Help Buying a New Boat - please read

Ok. I have had 2 Skeeter bass boats. I do a lot of bass and crappie fishing. Sold my 09 Skeeter 4 months ago and am thinking of buying an aluminum boat. 2018 Bass Tracker Pro Team 195TXW. Have any of you fished out of this boat? Will I hate it? Im also thinking about decking it out with 2 power poles and an HDS 12 & 9. And upgrading to the Ultrex trolling motor. That’s about 10 grand in upgrades. Is it crazy to put all the extras into an aluminum boat? We are constantly fishing docks, oil derricks, and bridge pillars and always rubbing on stuff. A lot of the scratches on our Skeeter came from crappie fishing. Trees weren’t too bad bass fishing. I love the ride of fiberglass but just hate cringing every time we rub on something scratching the boat. I’d be looking at 40K out the door fully loaded with dual console for it, cover, hot foot, graphs, poles, and t-motor. Is this stupid to do? Am I going to regret it? Am I going to be extremely upside down on it in a couple of years? Opinions please!

Drive a Lund

IMO weight is the main factor. Aluminum boats are so light that even with the TM and Poles the wind will be a big factor. I know they are much higher in cost but the Ranger Aluminum boats with the foam filled hull will help keep the trolling motor in the water when using the spot lock and help keep you from drifting so bad while fishing a bank line. Also will reduce the noise of slapping waves.

I personally own a Bass Cat but if I was going aluminum, Ranger would have to be on the list to look at.

You will love the boat. The only thing I would not get is the dual console. That room in the floor is valuable realestate not only with carrying things but moving around in the boat.

No dual console and yes, you will be upside down as soon as you drive it off the lot. That goes for every boat but it will be more for the aluminum boats. Other than that I think you will like the boat. Will probably be more tipsy than the skeeters

You might consider having your new boat sprayed with a gorilla hull or equivalent. I would guess the aluminum boats the paint would get scratched. Iam not educated in this area just throwing a thought out there.

A 40 thousand dollar basstracker!

Why not rig out a twenty thousand dollar used fiberglass rig and have a way better boat that you will be happy with?

See above in red. Not trying to be Arty Smarty but I think you will be very disappointed going from what you had to a tin boat, even with the tin boat loaded out.

Probably not what you want to hear but I would have put a gorilla hull on the skeeter and called it good. Best thing I've ever added to my skeeter was the gorilla hull. I cringe no more while driving through stump fields (and some have rebar hammered in them). They aren't for everyone but I love it and it hasn't hurt the driving performance of the boat at all. JMO

He SOLD his Skeeter

I know! That’s why I’m on here asking! Im having a very hard time with this decision. Love Skeeters.

That’s why I’m asking. I needed help talking myself out of this deal.

I know. Just pointing out the MISTAKE! Lol.

Probably was a bad idea.. Intended on taking the year off and here I am wanting a brand new boat already. Just can’t stand not having a boat. Killing me.

I am with the others...hard to justify a 40K bass tracker.

So you're telling us you used to date the prettiest girl in school who was a wild child in bed and a lady in public...so you dumped her. Now you're considering dating Rosanne Barr....hmmm

Unless you're planning to do mostly river fishing...why not by a gently used bassboat and be done with it?

Just went from a 21' Glass boat to the Ranger 198 P and I LOVE IT ! , I upgraded to the 80LB Ultrex, Hummingbird Helix 9 Mega Imaging at the Console and a Helix 7 at the bow I have them linked together and with the Ultrex , it runs 60 MPH, handles great and was fishing in 16 mph wind and the Ultrex spot lock was like your tied up to a tree
$ 40,000 out the door and Lifetime warranty on the hull 10 years on engine thats the differences for me in this and a used glass boat that could have hull problems and 700 hrs on the engine that you don't know how the previous owners have treated it
If your looking to keep trading up look until you find the right used Glass boat with low hours thats been taken care of , take it to a dealer you trust and have it check out from top to bottom, thats what I did with my 2006 Triton payed $ 30,000 for it fished out of it for 5 years and sold it for $ 28,000
If this is a boat that you are planning on keeping for a long time give the Ranger 198 P a serious look , you hit a stump in a good well built aluminum boat if it does any damage you take it to a welding shop few hundred dollars and a little touch up paint your good to go , try that with a glass boat

wow you dont know how important this post is. i was thinking of doing the same thing but i think i'll wait and keep fishing out of my 10 foot pelican. i may not get around the lake fast but the quality of fish i catch are better than when i had my triton.

plus have you ever noticed the carpet on bass tracker. to me it feels pretty cheap.

You might consider buying a beater glass boat and put a new motor, TM, poles, electronics on it.
Then you won't cringe everytime you scratch it. You'll have to work on it some, but anything that floats or ... well anything that floats will require some work, new or old.

Just a thought, from a guy who runs a beater.

Lot of good points above. Negative vote for me as well. Buy a fiberglass boat and gorilla hull it if you're really that hard on it. No reason in the world in my mind to do something you KNOW you're losing a bunch of money on. And still will probably hate.

That is true. Man I would sure miss my glove compartment!!! Had so much [censored] in there.

Have you looked at the crestliner boats. Fun n Sun has them and they are pretty nice. Seem to be wider then the bass tracker, but I don't know for sure. Prob worth a look prior to taking the plunge.

Ok. I’m thinking of just buying the single console boat, one good graph at console HDS 9 Gen 3 Touch, 1 ram mount, and a cover. The boat is 28k. Graph $1,500. TT&L $2,600. Out the door 32k. What do y’all think? And this isn’t the tiny little tracker. It’s the biggest one they make and has a Mercury 150 4 stroke. It’s the 40th anniversary edition. Thoughts????

And....another reason I like Tracker is the dealer is local which means a lot to me. I know him well. And.....I like warranty. 5 years of no potential out of pocket repairs. It’ll be paid for when warranty runs out. Not a fan of gorilla hull at all. I’m just sick of fiberglass boats. And...I live on a white gravel road. Rocks always found a way to hit the hull no matter how slow we drive. 2 miles of gravel to get to my house. Took a $4000 on our Skeeter we sold cause of scratches and chips in fiberglass. Trust me, if I lived in town and only bass fished, I’d be looking at an FX 20. Just can’t do it for how we fish and the gravel road we travel every time it goes out.

This may not be an issue for you but I'll throw it out there anyway. Just had my Skeeter re-carpeted at V's in Sanger which cost me $950 and included a padded standing deck. He had a 17' Bass Tracker in there that he was re-carpeting, cost was $2500. Reason was they were having to almost disassemble the boat to do it. Something to consider. Might check the storage boxes too. No way to keep water out in a heavy rain storm.

I have a friend with that exact same boat. He has a 150 4stroke Mercury on the back, jack plate, and two Talons. It sits so low in the back that a slight wave gets the back carpet wet. If you are fishing with him, and put a foot on the gunwale, your foot stand a really good chance of getting wet.

I don't think the boat is designed to be rigged out.

He also has a very long shaft on his tm to keep the prop wet.

I'd recommend a different boat.

Nothing wrong with an aluminum boat - but personally I'd look at Ranger or G3 before I'd ever consider a Bass Tracker.

Lol

Polar makes a good aluminum also. Wide hull, and local dealer at Fun-n-Sun
Look it over

Then you haven't owned a boat with a gorilla hull on it.

Sounds like your mind is made up on an aluminum and nothing wrong with that but I would listen to the guys that have had aluminum boats.

I have had a 19' foot champion and currently fish out of a 20' Lund. Higher sides than a bass tracker but similar pros and cons I would believe

What I like about the lund.
-storage is great, high sides so I don't have to worry about the kids or my dad falling out, floats in very skinny water and great in rough water. I also crappie fish a lot, you are right i worry less about rubbing/scratching from trees, docks, bridges etc. Much more fuel efficient with a four stroke and lighter boat, and easier to pull with my truck

Why I am constantly wanting another bass boat
-the wind!! absolutely kills me on windy days, it is light and has high sides-bad combination for spring in Texas. I feel like my back hurts more fishing out of the lund because I have to live on the trolling motor due to the wind, and end up leaning over the edge more because it sits higher out of the water and has higher sides. It is slow even with a 200 Verado, lucky to do 48mph. Had problems with livewell getting too hot in the summer. Had to insulate the live well myself and add an oxygen tank. As others have stated make sure the compartments are quality. Lund makes really good storage that stays dry, alot of aluminum boats do not.

Above all- being on the water is better than not! Good luck

Just my Don't do it man. I have less money than that in my new to me skeeter and warranty!

Get an ipilot or ulterra

I take my boat in some pretty nasty stuff. If it gets scratched then so be it. I remember when I bought a new boat, I too cringed any time I scratched it. One of the reasons along with the ridiculous high prices is why I will never own another new one. I don’t personally think there is anything wrong with an aluminum boat depending on how you want to fish. Nothing wrong with a used fiberglass that you won’t worry about scratches either.

As far as the dual console, I love mine and wouldn’t buy without it. I would never use that small space in a boat nearly as much as I use it with the dc. I fish from the bow and drive from the right seat, I don’t need an open area on the left.

If it were me, and I were going to spend $32K on an aluminum boat...I would ensure that the dealer let me fish out of a similar boat to really know if I were going to be happy with it. I would pick a very windy day and put the boat through it's paces fishing and running it. Don't buy it until you try it.

Go fish out of an aluminum boat and you will answer all your questions, no comparison!

Gator trax

Yes but they don’t have white.

I fish from a tin boat. I have it rigged the way I want it and I guarantee you that you can catch just as many fish if not more from one. However I’m not a fan of the current tracker hulls. They are rough riding. I would find a way to ride in a few boats and decide for yourself.

I can help you talk yourself out of it. I used to sell Trackers and after I quit, I regretted ever selling someone a Tracker/Nitro. They are built very cheaply and don’t hold up. If you get carpet, it’ll be stiff, stained and smelly very quickly and if you get the padded deck, it’s slick, gets hot easily and will start peeling up within 6 months. They lose their value very quickly. I think they’re $29.995. If you’re gonna go that route, I’d buy one that is a year or two old and pay half of retail for it. They are also not build to be outfitted with poles. The trailer hooks are welded too close together and you can’t fit the motor pole bracket in between them. It has to be reconfigured if you want them and believe me, it ain’t warranty. You’ll get to pay for it.

I have fished out of one before and I’m a pretty big guy, but they’re not very stable. In any kind of waves, you’ll feel it.

The only good thing is I can think of is you can hose off the deck with the padding, making for easy cleanup if you are crappie or catfishing. There are other manufacturers that make a similar products that will hold up better than a BPS boat. Not just opinion. This is from me being around them and selling a ton of them.

I agree. A $40k bass tracker is insane if you ask me.

I'd get a $20k bass rig with the upgrades you want. At half the price, you should only cringe half as much when it gets scratched.

Or if you want an aluminum, get something like this:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/boa/d/triton-bass-boat/6511641957.html

I saw it last week and that is as well-cared for of a used boat as I've ever seen.

At one time I thought about going that way but I could not part with my Skeeter , currently it’s 18 yrs old , I put it anywhere I want to , not worry about how it looks , limbs , stumps, etc don’t bother me . I call it Beater Skeeter , it’s a 202 w/200 Yammie , plus 40K is a lot os $$$$ .

Don't do it, you will regret it.

i'll give you my 2 cents worth on my Ranger RT188 with 115 Mercury. I traded in a 21' skeeter to get it; the skeeter was getting old and had many cracks and just things worn out in general. since i fish alone about 1/2 the time, i didn't feel that i needed the bigger boat. i changed out the cheap graphs with lowrance hds 7 (console) and 9 at the bow, and added an 80lb ultrex when they came out. so, i have the best electronics, and the ultrex makes it very fishable in just about any kind of wind. besides fishing at fork, i also fish a lot of private ponds. i can run 48 mph down fork, or launch it off the bank in a private pond. i have a shallow water anchor system that i use for sight fishing; it's very manual but it works and adds very little weight to the boat (and much cheaper compared to power poles).

for me and what i do, it's perfect. i go fishing when i want to go, so i just don't go on bad weather/high wind days. if i fished a lot of tournaments, i probably would stay in the big fiberglass for safety, but i don't. everyone has different needs.

one last thing; i looked at trackers and rangers. no comparison; go check out the ranger.

You will regret this decision 6 months down the road.... Reason I am selling my aluminum boat and buying a skeeter. It is not as convenient as you think it is going to be...

Be sure to keep a change of clothes in the new tin boat. The second or third time you fall out of it you will understand.

I wouldn't buy a new boat... why not a 16 or 17? way to much markup on a new one.

Tin boats are epic game changers, you go from Texas Hold'em ( fiberglass ) to checkers ( tin ). Let's all suggest he buys tin, he's already made up his mind anyway.

Tracker all the way.

I've had a couple of both. The glass boats definitely fish so much better in the wind, but I completely understand wanting the peace of mind that comes with an aluminum boat.

Fishing out of a tin boat can definitely be a lot of work, I always was thinking 200 feet and thirty seconds ahead because that's how fast you can drift in the wind sometimes, but that made me a better fisherman.

But the real peace of mind came from not really worrying about bumping into docks or getting right up on bluff walls or whatever could do a bunch of damage to a glass boat pretty quickly. I didn't need to worry about wiping down the boat every time I got off the water.

On rough days with tons of boats running around on lake austin, for example, I could tie off my boat to the dock in the afternoon and just let it bang around while I ran to get the truck. I probably wouldn't have done that with a newer tin boat, but mine was an older Lowe all-welded and it was stout. I did that once with a Basscat and that smashed part of my rub rail off.

So yeah, it's a tough choice, but with an Ultrex which so many people have said is a game changer for tin boats, I would definitely think about getting into a tin boat again. Maybe. Try and find someone who has a tin boat. Spend a few hours in it and see how you like it.

Honestly, I'd never get a tracker, though. Stick with one of the proven brands like Ranger, Triton, G3, etx, maybe even more of a "multispecies" boat like a Crestliner or Lund. They make some really nice "V" hulls with spacious decks and open floor plans. I was surprised at how much I really liked a Crestliner boat that I looked at recently. Even with a full "V" those boats really need very little water to float in.