It really is in the end all about what you want in a boat. I look back over the years and after owning two jon boats, Eldocraft and Ouachita stick steer bath tubs, two Rangers, a Tracker, and a Nitro. I guess out of all of those boats the old drab green Ouachita was my favorite. It wasn't much; about 14 feet long, with a 25hp Johnson and an old white Motorguide 12 volt TM; think it had 18 pounds of thrust, no electronics, no livewell, not even running lights. The keel had been repaired with a Walmart fiberglass kit. A constant stream of water splashed over the sides when you ran down the lake. I caught more fish out of that boat than anything I have ever owned and I don't think it had a whole lot to do with skill but more that the boat was more stealthy than all the others. In the fishing mode it was quiet and its color blended in with the surroundings better than all the others.......

I have a 2006 Nitro 482 that I bought brand new. It is 17'9" and it has a 150 Optimax (it will fly!!!). I fish pretty much every weekend year round and I fish a lot of tournaments. I have had zero issues with the boat. I upgraded the trolling motor and added two new graphs. The boat is garaged kept. I have had to perform routine maintenance stuff like replace trailer bearings, bunk boards and lighting. Nothing major. The carpet is still good and the seats have one small tear courtesy of a rattle trap. The hull is in great shape. I am looking to upgrade for space and stability reasons. My boat is great on small waters, but I have to be very careful in big water on windy days. As stated in a couple of posts above, once I add my rods and a fishing partner, the deck gets real crowded. It will be a matter of time before that rattle trap gets stuck in me rather than my seat! I have been looking at the Z9 and you could land a plane on the deck. The boat weighs 2000 lbs. off the trailer so I would think stability would be greatly improved for me. I will find out once I take a test ride in one before I make the purchase.

I have a 2010 Z-7 that has been an extremely good boat. It's been fished every weekend since it was purchased. I'm extremely rough on a boat. Every issue I've had with the boat has been self inflicted. It was my first new boat to own and can't complain about much. The next boat I own will not be a Nitro. Nothing to do with durability or reliability. I want something bigger, better and faster than what I have. They are fine for what they are. A nice boat. They aren't in the same class as a cat, ranger, skeeter or triton. My boat has been affectionately nicknamed the Pinto. I've spun a hub, bent and replaced a prop shaft and replaced the lower unit. All self inflicted. It cranks and runs everytime I've dropped it in the lake. Get what you want. I can't wait to get one of those really nice boats so I can tear it up too!

thank you for following up on that.

No, I saw that...But I dont think my comment was directed just at you. Just seems some think you have to have everything to be competitive. 21 ft 250 HP 4 10 inch electronics, and 4 power poles and brand X boat. Brand of boat has nothing to do who fishes and wins in tournaments.... And options or HP don't have anything to do with it either.

I read a lot of mis information on these posts from people who obviously don't know. I dont doubt a few are based on past ownership.

I have been nothing but impressed with each Nitro I have owned. They do some things better then other brands and they have some things that other brands do better. I find that statement to be true for all brands.

Did your boat come with a Factory rain suit??

I own a 2010 Z-8 with a 250 Pro XS. I do tournament fish as well as pre-fish lakes. I have owned 15 bass boats over the last 40 yrs and there is one consistent. You pay for quality, but every mfg can make a lemon. I was on Palestine in my boat last weekend with a buddy who is a die hard Skeeter guy. The wind got up some in the afternoon. When we put the boat on the trailer, he commented my boat was one of the smoothest riding, dryest boats he had ever fished in. He fishes a lot of Media and Bass champs tournaments so he has seen and been in a lot of boats. What he really loved was the Power poles. They work great in the wind when you are fishing flats.

I would like to add, I have never had ANY issues with my Nitro

You don't need one when you drive a Cadillac!!!!

Dax most definately....I think to the last time I got in one of these Nitro threads it turned into one of the biggest threads I have ever posted on.......

I follow you BMCD, I actually won my first tournament in Texas fishing out of an aluminum TX-17 Tracker with a 60 hp motor on it. The only mods were I upgraded the electronics, added a SS prop, and put a circuit breaker in the TM circuit because I melted the fuse holder. I beat guys that had top of the line rigs @ the time......It was just a club tourney on Cypress Springs and we probably had 25 to 30 entrants. It was kind of an awakening for me when I relized if I had the right equipment on the a run of the mill boat I was just as good as the guys spending the big bucks......

Just had the bottom blow out on a 2011 new Nitro. It couldn't handle the waves and cracked. Went to Triton last year. I used to love the Tracker stuff. I wouldn't buy another now. I loved it up until that point. Had a stress crack and it peeled away a big hole, then El Sinko!

Nitro Z9 rides great. My biggest problem with these boats is that they have cheap details. I have seen seats and carpet come apart on several. I have even seen them at BPS with the seats coming apart. That might not be a big issue up front but if you have to pay to redo seats and carpet you will realize that it can get expensive quick. Besides that the rest of the boat is like everyone else, all of the components and motor are bought from a manufacturer and installed after the boat is built. You need to research how the hull is made. Is it high resin or low resin and is it hand laid or machine laid? These items can tell you a lot about the strength of the hull.

geez nitro is a hot topic, my 2 cents is:
own a 2005. lots a little hardware problems, can not get to the bilge pump to replace it, its to far under the gas tank, I hate that they put a big Tracker sign on the Mercury outboard, crazy porpoise issues, bad steering had to change it out, axle on trailer broke and I'm an old guy not hard on vehicles.

On the positive side, it stands up high and really flies on plane and is very sporty. I figure I got what I paid for paying $15000 less than a Ranger or a Triton which are the smoothest best built boats I'm familiar with in the club.

I would look at them as kinda a value boat, Procraft also has a pretty good boat for the money.