Not sure if this is the right place to ask, just figured it would get more and better responses. So I currently have a surface drive duck boat. It�s fairly new and well taken care of. My dumb Butt sold my bass boat and got it last year and am regretting it.

So the question is, is it possible to trade in on a bass boat? I don�t want to be so upside down that it would be be practical. Thought maybe selling out right and then purchasing but it could take me forever or possibly never.

Just trying to get a feel what you guys suggest and if any of you have been in this situation before.

Having sold or traded a few (28) over the years I will tell you this. If you bought your duck boat new last year you will most likely take a bath on it. Figure at least 25% loss on that one. It is possible to trade anything on a bass boat but it is dependent on the dealer you're working with.

I'm not a duck hunter but it seems that just prior to duck season would be the optimum time to sell or trade a duck boat. If it ain't duck season you may have a hard time getting a dealer to take it on trade. I will add that it is peak season for bassboat dealers so don't expect any big discounts that you may have been able to get back in January.

Trading in a boat on a boat does have a tax advantage. You will get credit for 6.25% sales tax on the price they allow you for the trade in price for a new or used boat. So if they offer you $10K for your duck boat you will have the benefit of not having to pay $625 in sales tax on your new boat. If you sell it outright, you don't get that but it may still benefit you in the long run to sell it outright.

Hope that helps.

You can never come out ahead, financially, if you trade a boat in on another boat, or if you buy new.....period. But, you will be driving a pretty and shiny rig without scratches. That means a lot to some folks.

Selling to private party is your best means to get most of the value back. Dealer must resale. New owner buys it to use.

Spend the time and effort to sell to an individual... you will get the shaft on a trade in. If you can make it till late August or September when duck boats get "hot" again you'll get it sold.

Your lucky if you only take a 25% hit on a duck boat.

A surface drive duck boat is different than a bass boat if use they way it is intended.

My bass boat is over 20 years old, it's a Champion, and looks very good, never been in many stumps or trees and take very good care of it, sits in storage covered when not used.

My Gatortrax duck boat on the other hand has been beat to hell, is a great rig but in just one season, it looks 20 years old because of the way I use it. I drive thru trees stumps, marsh grasses, all kinds of trash, laydowns, knock over trees, hit concrete people left in the lake and all kinds of stuff because that's what its made for. You can't find a spot on the bottom of my boat that is not dented and paint is scratched off everywhere.

I would imagine if you "used" yours, trading it in would not be a good idea, selling private would be the best way to go.

Do this, last bass boat I had all the boat dealers I talked to only wanted to give me $6000 for trade in, I put it up for sale on craigslist and sold it for well over twice that much in less than an week.

you will get more for your boat selling it yourself be prepared to go through a bunch of goobers that don't have the money an want to talk to folks that have boats to sell . when you trade a boat in the dealer has to sell 2 boats at this point so its not so rosy for them duck boats are a very limited use deal not going to be a easy deal this time of year good luck with the sale.