The boat will only go as far as the trailer will carry it. Just something to think about when buying used. I would try to go with something 19+ feet with at least 175 horses.

As I just bought my first bass boat in November of last year I can't give much advice on brands. I started fishing in a bass club and talked to other anglers as much as I could about their boats before purchasing one of my own. All I can offer up is some advice and things to look for. Definitely don't go smaller than 19ft. Mine is a Blazer 202 Pro V with a 225 Marcury Pro XS.

I found my boat on TFF. I love my boat now but it was a tough first three months. I found a 2006 Blazer that looked really nice at a quick glance. Lots of things I didn't know to look for. The owner of my boat took me for a sucker and I guess as a new bass fisherman looking for his first boat I was.

Climb under the boat and look at the entire bottom, from the front back and the back going forward. My boat was crammed in his garage and I only looked at a small piece of the bottom from the front of the boat. Long story short, he painted over the holes and I didn't find the damage until I went to change the trailer lights and found the damage. $8000 later the boat is new from the back going forward 10ft, half the length of the boat.

The trailer was [censored]. When the repair shop lifted the boat off the trailer, the two center boards fell off. Take your potential boat to the lake of course for a test ride and then go over the trailer. Mine needed all new carpet and boards, one tire was shot so I just replaced them all.

Check every switch in the boat to make sure it works something. I took the guys word for it. Again, first time buyer. After getting it home for testing I found out the bilge didn't work, automatic float switch did not work and tilt trim at the bow did not work.

Take the engine cowl off and look at every wire plug and connection. I found out the night before a tournament that he had bypassed the low oil sensor by unplugging it and looping a piece of wire to create the loop needed to keep my smart craft gauge from alerting me it was bad. He then taped it up and tucked it behind the oil tank. A $21 part that if not used could cost you thousands on engine repairs.

The owner assured me the lower unit oil was good. I decided to check it out on advice from a friend. Holy hell, full of water. The owner didn't think the rubber washers that go on the screw behind the prop and on the side of the lower unit needed to be there at all. Plus the screws weren't tight. I have replaced the oil twice this year to check for water and knock on wood none yet.

Didn't know anything about props. Assumed the one on their was ok just not that pretty. Best decision I have made with the boat was to take it to Steves Prop Shop. Spent the money on a balanced and blueprinted prop. Totally different boat. Jumps out of the hole and cruises at 65 with hardly any wobble.

The owner was honest about the graph. He said the down imaging didn't work well. No kidding. The transducer was mounted with a piece of epoxy the size of a thumb nail. Fixed that.

Thank God, nothing has gone wrong in a few months. My last bit of advice and someone already said it. Take your time and don't jump to quick. I was so excited about a nice bass boat I didn't do my homework at all. Lesson learned. I will be able to make a better informed decision about my next boat and I have learned to work on it when it something small. Good luck on finding the right boat for you.