started producing them as well.  Back then the companies were about to go through some tough economic times, during which most companies were just trying to survive. Many did not survive and still more were bought out and chewed up for a parent company to improve their own product line.  Also, most companies had to make two different top caps for each model in order to sell a single and dual console model. Adding a 3rd top cap to offer the center console bass boat was not cost effective.  In all the used bass boats I have seen for sale, I have only ever seen 2 of the center console style bass boats available.

Because the consoles were molded in the top cap  a dealer had to stock 2 boats in order to have a single and dual console available for sale. This is why manufacturers today have cut cost big time with the removable passenger console. They stock one boat and if needed order a matching passenger console if one is desired.  The industry promotes the ability to remove the console easily as a benefit to the angler (use it installed with the family and remove it on tournament day) but the real benefit is to reduce both manufacturing and cost to the dealer.

 

[Further North]

Interesting discussion.

 

I wandered a ways down the center console route a while back, and I came away from it with a few impressions:

• Tall center consoles are a complete PITA.  It's not a matter of if you're gonna catch them on your back cast, it's when...more impactful in fly fishing than gear, but it's gonna happen...
• Another indictment of tall center consoles: Like vertical rod holders, the will restrict your back cast at some point.  Again. more impactful in fly fishing than gear, but still a factor.
• Even a low center console puts an angler moving front to back, or fighting a big fish that needs to be walked 'round the boat, out on the gunnels rather than down the center.  I like that idea on calm days...not so much in late October with 50° water and a pitching deck.
  • I think this even more as I get older and I'm neither as quick, nor as well balanced as I usta was.
  • The worst possible configuration for me is a a boat with a tall windshield across the boat with a narrow opening to walk through.  Had a BAMF musky zig when I zagged a few year back on a friend's boat at just the wrong time and I caught the top corner of the windshield in the ribs.  Hurt like crazy for a coupla weeks.
• People will buy what they are used to rather than what works better...or has the potential to work better...until you prove otherwise to them...and you can't prove it by force feeding them.