Bluewave boats have Bass seats on a bay boat. Hard to beat it. Not all bay boats have that.

Have owned 3 bass boats including a 20' Ranger with 200 Merc. I now run an 18.5' Pathfinder CC with 90 Merc and will probably never go back to a bass boat. I wouldn't mind a little more power on the Pathfinder (120 would be nice), but a friend won it in a CCA banquet raffle and it came with the 90. Still, it will run about 38mph flat out. I have two young granddaughters and feel much better about having them in the CC since it is a lot deeper inside and they have less chance of falling overboard. I seldom fish for LMBs anymore, but it does that fairly well also and is much better for chasing whites or hybrids and about a toss up for crappie. The mileage is vastly improved over the Ranger/200Merc combo and as everyone has said, cleanup is simple.

Thanks to all who have posted. I am on the horns of this same dilemma with a strong lean toward a CC that I can take to Fork and Ray Bob a few times a year if I want to to chase Bass and Crappie.

If you had to pick a bay boat to take to Texoma knowing it had to bass fish and crappie fish in the trees a few times a year what would you get?
Make, Model, length, aluminum or glass?

Thanks for the ideas!

Thanks guys! I'm taking it all in.

OK.......I will BITE! Some good CC brands are Bluewave, Wellcraft, Boston Whaler, Procraft, Falcon, Kenner, Mako...........the Kenner has many of the same uses as a regular bassboat....... but most CC in 18ft or less can dop double duty bass and bay..........19-21ft seems to be the most purchased size ...........23ft ft and up more Bay than lake.

I have a 19ft Wellcraft CC.......... works great for all types of fishing.

and here is my Wellcraft....good luck.

I run an 18V kenner with 125 merc on Toledo bend. It is perfect. Doesnt burn too much gas. Will float shallower than you want to fish. Hauls up to 6-7 big foks. Ski behind it. It does fine in the stumps. Rides very smooth. 100% dry in a 15-20mph wind at any speed or angle. I cross the lake about 100 times each fall and winter and can guaranty it is 100% safe during any storm or cold front that lake can throw at you. I have never had anything more than spray come in even in the worst waves. The boat will do it all on plain if you can handle it.

I love my CC. I have had several bass boats over the years. Did I say I love my CC. 21', 200 hp Evinrude..... a little to deep in the water to play around in a big field of stumps. But great on Texoma and my home lake, Ray Hubbard. [img]http://bluetunadocs.com/downloads/pursuit.bmp[/img]

I like center console boats. It seems people call all of them bay boats from the little no sides skiffs to the deep v wellcrafts and such. There are many in between and you just have to choose what type of hull you want for the water you fish in. You can get one with a bass boat style hull and it will still take on rougher water because of the higher sides, have more room, and carry more people. A tunnel will make a boat run shallower but it does cause more drag. If you don't need to run in less than 12" don't get a tunnel. And the size of the tunnel makes a difference too. And a bigger motor will allways make a boat faster. Usually a 21' bay boat will have about 150 hp while a 21' bass boat will have 225 hp, but you can get bay boats with the 225 or bigger if you want.

My boat is a high bow flatbottom with a small tunnel and will run through 8" deep water then straight across a rough bay even out a little ways into the gulf on a good day. But the flat bottom that helps it run shallow causes a rougher ride and makes it rock more. The high sides and bow make it catch alot of wind and it needs a big expensive long shaft trolling motor.

For whatever type of fishing and water you run in, there is a center console that will work great for it.

I had a bass boat once...never again. I;m on my second bay boat now and have never looked back. My latest is a 2005 Ranger 2300 with a 275 Verado. I consider it the SUV of boats because I can fish for just about anything, carry just about anyone or anything, ski, scuba or just sit and relax. Its no speed demon but will do 50 mph...which is fast enough when your standing at the helm. It calms the rough seas, the power pole keeps me on a grass flat or a bass bed and has room for every electronic gadget a man could want.
Downside worth mentioning...it takes a lot of vehicle to haul it down the road. The t-top really catches the wind on the highway which means consider the cost of feeding the 275 Verado and the 8 mpg tow vehicle. My rig weighs in a little over 4500 lbs on the trailer.

Not everyone needs a 23 ft bay boat and sometimes I think I might have gone a little to far...that's until I back it off the trailer.

Best of luck.
Jeff

A CC is hard to beat in most situations. I love my Blue Wave 220.

I heard you can get 10 yrs financing on those boats, but some people say "just buy used?". It's alot to consider when making a major purchase.

Do you fellas know of any websites that have GREAT deals to browse at??

I bought my CC used from an ad on the Boat Trader magazine web site.

www.traderonline.com

There are hundreds of boats (and cars of course) listed on this website.

My advice is never buy a brand new boat. They deprecieate way to fast and there is always a good used boat available. I bought my Blue Wave in 04 it was a bank repo. It is a 03 model in very good condition and I paid one half of it's show room price.

I bought my Sea Pro from Ron Marshall in Wylie about a year and a half ago. He was handling quite a few CC's and mostly bank repos. His email was marshallboats@aol.com

I bet I looked at ten boats before I found a fresh water boat. I don't want one from the coast.