Alright guys, what was your first bass boat? Any pics of it? Mine was (and still is currently) a 1999 basscat A-18.

2007 Ranger 178 VS with a 150 yamaha. Still got it and it has been a great boat.

2004 Ranger 521VX w/ 250 Yamaha OX66

10 foot flat bottom with a paddle. I was stylin' when I moved up to a 3 seat, 14 footer with a transom mount MK!

2006 Fisher 1700 with a Mercury 25hp.

1972 Monarch, 50hp Johnson, stick steering. Loved that boat.

'05 P-IV w/ a Merc 3.0 and I'm still rock'n it....

1986 Skeeter Strada F-80
Johnson 80
Sold it to a friend, he still uses it almost every weekend.

Bass Tracker II, sunk it on Fork

Mine was a 1976 Skeeter Wrangler II (I'm an old fart). It saw some bass in the12 years I owned it.

Never had one. I was recently approved for a loan for one but balked because of the high payments. I still have young kids so I think I'm just going to save some money now and buy one cash when my kids are older and hate me anyway.

1964 14ft aluminum boat with a 27lb trust trolling motor and a couple batteries and push pole still have it now

1974 Falcon Competition Tiger with a '74 Evinrude 85 HP motor

I still have the sales brochure for that boat

In 2006 I bought an 05' BassCat Pantera Classic with a 200 Merc. Still running it today. Thinking about getting a new Cougar, but having no payment is also nice. Decisions decisions

1973 Roughneck. it's was almost identical to my grandpa's stratus.

12' v bottom lone star w/ 12 volt hand control MG mounted on front. w/ 10 horse Johnson. Called it the Stump Jumper,fished lake Coleman a lot.Would go up the Jim Ned arm to the old bridge,tilt the Johnson up and on it's side and pull my self under the bridge,had about 1 mile of the creek to my self in good water w/ lot's of lay downs. My 21' Skeeter can't go there now,I sure miss the good old days.

I had a 1976 Kingfisher with a 70 hp Merc Thunderbolt. Toughest old boat and motor I have ever seen. It was used, abused, and worse.

my first true love. . .

believe she was an 86 or 87 Alumacraft. My Gpa and I spent MANY mornings/afternoons in this rig when he was still with us. I purchased it back from a family friend after Gpa's passing when I was 14 years old (as pictured) and "OWNED" lake cypress springs for a few years when Gma still lived there.

Not sure on the exact year, but it was an early 1980's Cajun Ricky Green Fishin' Machine, with a 175 Johnson. It was the perfect starter boat as it wasn't well maintained when I acquired it. Everything went wrong with it at some point in time, but it served its purpose and I did catch some fish out it! I also learned quite a bit about boat maintenance and what sort of problems you can have on the water. Made me better prepared!

1969 Kingfisher with a 25 hp Johnson I bought from my Uncle in 1986.

Similar to this one.

1982 15 1/2 Venture with 85 Johnson... caught alot of fish from that boat

93 Skeeter SS 140 with a Yammy 115, lots of Memories in that boat, Kept it 12 years, one of the best memories i have is the back of Buck Bay with the girlfriend:)

My first boat which my dad passed on to me..... It was great...



14.5ft cajun bass boat with a 115 mercury IT WOULD SCOOT on amistad... LOL

A late 1960's Sears 12 foot V-hull aluminum boat with a 1970 10 HP Johnson and 24 lb 12 volt Sears trollin motor mounted on the back of the boat. Had plastic seats I would take off to put the boat on top of my 1969 396 El Camino. I just gave the boat away to a friend who lives on a small lake. The motor started on the second pull.

Wish I still had the 1969 396 El Camino though.

Second bass boat was a 1993 V17 Tracker with a 50 Johnson and 45 lb 12 volt GM TM.

93 Procraft 17 foot with a 90 horse Mercury.... Paid 3k for it. ran good, good on gas but wasn't that pretty.

1981 Bass Tracker with a 40hp. Flat bottom, you could go any where in it.

Used to have a 70's something model Raycraft- I used in the salt more though.... Wish I still had it... It was moored in the canal 3 months ago and when we had some good rains, I pulled it outta the mud and sold it. Needed the $$$. Those Bass Busters are looking mighty tempting these days.....

1991 skeeter sx200 with a 150 on it. It was a great boat, my brother and I fixed it up a little and learned A LOT about boats haha. I recently got a 1998 Cobra 201D with a 225 Venom and it was a big step up.

Now that's a first boat!

12 flat bottom aluminum with a Hand crank trolling motor

93 skeeter zx175 with a 175hp johnson faststrike. Loved that boat, but had to go bigger!

1984 Skeeter SS-1, Tri-Hull 14 footer with a Johnson 75 on the back. Bought my first car out of college as a package deal with the boat. My friends called it the "molitov cocktail" because it smelled so much like gas. Got me on the water, but not pretty when the wind came up.

70 something Thunderbolt with a 50 Merc. Followed that up with 7 Skeeters, then went to a Bass Cat and my last 2 boats have been Rangers.

1993 Skeeter SS90 with a 90 horse merc. Paid 7k for it in 96 and sold it a year later after deploying to Saudi Arabia for 7k.

1986 Ranger Comanche 375V, 150 hp Johnson, I sold it when i got my new boat to someone on the TFF. It was a great boat.

My first real bass boat was a 76 Monark V-186 McFast w/a 85 HP Javlin OMC, which I still have but dont use much anymore. I did have several flat bottoms before that w/trolling motors.

2000 ranger 522vx with a mercury 250 pro xb

Mine was an old 12' green fiberglass boat shaped like a bath tube with stick steering and a 18 horse Evinrude that did not like to run. That thing stranded me more than once. People would see me and go the other way because there was a good chance I needed a tow. That boat made me love every boat I have had since then!!!! Would not trade that experience for the world.

!5' Hydra Sport with an 80 hp mercury that went about 40 mph and felt like you were going a 100

I think you two might have been over the legal limit ...must have made 3 casts with a Alabama rig

I guess I wouldn't exactly call my little 10' aluminum boat a bass boat since it had nothing in it, lol. So, my first "real" bass boat was a 1985 Tidecraft Spitfire (15 ft) with a Suzuki 85 hp on it. Think the tm had 28 lbs of thrust. It was okay for normal fishing conditions but was horrible in rough water due to it's length and weight.

97 Ragin Cajun 17.5' with a 150 Johnson Fast Strike lots of good times had on that rig

1st boat was a leaking 14' aluminum with a 1950 something 20 HP mercury. Should've kept it, probably worth a fortune now days. Actually had 2. One was white and red and the other was white and green. My grandfather and I used parts off both to get one running. I was 15 and that set up was an iniation for sure. The boat leaked and had a severe hook. It would turn on its side like a catamaran sail boat. The motor wouldn't start in neutral so when you pulled the rope, you better be sitting down and ready to go.

I was still in college when I bought my 1st 'bass' boat - a brand new 1990 Astro, 17' w/ a 115 mercury. I loved that boat. Caught more fish out of that boat than I could ever count - from Sam Rayburn and Toledo to catching trout and reds in Calcasieu Lake and the Gulf of Mexico. I learned a valuable lesson on that boat though. I bought it as a 20 year old in college with 2 part time jobs so I financed like $12,000 for 10 years. I think my note was like $165/mth. When I sold it 3-4 years later, I owed more than it was worth. I had to get a $1200 loan to pay the original loan off when I sold it.

Someone had to take the pic. Plus, until about 1985 the limit was 10 bass at 10 inches. Our club fished a 7 bass 12 inch limit and it wasn't unusual to have a limit that weighed less than 7 lbs.

1993 skeeter ss90 great little boat wish I still had it

1987 BassTracker with a 70 hp Johnson.

2000 blazer 190 pro v in my sig with a 200 yamaha I love it!

1997 Triton TR-17 with Evinrude 115. Was a sweet little boat

10' Flatbottom with wooden trolling motor,folgers bilge pump,bamboo power pole,swivel chair for 360 imaging.It was loaded out.

It was a 1961 Arkansa aluminum V hall with a 30HP Skateatwater motor. the if you held the handle to the stick steer just wrong the Spark from the ignition would bite the dickens out of you

1973 trihull ski boat converted for bass fishing.. carpeted plywood decks on front and back.. caught alot of bass out of that rig but glad i got a bass boat now..

1984 arrow glass shark. 15' with a 90 horse Evinrude. I had more money in the trolling motor and electronics than the whole boat was worth. Learned ALOT about how to work on boats and a little about fishing outta that boat.

My Dad bought us (me) a 70 something 1750 Venture and Don at Flat Creek Marina rebuilt a 115 Johnson and put on it. Wasn't old enough to drive, but old enough to drive a boat! Worked odd jobs all summer long just to put gas in that thing.

My first purchased boat was a '93 482V Ranger w/175 Mariner Mag. Had a 23" High Five Prop. Caught lots of fish in it. Sold it to an Aggie on bassfishinghomepage.

Graduated to a 2001 Gambler Intimidator w/225 Merc. Trim tabs, Powertech TRO4 27" prop...... fly!

Went boatless for 10 years then bought the boat I have now last year, ZX225.

1994 Charloma "pond prowler". I still have it and use it all the time. Never paid a cent in interest or gas for it. It's rigged with a 36lb trolling motor, humminbird 500 series sonar, lighting kit, wiring harness, 360o swivel seats, rod and drink holders, and a paddle just in case. I love that boat.

If I were buying a step up boat today I would probably look at a Tracker Pro 165. that's a well loaded boat for under $10K

I think you two might have been over the legal limit ...must have made 3 casts with a Alabama rig [/quote]

Kicker that pic was taken in 1980 (said I am an old fart). You could keep ten per fisherman back then. There were three in the boat that day (counting the camera man).

[/quote]

I think you two might have been over the legal limit ...must have made 3 casts with a Alabama rig [/quote]

My first boat was a 16 foot Top Tenner stick steer.............with a Mercury tower of power 150.

The fastest stick steering boat I've ever seen. It was a wild drive.
I kept it a couple years till I was doing some cleaning and came upon the steering cable tag that said "this steering is for motors up to 65 horsepower". I sold it to a friend just wanted a fishing boat. He took the big Mercury off and put a 50 on it.

Mine was a 1971 Hustler with 50 horse Johnson. It had prob. a 30# shakespear(sic)trolling mtr and a flasher depth finder, don't remember if it was hummingbird or lowrance. Divorce got it in 90'. Bought the whole rig for $2,000 bucks from a lawyer in Dallas that fixed it up as a project. Had front stick steering which was great for fishing in north Lavon around the trees, but it sure made me nervous to run it at full throttle. It didn;t take rough water well, but ran like a son-of-a-gun in smooth water. Now I got a 2006 170tx Tracker w/50 hp Merc. What a step up.....

1967 Super Skeeeter with a stick steering 20 hp Johnson. 12 volt foot control trolling motor. I bought it in 1980 for 350.00 and sure wish I still had that old boat.
I think I would give my left one to have back!!!!!

1977 Ranger DTR10 / 150 in line 6 Merc. Bullet Proof

Mine was a Sturey I bought new in 1968 for $650.

me too!

The M1A1 of bass boats
1973 Powercat, stick steering, 85hp Merc, 35lb thrust Motorguide

I was a river rat in the 80's and got a great deal on a 16' Hobie Power Skiff from a friend. I did the most important things first like adding hot pink pin striping and added fishing stuff as I became more addicted. I had quite a crazy deal put together by the time I outgrew it. I wish I had it back now that I don't tournament fish because the thing was absolutely bullet proof!

17.5 ft Cajun. Johnson 150......I loved it at the time but don't emiss it

My first boat was a 2 man bass buster. I was a sophomore in high school and me and my friend went in partners on it together. Couldn't fish more than 3 hours on the water with it cause it had a tendency to take on a little water.
After graduation I bought a Skeeter SD125 with a 115 Suzuki. That was a great boat.

Dang, My dad gave a top tenner with a 50 horse merc on in when I was in high school. And I thought that thing would scoot. That old boat led to a lot of days skipping school.I did know a guy that had on old Skeeter Metro with a worked over 150 on it. That thing was scary.

19 foot challenger
roughest riding wettest boat even built
but was light and would fly with that 150 Merc EFI
only kept it a year
been in a champion since then

1957 thunderbird, with a 1961 50 hp merc.(brand new motor)
wasnt really a bassboat , however caught many bass out of it on the st Johns river in Fla...

14' Aluma-Weld with 15 Mariner. I am proud to say it now belongs to my 13yr old son and still catching fish!!!!

1975 Sidewinder 85hp Mercury, Console Steer. Boat had a very good bottom, and I caught a bunch of Bob Sandlin bass out of it.

old sears 12' flat bottom with a 20 lb thrust and the battery out of my truck. no trailer.

1971 Raycraft w/ a Mercury 115, Mercury Thruster troll motor and 2 Humminbird "Super 60's" flashers, all on a Shoreline trailer. Brand new price = $2,300. That boat would fly with that 115.

1960 14' Richline semi-v bottom with a '56 Evinrude 30hp. I put carpeted decks on it front and rear. My mother had an upholstery shop and built my folding seats from scratch and they were better than anything you could buy at the time. One of the most fish catching boats I have ever owned. This was in 1970.

Boat history:

Started with a paddle boat with home made trolling motor bracket on the front. I was 6 years old.

8 years old bought a 14 sears aluminum with 3 1/2hp evinrude.

1978 bass tracker with a 50hp evinrude

2000 203 champion with 225 EFI

2002 TR-21 with a 250 Vmax

2003 TR-21 with a 250 XB

2006 Nitro 929 225 Verado

2010 Nitro Z9 250xs

1950 LoneStar (14') with 1969 Johnson 25hp - still have it and still fish out of it in places lots of bigger boats can't get in.


Ian

1974 Ranger with a 60 horse Evinrude. Almost sunk that boat on Cedar Creek during a bad thunderstorm in 86. Good times...

A 16' 1974 king fisher tri hull with an 85 hp johnson...it was a crappie fishing boat so me and a buddy of mine put a casting deck in the front of that bad boy....good times and alot of fun in that boat...i bought that boat for 2 grand and kept it for 2 years and sold it at an auction for 2500...I miss that boat!

1996 Stratos 285 pro xl with a 175 evinrude intruder. Was a good boat, but i became reborn when i found skeeter!!

Old stick steering keyliner.

'69 Lund 19ft aluminum V-hull with a '69 55 h.p. johnson. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Got it for $free.99

14 ft Skip-Jack w/40 Nissan ( think it was a 1982)

17' Laser with 115 rude on it.

not sure the year or what to call it..
it was a yazoo aluminum pontoonish thing about 10ft long lol

10' John boat. Had a 9.8 horse Merc but I had to take everything out traveling...used the back of my truck to haul the boat. That was on Lake Conroe primarily...the world's worst lake for waves as it's over run with huge pleasure boats...incredible waves w/o formation.

2 man Bass Buster
14' Tri-Hull Caddo with a 60hp Chrysler
1984 17.5 Hydro Sport with 140 Evi
1993 195 Charger with 200 Pro V
2007 396 Charger with 200 Merc

That's a name I had forgot about, I remember thinking how bad a** that boat looked with the dropped bow looking like it was a hot rod.....haha.

There was a black and purple one on Lake Palestine in the late '80s, still remember how fast that thing looked going across the water.

1980 Bass Tracker III. We upgraded it to a 50 HP with T&T. It was a wedding gift from my dad.

My first was one of those Skeeters about three foot wide with a 25hp.. Remember hitting a wave side ways one time and it flipped with my dad and one of his friends that could swim. Hung on to the keel until another boat towed us to shore. Sold it the next week.

My first pad boat was a Lazer...I loved that boat...had a 150 Merc and a poorly made transom, but it was beautiful.

I started many years ago wading creeks in S.E. Oklahoma. Went to a 10' flat bottom you had to row. Graduated to an old float tube. Finally bought a 1976 ( in 1981 ) Ranger and fished it for about 3 years until the deck started coming apart. Sold it and bought a 17" phantom F/S. When I blew the engine ( 1976 Johnson that came off the old Ranger ) Then I bought my first new boat. It was a 1992 Champion 196 DCX with a 200 hp Mercury XRI. Ran that boat for 13 years and sold it to my brother. He still uses it. I now have a 1999 Triton TR21 with a 225 optimax. ( bought used )

Tracker TX 175 with a whoppin' 35 hp mercury. The trolling motor would move it faster. It got me on the water and into places I would take my Nitro now.

16ft hydrasport with a 120 johnson. looked ragged, but was too fast to take notice.

My first was my 1980 Monark 14 ft jon boat with homemade casting deck and 15 hp mercury tiller steer outboard. It was great to learn with because I could (and did) bump it against the dock, stumps, rocks, and anything in my way and didnt have to worry about the damage it would cause.

Mid 70s Trial Hull Glasstron with a inline 6 cylind 100hp merc. Doubled as a party barge/ski boat. Oh to be there again!!!

10 foot Sears John boat with a paddle for the 1st year.

Brand new 1986 Ranger Bass Masters Classic, I was 25 years old and I cherished that boat.

Old stick steering Skeeter that was about 3' wide and 16'or 17' long. You steered it from the front of the boat and in high winds the waves would land in your lap.Boat had a flat bottom that you could fish in about 6" of water.Trolling motors back in 1972 then were only 12 volts and had maybe 40 lbs. thrust.

1990 Glass Stream with a Mariner 150. I still can't believe I bought that bought....nothing but problems, lol. But some good memories from that boat.

In 1985 I bought a 1972 Ouchita with a 85 HP Merc. Good times. And yes I'm older than I look.

1996 Skeeter SS90 SP. I think it ran about 43 mph, and it did pretty well in rough water.

I don't have much of a picture of my boat....but I do of some of the memories made on it! It was a 1994 Ranger r70 sport. Bought it used.

Still don't have one, but I'm looking to change that within the next few months.

My first bass boat was an early 80s Gheenoe with a 5hp Mariner...pretty funny when I would be fishing by the big bass boats and pulling em out right behind them...hahaha, it's not the boat that makes the fisherman!!!

First boat I bought was a 2 man boat

2001 sprint pro 221 with a 200 merc efi, sold the boat due to getting out of the millitary but ended up staying in and got a great deal on my blazer, but ill always remember my ol sprint

15' Vampire with a 55HP Chrysler, that my Grandpa gave me when I was in High School.

TopTenner in that faded yellow color

2009 Ranger 188VX

83 hydra-sport 18ft with 115 johnson

17 skeeter zx 180 with a yamaha pro v 175. Good boat. got me to where i am now.

This photo says it all.

This is the essence right here.

I was probably 15 which means this was approx 17-18 years ago.

First boat. 12' Jon Boat. Notice the Lowrance X70A graph. Which was a beast of a machine back in the day. Minn Kota 3 HP trolling motor and a fold up seat. I've paid my dues...


This is on Manasquan Reservoir. My home lake in NJ. Now #96 on the Bassmaster top 100. No gas motors allowed and must wear a life jacket at all times. I received multiple tickets for not doing so.


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72 skeeter

14 ft alumacraft with a 6 h.p. mercury. I never got any where quick, but we got em most times.

1996 Skeeter SS90 w/85hp Yamaha

97 skeeter zx210c,still have it

My first rig was a 1996 Skeeter 180zx....still happens to be my current rig. Been really pleased with it!

14 ft. Glastron with a 3 h.p. wizard. Had to turn the motor around for reverse.

1998 18 foot G3 with a 1999 Johnson two stroke. Still running strong.

1984 cajun 16 footer. man was i livin it up! had a 40 hp force.

1996 Nitro 896 200 EFI

16' atsro w/ 60hp merc
Black and grey

1986 Dixie Craft w/75 hp suzuki, think it was 16'.

2012 skeeter tzx190

some of you had great first boats. Mine was a chrysler tri hull with a 70 chrysler, that someone had decked to turn it into a bass boat. It was so slow that if i had someone with me they had to go to the bow to get it to plane, but thats all I could afford at the time.

94 Tracker ProTeam17 with Mercury 40 horse. Still in it.

Ranger R83 used for 10 years never a problem
Riding in a Z21 now

Early 70's stick steer Skeeter with a 50 hp Johnson.

81 or 83 Cajun with a 150 Johnson.....I thought it was the sh.t.....they get better every year... They are a lot of great bass boat companies out there...the reason there are so many is because everyone has a different taste....when I look back on that first boat I can't imagine having that Johnson, it was very cold natured.

An old sticksteer christler bass runner late 70's I believe

.....Lam Pro yak, made in San Angelo, still have it, 35 years.

1978 skeeter wrangler with merc115

When I was in High School a few years ago my dad bought an 87 astro with a 115 yamaha. It was Brown and Cream colored with a faded gel coat. We actually called it "the turd". But to a kid in high school it looked just as good to me as a Ranger Z21-Commanche. And it fished just as well also.

Mine was a stick steering old keyliner, It was old when I bought it in 79.

Not sure of the brand, it was wood about 15 feet, my brother saw it in an old man's front yard and talked him out of it. I drove down and we loaded it in my dads truck we sanded on it, till we got tired of sanding, and went fishing. It kind of became a community boat at one of the few local ponds that had bass in it, till some dingbat decided to take it in the Cowlitz river..... and it was over.

Old Skip Jack w/ 40hp