How to carry 4 people in a bass boat?

Since Im shopping the boat market right now Ive had to decide what kind of boat I want...Ive had a heck of a time making this decision because I really want a bass boat...but at the same time would like to have a fish and ski to take friend out just to swim and have fun.....This is where the delima starts....most bass boats do not have ladders and the ones that can be added are pretty crappy....Also theres no seating for more than 3 people so 2 couples really makes it tough...also the transom tie hooks are so low that any kind of tubing or skiing will be very difficult. There is tons of storage for rods, tackle, and lots of deck space for moving around and fishing, close to the water for landing fish, and less affected by wind...

Now fish and skis on the other hand have little to no rod storage, very small fishing decks, being higher off the water more difficult to land fish, and in general less storage... but it does have a ladder and ski pylon typically and seating so 4 can go out.

Im having a heck of a time deciding and even a harder time finding a nice boat in my price range.....

Its got me in a heck of a predicament..

Center console.

Find a used Ranger 375V. Best Bass boat to ski off there is.

do you mean a bay or flats style boat or center console bass boat?

Something like a 19 foot Kenner vision.

Here's the mako version:

1901

I had considered these but wasnt sure if they would be able to be fished shallow at all....worried about getting hung on stumps and such.....

look like it would work well though..

1.5 - 2 feet of water isnt shallow enough ? I can take that boat anywhere I can take my Skeeter bass boat. Bass boats arent designed to run as shallow as you may think. They are heavy...even Skeeters...although they are lighter than most. Look at the specs...."draft"...and go look at a Skeeter, for example. The wide beam also makes a difference.

cool thanks for your help....Im new to some of these terms so i wasnt sure what draft and all that meant. thats plenty shallow for me and I like the seating and very open layout so you can walk around easily

Removable ski pole and e:ladder that mounts on the jack plate. If you are a serious Bass fisherman you will never be satisfied with any other type of boat. Take it from someone that's been there done that.

92 Allison XTB. 7500 without motor.

Sounds like you really want two boats! A bass boat and a bowrider.

Prob'ly the center console is the best choice for you, but I don't know if there's any one boat that wouldn't leave you, at some point or another, saying "gee, I wish this boat would..."

Bass boats are designed to be great at what they do. Ski boats and bowriders are similarly designed. The fish-ski has the comfort features but not all the fishing features. Trade-off time...

That Mako 1901 looks really cool, though! But I didn't see comfortable seating for 4 except if they wanted to fish.

I agree with Chillin' though. How much taking friends out will you realistically want to do? If it's 80% fishing and 20% partying, I'd go for the bass boat. And cultivate a circle of friends that own pleasure boats...

That allison posted above looks to be just the ticket for you. You want a fishing boat that you can ski/tube behind right? Well there you go.

Yeah that allison is just the ticket....except the price...by the time I buy a good 200-225 outboard for it id be spending almost 15-20k for a 17 year old boat.....that just doesnt add up no matter how good the boats are.

there lies the problem....I do need two boats!!!! Id like to have a dedicated fishing boat and a ski boat for taking friends out on.....I have fished my whole life growing up on possum kingdom and had a little fishing boat id run around in our cove on and have bank fished since we sold the lake house years ago so Im really looking forward to getting back out and going fishing....problem is I also really enjoy going out in the evenings and floating and swimming with friends as well......makes for a very hard decision

so you can mount ski poles on these bass boats? I didnt know if you had to have a reinforced deck to do that. Do they use the same hole as the fishing seats?

This is a good thread, I have been wrestling with the same thing. I want a bass boat but my wife wants to go out into the water. I told her I could toss'er in with a floaty, and pick her up when I'm done fishing. I'm still waiting for an answer...

lol might as well get the bass boat with that plan because she probably wont go much after that lol

Just like a previous poster said the best compromise is the Ranger 375V. The problem here is that Ranger discontinued the moedel quite a while back. They are great boats and a good compromise. The problem is the 6' rod boxes but other than that the storage is great. The ski tow bar goes in the seat hole and anchors to the back deck. Just make sure the anchor poles are at 45 deg angles. I have seen the newer ones where they do not receommend pulling a tuber but I have never had a problem. I used to be serious about my tubing. I probably went through a couple truck tire tubes a summer at one time. Tubes with the hole even cause a lot more drag than the modern ones with a bottom.

Another option would be one of the new "breed" of pontoons, either the three pontoon or the dual "performance" pontoons that have the hydrofoils on the sides. You can acheive enough speed to ski or tube and they are made for cruising on the lake with friends and family. The downside is that they blow in the wind...and they are big for cozying up to docks and trees to fish...especially (you guessed it)in the wind.

But they have a nice top to get out of the sun and plenty of space.

I had the same problem. Wife and 3 kids. I went with the fish & ski. I have not regretted it yet. It was the only way to get the wife to agree to a boat. I use it 85% of the time for fishing and the rest for tubing and skiing.

For open water fishing the newer fish & skis are fine. I would be worried about the windshields back in the stickups. I broke a plexigalss one once on a bodarc tree.

Ranger 375 for sale in the classifieds.

yeah im really not looking for a boat that old....maybe be a good much but I want something newer with a newer motor