Boat advice needed

Looking for some advice on buying a bass boat. My son is getting older and I’d like to get back into a boat so that we can spend some time together on the water. In the past I’ve had a 20’ nitro, but I’ve been out of the game for a few years. At this point, I’m looking at aluminum boats for durability, unless someone can convince me otherwise. I’d like something with 150 hp. My budget is around 25k. Question is, who makes the best aluminum bass boats? Any advice or opinions appreciated. Thanks.

with a 25K budget unless you're trying to buy new, I would stay away from aluminum boats (personally). I've had several and they can't compare to the stability and handling of a glass boat. Not to mention the most noticeable difference is how much you'll get blown around in an aluminum boat versus a glass rig. The wind will sweep you away while you re-tie/land a fish. Get yourself a nice 7-8 year old 18-19 foot fiberglass rig with a 150-200. That will handle a whole lot more than the aluminum rigs you'll look at.

FF, I appreciate the opinion. What’s got me cautious of a glass boat is the wood. I had issues with the stringers and floor in my nitro taking water and starting to get waterlogged. I did buy it used, at the time it was a 9 yr old boat. Looked good on the outside but after 6 months I started to notice some softness in the floor. Is there any manufacturers that have a better reputation or that stand out? Always heard the older champs were solid.

I'm not aware of any modern bass boat manufacturers that still use wood in their stringers/transoms. At least none that I would ever consider buying...All composite materials.

A 25k budget is plenty to get into a nicely used fiberglass rig or darn near a brand new aluminum. Ranger, Triton, Lowe, tracker, xpress and g3 all make nice aluminum boats. Tracker and Lowe being the more budget friendly. Nitro, Triton, skeeter, ranger, champion, just so many good fiberglass options. Stay away from used 2 strokes in my opinion, 4 stroke is the way to go.

Nitro was one of the last to claim fiberglass encased plywood was a “composite”. But I bet you could find a nice Skeeter, Triton (or even newer Nitro ~2012) that is in your price range and well taken care of that will last! Some of the aluminum models have plywood decking, so you’ll have similar concerns. Stick with a newer model used glass boat, or go with a new Ranger or Triton aluminum for less boat/more money.

If I were in the market for an aluminum boat, I would go to Louisiana and buy a custom built Hanko hull. The boat will last a lifetime, the ride is plenty comfortable, and you can pretty much have them build to your specifications.

http://hankos.com/

Another option would be a Scully hull. Seems like they were always a tad slower than a Hanko, but were a tad cheaper as well.

http://scullysaluminumboats.com/

Either of these boats will outlast you.

I would get this one ... listed at $28,500. Maybe he will take 25K.



http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boats4salebullet.htm

It is my understanding that manufactures stopped putting wood in boats around '97-'98, i could be off a few years though.

That sounds about right, it was ‘99.

Been looking as well. From what I have seen, looking at strictly FIBERGLASS BOATS, @ $25k you can get a nice used 18-19ft boat with a 150-175hp motor, single axle trailer, rigged like you want it (trolling motor, graphs, etc) in that price range. However, if you want a 20ft+ rig, tandem axle trailer, 225hp+ motor you probably need to be around $35,000. I'm talking about a rig with reasonable hours and not 20yrs old of course. $25k was my original budget as well. I've decided to wait another year. Turns out I'm not as sick of bass fishing out of my center console as I though. Bass boats are just stupid expensive.

25k will get a nice used boat. Check out BBC and boat trader as well as any local stuff. Be ready to jump on one because the good ones doesn't last long.

You should be able to find a good boat with that budget. I know some may frown upon this but Craigslist can be good however you just have to be careful and know what your buying. I have also heard multiple times that the late 90s was the last of the wood usage on major brands.

The alum. boat that I like best in that price range new is the Crestliner.

H & W Marine in Marshall.
Phone: (903) 927-1919

Put an Ultrex on it. Problem solved!

and, if you are looking at aluminum, you can solve the "blown about" problem by getting an ultrex on it.

that's what i did with my ranger rt188; fishes great now.

I like ( love ) this suggestion, recommendation especially about the 4 stroke. And I would forget buying a tin boat when you can get a really good glass boat that will handle these windy days we have here in Texas for the price range you have. Just be patient and do your due diligence.

What he said.

What kind of fishing do you see yourself doing? Are you running big water and fishing offshore when the deep bite is there or are you happy staying in the creek arms finding shallow resident fish for the majority of your time out?

If you’re going to run big water I wouldn’t consider aluminum.

If your preference is to stay shallow then I would get more bang for your buck and go with aluminum.

Either way I’m putting an ultrex on it.

IMO Ranger makes the best aluminum boat. Excellent quality and execution.

Mine will be on the market soon for $25k. I'm getting it cleaned up first.

I just bought a 2017 Nitro Z18 for 23.8k with 30 hours, with 25k you can get a nice used boat, good luck!

Some of the larger tin boats like Xpress ride as good as a glass boat of the same length. Thats not the issue. Boat control in the wind is the biggest issue. An Ultrex will solve a lot of the problems but still trying to work down a bank in a cross wind is an issue.

I agree, for $25K you can get a really nice glass rig if you keep an eye out and be ready to jump on it when it come around. I would make sure to have a competent mechanic do a compression test on the motor, check the LU grease for water intrusion, etc. Even if a motor has 500-1,000 hours on it, I would not be scared as long as the seller has documentation showing he did the maintenance at regular intervals and has good & even compression across all cylinders.

+1 on motor hours


If a motor is maintained, taken care of in general and ran regularly it will be a better motor than ones that are 5-10 years old and have 40-100 hours on them. Low motor hours is the most overrated thing people look for in a used boat.