"Also, these boats have changed a lot in 10 years; make sure you base your choice on current info."

This is if you buy a new boat, ofcourse.

I,m currently running a Nitro 929, have had it 6 weeks and love it. My last boat was a Nitro 884 and I just sold it. It took three days to sell and it was 9 yrs old. That old nitro was as tough and put together as any boat I,ve ever been in. All the above mentioned boats are good choices. It comes down to what exactly your looking for. I really feel most boats are comprable the difference comes from where you buy it. Buy from a good dealer who will be there for you if you need them.

I own a 20' champion and have owned nothing but champions so of course I am going to say buy a champion.

Like others have said "take a ride in the boats before you buy"

You have to decide what it is your are looking for in a boat before you decide on a boat.

I have been in a ton of boats over the years and can tell you that Champion is the smoothest and dryest ride out there.

If you want speed buy a bullet or allison.

If you want a big wide boat buy one of the big nitros.

If you want a great fishing deck buy a ranger.

If you dont want to loose your A** when you go to sell it buy a used boat.

If I had to buy a new boat today it would most likly be a triton or another champion. In my opinion they are the top two out there right now.

Right now I currently own two bass boats. One is an older 300 series Ranger, the other is a BassCat Sabre with a 175 Mariner. Of the 8-9 boats I've owned, these are probably the two best built ones by far. You can't go wrong with either a Ranger or a BassCat. There are lots of other good brands out there too. Stratos and Champion make good boats. However, what has really sold me on BassCat and Ranger has been the customer service. They are without a doubt the best in the industry in my opinion. Rick Pierce and Scott at BassCat will go out of their way to answer questions and to locate a "hard to find" part for an older Cat. Pat Goff monitors most of these bassboat sites and he seems very knowledgable about BassCats. Ranger makes a fine boat also, and has great service. I've dealt with both companies quite a bit while restoring several of their boats and they've been great. With BassCat however, their service seems to be a little more personal. Kinda like part of their extended family. The reason I get on a rant about customer service is because I have learned the hard way that there are boat companies out there that really don't want to hear from you once they have your money. I won't name names, but believe me, they exist. Whatever boat you get, take your time, don't be talked into something you really don't want or need, test drive if at all possible, and most important, get the boat that suits YOUR needs.
Good Luck!
Kenny

Several people make good boats, but as for me, It will only be a Ranger. I had two Skeeters before I bought my first Ranger, and it served me well for 17 years, until it burned up in a boat shed fire. I had no problems considering buying an older Ranger when I got my settlement and did just that. I upgraded from a 1987 Ranger to a 1992 Ranger and I'm very pleased with the "new(er)" Ranger. Something about Pride of Ownership and all that.