What brands should I look for and what brands should I run from, I will be using the boat to bass fish mostly, I will be carrying a family of 5 most of the time, I will be buying in the next year but it will be and older boat. Thanks for the input in advance

21 Bay champ if you can find one, steer away from the VIP hulls (stealth, other names for the same pack of mutts)

Don't buy anything without a proper lake test, and motor inspection.

thanks pat what about blue waves I have seen a lot on the roads

There's a zillion CC brands out there. You asked a specific opinion...

Bluewaves, kenners, dargels, shallow sports, there's a bunch. **ALL** of them are worthy crafts, but remember ALL rolled edge boats older than four years old will be built with wood, and as such will require you to do proper inspections. Anywhere the previous owner ran a screw into, console, cooler holders, battery boxes, etc will penetrate wood, and if not properly sealed are a potential cancer case.

With that said, I'll expand on my "avoid" list...
Anything that says *fishmaster* that isn't a kenner.
Redfins are notorious for bad transoms.
No FICHT motors...ever never ever.

A rubber mallet and careful eye will reveal most problems, just take your time (or take to an expert) and your effort will be rewarded.

whats wrong with the Baystealth? i thought they were some good lookin boats.

Chopper gun fiberglass and wood decks make what looks good deceiving....

not true about wood decks on baystealths,have a 2005 2030 baystealth and doesnt have anywood on it,have owned about every bass boat out there(all from rangers to gamblers,bullets,skeeters,basscats,champion,cajun,stratos,and the baystealthbeats them all.Where do you get the ""wood from""?yes,they are heavy,but quality wise one of the best center consoles around, alittle slow,but one of the best cc out there,and quality is top notch.

What are you basing this on?? I've taken in quite a few stealth hulls, they all had wood decks.

check out the boats I build, I advertise all composite construction and it drives the boat up in material cost by 17% to 23% & higher becauase all the materials are oil relaited, I am starting to get more request for New orders and are asking for wood core, wood is realy a very good choice of a core material it's heavy to help break over the waves, it can take impact better than all composite, it can handle over weight motors better than composite, but it does have it's limitations it rots, but it's only the builder or operator fault, can't have any screw thru the deck, everything is glassed into place by the builder and the owner can't be running screw in his boat, every screw is or could be a place to rot and if you know you have wood in the boat remove one bolt at a time on the motor mount and reseal it every year and just because a boat is made for the water does not mean to leave your boat outside in the rain for months, moister finds it's way in and starts to rot the wood core, boats with wood in them need to be in dry storeage, I like a wood core boat nothing wrong with them but get it inspected no one needs to find out that there hard earned money for there new/used boat needs $4,000 bucks worth of work to make it sea worthy, $285 dollars for a complete boat inspection at my shop and it is are goal to find something wrong, that's what the inspection is for, it's to late after you buy the boat, $285 vs $4,000 thats cheap insurance www.txeastbayboats.com

bb, i think pat is saying that the stealths have wood under the fiberglass. a wood core. i still likes the look of them though good lookin boats

WoW!!! REALLY????

Not sure he knows what he is talking about, if I was buying a boat, I would be listening to Pat.

Didn't you know that whatever *I'VE* got is the best ever? Arguments tend to break down when you try to be specific...best what?

I guarantee we can head down I 20 to Vivian and visit the VIP facility, and we'll see them cutting marine plywood for decks and floors. "It doesn't *LOOK* like wood"...now that is pretty dang funny.

I was thinking the same thing. A VIP boat better than a Gambler, a Ranger, a Bullet,....Wow!

The old bay stealths are Ok...but I wouldnt buy one unless it was a complete steal....like 85% off. I know of Bill Parker and I know why they arent VIP anymore....and the problems they've had with some of their boats. Most everyone in the Shreveport area knows them too,if they've been around a few years.

As for a bay stealth being the "best"....no offense, but that simply isnt true. The way I know is because Bill Kenner and my brother are old friends and I KNOW how the "pre-Tracker" kenners were built. In fact, you could order them with extra stringers in them back then, if you wanted a little stiffer hull.

You want to see a little better quality? Look at a Blackjack, Contender, Whaler, Seacraft, the list is endless. Bay stealth would be way down on my list for a used craft. For budget priced CC boats, I would look for a Kenner, Mako, Nautic Star, Blue Wave, etc. I even like some of the new Skeeters...although not so much, due to price and less freeboard.

Thanks pat and oldfrog

Boston Whaler the FIRST center console.

What would Pat Goff know about boats and motors?
If you have been around this forum any length of time you would know he give excellent information/advice and is not biased toward any brand unless it's an excellent brand, with a proven track record.
In my opinion and most likely lots of others, if they ask a question about boats and motors and Pat answers that is one proven voice of authority. Take it for what it's worth, but its worth plenty to a lot of people.

My best friend HAD a Baystealth....my son gave it a nickname "Supersoaker" because if the waves were over 1 foot...everyone onboard would get a bath. I was glad to hear he sold it....actually he gave it to a charity after trying to sell it.

I really like the look of the kenner, are there any other brands that have that same hull? how dry are they and how fast? Speed is not a big deal but if I need to get off the water I want to be able to.

I am not saying they are the best,but for fishing lake fork i sure like it better than all of the bass boats I have owned.I also have a 2007 Ranger Z20 with a 225 yammie, here in albuquerque that I will be selling shortly,but in lake fork,the baystealth is alot more comfortable than any of the bass boats,I had 3 gamblers,loved their looks and speed,but at fork the inverted hull doesnt work too well on stumps.You get stuck on the stumps alot.I dont care what people think if i have owned them boats or not,but there are alot of guys in fork that know me and the know what I am talking about.Center consoles are more comfortable than bass boats,they both have pros and cons,but as one gets older the cc are hard to beat.I will check the baystealth when I get back to fork,but I sure didnt see any wood when the trolling motor was installed with graph on front.Been fishing and selling boats for 25 years so I can say I know a little bit about boats.

Kenner was a knock off of Boston Whaler. The old "Bill Kenner" boats are great, I wouldn't use the new Tracker Marine Kenners as a flower pot. Bill Kenner now owns K2 Marine. Look at Parker boats too.

Kenners ride very dry for the money. They arent excessively heavy, either. It's true that they arent as smooth riding a a Champion CC. But they dont cost as much, and most have more storage ( in the Vision models). The Mako is pretty much the same boat now. ( look at the serial number....it starts with KEN). I do think the Kenner hull warranty is better though....even though they are made in the same place.

And what you say is true about Pat. It's obvious he's been around CC boats for a long time.

I am not saying that Pat is not experienced,just that I havent seen any wood on baystealth.I could have bought any cc out there,but i like the looks of the baystealth,and was giving my opinion about CC vs bass boats.I see all kinds of CC for sale every month at auctions around the country and started studying them since they fit my needs better than a bass boat.As you can see in my profile I am also a used boat dealer in albq,and was offered the Gambler franchise in 2005 by Bob Ackerbum but there isnt enough sales here.Still love gamblersthough

I don't know about the older ones and I have a 1996 that I thought was wood free, but their web site says they are now 100% wood free.

http://www.caddoboats.com/company.html

llike I said before I didnt see any wood when drilling for graph or trolling motor,and under storage or front .the one I have is a 2005 may not be the fastest with a suzuki140 four stroke but is really reliable and comfortable for me to fish out of.

Trust me when I say that the original Baystealth had wood in it. I live in the area, have met Bill Parker and have personally spoken with him about it....several years ago. He put an "encapsulated" wood stringer system in them that he claimed would last for 50 years. (his words) I know for a fact that the rolled edge models had wood....and as I recall, so did the liner boats. Not saying they are bad boats. Just saying that they wouldnt be my first choice in that price range. ( in a center console..I have no idea about bass boats, since I dont bass fish anymore...yet I own a Skeeter)

I dont know if the Parker family has the factory now or not, since they went bankrupt. It may be them, or it might be someone else up in the Vivian, LA area. They might even be making better boats now. The thing is, it doesnt matter to me. There are lots of good used and better made CC rigs out there for the money. But I'd much rather own a Baystealth than a Cajun, that's for sure. Not even real Cajuns want Cajun boats now...lol !

I kind of like Bill Kenner's Frontier line too....although I havent ridden in one. I just know how Bill and Gary Kenner do things...or at least how they used to do things...and I trust them.

If we read exactly what people write, it sure ends a lot of confusion.

"What brand should I look for?" His description of mostly lake fishing with 5 people pointed at a 21 bay champ. *best* choice.

"What brand should I avoid" That was easy, any VIP hull, not the only dog in the pound for sure, but an instant choice. Fishmaster, redfin, others also pop up pretty dang quick if the brain starts working at all.

"I'm looking for an older boat" Well that makes it easier, because it doesn't matter two dead flies what that builder is doing *NOW* does it? Only what they did *then*...

As always the advice is a proper lake test and motor inspection, regardless of brand.

How does that turn into this S. storm?

i love my 94 Hydra Sports 1850. built like a tank.
just my .02 cents.

I'm also doing a slow search for something for a family of 5 that can do shallow bassin too. Thinking of buying an old short pontoon, stripping it down to rails,floor. Just have 5 fishing seats and a trolling motor. Leaving the bare rails for safety.
We used to own a 24 footer. Everything on it was like a big sail.
Wondering if a stripped down one a little shorter, 18ft..would work any better.

Below is kinda a good forum for boat reviews. Of course you get some that love em and some that hate or bought a factory reject somehow.. http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/167938-1994-hydra-sports-20ft-cc-w-200-ocean-pro.html

If you think that tuna schooner caught wind, wait until you get into a pontoon...like an empty sack of potato chips.

High sided boats will catch more wind, but for whatever misguided reason people think they are safer...maybe offshore, but not on a lake or bay.

There are some very nice low sided bay boats, more or less bass boat hulls with bay boat interiors. Majek, Trans, Bass Cat's bay boat would all be high choices if I wanted to do it all fairly well.

Although I must confess I am highly biased on true flats boats, if it takes more than shin deep to get up in and more than ankle deep to run in, it's not much of a rig to me.

Can anyone tell me their thoughts, opinions, etc. on a Pro Gator CC? I am looking at a 2006 Pro Gator 19CC and would like some feedback.

thanks

Leroy, up at Gator Boats, "is good people". I think his CC boats may be a little heavy, but I'd certainly give them another look. Havent heard anything negative about them so far. Whatever you consider, please take it to a mechanic prior to making any firm deal, as well as lake test it.

The GatorBay CC is all composite including stringer & transom. The 19CC is a liner boat. It is a Roll Gunnel but with a finished interior. Strength & Durability built into each hull. Should never have problem with it. But if you want one built just the way you want to fish, the factory will build one just for you. Contact Leroy at ProGator or go visit the factory in Benton, LA.

Try to lokk at Nautic Star Bay boats.

Never fails to amaze me that no mater what I buy eventuall becomes the worst ever. I owned two Grady Whites, Wellcraft and now I own a dreaded Baystealth 2230. Lol.

My 2230 is a liner boat. It's a 2005 model that I bought new. I bought it because of the ride. My friend had one and Iiked it. When I bought it, I looked a a lot of different brands. Baystealth, at that time, guaranteed there was no wood anywhere. I don't mind wood in a boat. They been building boats that way for decades. But anyway, I have never found any proof there was wood, anywhere.

Now, baystealth does have good looks and a great ride. A little wet in a rough lake, quartering into waves but dang smooth. The fit and finished laked a little but all in all a great boat that I've put many many hours on. she ain't a 85 mph boat but will cruise all day at 45+ with a 200hp Suzuki. More than fast enough for me. I prefer around 25-30.

There are many many great boats in the CC market. My next boat will prob be something different but i'ld buy another Stealth if I needed to.

Whatever you buy, I suggest a good Jap 4stroke and shade of some sort.

Good luck in your endeavors.

Captjohn