Dallas Boat Expo

Went there yesterday and enjoyed it. Seemed smaller than the last time I went many years ago. Was really surprised at the lack of bassboats there. I counted two Skeeters and one Allison and probably 8-10 aluminum Bassboats. We asked one of the salesman and he said since Ranger is owned by BPS now, they don’t go to their show. Dozens of ski boats and pontoons though. This is my opinion but I’ve also noticed that some manufacturers are going to center consoles for their bassboat equivalent. I guess they’re easier to walk around and sit in for the older anglers. Huge outboards too! Saw a Yamaha V8 four stroke 350 HP. What a beast. Of course, SeaRay took the high price with one topping out at $664K but Malibu had a 26’ for $210K. There was even a pontoon boat for $210K with twin Yamaha 300’s.

Was there any fish n ski combo's? I'm looking for something along the lines of the Tahoe like they have at BPS but would prefer a better brand.

Plenty of them.

What was the CC bay boat selection like?

There were quite a few Center consoles there. Everything from bassboat sized all the way up to blue ocean boats. Many bay boats. Which brings to another question. Are people moving away from the traditional bassboat and changing over to a bassboat sized center console? Sure seems like they would be easier to move around in. I think the boat that stole the show was a large Cris Craft that was “retro”. Had all the curves of the old wooden ones but made of new composite materials. Would’ve set you back around $170K if you wanted it.

I fished out of bass boats for years, and thought there was no other boat to have, now I feel the same about bay boats. I started with an old bass boat in ‘91 and I bought a new Champion 202 in ‘97, and ran it until I got a 21’ CC bay boat in 2014. I wish I had done it sooner. I rarely ever fished for bass since about 2005, and finally when I was ready for a new boat, I went CC. It is too high out of the water for some bass fishing techniques, but I never use them these days, it blows around more in the wind, and you don’t have a comfy seat for long runs. The ride is much better in rough conditions, and they have no carpet, and rinse out easily. I went from a relatively fast bass boat to a slow CC and rarely do I miss the speed, but there are times I would like to haul azz for no reason and can’t do it, which is probably good. All in all they may not fit the needs of everybody, but for myself and my fishing, I couldn’t be happier with the move.

What size trolling motor are you running? I'm thinking I'll need one of the xi5 105 lb models once I get my new boat.

80lb MK I-Pilot, will move boat 2.8 MPH, and hold great on spot lock. Don't get less than a 60" shaft on a bay boat. Keep in mind the Minn Kota's deliver power better than a Motor Guide. I am upgrading to the 36 volt MK when these batteries I have now die.

How exactly does the minn kota deliver power better?

A MK will easily be .7 mph faster than a MG of the same power, I do not know why.

I went from the 101 lb MK to a 105 lb MG Xi5 and the MG is about .5 mph slower. I am also running a 21' extremely heavy CC, and I don't see myself ever changing boat styles. My boat will only run 40 mph with a 200 on the back, but it is an extremely comfortable and dry 40 mph. All my bass fishing buddies are amazed at how it handles rough water and since I am standing while driving the rough waves are absorbed by my legs instead of sent straight up my spine.