Good bass boat for around 4-5k?

[MikeB24]

Im in the market for my first bass boat and have around 4-5000 to spend. I only have experience on a skeeter and champion, but i still dont know what my best option is. 

[Sp33dSnake]

Honestly for 5k; you're probably looking at something like a 90's bass boat with a 75hp Mercury 2-stroke.

Now, you'll not hear me talk bad about 2-stroke engines; the vast amount of boat fishing I've done was on a 2-stroke.  A well-taken care of, maintained two-stroke can run.  But an old 2-stroke engine with plenty of hours on it can have a myriad of issues.  Not to mention the fiberglass boat attached to it; which can have holes, transom issues.

I'm not saying you can't find a sweetheart of a deal.  But if you plan to spend 5k on a bass boat, be prepared to spend a lot more money on it that you didn't see coming.  Now, you can get a new Bass Tracker Classic XL with a 5 year warranty, decked out with modern equipment and a 4-stroke engine that is easier to maintain and gets better gas mileage, a 16' that you can work in shallow water.  Now it's around 15-17k new for one, and occassionally you can find them a couple years old on marketplaces in the 8-10k range.

This being your first bass boat, lets be real; you're learning how to use your equipment.  Aluminum boats can take a bit more punishment than fiberglass boats, and they don't cost a zillion dollars.  They are light and can tow well.  You'll be able to fish in places a 21' fiberglass bass boat dare not go to.

I'm looking at a boat of my own.   Personally, I'm going with a Tracker 175, which is a foot longer and a foot wider than the Classic XL.  It's also got a bigger motor, and they go new for about 23k.

Take your five grand, put it toward a Bass Tracker (New or gently used), finance the rest for a relatively low monthly payment, go fishing, and if you need something fixed, utilize the warranty and make it someone else's problem.

Otherwise, if five is all you're gonna spend, take a guy that knows boats with you, pay him a c-note to check out the boat for you and have him tell you if it's worth buying or not.

Hope this helps.

[casts_by_fly]

I've been doing a lot of boat searches lately myself so have a feel for the market (at least up here).  At that price point, you are going to be looking at early to mid 90's boats and individual condition will be more important that the brand and model.  You don't say glass or aluminum specifically, though do reference two glass boats.  Not sure where you're located but if you're in the south east or Texas you might have a better selection to choose from.  Up here, $5k will get you a stripped out 1990 ranger with torn seats, limited carpet, and a 150-175 2-stroke.  The trolling motor may or may not work and don't look for any electronics.  If you go aluminum, then you can get into a late 90's or early 2000's tracker with a 40-60hp and half decent shape.

[volzfan59]

For that kind of money I would look for an aluminum rig. That’s what I did a few years back. Got a well taken care of 16’ X 50” aluminum boat with a Tohatsu 40 on it. Great boat, still going strong.

[Junger]

For $5K, I'd be looking at a early 2000's Bass Tracker 175 that's been garage kept. It will probably have a 50HP two stroke Tracker/Mercury on it, and will probably need maintenance and upgrades like new fuel lines/primer. Ask for a water test, and you get anything but "sure we can do that", then move on. Also inspect the trailer for rust, tire tread, repairs (such as bad welds). And ask for a clean title for both the boat and trailer.

 

I just went through this last spring to help a neighbor buy his first boat of FB Marketplace, and we had to weed through at least 20 listings before we found the right boat and seller. Trust your gut, if it seems to good to be true it is, and if you're not comfortable with the responses, walk away.

[dwtaylor]

You should be able to get a 18 footer with a 150 in that price range now.  2/3 years ago not so much.

 

A late 80s to early 90s ranger 300 series is a great hull.  I have seen a few repowered with new 4 strokes so guys really like them.  They may be slightly outside your price point, but not by much.

 

There are javelins, stratos, skeeter, and tritons in that 90s era that are good too.  

 

I probably wouldn't consider a nitro, but if you came across one that was clean that could be a good option too.

 

The evinrude intruder and johnson fast strike are good engines as are the mercury xr6 but they are carb 2 strokes which can guzzle gas and be complicated in cold starts.  Stay away from any optimax from the 90s or johnson/evinrude fichts.  I am not 100% up to speed on the yamaha options back then as they were kind of an up and coming brand at that time.  

 

 

[WRB]

Looked at several used Bass Boats for sale and nothing in your price range worth considering. In glass 18’ bass boats.

consider doubling your budget!

Tom

[F14A-B]

Oh go put down that 5k on a new Tracker brother.. go new! 

[J._Bricker]

  Hello @MikeB24 and welcome to Bass Resource and making your first post in the Forums. With your budget and not knowing the waters you fish or the cost of a bass/fishing boats in the area you live, I’d recommend a kayak as a great option. 
 

  With the evolving technology regarding kayaks it could out fitted with the excellent electronics, an electric motor, enough rods/tackle to cover various techniques and possibly solve a potential storage problem. And kayak tournament fishing has exploded nationwide and a great number of Bass Resource members are kayak anglers and willing to share their knowledge and experiences.

 

  In the meantime, you’ll be better able to budget for the boat is more in line with your budget and future fishing needs. Another option is to put the monies you’ve saved down on an entry level boat. 
 

  Good luck and keep us apprised of your decision.
 

 

[MikeB24]

Im going to look at an 05 champion with a yamaha vmax 150 tomorrow. Bringing my buddy and a compression tester gonna go from there!

[GaryH]

What type of water are you mainly fishing? Small, medium or large lakes or rivers. This may give us a better look at the boat type and size that may best suit your needs. Good luck on your search Mike.
 

 

[MikeB24]

15 minutes ago, GaryH said:

What type of water are you mainly fishing? Small, medium or large lakes or rivers. This may give us a better look at the boat type and size that may best suit your needs. Good luck on your search Mike.
 

 

Probably just medium sized lakes! Would also like to get into saltwater fishing the flats for some reds. But for the most park just medium lakes

[BassKat]

Take a look at what you can get a used war eagle 754LDV for. It's 17'10" aluminum shallow V, can handle big water if there's not too much wind. They are built really solid and last a lifetime. On 2-strokes, I'd like nothing more than to have an old Johnson Evinrude, but things are way different on sourcing OEM parts than 10 years ago. The second you put an aftermarket part on it it's not the same. If anyone knows different, that would be music to my ears. Around here, it's gotten tough. 

[Justbass11]

@Sp33dSnake is right. I have a used 175 txw and love it. It has a 75 hp four stroke. And it would be perfect for you I believe, it has plenty of storage for me and my wife. I had it up to 41 mph so it has get up and go to it. In my opinion, it would be a great first boat for someone who’s never bought a boat before. Take that $5000 put it down on the new boat or a newer boat. If you go to Bass pro shop they won’t really give you a great deal. Anyway, that’s my two bits good luck purchasing your your boat.

[MikeB24]

1 hour ago, Justbass11 said:

@Sp33dSnake is right. I have a used 175 txw and love it. It has a 75 hp four stroke. And it would be perfect for you I believe, it has plenty of storage for me and my wife. I had it up to 41 mph so it has get up and go to it. In my opinion, it would be a great first boat for someone who’s never bought a boat before. Take that $5000 put it down on the new boat or a newer boat. If you go to Bass pro shop they won’t really give you a great deal. Anyway, that’s my two bits good luck purchasing your your boat.

Man i would much rather put it down on a newer tracker but my credit is the problem, i dont think id get approved

[GaryH]

[MikeB24]

On 3/3/2025 at 11:00 PM, MikeB24 said:

Im in the market for my first bass boat and have around 4-5000 to spend. I only have experience on a skeeter and champion, but i still dont know what my best option is. 

Thanks everyone for the advice, looked at a 05 champion and the engine had 90 psi compression on all 6 cylinders, seemed w little low for me had to trust my gut, going to look at 2 very nice 06 bass tracker 175s today

[rangerjockey]

Honestly ,I would say save your money for another year or so and buy something worth bringing home. Your money will go further with an aluminum boat, I started with one like most everyone That was 5 boats ago. The down side is the ride and they just aren't as good on the trolling motor as a glass boat.

Whatever you decide get a compression test done on the motor. 

 

[WRB]

For what it’s worth the photo of the boat posted is aluminum.

Tom

[TOXIC]

I would be seriously concerned with a $5,000 fiberglass boat.  If that’s your budget, you’re not ready.  Sorry.  

[MN Fisher]

I'm with Toxic

$5k Fiberglass boat? What's wrong with it and how much more is it gonna cost you

$5k Aluminum boat? You should be good to go...

[Susky River Rat]

You can’t beat a bass tracker for an entry leve boat. Are they the best? No are they good boats for the price? Yes. You also wont have to worry about if you bang it up a little. Which you will.

[Born 2 fish]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

I would be seriously concerned with a $5,000 fiberglass boat.  If that’s your budget, you’re not ready.  Sorry.  

I agree with this I think you’ll be sinking money into a pit  unless you get super lucky. I’d save and try to buy something much newer.

[kschultz76]

On 3/4/2025 at 1:49 AM, Sp33dSnake said:

Honestly for 5k; you're probably looking at something like a 90's bass boat with a 75hp Mercury 2-stroke.

Now, you'll not hear me talk bad about 2-stroke engines; the vast amount of boat fishing I've done was on a 2-stroke.  A well-taken care of, maintained two-stroke can run.  But an old 2-stroke engine with plenty of hours on it can have a myriad of issues.  Not to mention the fiberglass boat attached to it; which can have holes, transom issues.

I'm not saying you can't find a sweetheart of a deal.  But if you plan to spend 5k on a bass boat, be prepared to spend a lot more money on it that you didn't see coming.  Now, you can get a new Bass Tracker Classic XL with a 5 year warranty, decked out with modern equipment and a 4-stroke engine that is easier to maintain and gets better gas mileage, a 16' that you can work in shallow water.  Now it's around 15-17k new for one, and occassionally you can find them a couple years old on marketplaces in the 8-10k range.

This being your first bass boat, lets be real; you're learning how to use your equipment.  Aluminum boats can take a bit more punishment than fiberglass boats, and they don't cost a zillion dollars.  They are light and can tow well.  You'll be able to fish in places a 21' fiberglass bass boat dare not go to.

I'm looking at a boat of my own.   Personally, I'm going with a Tracker 175, which is a foot longer and a foot wider than the Classic XL.  It's also got a bigger motor, and they go new for about 23k.

Take your five grand, put it toward a Bass Tracker (New or gently used), finance the rest for a relatively low monthly payment, go fishing, and if you need something fixed, utilize the warranty and make it someone else's problem.

Otherwise, if five is all you're gonna spend, take a guy that knows boats with you, pay him a c-note to check out the boat for you and have him tell you if it's worth buying or not.

Hope this helps.

I got a new ProTeam 175 TXW at the end of last season. I ordered it in June, and when it finally arrived in August they sent me a 2025 at 2024 pricing. You’re gonna love the 175, super easy to fish out of, tons of convenient useable storage, easy to tow and maneuver. 
 

For 30 years prior I fished from a 15’ fiberglass tri hull with tiller steer and very limited storage. Lots of amazing memories in that boat. But the wood in the transom and decks is rotting beyond repair. 
 

I love the convenience of locking my rods and tackle in the 176, and being ready to go fish in 30 min. 
 

Hope you can make that happen.

 

For the op I hope you can find something to suit your budget and your needs. Any boat that is safe, serviceable, and gets you on the water will catch you fish. I’d agree with many others though for an older boat in that range you should stick to aluminum. Even a good size deep v hull with a tiller drive will serve you well. 

[MikeB24]

Just went and picked this one up, 05 bass tracker with a mercury 50hp. The boat is in perfect condition, everything works, and 130 psi on all cylinders for 5k. Excited to get it on the water, thank you all for your honest advice