I have had a Ranger bass boat since 1995. I have been considering getting a center console boat for bass and bay fishing. However, I have recently been in some Center Console bay type boats that are not as comfortable in rough water as my Ranger bass boat.

Does anyone own, on this forum, a Polar CC boat? I saw one this last week and it had a great bow for breaking up waves. I have been in other boats that seem to be wetter, like the older series of Skeeter BayPro and Champion BayChamps. I know these two boats are great, but seem to be wet riding...IMO..

Any other comments or recommendations? Looking for 19-22 foot...Price under $30K, if possible!

I have seen Bluewave, NauticStar, SeaPro, Baystealth, Scout, Keywest, Avenger, SailFish, Gradywhite, Parker, Boston Whaler, Ranger, Triton, Hainie, Explorer, Gulf Coast, BlazerBay, Skeeter, BayCat, ProLine, and MANY others on the internet....They all have pro's and con's....

Just trying to keep the ride dry and comfortable, as my current Ranger....

Try Lake LBJ Marineland in Kingsland. They are on the lake and offer demo rides. Owner's last name is Hartley. 325-388-3507

You really need to ride in them to determine the ride. I personnally own a Wellcraft 19ft model CC. Seems to ride just fine and takes rough water very well. A 21 ft Wellcraft can be taken off shore on a reasonable day.

Really 3 kinds of center console designs....... bassboat style CC with low freeboard; really just a bassboat redesigned into a CC....... high freeboard CC commonly called a Bay Boat, much higher freeboard ; and finally a tunnel design CC used to get into very shallow water. First you need to decide which one of these 3 different styles you prefer for your type of fishing.

Royce Simmons, simmonsroyce@hotmail.com, a sand bass guide on Richland has a Polar.
If you are wanting a boat as big as a 21 foot, Dusty Rhodes Marine in south Tyler has a little used Kenner with a 225 HP for around $20K that they are selling for a customer.
I am in the same shopping quandry, for a 18 foot boat. You didn't mention Trophy, Kenner, Hydrasport, but did some I haven't considered yet.

Thanks....

I was looking at a Ranger 2300 for $28K...But I was told that they are slugish (sp?) when getting on plane. That boat comes with a 250hp.
Sail and Ski has it for sale.
http://www.sailandski.com/usedboats/detail.php?id=466


I need to ride in the new 2006 Ranger 2000Bay or 2200BAY boats..I am also looking for locking rod storage. Not all bay boats have this feature.

All major brand 21 foot CC boats are alot of money. Any boat I purchase at this price I will have for a while. So I am doing alot of research before jumping in!

Thanks for your input.

I've got a Bay Stealth 2180. I chose it because it was a big boat(large family) and it has a tunnel. I fish some fairly shallow stuff when at the coast and their tunnel design does not blow out in turns like others I've had experience with.

If I was shopping for a V-hull, I would strongly consider the Nautic Star. A buddy has one with a Yam F200. I can't think of one feature it doesn't have that any of the high-end big-name rigs have. Smooth dry ride, rod storage, huge live/bait wells, leaning post, lockable storage, hydraulic steering, and an aluminum trailer. Marine Outlet, here in Temple, just picked up Nautic Star recently when Sea Pro went to Mercury. Seems that with the right power you could come in under $30K. Lake Belton is close and I'm sure they would give you a test ride.

They also have Polar, Bay Stealth, and Champion CCs in stock.

Boat shopping is fun, G

I have a Baystealth 2030 with the liner and a Merc SW 150. I really like the boat for an all around family boat. I researched a lot of the other boats and this one fit my needs very well (mostly bass fishing w/some saltwater, water sports, and good runaround). It is not a super shallow draft boat, but will run comfortably in 3ft of water and can get up in 2. The liner has 2 7ft rod boxes/storage. You would have to make your own rod holders really to be called a rod box. It has 2 baitwells, but nothing to keep bass alive. I have had it out in 4-5 foot rollers and it handles them very well. It is reasonably dry unless you quarter into waves higher than 2 feet and then you start getting wet. You just really need to run a few to see if it would fit your needs or not.

Ranger, after researching center consoles for a full year and riding in a number of them, I chose the 22 ft. Bluewave Texas Extreme. I primarily use it for bass fishing. It has 2 large livewells and comes with a pro air system, plenty of storage and lockable boxes. I powered it with an F225 Yamaha. This is my 9th boat, 3 of them being bass boats, and I wouldn't go back to any other type of boat. There are a number of quality center consoles on the market and it mostly comes down to the specific features that you want and the way you plan to use it. Many of the CC's that I looked at had either only 1 livewell or 2 that were too small. Others had fit and finish issues. Any dealer worth dealing with will give you a test ride to help you decide. Good luck.
Ben

I purchase Polar 2310 earlier this year. I am extemely pleased with the boats performance. I have had the boat in all area lakes plus the Gulf. I would not rate the craftsmanship as excellent, rating would be somewhere just above good. Bought the boat at Jerry Whittle Boats in Lewisville.

Ben S...where did you get your bluewave? Did you look at the Sea Pro at Bryan marine? And why didn't you get that one?

Dawg

Dawg
I did look at the Sea Pros at Bryan Marine. I would have preferred to do business with them. They are fine people, and over the years I have purchased 3 boats and 5 motors from them, the first being in 1967 when I was still a teenager and Steve's dad ,Arlen, was running the business. I have a good friend that has a Sea Pro from Bryan Marine and he's had no problems whatsoever. For me , the deal breaker was twofold. First I wanted two large livewells. I even went as far as trying to figure out a way to make the front storage compartment in the Sea Pro into a livewell, but the plumbing involved would have been a problem. The second problem was that this time around I wanted to go with a 4 stroke. The Verados were just starting to become available and were still an unknown quantity at that point. Since Bryan Marine is a Merc, dealer and not a Yamaha, the only conventional 4 stroke available then was the Mercury (Yamaha made) up to 115 hp. Steve at Bryan Marine and I even talked about purchasing a Yamaha or Honda from another dealer and putting it on a Sea Pro, but service and warranty could have been a problem. It really bothered me to have to go elsewhere to buy a boat,because in my estimation, there is not a better dealer around than Bryan Marine.
Ben

I have bee running a 21.5 ft Sea Fox center console with a tunnel hull for the last 5 years. It has a 150 Mercury motor and a four blade prop. I use it for bass fishing about 70 % of the time and for bay fishing at the coast the rest of the time. I got it so that my 90 year old fishing partner could still fish with me and so that I can take my 4 grandsons and family out on the water. I have used bass boats for about 35 years and have had 2 other smaller bay boats in the past. The boat is not as good for pure bass fishing as bass boats, but it is a lot more versatile. You can not run on rough water as fast with a tunnel hull as you can with a normal hull , but you can go places that the normal hull cannot go. I like bay boats with carpet because they are easy to clean, just spray them off with water. I am having a new Kenner 21.5 ft boat rigged at this time and am going to sell mine (I just finished paying this one off). I am goin with a Kenner as the place I buy boats changed from SEa Fox to Kenner's. If you get a deep sided boat be sure to get a 60 inch shaft trollmotor. My used boat has a lot of accessories on it and I am asking $15,000. If you are interested in it call me at 512-396-1622 or if you are not interested in the boat and would like to discuss the pros and cons of a center console boat give me a call.

I'll vote for bgw's boat. I've known the boat ever since he purchased it. The only thing that is wore out is the sides of the livewell where he's put to many fish in it. Thank goodness for the paper tournament this last saturday.

BGW...Can you email pics to jtrcalek@tca.net? I heard the tunnel hull has a wet ride in bays. I have never owned a boat so I am full of questions, but I do know I want the most versitile boat I can get. Since I am not a mechanic, I am not sure I know what to look for in a used boat. No disrespect to you or your boat, but I think I would be better off with warranties on everything. If you can give me the pros and cons on your boat versus a new one maybe I will consider.

Thanks for your reply...Dawg

The tunnel has a minimum effect on ride, but without a hydraulic plate, they are affected by big water much easier than a v hull.

A tunnel without a hydraulic plate is a lesson in frustration, you can't go a shallow as you like, and you can't run in rough water like you should.

I disagree on the carpet statement, first time one of your kids stomps a shrimp to death in your boat carpet, you'll cuss it as long as you own it. Too much trouble keeping it clean if you coast fish at all.