Hello All,

I am new here so I hope this post is in the right place.
I have been window shopping for the past month or so looking for a decent bass boat. I have looked at multiple search engines, multiple different sites, and found more mess than I care to deal with. I have learned a lot in my efforts but at this point my wife is asking me if I am going to buy in time for us to go fish and play in the water this year.. I know, I know, you're all jealous. She wants a boat too. I know her reasons are different. I am proximal to mostly West Texas lakes. I like to fish lake Amistad, I have run a smaller 18' family Nitro boat on Amistad in the rough water and found it to be less than appealing. I was hoping to find a 20'+ boat with a 200HP+ motor. I am not overly particular about brand as long as its a name brand with good reputation. I love the Comanche style but I am not that finicky. Could any of you more experienced folks here point me in a right direction? There are four of us but typically there will likely be a average of two fishing normally with the occasional play in the water stuff. I would prefer to buy a boat from a fellow fisherman if at all possible. If any of you could offer solid ideas on a better approach or better places to look, I would appreciate it. I am a solid lurker on the boats 4 sale section, unfortunately a couple of nice boats passed by me while my budget was being adjusted by reality.

I am glad to be here, thanks in advance for any wisdom you might offer.

DH

Have you considered a Bay Boat? I have not bass fished in mine yet but I have done plenty of crappie fishing during the spawn. I could have just as easily been working the banks for bass. Only problem i have had with the bay is i still get the itch to feel a 65 mph wind in my face. Whenever I get in rough water that goes away and glad I am in the bigger boat. Another advantage to mine is it handles 5 people with ease. At 5000 lbs trailering is one negative versus my Ranger but Tundra handles it fine. Trailer has brakes so no issue stopping just lower MPGs. I had a modded 175 on the Ranger and it was much louder then the Optimax. First time i cranked up the Optimax i thought man this thing does not even sound like it us running.

Yes I have considered on it, I saw a few champion bay boats that had some measure of appeal plus a few other brands they all seem to look kind of similar. I don't know enough about them. This is a crash course education that I am getting. The ability to walk around is nice. they do seem to be heavier and more sturdy.

DH

I have owned several bass boats in my day.
The best IMO is a ChampioN.
Run a 18' ChampioN on rough water compared to the Nitro and you will feel the difference.
Sounds like the 20' model would suite you well.
If you could get a hold of a Fish & Ski model I think you wife would like the lounge seats up front.

Nautic Star, Skeeter, Triton, and Champion are pretty similar. I like the built in seat/bait well on mine versus some that have a removable seat. Same with leaning post. I get positive comments on the Champ quite often. One day there was a dude with a Skeeter backing down ramp when i was loading up. He said "man I wish i had a Champ". I like to get off the ramp so I did not get a chance to ask why.

Well, I bit the bullet today. I ended up with a 21' Champion 203 with a 225 Merc EFI motor. I have been searching every website for over a month looking for a boat. This boat ended up belonging to a guy in a different town that I used to work with. I sent him a note off of Craigslist and he recognized my name and texted me as he still had my number. I call it divine. I know the guy and know that he is the type of man to take care of the boat while he owned it. I am really pleased but know nothing really about champion boats other than the stellar reports and comments provided by many of you. I wanted a boat for Lake Amistad, I think this one fits the bill.



Not bad for a first boat.
DH

You did good, that's a good "Big" lake boat. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

CONGRATS!!!! NICE RIG

Looks like you need to get it on the water now.

That is how it's done !!! Congratulations.
Now you can join ChampioN Boat Owners Restoration Group on Facebook.
If you have a ChampioN boat related question you will get answers.

It looks like you hit the jackpot! That is a great boat and looks to be in excellent condition. You will be pleased.

You lucked out! That is a great hull. I have a 2004 Champion 203 and it handles rough water well and is fishable and fast. You will have years of fun on that boat. Congrats.

Thanks everyone. I was looking for more information on the boat. To be honest there were only a few factors that I was looking at when I decided to go for it.

1) The fact that it was owned by someone I know pretty well.
2) It was a champion hull that handles rough water better than most other hulls according to all I have read on these forums.
3) It appears to be in good shape and fits my "want" list, length, power, etc.

Does anyone know where to look for more information on the boat itself? For instance the compartment layout? I do not have a Facebook account so that's kind of a dead end for me although I guess I could bite the bullet and just set up an account.

I have googled it to death but found very limited information other than that provided by owners of these boats. If anyone does have more information or could tell me where to look, I would really appreciate the assist.

I do appreciate you guys sharing in the excitement. These forums have been a wealth of helpful information, I look forward to contributing.

DH

Go to the Champion forum on BassBoatsCentral. Best source for all things Champion.

I need to join that group