24' Bay Boat (Ranger, Triton, BlueWave)

I'm looking at buying a new bay boat. Anyone have thoughts they want to share on differences between Ranger 2310, Triton 240 LTS, and Bluewave 2400. The ranger is about $7k more. Bluewave seems to be a lighter / faster boat, but I'm not really into speed. I really like the Triton's layout and I'm leaning that way. Do you think the Triton will be built to the same standards as the ranger? They say it has pad and runs like a bass boat. Lot's to consider. Your comments are appreciated.

I have a 22' Blue Wave and love it. Handles very well. Rough water has been cake so far. If I was going to spend that much though, I'd get a Haynie. Buddy bought a 25' Magnum and it's jam up for Stripers as well. Shallow, deep or in between. Sickest boat I've ever been on. Fishin machine.

Don't forget the Nauticstar!

Pathfinders are really good boats as well.

I don't know about the Triton, but I have run and fished out of the other two, they are good boats. Blazer, Nautic Star, and Sportsman also make great boats as well. Check them all out, you will find one you like better than the rest.

Look at the Blazer Bay I have one and super happy

I have a 2000 22 blue wave. Love it. Paid for
Recently fished out a 24 biuewave purebay, very nice boat.

Lots of good bay boats out there.
Good luck
Mo

Look at Nautical Star. Excellent boats and great price savings.

All mentioned are great boats. Just find the layout you prefer the most and go with it. You really cannot go wrong with any of them

I agree it's more of which layout you prefer because they're all good boats. I currently have a Sportsman 247 and love it but before that had a Triton LTS and it was also a great boat.

I'm in the same "boat"! Looking to upgrade but there are several very nice boats to choose from. Any comments on the Sea Hunt and Sea Fox?

Phil Dill carries Key West boats now. Really nice boats, I had one for 10 years and loved it. Very popular boat in Florida but you don't see many here.

Add Skeeter to the mix. They have expanded their bay boat line up recently. More prices and size range now. Fun N sun usually has a big inventory. I have the sx210 and very happy with it.

+1, plus a good 4 stroke and you can't go wrong.

take a good look at the guys down on the coast. Haynie, Majek, Tran, ShallowSport and several other companies that make truly custom boats. The brands mentioned above are good, but I would rather support a small business, and put a texas kid through college....

I have a Blue Wave 2400 and love it! Great fishing machine and has a very smooth ride and handles choppy water on large lakes and in the bays very well. I will probably buy another new boat in a year or less and see no reason to NOT buy a Blue Wave boat. The Ranger Bay boats are certainly good looking boats and built very well but they are way over priced in my opinion! Good luck with your purchase!

There is a lot to like about the Bluewave's. I think it really fits our style of fishing in North Texas. I've seen the videos on how they are built, family owned, close to DFW, etc. I've heard nothing but good things from folks that own them, but I get the feeling that it rides differently in rough water than these other boats and I'm hearing this from the salesmen for ranger, triton, etc. For example the ranger is almost 25% heavier and I think most of that is in the thickness of the glass in the hull resulting in a stiffer hull that has a solid ride in rough water. When you get yours partially air borne from a big wave does the entry feel solid or does the impact reverb up through body to the degree that you think you just damaged your boat? Thanks in advance for your feed back.

Do you want floor space or deck space? Two huge different layouts..

Both.. :-) I do like the huge front deck on the Triton. The Triton also comes standard with removable ice chest on the front which I can remove for more floor space for the shad tank up against the console. I think removing the front livewell is also an option on the Bluewave. Size of casting deck on the back is of less importance as long as it has option for pedestal. Many of the shorter bay boats don't have this as option. The Bluewave 2200 is one of them. Beyond layout, because there are pros and cons for each one, is the ride. They all will ride great in smooth water, but I don't want a boat that beats you up in a good chop because its light / hull isn't stiff.

BODA you are so right. Tram Sport is my fantasy

I had narrowed my search to either the Bluewave 2400 or the Blazer 2400. I ended up ordering a new Blazer 2400 this week. I wanted floor space. I think it will suit my needs. It won't be the best for bass fishing but it seems I am doing less and less bass fishing every year.

Robalo is the only bay boat I plan on owning anymore.

Hope you're not more confused now, OP! Lol. I know the feeling. It gets tricky shopping for one but man, I love looking at different CC boats. I had the good fortune to fish in about five of the 24ft CC mentioned above. They are all good in their special ways... Good luck. I am happy you are shopping for a good CC boat

Don't know where you live but Sandy Creek Marina at PK has a like new 24' Triton that is really loaded. And they now have brand new Tidewater Carolina Bay CC boats that are very nice and worth taking a look at.

I love my 22' Sea Fox. Dry ride, fishing well.

I baught a 2016 Nautic star 21.4 last year and I love it, it is all composite no wood runners, save $$ it gets on plane fast and cuts through waves excellent, I was going to get a skeeter, but but a buddy of mine had a Nautic star and I rode in his and it change my mind.

I have a 23 foot shearwater and like it a ton. I do like that Triton and if money wasn't an option, that 260 LTS would be in my driveway.

I love my 24' Ranger Bahia
Very well built and good fishability. If that's not a word it ought to be

Had my crevalle 26 bay out on several trips now on pk. Love the ride. Winds up to 20 + feel like nada. Floats shallow to catch bait. Livewells keep me alive all day. Put the cushions on it when afternoon arrives and pull the kids up wake boarding. A very nice compromise between our fishing and family.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that commented. It's good to get different perspectives. I'm still not clear to the ride differences in all of these boats. I'm thinking if you had them all on Texoma, loaded down with a 2-3' chop (hard west wind) it would be very telling. One would plow and spray and the other would send you to the chiropractor and feel like it's coming apart, but maybe not. My experiences with bay boats is limited, but I've seen this in bass boats. I know there are many, many, many other things to consider because that is the 90% that you make your decision on, but I'm hopeful someone can share thoughts related to the ride. The rangers are heavy with Triton in close second and I sure speculate there is a reason why. The vinyl / epoxy resin that that they make the hull out of is expensive and probably makes a world of difference in the stiffness of the ride. I again assume there is where the weight difference is. Within reason cost isn't at play in the decision. Keep the comments coming. :-)

I was going to suggest the 22' Ranger in the boating classifieds but I guess you are looking at new ones. It is what I am looking for but without the top and the power pole.

I can tell ya this- When we took that Haynie Magnum to Port A in April, we went from Ingleside to Shamrock Cove in a 25-27 mph wind, straight across Corpus Christi Bay. I was a little hesitant when that decision was made for me. I soon realized that those 3.5' waves really had zero impact on the ride. No exaggeration. We didn't get wet at all.

That being said, Yes they are pretty expensive. It's for a reason though. Not saying that's the boat for you, just sharing my recent experience.

I'm really enjoying the sportsmans I just got. I took it out specifically in 20 plus winds to see how it rode. Even chose a ramp I knew would have a crosswind to it to see how it would load/unload in those conditions. I'm thrilled with my decision on the Sportsman. Couldn't be happier.