I'm starting to do some research in preparation for getting my first boat and I figured who better to ask than you guys.

I really like the idea of something that I can fish and play with the family in, but I really hate the idea of a fish & ski boat...so I've decided that fishing is priority...but I want enough boat to be able to take 2-3 people with me on occasion and have some fun or just go for a boat ride.

Right now I'm thinking I want a 17' to 18' bass boat with a 135 to 150 horse engine. I also want dual console. From what looking around I've done so far, I like what the following have to offer:

Ranger 175VS
Ranger 185VS Intercoastal
Ranger 185VS

I have no idea what Rangers cost, so the above may be out of my price range.

Others that I'm interested in are below:
Nitro 750DC
Nitro 882DC

From what I see on their website, the price of the Nitro boats is about what I'm willing to pay for a new boat.

I know there are others out there....Skeeter, Champion, Bass Cat, Triton, Stratos and whatever I'm missing.

Given the above...and the fact that I want something that will be safe and FAIRLY smooth on rough water...what do y'all suggest?? The wider the better. I like stability.

Also...what should I look for in a motor??

Of the above, the Ranger 185VS would probably be my first pick...but I have NO idea what they cost and I've heard Ranger boats are pretty pricey. Second choice would be the Nitro 882. Maybe I'm wrong, but the Ranger and Nitro boats appear to be very similar in the way they're built.

The 185vs is the roughest boat ive ever been in.

You've obviously never been in my dad's 17' Alumacraft then.

Anyone else?? Petro, do you have a suggestion other than the 185VS??

I really like the Ranger multi-species fishing boats...and I suspect they're great on rough water...but I also suspect they're WAY out of my price range.

www.stratosboats.com

Look at the 294 Pro XL, I don't think you can find a better boat for the price. Why get a 18ft when you can get a 19ft with a 200hp for the same price.

When your ready, contact Pat Goff at
http://candomarine.com/

The best thing you can do is ride before you buy! Demo the boats your interested in on the water and then buy the one you like!

Shane

Shane, get a center console boat.......Wellcraft, Seapro, Mako, Robolo, Kenner, Bluewave, Key West are all good brands. I have a 19ft Wellcraft........casting deck, trolling motor, same benefits as bassboat but NO CARPET!....... takes much rougher water, safer with the kids, can fish all sides of the boat, can easily mount electronics on console, has oval live bait wells and most have large fish boxes built in to the hull.

My Wellcraft came with a removable foam pad that covers the front casting deck so kids and wife can sunbath if they want to........and it pulls skiers.

Fishes 3-4 people easy......and everyone has a safe place to sitdown when the boat is running.

This is an often repeated request which after you wade through all the junk, has a fairly simple answer.

If you answer the questions truthfully, then your solution is easy.

Do you plan on tournament bass fishing?

What percentage of time will you spend fishing vs. goofing off? Will it be more than 75%?

Will you devote three days to your purchase decision? Do you expect your dealer to demonstrate your boat on the water before you make your decision?

How "handy" are you? What expectations do you have for service from your dealer? What do you expect to take care of yourself after you make your purchase?

What exactly is your experience level? How many hours have you spent driving a boat? Do you expect your dealer to teach you anything about piloting your new boat?

If you can answer those questions, you'll narrow the field down a LOT. There are dealers who specialize in taking advantage of first time boat buyers, and there are dealers setup for the more experienced owner. Believe me, your dealer decision will play more of a role in your long term satisfaction than which boat your decide on.

I don't PLAN to, but I'm not opposed to the idea either. I've only fished one tournament and that was a long time ago.

At least 75% of the time in the boat would be fishing...probably closer to 85%. What isn't spent fishing would pretty much just be joy riding. Sometimes I like to take nice long boat rides just to see the lake.

I will devote much more than three days to my purchase decision. That's why I'm starting to research now.

Truthfully, I've never dealt with a boat dealer so I didn't know that demonstrations were available. Now that I know that though, yes, I will expect a "test drive" before I buy.

Just like I do with my truck, I would handle regular maintenance type work myself...and some of the non-maintenance type work. If it's hull damage or major engine problems then I'd get a professional to do it. Electrical problems I would generally handle myself as well since wiring in a boat is pretty straight forward stuff.

I'm not sure what that has to do with what kind of boat I buy, but I'm a very capable boater if that's what you're getting at...and much more courteous and safe on the water than most of the other boaters I see out there. Over the past 10 years I've probably spent more time behind the wheel of my dad's 17' Alumacraft than he has. I don't know how many hours I've put on the water though. I don't generally keep a log of that kind of stuff.

So, no, I don't expect the dealer to teach me how to pilot a boat. I already know how to do that.

Now that I've answered your questions, what are your suggestions?

Shane,
If your first choice is a Ranger, and your second choice is a Nitro....There is a world of difference between the two. In my humble opinion that's like comparing a Cadillac with a Hyundai. If price is the sole judge you are missing out on a whole lot. Personally, I would buy a 3 or 4 year old Ranger instead of a new Nitro...But then that's just my opinion and I'm just one guy. I'm sure that there are hundreds of Nitro owners who would disagree, after all there is a lot of Brand Loyalty out there. If you poll owners, I think you will find a lot of Multi-Ranger owners and much fewer Multi-Nitro owners. That being said, you need to ride in a bunch of different boats and make up your own mind. The convenience of BPS for Nitro is offset tremendously by their poor customer service. I think you will hardly ever hear of a Ranger, BassCat, Skeeter, Champion, Stratos or Charger owner complain about the customer service from their dealer. Just think about that.

Kingwood, thanks for the input. From what I've seen of Nitro boats I never would have thought that they would have been frowned upon. They appear to be pretty nice boats.

But, at this point I have no brand loyalty so that's not something I have to work past. If I were loyal to a brand it would probably be Champion simply because we had a Champion boat when I was a kid...but then I've also always heard that Ranger and Skeeter are very good boats too.

Thanks for your input. While I would PREFER a new boat (simply because I have this fear of buying someone else's problem), I am certainly open to the idea of buying a used boat as long as it is in good shape.

I've thought about a CC, but I've never really looked at them too seriously. They do have some nice things to offer though...and if I got one with a Saltwater motor I could take it bay fishing too...which is something I've taken a liking to in the past couple of years.

Shane,
By answering the questions, you've made the decision much easier.

If you have intentions of competitive bass fishing, then anything less than a bass boat will be frustrating. The decks, storage, and performance of a *tournament* style boat are difficult to duplicate in anything else.

Only you will know what works best for you, because when you start investigating different boats, you'll be seeing a wide range of differences. Mostly what you'll honestly need to determine for yourself, are you going to be happiest with comfort or performance? I don't know that, but you will. On one end of the scale is the super high performance boats, like an Allison or Bullet, on the other end would be a Ranger or Champ, with others falling somewhere between the two.

You won't need every bell and whistle you can hang on a boat, most are easily added later if you can't live without. However don't try to save money on your motor choice, anything less than a rated motor will be a source of pain shortly after you take delivery on your new boat.

You have some quality dealers in your area, and you've got some duds also. I would find out your dealer support before I chose a boat, and then pick your boat from your "A" list of dealers.

Shane,
Look on the older posts, as I think it was North Texas Fiberglass who offered to go over any used boat someone was going to buy, for free, to tell them everything about the boat including compression check, etc. It would be worth your while to have someone knowledgeable go over a used boat. New boats have their own problems as well, just like Cars. Personally, I have had 2 Skeeters and 2 Rangers and If I were to switch from Ranger, it would probably be back to a Skeeter, but there is no chance of that happening. I've owned Rangers continuosly since 1987 and I would not buy anything else. Again that is just my opinion. Since you have no brand loyalty, ride in a bunch of them and make up your own mind. Do not get in a hurry. There should be some great deals out there right now on new boats as the new model year is fast approaching...

Pat, thanks for your thoughts. I will definitely take them into consideration. If you know some specific dealers in my area that are known to be good dealers I'm open to hearing them (even if it's by PM or e-mail). Then again, Tennessee isn't THAT far.

Kingwood, thanks for the heads up on the used boat checks. I'll definitely check into that. I've always considered Rangers to be a top of the line boat. I was surprised to hear the earlier comment about the rough ride.

I would have to disagree with the rough ride on the 185. I've ridden in one on Livingston in the wind (gets rougher than a cob) and I found it to be as good a riding 18 footer as there is. If you compare an 18 footer to a 20 footer, the 20 is usually going to ride better. That being said, I'd take my 18 foot Ranger 372V over a 20 foot Blazer in the roughest water, any day.

i would recommend getting at least an 18 ft boat
i had a 17 ft nitro and it was definitly sqwirly on rough water.

personally i would go with a 19 or 20 ft boat

i'm currently in a 20 ft basscat jaguar and feel comftorble getting accross the lake no matter how high the winds get