I disagree. A large deck with a stable platform is well respected by many anglers.

I can catch fish from a bass tracker it was the first thing my dad ever took me out on! That being said I don't want to sacrifice space when often I have 3 people fishing from the boat..
And yes the cougar FTD has a bigger deck than the original cougar because everyone wanted more deck for a reason..
The basscat puma is skinnier than the old legend I looked at so the FTD boats would be the only cats I would be interested in

I have a phoenix Id say they are not in the game at all when it comes to deck size compared to Legend, Nitro and Ranger. All of those boats have a rounder nose which gives you a lot more room to move with poles on the deck especially if you have the front seat post in at all.

Phoenix legend and nitro have large rear decks also.

Really? The 9 series Phoenix looked to be on par with the v20 and z9

I really liked the wide decks for a long time and was eyeing the Caracal for my next boat. After the last couple years I have mostly flipped brush timber and docks. I think having such a wide deck would hinder me in a tight spot. I�m thinking about going with the cougar. But I will probably change my mind in a year or so lol.

Are looking for a narrow front deck or wide?

Can't just go by measurements. Depending where the trolling motor is (how close to the bow) will effect how much fishable deck you have. Some brands have there trolling motors set really far back taking up alot of fishable deck. If you can it's best to fish the boat instead of just relying on measurements.

the problem I have is Im in an older boat
just have the opportunity to upgrade so I am looking at options
my 99 Nitro has a fairly large deck for 18' Boat
the beam is still the same as every other boat out there 94"-96" so being hindered in tighter spots is not going to be an issue
the 12" of gunnel some of the boats have that Ive looked at just seems like a waste of what could be fishing area
example, LEgend v Series, Nitro Z8/Z9, Phoenix 9 series all 96" beam over 80" of deck width at the consoles and 70+ all the way up to the front seat pedestal and 66" all the way to the trolling pedal
Legend LE, older skeeter, basscat cougar/puma non FTD start at 68" at the console, 56-59 at the fron seat and some boats are sub 40" at the trolling pedal..
every boat listed has 96" beam.. therefore every boat would fit through the same gap.. but some you can do cartwheels on the front of..
the main difference is a lot off boats narrow over all from the seats forward.. but even those that dont could have 12" wide gunnels which is where the wasted space come into thought

I thought it wasn't the size of the deck it's what you do with it, L.O.L. seriously my Stratos deck is narrow and I wouldn't want a longer boat but a wider one.

BassCat makes three wide bodies - the Jaguar, Lynx and the Caracal.

The new LYNX is the ticket.