I have always loved bass fishing but have always been stuck on land. I am getting close to that point where a boat is going to come into the picture and I need a little advice.

I am looking at a price range of $7000-$12000 roughly. What I want to know is if I should go for a newer bass tracker or a older smaller fiberglass like a nitro? What are my limitations in a bass tracker? How well does it take open water? Etc etc...

Thanks so much for any insight.

I would recommend getting a glass boat if you thinking about running open water. Which lakes will you be fishing? That may also factor in on what you need.
I am not a big nitro fan but would consider that before a tracker. In the price range you want to spend you should be able to find. Nice 18 or 19 foot glass boat. Just make sure you have everything checked out before buying.

I plan on hitting most lakes within 200 miles of San Antonio. I also plan on hitting tournaments on a regular basis if that matters.

Get the best glass boat you can afford.

IF your budget is 7 to 12k on a used boat you have many options

Take you time, shop around, and I a sure you will find you a nice glass boat

You should be able to get at least a 19 to 20 footer with a 200 HP on the back.

Boats are some of the fastest depreciating toys around

What he said.

Make sure and have it checked by a reputable mechanic before you purchase.

I agree with Hunter's Dad...I would advise a fiberglass boat over an aluminum. This is assuming you want to fish bigger lakes and not just small, private type lakes. My first piece of advice is to be patient. Don't get in a rush and buy something that you will regret later. There are a lot of boats for sale in your price range. I would like to see you stay with one of the more reputable brands known for being around a long time such as Ranger, Champion or Ray Craft.

If you have someone you know well that is an experienced boat owner, ask him to go along with you anytime you look at one. Just owning a boat for a long time allows you to gain lots of knowledge (sometimes at an expense!).

My last bit of advice - don't get in a hurry. Did you get that?

Find a reputable dealer close to home or in the area that you find the boat and have it checked out before you buy. I agree with others on here that in your price range you should be able to find a nice glass boat in the 19-20 ft range adequately powered with decent accessories. Also check the trailer well. Just take your time and have it checked first.

I went thru this same thing last year. I ended up buying a Triton TR-185. It just has a 150 but it will run 60 on GPS and does anything I need it do. I took it to Falcon last year and it handled the moderate wind just fine. One thing I did was made sure I found one that had good electronics. They are a big expense to buy after buying the boat. Mine came with a HB 898 SI. My other piece of advise is to make sure you have enough time to justify it. I'm taking mine to falcon next week and then its going up for sale. I've had it a year and only been able to get away 3 times to use it.

A 200 mile radius around San Antonio puts you on some of the best bass water in the world. Also some pretty big water fishing so as been said, with a solid glass boat you'll be able to fish everything around.

Ideally you'd be best off shopping around with the advice of someone with experience. I've never owned a Nitro but from what I understand their quality was really suspect a few years ago, maybe right around the age of the boats you'll be looking at in your price range.

Don't overlook trailers. They are critical and can get very expensive to fix in making them road worthy. Also, a lot of older fiberglass boats won't be all fiberglass and could be subject to wood rot in critical and hard to detect areas (stringers, transom, etc.). Once the structure of a boat is compromised it's often time for the boat junkyard. You really would do best with someone you trust to give the whole rig (hull, motor, wiring, trailer) a complete evaluation.

Remember to enjoy the hunt. There is plenty of inventory in the aftermarket. Don't force it and have fun.

All great advice here... Another thing to think about is, get what you like. By that I mean, if you want a 21 footer with a 250 save your money and wait another year or two. Just with a quick search on boattrader, you can find some pretty decent boats for 12,000. Also you can find some great boats for 18,000-22,000. Whatever you get, make sure your going to be happy with it later on. Just my thought. Everyone elses input is exactly spot on with buying a boat.

Take your time, I have been looking for over a year myself. I sold my boat over a year ago and have been looking pretty much every day online. My wife just wants me to go buy a new one and stop "wasting" time. I enjoying the hunt.

I love my Tracker 17. Had my first one for 14 years and this one 11. Economical to maintain, operate and tow (I have a Tacoma). I've used it in tournaments. Biggest negatives are its light weight causes it to be affected by strong winds and it's not as cool looking as fiberglass boats.

dependable motor, can handle the water conditions you want to fish, good electronics. everything else is negotiable. and do pay attention to trailer as said above. jmho