I bought Hank Cherry's boat last October. Picked it up from him after the final weigh in at TTBC. I asked the same question basically on here before pulling the trigger and was able to gain the confidence I needed, and I have no regrets. I ended up having motor issues almost right away though, and thought I had made a huge mistake. After metal fragments were found in the oil, Yamaha replaced it with a new factory power head under warranty. It was frustrating (I was without it for about 4 weeks total) but in the end I ended up with a brand new motor and since then, I've had nothing but pure enjoyment! He also left about $700-800 worth of soft plastics on board, which certainly didn't hurt my feelings.

One theory I have is that throughout the season, the companies that make these boats and motors, and all the accessories attached, pay a lot of attention to what's going on with their products on these boats. I'm sure any issues the pros have throughout the season get addressed and handled with extreme care.

In the end, I think it's a good way to go, and would not hesitate to do it again.

I rode with Kevin Short at the red river for 124 miles. It was virtually flat out the whole time. I think thats pretty much how they are ran. You have been warned.

I bet 98% of the guys on this forum run flat out pedal to the medal all of the time! Yea is nice to run 65-75 mph which is part of the thrill of why we all love bass fishing so much. I look at it like this I dont drive my truck wot throttle everywhere I go so why should I drive my boat that way. Every once in a while I will open it up out on the water.

I bet dealers wouldn't see blown powerheads as much if everyone laid off the pedal so much and let the engine warm up before taking off, but its their boat and their money

Bought my 2012 Cat from a pro through a dealer. Got the full warranty and treated as if I owned the boat from day one. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Do your homework, have it checked out and you should be happy. If you expect a new boat, buy one, but this is a great way to get into more boat than you might have been able to afford and have fun.

Another thing to consider is a pros boat is usually set up to perform at it's best. Do your research. Remember if you buy used (I did) things can break down and it doesn't necessarily mean that it was abused. Good luck with your purchase.

buying pros boats are like buying any late model boat some take care of them an some don't I know of a guy that used to get a new boat every yr he left it outside an did not put the cover on it that was given to him. when he had to start purchasing them he built a shed to keep it in. just have them checked out good.

I didn't realize you could run these motors at wide open throttle for over an hour but down in Orange, that's what almost all of them were doing. If not an hour, close to it. I was just waiting for something to explode, being revved that high for that long. But... All three anglers, one with a Rude, one Yammy and one Merc, all did it just fine.

Then at TB, the distances weren't nearly as far but all at WOT again. It just seems like abuse but surely designed to run like that. My concern would be if it is run like that every time they are in it, does it eventually cause problems?

I would think that a warrantied motor would ease my concerns but I still haven't wrapped my brain around that kind of cash on a new boat yet.

Ok, want to be at least 'one of the first' to put my bid in on buying 'papamark's' new rig!
I know he has to be a pro and maybe it will come up for sale? That new Phoenix is so mouth watering!

God Bless

I would have no problem buying a pro's boat! They are the ultimate fishing boat like said above, that is how they make a living. If something breaks they get it fixed immediatley! Most people think they don't care and run them hard...... yeah they run them hard but I would rather have one that was run then sit in garage for a while.

Plus most comes with you being the first owner so they have warranty available!

Sometimes listening to these post you wonder how on earth offshore boats with outboards make it to there destinations.

That's what's always got me. There are a lot of these motors running on off shore rigs but you don't hear nearly as many blowing. Why is that?

We are not a an offshore forum? I dunno.

Does a Pro abuse his boat? Of course he does. It's what it takes to be competitive in the sport today. If the trip to weigh in is 20 minutes do you really think hes going to quit fishing 25 minutes before weigh in to let it warm up? It would be foolish of him to do so. He is going to run the boat wide open everywhere he goes to get the most amount of time fishing he can. The manufactures have support teams there to help fix anything that goes wrong so their brand gets seen on the water. They don't want to people to come see there favorite angler sitting on the dock with a tore up boat or motor or trolling motor. They don't slow down in rough water, they beat the fool out of the boat to get back to weigh in on time. They could care less if it stress cracks the hull. It is what it is. Their rig is just a tool used to try to win in one of the most competitive sports out there. If you really think you can baby a rig and win, you are seriously mistaken.

As long as its no Mike Ike I think you are ok. That guy has more bad luck than any pro Ive seen, when it comes to his boat.

What about the warranty?

SPECIFIC EXCLUSIONS FROM WARRANTY: This warranty will not cover the following items:
#5 - Boats used for governmental, business or commercial purposes including boats used for hire such as guides.