What is the drawback to owning a BassCat? Seems to me they may be #1 in the bass boat space. But there has to be a drawback. Smaller decks? I know that forward pedal takes getting used to but that’s minor. WAWI’s boat, which I think may be the best looking boat I’ve ever seen, got me to thinking. What’s the drawback? All boats have them. I’m struggling to find a huge drawback.

Unless you allow all gods children’s opinions in this thread, you’re not gonna get the whole scoop.

You have to be able to drive them. It is a performance hull. It can be hard to get the full potential out of the hull unless you learn to drive them. Other boats you can just stomp them and go. I run a Caracal so not the fastest cat.

I already know you think they're ugly. The BC's looks are always debatable for many.

Honestly, the only drawback I can see is if someone disliked the styling. I run a BassCat Eyra and my only dislike is the forward trolling motor pedal.I switched to a wireless trolling motor and use a fob, so that's no longer an issue for me. There's very little to dislike about a Cat. A properly set up Eyra with a 250 will run down pretty much anything other than a Bullet or Allison or maybe Blazer. Their construction is second to none as is their QC. Lifetime transferable hull warranty. Great rough water ride for those that can drive them. Pricing is a bitter pill to swallow but that's endemic to pretty much all the top line boats. Learning to drive one to it's potential is a steep learning curve for someone coming from a Skeeter or Ranger. That's my view on it, YMMV.

Apples to Apples, oranges to oranges, everyone will find something they don't like. I thoroughly appreciate that the fine folks at BassCat are constantly striving to make a better boat.....but I'm not biased....at all.
Feel
The
Rush!

get the hybrid hull and thank me later.

best of all worlds.

We have a guy in our club that gets a new one every year, a deal he has with BC. I'm not a fan of the layout of the interior. That's all.

The narrow deck on some models and the trolling pedal on the tip of the nose are the main two things some folks aren't going to like. Compartment layout gets a bit wacky on some models too.

The ice chest on the Pantera II isn't very good. Large, but not insulated and it has a divider in the middle that prevents draining from one side. That's literally the only real design issue I have with mine. Like it so much that I'll be repowering rather than buying another boat.

Well they aren't the cheapest bass boat out there but you probably get what you pay for. I still say the hand rail deal is out dated. I can't speak to all models but the 18 and 19 foot basscats I've looked at in the past seemed to have less storage space than other models the same size.

I just bought an Eyra about 3 weeks ago. Biggest draw back for me so far is learning to drive it. Trying to run wiring for my livescope has also been a challenge. If you forget to buckle down the livewell the lids will fly open while running. The wells are pretty deep and the fish are very capable of jumping out when the lids fly open because your son forgot to latch it..

I actually love the side rails. Helps us older folks get up and down from the seat and climb in on the fender.

I have personal experiences as well.

Please share them. I just can’t really figure out a major flaw in them like you can in other brands like ranger or nitro.

I had several, loved all of em.

Just not into glass boats anymore

I have a Cougar and love it. The only issue with it is the narrow front deck but that is also because I have 10 rods on deck at all times. LOL

Thankyou FTT, full disclosure when I started boat looking I wanted a boat that would back straight into my 3rd car garage, no twisting or kicking it sideways, i wanted no less than a 200 hp on it. I had 22 feet to work with and that narrows the field. I was paying over 300 a month for storage for the ranger and it was a pain cause I fished in others boats also so I was constantly back and forth to the storage moving my stuff around. Basically there were 2 boats that fit my criteria, the P2 and the ranger 185. I knew Mr. Ed Whaley at bass cat and I have always been a fan of their boats. He found what was available(not many at the time) made a few calls and I picked the boat up sight unseen. The Ross guys were great as was the other one I looked at at another dealer in Harker Heights. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from either dealer again and I suspect Texas Boat works will be great also and Rickwall Marine has a great reputation that speaks for itself. I was in a ranger and liked it, why not buy another ranger? Because Fred at DSM is no longer a ranger dealer. DSM is great the other 2 close to me not so much, Cabelas and Eastland. On to my thoughts on boat.
1. I dont fish much big stuff on big water anymore so size 19 feet is fine.
2. It the quickest boat I have ever been in, on pad in snap of your fingers
3. Its fast for a 200 hp I'm still getting the driving figured out but it's fun. 70 plus in a 19 foot boat with a 200 is pretty good and again I think it's on pad faster than anything on market so I get a bit of a head start.
4. The finish on cats is great. Maybe the best out there.
5. I like the forward tm peddle position i think people take a deep breath and try it.
6. Plenty of storage for a small boat
7. Pretty much zero plastic on it.
8. Easy access in battery compartment, especially compared to my ranger.

It really just does all a weekend hack like me needs. I can buy any boat I want I guess from a money side and if I had the space for storage a caracal or eyra would be the what I would buy.

I have very few negatives on the boat

The sandwich tray is meh, they should lose it or stick a drain in it.
A tool holder would be nice
The live well wants to hold a little, very little bit of water cause of drain position
I would rather just have open rod box rather than the tubes and the grommets for rod butts are a bit small.
And it is a boat you have to learn to drive, it's not point and hammer down

Another plus is Mr Pierce is very accessible on the internet and he has been very forgiving of me so far. Lol I would like him to sell me another one day.

Let me add, if there is a boat that fishes better with the trolling motor down than a ranger I have not fished out of it. There is always some give and take for what you want out of a boat.

I have been running Bass Cats since 2003 and currently in a 17 Puma with a Sho.
In saying that, I have fished out of most other brands, but not once have I had the desire to change boat companies.

Customer service -Excellent
Quality-Excellent
Dry Ride- Excellent
Resale-Excellent

They are not hard to drive,a little seat time and you are set.

Everyone likes there Brand, but mine will always be Bass Cat.

They are butt ugly. The shape of them

Every model of Bass Cat is different and after you use them they all make sense. Every design item on a Cat has a purpose. New for 2022 they have released the Puma STS that has the wide deck of most other boats but keeps the Bass Cat performance. After driving it I changed my 22 order from another Eyra to the Puma STS. The styling isn't for everyone but hey, do you really want to be in the same boat as everybody else?

I will chime in a little.

Basscat is the best built bass boat on the market and I have had my hands on every brand out there. That's partially the reason I run a Cat and I'm fortunate that I could run any brand of boat I wanted. I have had 3 different models and they all have things I dislike.
They aren't the best fishing platform (at least not the Puma, Eyra or Cougar) They get real tippy with two guys on one side. Everyone has had a pitiful hole shot. I hated the Eyra. I hated the ride. Hated the storage layout and hated the overall performance. The Puma has been my favorite boat. I fished out of one for a couple years before I got one so I knew what I was getting into. My Cougar has been a blast. Still tippy but I can deal with that. Hole shot on this one was corrected with a 4 stroke.
In all the time that I have been doing fiberglass repair I have seen 4 warranty claims for Basscat and I cant count the number for some of the other brands.

The livewell lids are for quicker catch and release. As in going down the lake, lids flip backwards and fish jump out.

If that happens then you failed to close them. Not the boats fault. Seen that before in a ranger too. That and the center console. My wallet is somewhere between Veach and Caney on rayburn due to that. Completely my fault

Wrong.

I tried.

LOL

I had the basscat lynx with 300 but just sold it couple weeks ago since my wife wouldn’t ride with me anymore and went to a new bullet. Besides I was offered way more than I paid for it so couldn’t pass it up. Resale value would not be a drawback at all. The basscat family is a very prideful group. I think basscats are very amazing boats and would definitely own another if the chance ever came along. When I test drove the puma, I didn’t like the front deck. Seemed small to me. Even after owning my Bullet, which is narrow but much longer. The basscat lynx had a landing deck up front but with a 3 blade prop, the boat hunted and was something to be aware of. After I went to 4 blade, solved the hunt issue. I liked the oversized console on the lynx. I liked the consoles weren’t mostly plastic like the cookie cutter boats. I felt like the basscat was made like a tank and customer service was second to none. I would say, it’s not something u give a high school kid and send them on their way. This was my 4th boat so I can say this from experience after tossing my wife out of my basscat when passing another boat. I think Rick at basscat just designed the best boat being the puma sts or stealth. All the reasons I didn’t like the puma in the past, changed with the sts.

My opinion. I have to say this apparently as some people get their feelings hurt when I give my opinion.

Trust me...... no one understands better than me brother.

Haha! I can respect that comment.

Interesting take on the Eyra. What about it didn't you like? Debating making the move from my Puma to the Eyra. (Mainly to update to a 4-stroke)

So you're the guy I heard about

Good to know a P2 will fit in a 22' deep space as that is exactly what our garage is, if I ever choose to upgrade from a Sabre. I will add for my boat the high gunnel, I wish they made it a lower. I also agree with them being tippy. I fear not when running into large swells, not with them, now going cross ways can be pretty fun...

My wife says I'm spoiled when it comes to boats but if I'm going to spend that kind of money I want to be happy with it.
I hate the storage layout. you couldn't sit down and tie tackle with out having to move from one of the boat to the other. Coffin lids are stupid. I didn't like the ride as much as I do the Puma or Cougar. I never got the top end out of it like everyone says. My Puma and Cougar were way faster. The hole shot sucked on all three but that will not be a problem if you get a 4 stroke. Overall I just didn't like the boat. I had it a year and got rid of it.

I've had three BassCats. A 1993 Pantera ll, a 2005 Cougar FTD and now a 2012 Cougar FTD. Each of them were had major improvements over the older ones. I have gotten used to the narrow front deck and it does not bother me at all. Last year I went from a M.G, 109 foot controlled motor to a foot controlled Minnkota Ultrex and I use the key fob to run the motor. I now fish more out of the middle to first third of the front deck and use the fob to run and steer the boat. I've actually run the trolling motor from the back of the boat.

What I don't really like about the boat (and this may sound picky), the ice chest pretty much sucks for keeping ice. On a hot day you can melt through an 8 pound bag of ice before the fishing day is done. Can't be any insulation. The A10 (push button) dash is a weak spot. I've gone through three of them. Maybe they have improved in newer years. I don't like their trailer boarding steps. Very awkward and with all the electronics on the front you have to be your and limber (which I am not) to get on board with it. They should do something more like the EZ step which puts you on board past the electronics. That is obviously a trailer issue and not a boat issue.

They are very solid boats and they stand beside their boats.

There always has to be one guy! I wasnt even going fast when it happened. My motto from that day is this....trim down, slown down, you drown. Instead, full speed ahead.