I'm in the market for a boat. I have a budget of $20k. I will be fishing Tawakoni, primarily for striper/hybrids (open, deep water). I'll also occasionally bass and crappie fish. Of course, I'll also be pulling kids on tubes, cruising with the family and friends, etc. I had decided that for my needs, a deep v aluminum boat was the way to go. However, I received quite a bit of feedback from another post from guys suggesting I get at least an 18' boat, preferably bigger. That begins to stretch my budget when I begin factoring in a motor big enough to do what I need and a boat/motor new enough that I can rely upon it to function more often than not. I have moved slightly to the bass boat (Skeeter SL, Ranger Reata). They appear to be "deeper" v than the traditional bass boat (I may be completely wrong), offer plenty of seating, tons of speed, and the full windshield I'm looking for. Does anyone have any experience with these boats? Would I be better off in a 20' version of a boat like these or a 17' version of an aluminum deep v? By better off I mean safer, softer ride. In other words, will the weight of the glass outweigh (no pun intended) the deep v style of a shorter boat? As always, thanks in advance for all of your input.

Matt

20' glass would be much better than a 17' aluminum for a the ride and the room. I'm not familiar with the Reata and SL but pics look like the layout will fit well with your plans. If you were heavier on the bass fishing I would probably differ in my opinion but for your priorities they look good.

^^^^

My friend has a Reata.
Overall it's a nice boat, and handles well in rough water.
good option for Tawokoni. I would prefer this over the 17 aluminum option.

Get a Champion...best rough water bass boats ever made.

have you considered any center console boats?

I have an 06 Skeeter SL 210 with a 200 Yamaha and fish tawakoni as often as I can. It handles rough water very well. I mainly fish out of it, but also pull a tube, kneeboard, and skis. The ride of this boat is much better than an aluminum
deep v.
I upgraded the trolling motor to a 54" xi5, the 48" shaft of the MinnKota wouldn't stay in the water when the waves get bigger. Any brand will work as long as it has a 54" shaft.
It could use more storage, is difficult to store any more than 5 rod/reels in the forward floor box. But what you lack in storage, you make up got in seating.
It really is a great all around boat with equal amounts of fish/ski/cruise. It may not be the perfect boat for one of these tasks, but you can handle all three with ease and comfort.
Loads and launches easily, most of the time I'm alone but have no problems.
I would not consider going to a smaller boat. If anything, I would like to have a larger boat. If I were in the market for another boat, personally, I would be looking at a 22' center console. I fish much more than anything and I could stand to lose on the skiing side if I were able to gain some storage/rod lockers.

Anyways, if you have any specific questions about the skeeter just ask.

I agree with cypertJ. I had a 2003 Skeeter SL 210 with 200 Yamaha, and it was OK for all the activites, but not great for anything. now I have a Ranger RT188 (aluminum, 18'8"), and it's much, much better for fishing, but it would suck at pulling a skier, etc. not to mention that there are many days that I would not venture out in my Ranger on a wide open lake like Tawakoni....

hard to beat the SL210 though if you can only have one boat, and need it for fishing and skiing.

Look at the Blazer boat I have one and super happy with it

I think a center console "bay" boat is the best do it all type boat without question. You should be able to pick up a late model 20'+ with very little time on it within your budget.

21 foot or better center console is what you need. If you buy anything else you will just end up unhappy and be getting one anyway. I have owned so many bass boats from 16-21ft (ranger, tidecraft, bass cat, hydrasports, gambler, bullet, bayliner, VIP, and so many others). I gave up on bass boats a few years ago and got a Skeeter bay pro. I love it!!! I can do anything that I could do in a bass boat except haul a$$ across the lake at mach 37. The center consoles have more room, take rough water well, have an abundance of storage. Put a T-top on it and it'll be even better on those 100 degree days. Biggest advise I can give on the center console boats though is to make sure that sucker is not under powered. If the boat is rated for a max 225, put a 225 on it. If its rated for unlimited, go with a 250 or 300:). If i had it to do over Id go 4stroke as well just for the quietness.

my 2 cents anyway

I agree with everything CypertJ said about the SL. I have a 2007 Skeeter SL 190 w/ a 150 Yamaha VMax and I love it! It is a great family boat! It fish's and pulls a skier great! When I was looking at boats I was in the same predicament as you. I wanted a bass boat for fishing, but also wanted something to wake board / ski out of. My wife and I have two young girls and this is an amazing family boat that accomplishes everything I was looking for.

I researched boats for a very long time before I finally decided on the Skeeter SL 190. After about a year of serious internet scouring, I narrowed my search down to the Skeeter SL or the Ranger Reatta. I found that you can get the SL for a little better price than the Reatta and my opinion is that it fishes better than the Reatta as well. I fish out of mine almost every week, mainly for largemouth bass, but do quite a bit of hybrid / white bass and even a little bit of cat fishing out of it as well and it works just fine. My only complaint is that I wish I would've gone with the SL210 instead of the SL190. The front deck on the SL 190 is pretty small. There's only room for one person to fish up there at a time. Also, When using the trolling motor, I have to use a pedestal seat to lean against or I have a hard time controlling the trolling motor. Even with that being said, I still catch plenty of fish out of it.

Waterski America in Lewisville has a nice used triton center console on their lot. It has a 200 Yamaha and looks to be 21-22 ft. I saw it last week. Nice boat. You might call them for a quote. I bet it's within your budget.

Sea Ark
EASY SERIES: EASY 200
The Easy models are one of the most popular among the SeaArk Family. These models combine family fun and fishing! They continue to offer the toughness while featuring options that allow you to fish, ski, or spend a lazy day on the lake. Both models feature large livewells, lots of storage including rod storage, lounge seats, a removeable table, and large fishing decks. The 15� V-Hull gives you the smooth ride in heavy chop to ensure a comfortable day on the lake.

SPECS
Length 20 ft 1 in
Beam 95 in
Bottom 72 in
Side Depth 26 in
Transom Height 25 in
Boat Weight 1550 lbs
Weight Capacity 2000 lbs
Persons Cap 8/1100
.125 Gauge Aluminum
Max HP 175

I had a 2004 reatta and liked it very much. My only complaint was that you had to climb over the back seats to get to the back deck. Newer models have fold down seats so not an issue. I fished Lavon which is a fairly small lake so did not have to deal with big waves. I have a G3 now because I use it for duck hunting but I will buy another fiberglass when the kids get older and want to wake board.