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Most Online39,925 Dec 30th, 2023
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638157
07/21/20 12:51 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 5,190
Fishinfellow
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 5,190 |
I'm a Ford guy but my current truck is a Chevy and my previous truck before that was a Nissan. All comes down to the price for me. I'll always have my preferences but if I can get a steal of a deal on it, then I'll probably buy it. That's the same reason why I bought my current boat. 2013 Triton 19SE and I love it. Rides good and has plenty of room (even for me at 6'5").
Thats my money fish Kris Winhold
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638160
07/21/20 12:52 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,516
Ken A.
Groovy
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Groovy
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,516 |
What kind of Bass boat do you own? Why did you choose the one you got? I know this is probably a worn out question, I'm a new female Angler to this forum...just excited Welcome to the TFF. It is a great place for fishin 411. Lots of good guys on here that are happy to help. Like most public forums a few are jerks but I am sure this is not your first time on SM The boat I just sold was a Legend Alpha 211 with a Yam 250 SHO. The finish-out of the Legend was pretty awesome. They did not cut any corners and you could tell when you started looking closely, poking your head down into the bilge area. It was finished out just like the outside of the boat. No wood used in the hulls. The seats were gel filled, not the cheap foam padding that retains water. They were built with vinyl ester that costs about 4X as much as the cheap Chinese resins that many mass-produced boats are made from. The hulls are vacuum infused. It was a great boat and I would buy another but alas Bass Pro bought them & killed them.
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638161
07/21/20 12:52 PM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8,378
Jpurdue
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 8,378 |
Skeeter TZX 190. It's an 18.5 foot fiberglass bass boat with a 175 horse on the back. It had 25 hours on the engine when I bought it. Here's why I bought that boat as opposed to a 21 footer.
1. It fits in my garage. So no need to external storage. 2. It was about 50% cheaper than a comparable 21 footer. 3. I rarely tournament fish, so if the wind is blowing 30 mph and there are 3 footers on the lake, I just don't fish that day. My 18.5 does just fine with reasonable wind. 4. It has all the same functionality as a bigger boat. Nice electronics, live well, you name it. 5. I was okay with only going 62 mph vs 74 mph.
So for me it was mostly a matter of economics.
"Bragging may not bring happiness, but no man having caught a large fish goes home through an alley." -A.L. www.LunkerLore.com
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: Ken A.]
#13638191
07/21/20 01:09 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,984
Chris G
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,984 |
What kind of Bass boat do you own? Why did you choose the one you got? I know this is probably a worn out question, I'm a new female Angler to this forum...just excited Welcome to the TFF. It is a great place for fishin 411. Lots of good guys on here that are happy to help. Like most public forums a few are jerks but I am sure this is not your first time on SM The boat I just sold was a Legend Alpha 211 with a Yam 250 SHO. The finish-out of the Legend was pretty awesome. They did not cut any corners and you could tell when you started looking closely, poking your head down into the bilge area. It was finished out just like the outside of the boat. No wood used in the hulls. The seats were gel filled, not the cheap foam padding that retains water. They were built with vinyl ester that costs about 4X as much as the cheap Chinese resins that many mass-produced boats are made from. The hulls are vacuum infused. It was a great boat and I would buy another but alas Bass Pro bought them & killed them. Ken beat me to it. In my opinion Legend built the best boats ever made. I have a V-20 and have no interest in selling it for a long time as it now has every bell and whistle I could ever want on a boat now that I went full Garmin.
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638197
07/21/20 01:11 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,602
ToasterWEyes
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,602 |
Xpress X19 w the Yamaha VMax 150.
I had a super nice Legend but figured out I was cleaning and taking care of it more than fishing! Couldn’t stand to see it dirty.... Bought the X19, ripped out all the carpet and hard decked it. Can psi wash it out/off in minutes after it’s parked in the horse pasture for months and go fish. Really enjoy it!
It's only a good cast if you catch a fish... Personal Best: 11.62 lbs
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638228
07/21/20 01:32 PM
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 541
TinRangerJim
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 541 |
The best bass boat for YOU is the one that YOU like, and can afford. Most of us want the biggest, fastest, most expensive boat out there, thinking that it is the "best". Doesn't work that way. I assume that you are a first-time boater, so I would definitely buy used. And until you are a little further up on the learning curve I would go with a smaller boat, say around 18 feet. You would feel terrible if you put a big gouge in a brand-new boat. It's hard to say, "Oh well, part of the learning process." A 2-3 year old aluminum boat like the Ranger RT188 would be my recommendation. It's wider than most other aluminum boats so it is a more stable fishing platform. It is easy to handle when running across the lake. It has adequate storage for almost anything you need, and several power options up to 115 hp. The only real drawback is it does not like wind. Any wind over about 15mph makes for a rough ride when running, and a rocky experience when fishing. Whatever boat you decide on, before you buy, take it to a reputable marine mechanic and have it checked out. No need to go into details with him, if he's good, he will know what to do and what to look for. One last thing...before you even get near the water, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Practice towing, parking and backing. Find a deserted parking lot and take a couple of traffic cones with you. Try to park between the lines. Set up the cones where the corner of an imaginary trailer would be, and pull into the parking spot without hitting a cone. Also use the cones to practice backing up. And don't beat yourself up over a bonehead mistake. We all make mistakes, some worse than others. As long as you don't hurt someone or tear up some expensive equipment, it's all good. To answer your original question, my current boat is a 2014 Ranger RT178 aluminum which I won in a radio station promotional drawing And Welcome to the forum!
"Rip Some Lips" Nevadan by birth, Texan by choice Retired USAF, 1966-1989 Jim C.
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638229
07/21/20 01:33 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 423
Basscat8263
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 423 |
2004 Basscat Cougar FTD 225 Optimax. I love it. I had a 1991 Pantera II with a 150 before this boat. I really like the extra safety factor in rough water of a 20' boat with a 225.
Tony
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638243
07/21/20 01:43 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,181
JacksonBean
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,181 |
What kind of Bass boat do you own? Why did you choose the one you got? I know this is probably a worn out question, I'm a new female Angler to this forum...just excited You worded this perfectly. Most ask about the “best” bass boat and we are an opinionated lot. There are so many great boats available and it’s all a give and take. Some want a big boat for fishing bigger lakes in adverse conditions but there are details like cost, storage, maintenance and resale value all to be considered. Glad you’re hopping into to conversation and welcome to the TFF. Jackson
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638298
07/21/20 02:08 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 121,070
hopalong
Pescador Loco
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Pescador Loco
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 121,070 |
took about 5 yrs. for things to fall in place and I got my dream hull, 95 champion 202/95 200 xri/efi. hands down best ride in rough water. bought hull/engine/trailer and built it out like I wanted, now have what I consider to be the best bass boat for me (and it is all paid for). full garmin set up, everything in it is new and the only thing now is a repower to a bigger engine. it is all personal preference and what you want/can afford although the afford part can be tough.
Last edited by hopalong; 07/21/20 02:08 PM.
" Hop, set the hook"! hopalong 99,999 TexDawg 99,999 FJB! not my president by a long shot!
lake fork FISHERMANS COVE MARINA/reservations - 903 474 7479
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638347
07/21/20 02:42 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 38,564
Frank the Tank
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 38,564 |
Jesus loves all of us
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638361
07/21/20 02:51 PM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 54,424
RayBob
Super Freak
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Super Freak
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 54,424 |
Like Hopalong. I own a Champion because I fish a big frequently rough water lake ... Rayburn. Champions have the best ride out there. Now Basscat and Charger have now copied those Champion hulls exactly because of the legendary ride.
Advice? Wise men don't need it. Fools won't heed it.
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: “The Stick”]
#13638365
07/21/20 02:56 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 125
Fordntriton
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 125 |
JacksonBean, Any thoughts on a Ballistic boat?
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: Caymas Cx 21]
#13638370
07/21/20 03:02 PM
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 215
Joe Todd
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 215 |
Caymas CX 21 Merc 250 4stroke. Ready to make a switch and felt they were the best boat available and NOT owned by JM. I had the opportunity to look at a couple of Caymas boats this weekend at Fork and seeing them brought back old memories of the first ZX models from Skeeter back in the mid 90's. Those were some of the last before the composite showed up but they were the best and were quick hulls. The Caymas looks just like them. GOOD LOOKING RIDE!
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Re: FASCINATED WITH THE BASS BOAT!!!.....The "best" Bass boat out there?
[Re: ko bass attack 27]
#13638400
07/21/20 03:20 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,112
Ranger1
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,112 |
BassCat Cougar, Cats where it's at. Hands down the best Customer Service out there.
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