Do you keep your boat in a covered building? Be sure to check the CCs trailered height against the door opening of the building/garage. Other than spending a week and some bucks modifying a shop door, I'm convinced the CC is the way to go for most folks.
If you're old, arthritic and have a generally bad attitude, step up on the front deck a few times before you buy. I had to mount a seat and pedestal on my front deck to give me an assist on the way up and down. Even then, there's a world of difference between dry ground and stepping up with foot and a half rollers working against you. I practice by drinking a half fifth and trying to step up in my living room recliner.
Seriously, you'll have more room for passengers and be much safer in bad weather in a CC.
As Chet Atkins said, "That's my opinion. It should be yours."

I've been switching back and forth between the two for a long time. I wish I could afford to have both.

Why a bass boat?

1. Better control for fishing specific locations - especially in the wind.

2. More comfortable.

3. Much better storage - rod storage is the biggest factor.

Why a bay boat?

1. The only choice if you occasionally venture to saltwater.

2. Much better for catfish and striper fishing.

Speed vs Comfort

Just buy one of these and have both...
SCB

Yeah, but then you won't have the money to put gas in it!

I have both a 21' bass boat and a 24' center console. I can bass fish really well in my CC and get about anywhere that I can get my bass boat, but if there is much wind it is the Debil to try and hold boat position in it. The CC also does not have near the underdeck storage of most bass boats. The CC will take on 6' waves though if you have to be out and will take rough water on pad so smooth you can stand while you drive. All the while getting you where you want to go without getting you soaking wet. The CC is way bigger - way slower - and uses way more gas

All that being said, if I had to choose 1, I'd go with the CC for versatility. If I fished many bass tournaments, it'd be bass boat all the way.

This is a fascinating conversation for me, a first time boat buyer, I thought I wanted a bass boat, now im not sure. As a new guy who is "unsure" of his fishing style, which would you suggest?

I switched from a bass boat to a 22' CC back to a 20' bass boat. If I didn't fish bass tourney's, I would be back in a center console. The center console is definately family friendly as well.

By center consoles are we talking about the real tall white ones here, like the mako line, or the smaller ones like some of the Lowe jon boats? Someone has a really neat and good looking 1979 Mako for sale in the forum, with a 95 evinrude 226 it kinda caught my eye. Just looking for suggestions, first time boat buyer...

Thanks,
Andy

I don't bass fish. So my 20' Wellcraft is perfect for sandies and catfish. No trolling motor is the only setback. Rather spend the money upgrading the electronics than on a deep shaft TM.

I went throught this dilemma three months ago. I have a 17 foot bass boat and got caught out in a wind storm on my local lake and that was enough for me. I kissed the dock when I got back. I soon started searching for a center console and found a heck of a deal. Fished at Amistad on the way home and it did very well. I never felt unsafe when the three foot rollers came up. Im a big guy and and so is my friend and we had plenty of room. The only bad thing is that it's sitting up in storage unused for the past three months. I'm wondering if I did the right thing. I think, for me anyway, a larger bass boat would have been the way to so I could launch it and trailer it by myself. I guess the moral of this story is think about what you want very carefully.

I love my CC!!!

you cant trailer a CC?

A 22 foot CC is a little more difficult to trailer than a 17 foot bass boat. I guess it just takes practice.

To Matt,

Boats are tools of your profession. Knowing you fish out of both, why not a yellowfin or pathfinder or one of the other red fish tournament trail hulls for bass fishing? Seems to me the wind on the coast is just as prevalent. Just curious.