I dont even like driving my truck when there is wind high enough for 5-6 foot waves.

I don't have anything to prove to you Texas Smoke.Just offering some input.Not all drivers can do it,if you cant,well i'm sorry.

That's good David. Let's see if you get any takers.

Once the water is rough enough where you have to tack or ride waves to survive I don't think the brand matters much assuming you're in a solid, well made boat where the engine won't fall off. In those cases I've found my old 19 footer was better because I could maneuver more quickly than bigger boats.

It's when you're in 2 footers and you're getting up on top that I've noticed some boats smoother than others. I'm partial to BassCats -- they're really solid and the newer hulls in the Puma and Cougars really ride through waves well. I've been in Skeeters and Rangers in choppy water and find that Skeeter seems to have a softer ride (at least the models I've been in. The only boat that I thought was terrible was Nitro but that was around 5 years ago and maybe they've gotten better.

A bigger issue is the capacity of your bilge emptying system. The most likely problem I can see is shorting out you electrical system and losing all power out in big water. Chance are you're going to take on water so whatever boat you're in better have good high capacity bilge pumps. The last thing you want is for water to cover your batteries.

I have a 21' skeeter and i love the ride. But i think your gonna get wet in them all. Just the low profile of the hull design. I always look for someone to fall behind and let them take the brunt of it; If there is a smaller boat then i let them fall behind me and i take the brunt.

I just sold it but my Triton 21X2 was the best boat I have ever rode in in rough water, it would run too, 300 ponies, 79 mph. not bad for a almost 22 foot rig.

Arleigh-Burke class.........DDG
Trollin' motor needs to be then 'long shaft'.......:)

5-6' swells in an offshore crewboat will beat you to death, much less a bassboat..

Its the driver...I like my zx-250 for fishing in rough water...Great stable deck...

I agree it is primarily the driver.

And I think most of the boats here can be good in the rough stuff if the driver is good and the boat matches their mindset about how they want to drive in the rough stuff. More to the point though is each boat will have a strength and a weakness. Following sea, quartering seas, current against the wind etc will all create different situations that each boat is going to respond to differently. Pick the boat you like the best then do the following.

Plan for having to deal with rough water.
Jackplates are huge here. Rough water lower your prop and get more leverage. Some days all you can do is lift the nose and tack back and forth across the waves at 30 mph. A deeper prop will let you hold that speed.

2nd most important thing is to have a good rough water prop. Put it on when you know it is going to be bad. A 5 blade prop about 3 inches below your standard pitch will be ideal. This will let you stay on plane and not bog when going into or up and down big waves. You will also respond to the throttle a little quicker to adjust to waves.

3rd is to balance a boat. Left to right and a lighter nose will make it a bit easier to run. Great wet weather gear will make the run more enjoyable. Getting wet and cold will make any ride feel worse. And if you are running serious big water any boat will be wet. A right to left wind over 40 mph is going to equal a wet boat no matter the brand in any lake that develops decent swells.

Trim tabs are extremely rare as standard equipment on a bass boat but extremely common on saltwater boats. Mandatory on go fast slatwater boats.

A few truths about all boats. The deeper the V at the stern the smoother landing back in the water will be. There are certain hulls that can get on top of waves and skip across the waves much faster than slogging through them. Until they can't... Then you get to experience the joy of stuffing a wave. The faster you stuff a wave the more it hurts and the more things that were attached to the boat that will no longer be attached. Like a T-top in a certain go fish fast saltwater boat that someone I won't mention stuffed in the Atlantic one day being stupid. Very few boat engineers design performance for underwater operations. In case that does happen, make sure you have 2 good working bilge pumps. It should also be mentioned that auto-inflate mustang vests are a no-no in rough wet weather.

That new Sirius weather radio from Lowrance or any marine band weather radio should be your first line of defense in either being prepared for the weather or better yet, if it is going to be that bad, not out there.

Ive been offshore on a 6 hour crew boat ride in 20 footers many of times.Maybe thats why a 5 or 6 footer doesnt seem all that big to me.Like i said,Not everyone is an artist.

TR21,TR22, Basscat jaguar. Have owed 18 different boats and these were dry and rode the best. Some others were good but you needed a rain coat and some would beat you to death. Not mentioning brand names in fear of pis### someone off

No one like to admit they bought a POS or they made a mistake so 90% of the answers will reflect exactly what the responder owns.

Carnival cruise ship will get it done

I don't know, was on the Carnival Conquest a couple of years ago, when it was pitching so bad you could barely walk down the hall. That's with the stabilizers deployed on a thousand foot ship. Some folks were meeting Chuck after dinner that night.

Champion of course!!!

Ive always heard champion and legends are the best in big water. O and cant forget about the good O hawks

I have a campion. I like it, but big wind and waves would not keep me from buying any boat. You just have to learn to drive the one you like. Don't buy a boat cause someone says it rides good in rough water. Buy the one you want and learn to drive it.

Agreed..... it is 75% driver 25% boat. I don't knock anyone for thinking there boat is better than the next. It is all personal opinion. And like said before, no one is going to admitt to making a $60,000 mistake buying a boat they are not happy with untill they sell it! I have plenty experience in big water (Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Falcon, Amistad, Etc...) like most people on here have. I have driven cats, skeeters, tritons, champions, rangers, legends, nitros, and the phoenix. I have owned five of the above. Everyone of them have something to offer. But the Phoenix is the only boat I have owned more than one of! I thought I had made a huge mistake when I watched my Ranger being pulled away. But I have never been more happy with my boat than with the Phoenix. I fished anglers quest on Rayburn this Saturday with 30MPH gusts. It took me 15 minutes to get from veach to the dam. My partner has had a back and a neck surgery. He is in the process of buying a Phoenix! I would offer a demo ride to anyone who wants to see! 903-649-3354 The diamond V hull is built for a smooth fast ride, and it fishes good too!