Jeff,

since your doing some guiding you should come take a ride in a 19' Lund Pro V. It will handle the roughest water you can find and still go as skinny as a Bass boat.

I'm not a fan of Bass boats but the Legend is a nice looking boat

Jeff,

Does it have to be new? Just a thought, some boats are very well made but don't hold value as well as say a Ranger. That probably is most important to the first owner since he laid out max $$ for the boat.

I have a 00 201 Cobra and the glove box and live well switches were resolved, but since it did not have a high resale, I was able to pick up a good quality boat (2 yrs old)at a fraction of the cost new. After three years of fishing out of it, I could still get close to what I paid for it since the first owner took the hit from full retail.

I believe the rigging area on the Legend is easier to get to, but I think the gas tank is back there too. I maybe wrong about the tank, but it seems like it is further back in the Legend than the Cobra. As far as ride, I talked to one former Cobra owner and he said they added an outside strake the kept you even drier, handling is about the same. Seems like to me the Legends are getting pretty decent top end numbers for the same basic hull. I think a LE21 with a 225 is getting 72-74 top end.
Whatever you get, be sure to post a pic so we can all drool over it!!

Jeff,

If you are interested in a BassCat, let me know. I should be able to answer most of your questions and can provide you or get you a ride in one.

BassCat's customer service is 2nd to none and them winning the JD Power award was no fluke.

Feel free to email me at basschaser1 AT verizon DOT net

You will get lots of different opinions on the best boat and their probably isn't a one best boat. Take some test rides and fish from them before deciding. Bass Cat was number one in JD power for the past two years, Ranger was #2 only a few points behind Bass Cats. So obviously lots of folks are still happy with Ranger which was #1 the two years prior to Bass Cat. So both are good boats as well as many of the other top brands and some lesser known brands such as Pro-Gator. They will all have their problems and as much as we paid seems they should have very few. One reason Ranger has lots of boat in for warranty work is because they sale so many more boats than some other companies and they DO honor warranties when other companies do not.

Jeff,
It wasen't my intention to offend any of Skeeter boys. I wanted to give you somthing to think about.
When I was looking around I posted the question out here on the Forum see below...

http://www.texasfishingforum.com/cgibin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=021781

One of the big factors for me when I was looking for a new boat was resale and hull strength. From the research I did Rangers are well know for their durability and resale value. I made the decision to purchase a few year old Ranger. Rangers are not the fastest boat on the lake however their a good solid boat that will last you a long long time.
As for a ride in a Ranger name the time and the lake and we'll go fishing.

Disclaimer: This message was intended for educational purposes.

Bunk

Jeff...I am "in the same boat" as you in that i too have been trying to narrow the choices down so that when I get ready to but I will know what I want. I have ridden in all sorts of boats, and there are pros/cons to them all, and personal preference comes into play.
I will say this about Legend also...at the TPW show at their HQ in Austin, I guess 2 yrs ago now, I was walking around the boat expo area. The Legends really caught my eye, and as I crawled around one checking things out the "prostaffer" was telling me about the boat. I asked him some questions about his tournaments,thats when he told me he was not a prostaffer but the President of the company! I was very impressed by his knowledge, his commitment to quality, and the simple fact that he took the time to personally come down to show his product!

Jeff, be sure to check out a Lund. Lets go chase around the vine this weekend a bit if you like.

I have owned 4 champions from 1987 - 1999, they have a great ride I am just not much on their fishing ability. the boat is a great quality for sure, but since genmar took them over, the quality has been slipping. I now own a basscat cougar and the quality is second to none. talk to north tx fiberglass about warranty repairs they see from all boats. they are in denton and the owner is on here all the time. but the ride,speed and fishability of a basscat is just assume.

Thanks guys. I truly appreciate all of the input. I knew that I could count on you guys.

I may be contacting some of you guys for ride trip offers here pretty soon. I know the Dallas Boat show is coming up and I'd like to have this narrowed down a little before then.

Thanks again everyone and I'm adding the Lund to my "need to research" pile.

Jeff,

Drop by my booth at the Dallas Show. I will be more than happy to take you around and show you what I like about certain boats and what I don't like. I will also be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

I will say this about Legend Boats. I am VERY familiar with the boat and it's history. It is one of the most beautiful boats ever designed. After working on a couple for IMPACT damage, (Not Warranty work), I can say they are built as good as any boat on the water. I know Randy personally, and would not hesitate buying one.

I try not to say too much here what boat is best and which one's aren't since it tends to upset a lot of people.

But I will look forward to meeting you at the Dallas Show.

Jeff I will chime in on Xpress since no one addressed that. They are a good boat especially coupled with a Yamaha motor! You can get in a new 19 to 21 ft Xpress with a 150 to 200 Yamaha for 25k or less!! If you buy a new one go over it with a fine tooth comb before signing the papers. I do this with anything I buy (car, boat, ect)I have ridden in everything out there except a Legend. They all ride good but alot of the ride comes from the driver and the seats!!! I can weld aluminium but I can't work fiberglass!

I doubt any of them are going to fall apart on you as long as you take care of them. I have owned Skeeter, Ranger and have had a Triton for the last few years and prefer it over the others not for the reason that i had trouble with a Ranger or a Skeeter. I will say that boats take a hell of a beating on the road and on the water so if your looking for a brand that is not gonna have any minor problems like screws coming loose, having to pop a little peice of trim back on etc. it aint gonna happen unless you leave it in the garage. The reason i like the Triton over the others is simply because it fishes the best for me, does not sit to high in the water or to low, does not seem to bulky or heavy has good storage, i like the way the gauges and the boat is laid out, its steady in the water while fishing. I will say i would never own anything other than a Ranger, Skeeter or Triton, but 2 pieces of styrofoam with a board strapped across them beats the hell out of standing on the bank...and ive done that to.

Before counting the Triton out come and take a ride in one.Take as many demo rides as you can, then check out customer satisfaction on any boat you may want to purchase.The bottom line is get what you want and get what you like.Come and visit with me at the Dallas boat show if you are in the area.I will be in the tents with the Tritons.

Jeff,
Another one yo9u might look at is Stratos. I had a 1999 21 SS extream that had Ranger and Stratos owners walking over to look at and compliment. She was solid, fast, stable a dream on the detail fit. I have not looked at the new ones in a couple of years but they were one heck of a boat. I loved that boat so much that it was the one thing my ex wife made sure she got in the divorce!!!! What a woman will do to you if she is mad!!

Gee Jeff, why not get a real boat. For the type of fishing you do nothing would beat a Deep-V Aluminum. Take a ride in a Lund. comfortable, roomy, best ride available, did I mention comfortable. Course you're to young for that to matter I guess.

And Better price and high resale value (Looks like you keep your boats a while so that may not matter much)