Most popular bass boat length of the Pros

[Tackleholic]

If the top level pros had a choice, would they choose a 20 ft. or 21 ft. to run with a 250 hp motor?  What length would you choose for yourself?

[Jig Man]

I chose a 20’4” boat with a 250 four stroke back in 2016.

[Further North]

18 1/2', 150 motor.  Anything bigger is a waste, or just showing off on our lakes.

[Scott F]

I don’t care what size boat a pro chooses. Has zero effect on my choice. I’d have to choose a 17ft boat as that is the biggest I could fit in my garage. 

[FryDog62]

The pros want as much deck space as possible without sacrificing speed to get to the spot before the other guy.  For me, I’m where Scott is above - it’s all about garage space.  If I angle my boat with my trailer valet, motor down, swung to the side, pin pulled on the break away tongue... I can fit 225.25 inches diagonally in my garage if I also grease up the gunwales on each side and suck in my tummy (hence my Lund Pro-V Bass 1875

[livin2fish]

This^^^^

[Catt]

Pros do not select boat length based off deck space & storage.

 

Their selection is based off safety!

 

Tournament schedules are made in advance, the day of the tournament may have inclement weather. They are a few tournament cancellation because of weather but for the majority you're fishing regardless of weather.

 

Tournaments on large bodies of water often require long boat runs of 2-3 hrs one way. It's not uncommon for anglers to stop for refueling, so ya want the largest fuel capacity available.

 

Deck space & storage is lagniappe!  ?

[Further North]

13 hours ago, Scott F said:

I don’t care what size boat a pro chooses. Has zero effect on my choice. I’d have to choose a 17ft boat as that is the biggest I could fit in my garage. 

 

3 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

The pros want as much deck space as possible without sacrificing speed to get to the spot before the other guy.  For me, I’m where Scott is above - it’s all about garage space.  If I angle my boat with my trailer valet, motor down, swung to the side, pin pulled on the break away tongue... I can fit 225.25 inches diagonally in my garage if I also grease up the gunwales on each side and suck in my tummy (hence my Lund Pro-V Bass 1875

I was fortunate enough to be able to build my "Boat Garage" around my boat.  I thought about it pretty thoroughly, looked at how I fish and where, dialed in on a 18 1/2' - 19' foot boat and settled on a 24' x 36' garage with the door on the short side.  With storage and "walk-around" space, I've got all the room I need for how I fish.

 

...what the pros do has zero impact on that.

[WRB]

When I fished bass tournaments 19' -20' /200-225 hp was popular today it's 21' -22' /250 hp.

Agree with Catt a pro wants safety, reliability, long range to fish all day and weigh in their catch on time. 36V trolling motors and electronics and big OB require battery space, fuel requires space and casting deck area requires space, all this ends up 21'-22'.

Tom

 

 

 

 

[Logan S]

Most pro's are generally split between 20' and 21'.  Since 250 is the max HP, the 20's offer better performance, while the 21's handle the big water a bit better (generally speaking).  I guess their choice comes down to their own style and preference.

 

I personally chose a 21'/250HP because my previous boat was a 20' and after many years in that I was ready to have a bit more space.  My home waters can get pretty nasty, so having the extra length never hurts when it comes to rough water handling.  It also didn't hurt that my particular boat was the best deal I found while I was shopping - If this deal had been on a 20' instead of a 21', I'd probably be telling you why I like the the 20'  (both sizes were on my list).  

 

When you're buying it yourself without any sort of pro deal, the best deal you can find has a huge impact on what you choose.  

[Shimano_1]

Everyone wants safety but the pros are running the biggest rigs they can from the company that pays them the most. Everyone hates on nitro on here constantly yet half the pros are running them. Because they're safer? I doubt it...because they're getting the best deals on them. Any 20+ ft bass boat on the water these days is plenty safe if properly equipped and someone with half a brain driving them. If I had the space and needed a big boat I'd get a 20 ft boat. Big enough and considerably cheaper. 

[Big Rick]

I had the money and STLL chose an 18 footer because of my fishing style and the waters I choose to fish. I got the biggest motor I could, upgraded electronics and trolling motor and haven't regretted it one bit. Again, I don't fish tournaments so time isn't of the essence MOST of the time. However, I have had to outrun a few thunder bursts and was wishing for a faster boat during those times, but they are few and far between as I have learned my lesson and keep a much closer eye on my radar on my phone!!

[gim]

If I ever become a pro, I'll let you know.  ?

[Dirtyeggroll]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

Tournaments on large bodies of water often require long boat runs of 2-3 hrs one way.

6 hours of boat ride in an 8 hour tournament. They’d have to be a pro to have that kind of confidence for 2 hours of fishing.

 

3 hours ago, Shimano_1 said:

Because they're safer? I doubt it...because they're getting the best deals

And probably because they won’t run the boat more than a couple seasons which is about how long the “weak” parts (carpet, finish, etc) seems to be reported to last on a Nitro. They do have some wide decks though!

[Further North]

I forgot something...

 

One of the reasons I stick with an aluminum boat at 18 1/2' is towing.

 

I don't need, or want, a full size truck.  I don't want to pay for it, I don't want to put gas in it, and I don't want to pay th insurance on it.

 

I can pull my 1850 all day, every day with a smaller SUV, that cost less to buy, less to run, less to insure...

[Boomstick]

On 9/29/2019 at 10:13 PM, Further North said:

18 1/2', 150 motor.  Anything bigger is a waste, or just showing off on our lakes.

This holds true for my needs as well.

[Bassattackr]

On 9/30/2019 at 2:57 PM, Logan S said:

Most pro's are generally split between 20' and 21'.  Since 250 is the max HP, the 20's offer better performance, while the 21's handle the big water a bit better (generally speaking).  I guess their choice comes down to their own style and preference.

Yep, spot on.