First Bass Boat - Where to start

[Cincycreech]

I’m soon to be in the market for my first Bass Boat - I say soon to be as I plan to buy one this upcoming fall/winter. 
 

Looking for some insight (extra research) regarding motors to stay away from, models of boats, manufacturers, length, capacity etc 

 

Located in Southwestern Ohio plan on fishing Brookville Lake, Caesar’s Creek etc - Fishing for Bass/Crappie etc. 

 

I’d like a boat that I could bring a buddy & my young son. Occasionally I might take my wife and 3 year old daughter to mess around in. Then on the flip side I’d like to take a buddy and fish a regular club tournament. 
 

Budget is around 15k - My garage door is 7ft high & 9ft wide @ 24ft deep. Essentially it’s an oversized 1 car garage. 
 

Any recommendations on “Hey get a 2000 20ft Triton tr200 with a 200hp mercury, hulls are solid, motors reliable” is essentially what I’m looking for. “Stray away from an Evenrude.” “The Triton 186 with a 150hp mercury will satisfy your needs.” Etc

 

I plan on when pulling the trigger to have it pre inspected - As of now I’m just looking to look at what’s in that price range, without really knowing what I should be looking at.  
 

Thanks for info

[Jig Man]

A swing away tongue will be a big bonus.

[GaryH]

It a sellers market for boats right now. Boats are at a premium $$. Are you looking for a aluminum or glass boat? 

[Cincycreech]

13 minutes ago, GaryH said:

It a sellers market for boats right now. Boats are at a premium $$. Are you looking for a aluminum or glass boat? 

I’m assuming after gas prices hit about $6 as predicted and it’s off season that the inflated prices will adjust a bit - I’m thinking with my needs I’ll be in the market for a fiberglass boat. 

[GaryH]

My preference in glass boats are Skeeter & Ranger and for motors Yamaha & Mercury. But then again it’s a Chevy/Ford debate 

[J._Bricker]

Another avenue to explore @Cincycreech is a certificate boat, which is given as a prize for a tournament win in lieu of the actual boat. Granted, it’ll probably be a little more than your current budget but you can negotiate the price with the seller. With the certificate boat you can usually upgrade the boat size, motor displacement, electronics, various options and color. Good luck with your search and your new boat 

[GaryH]

3 hours ago, J._Bricker said:

Another avenue to explore @Cincycreech is a certificate boat, which is given as a prize for a tournament win in lieu of the actual boat. Granted, it’ll probably be a little more than your current budget but you can negotiate the price with the seller. With the certificate boat you can usually upgrade the boat size, motor displacement, electronics, various options and color. Good luck with your search and your new boat 

Great idea…

[SWVABass]

Join a club and fish as a non-boater. You will see very quickly the difference in boats, size, hp. From there I think you can narrow down what you like. Rangers were extremely smooth in my opinion, bass cat as well and fast, skeeter beat the hell out of me as well as the 20’ Phoenix, but the 21’ was a pretty smooth ride and seemed plenty fast enough. Just going to have to ride/test drive as many as you can and then find a layout you like.

[gm4511]

So, assuming this is your first boat, I'd avoid used.  Used prices are crazy, you have no idea what may be wrong with it, and no warranty to help with problems.  Plus, given your budget, finding a good quality and problem free boat will be tough and if you do have problems, you'll blow your budget up.  

 

Aluminum boats are great first boats and fill the bill for the lakes you mentioned.  They're also cheaper to operate, maintain, and tow.  

 

Stretch your budget and consider https://www.trackerboats.com/bass/bass-tracker-classic-xl.html  

 

Not quite a bass boat, but the deep v offers more room and safety for your young family.  https://www.trackerboats.com/deep-v/super-guide-v-16-sc.html

 

Either boat is well laid out, fully equipped, and ready to fish.  Plus, you have the advantage of warranties and a dealer to stand behind you.  Research dealers as best you can to see who offers the best service.  If you decide on a Tracker, Cabelas and Hern Marine carry them in your area.  

[Captain Phil]

I have owned every type of boat imaginable. A great number of them were bass boats.  Fishing as a non boater is good advice.   The best boats are "OPBs" (other people's boats).  The problem with boats is they are always a compromise.  If you are going to fish bass tournaments, you will want a different boat that you can take your family out in.  Given the price of gas and the uncertainty of future fuel costs, you should seriously consider an aluminum boat as your first.   My RT178 with a 75 Merc 4 stroke hardly uses any fuel and there is no oil to burn.  I bought it totally rigged with a 24 volt Minn Kota, trailer, inboard charger and two Lowrance combo GPS/sonar units for $28K out the door.  The dealer threw in an 8 year warranty on the motor.  That is substantially over your budget, but there are no issues to deal with and I suspect the resale value will be decent.  You can buy a similar Tracker for $5K less.   I have owned a few Trackers and they are a good boat for the money.  What you are looking for is a boat like mine owned by someone like me.  Older guys buy boats all the time and never use them.  My boat is a year old and I doubt it has 30 hours on it because I fish near the ramp.  What you don't want is a big motored gas hog owned by an active tournament fisherman.  It may look cool, until for find out the owner beat the crap out of it. 

[MN Fisher]

Boat

 

Bring

Out

Another

Thousand

 

Fuel/Oil prices, maintenance, storage during the off season, registration, insurance, ramp fees (some states), etc., etc,. etc,...these all add up. Make sure you can afford the on-going costs as well as the boat itself.

[Bassun]

So I am not pro, but I have had my used 99' Skeeter SS 90 16'2" with a Yamaha for a couple of decades now.  Here are some of my opinions.  First, boat prices are crazy right now.  I don't know if or when it will change to  be honest.  I think we are seeing a shift in how marina's etc keep inventory and it seems like we are going to see fewer and fewer new models on the "lot" - which also means we are going to see fewer end of year / last model year discounts.  It also means used boats are going to continue to come at a premium.  AKA - we are going to pay more now and have more trouble finding a "good deal" now than we have in a long time.  I feel your pain as I am looking to upgrade myself.

 

Used:  You have to be so careful.  I got lucky and bought mine from a friend who was meticulous with the boat and got a screaming deal.  That is a great option, and one of the few ways I really consider a used boat that isn't from a dealer you absolutely whole heartedly trust.  If you go that route, spend the money to have a mechanic check out the boat.  Something to consider with buying used, if you don't have the cash in hand to pay for it outright and need to finance - your loan terms will not be as good.  Higher interest rates and shorter maximum length usually.  May not matter in your case, but it is something to consider.

 

I will say that I absolutely love my little boat - if it is me fishing or me +1 angler.  For two people, it's fine.  It runs about 40-45 depending on the prop and load I have on it.  It's small so it runs a bit rough, and in "big" water you are in for a ride.  That said, I quickly learned that it is too small for fishing 3 comfortably.  18' for me is the minimum size I would want if I thought I would ever have more than 2.  The 90 Yamaha has been fantastic.  Only issues I have had is needing to replace the impeller, which is scary the first time you do it, but not a big deal once you have done it; and the electronic choke (which I think is in my switch to be honest).  Rock solid and would put this same motor on another boat in an instant.  I am actually thinking of keeping this rig after I get a new boat and doing a pontoon rebuild later and use this motor for that, but that's a different topic.   

 

If you can ride along or otherwise run other boats - that's, IMO, the best bet for finding what you like.  But if you cannot - I would look for something that firstly fit's in your garage.  Folding tongue will help, but measure your floor with the doors closed to make 100% sure of exactly how much room you have - it would suck to end up with 6 inches too much boat.  Honestly though, with your budget at 15k, I'm really worried that you are going to struggle to find what you are looking for, unless you know someone looking to unload a used boat.  Tracker aluminum is probably going to be your best bet new, like GM4511 said - and what I would suggest - but finding a new boat rigged for 15K is going to be a challenge I'm afraid.  Good luck!