Pondering buying a bass boat...

[ZipperWurm]

So growing up around fishing all my life and spending a lot of time on my dad's bass boat in my younger years, im seriously starting to consider getting one of my own now that im an "adult" :Big Grin: More so now than ever. i've had this mustang cobra for the past couple years and its kinda worn out its welcome with me, but i need a toy to replace it, lol. i'd really like to get my hands on a brand new nitro Z-7, their $30k price tag isnt terrible...but i am also looking into maybe purchasing a used boat in good condition...paying cash and not having to worry about a boat payment would be a huge plus....more money for quality fishing gear, lol

i just have a few questions for any boat owners out there willing to answer before i actually take the plunge...

is it quite expensive to maintain a boat? i know they need gas, and oil changes and such, but aside from them breaking, is general upkeep on a boat fairly costly? lets say it was used 3-4 times a month, if not more?

also, is registering and insurance usually pricey? i also heard somewhere that you have to pay property tax on a boat as well???

im also planning on towing it with my 06 ford ranger...i know nothing about tow rating or how heavy a bass boat would be, so im wondering if it could even tow it? the gvwr is 5300 lbs and gcwr is 9500 lbs, i cant imagine a bass boat and trailer weighing some 4,000+ pounds?

i have been doing some research and reading through articles , but see a plethora of different answers to my questions...i'd kinda like to hear from some real life boat owners though :Wink:

[DockRat]

Some have a Luxury Tax. I pay $150 a year for Boat US insurance.
My tags are like $40 a year 1986 17' boat with a 1996 Johnson 150 hp.

I can't see buying a new boat and taking that big $ hit the first couple years, but then again you did it with your Cobra so it must not bother you.

I paid $4500 for my boat, had to replace the gas tank.
Did some other improvements, T top ect.
Sits in the saltwater at a slip, turn key, everything works and always makes it back to port, 3 years of use. Go for it.
DR

[cutbait]

Since we are talking Bass boats, I have some experience and have been in all models.

I would suggest you buy new or close to new. I've had 4 boats, all in the 10-20 year old range and I sold my last boat because I was sick of the non-stop maintenance.

99% percent is minor repairs such as switches, rusted cables, new bilge/aerator pumps, trolling motor bearing... etc,etc. The cost of these minor repairs was not the issue but the time and energy it took to work on each problem as it came up.. I JUST WANTED TO GO FISHING,,, not work on a boat before every trip!

The biggest expense was the batteries needing changing often.. Bass boats have 3-4 batteries and seems every season one or two would need changing. 150 bucks a pop.

Insurance was nominal as registration was..

Currently I'm boatless and saving for my first ever brand new.. NO MORE HEADACHES!..

I also suggest 4 stroke.. Honda, Yamaha, Mercury in that order. I know of a certain evinrude that has 1,000,000 hrs on it and still going strong though...

As far as Bass boat manufacturers,, I've been in all and would rank them this way

Ranger- most expensive but ride in rough water is not matched by others

Basscat- most underrated boat and most fisherman friendly setup

Legend- High end boat

Champion- not made anymore when merged with Stratus but fastest hull out

I would lump the rest together

Stratus, Nitro, Triton, etc

If your pulling with a Ranger I think your going to be ok with a 16 footer, I personally wouldnt go much higher, but I don't know tongue weights and all that stuff!!

[ZipperWurm]

Some have a Luxury Tax. I pay $150 a year for Boat US insurance.
My tags are like $40 a year 1986 17' boat with a 1996 Johnson 150 hp.

I can't see buying a new boat and taking that big $ hit the first couple years, but then again you did it with your Cobra so it must not bother you.

I paid $4500 for my boat, had to replace the gas tank.
Did some other improvements, T top ect.
Sits in the saltwater at a slip, turn key, everything works and always makes it back to port, 3 years of use. Go for it.
DR

no the big price hit does in fact bother me, lol...but brand new things are so appealing sometimes, especially a bright shiny new boat off a showroom floor. most likely though ill probably buy used, but something that's not more than a few years old...i just hate having to wrench on things a lot, for example...i usually start selling my cars once things start going wrong on a regular basis, lol.


Since we are talking Bass boats, I have some experience and have been in all models.

I would suggest you buy new or close to new. I've had 4 boats, all in the 10-20 year old range and I sold my last boat because I was sick of the non-stop maintenance.

99% percent is minor repairs such as switches, rusted cables, new bilge/aerator pumps, trolling motor bearing... etc,etc. The cost of these minor repairs was not the issue but the time and energy it took to work on each problem as it came up.. I JUST WANTED TO GO FISHING,,, not work on a boat before every trip!

The biggest expense was the batteries needing changing often.. Bass boats have 3-4 batteries and seems every season one or two would need changing. 150 bucks a pop.

Insurance was nominal as registration was..

Currently I'm boatless and saving for my first ever brand new.. NO MORE HEADACHES!..

I also suggest 4 stroke.. Honda, Yamaha, Mercury in that order. I know of a certain evinrude that has 1,000,000 hrs on it and still going strong though...

As far as Bass boat manufacturers,, I've been in all and would rank them this way

Ranger- most expensive but ride in rough water is not matched by others

Basscat- most underrated boat and most fisherman friendly setup

Legend- High end boat

Champion- not made anymore when merged with Stratus but fastest hull out

I would lump the rest together

Stratus, Nitro, Triton, etc

If your pulling with a Ranger I think your going to be ok with a 16 footer, I personally wouldnt go much higher, but I don't know tongue weights and all that stuff!!

the boat i actually grew up with was a 19' champion. my dad bought it brand new from anglers marine in 1997 and he still has it...it actually looks and runs just as good as the day he bought it...but of course it's garage kept and very well taken care of. that thing is fast...with it's 200hp merc it does 70+/- across lake mojave on a calm day. but i know he's had his share of issues with it over the years. when i was younger i remember making trips with him to castaic only to turn right back around and go home because something was wrong with it, lol.

thanks for all the info though...more than likely ill go with something a few years old just to save myself a few bucks, but ill do my homework and make sure it was well taken care of. i just gotta stay away from basspro or anglers marine, just to resist the temptation of a bright, shiny new one...lol

whats the advantage of having the four stroke over the two? is it just allowed on more lakes like DVL or is there an actual performance advantage?

and for the batteries...would a trickle charger maybe help with their life span? or disconnecting them when they arent in use? my stang's batteries go dead after not driving it for a few weeks, but disconnecting it seems to keep the charge in it...are the boat batteries similar?

thanks for your replies!

[dixoncider]

"I know of a certain evinrude that has 1,000,000 hrs on it and still going strong though..."
A million hours..NOT maybe a 1,000 but not a Million.. That would be 114.15 YEARS..of straight running...I would guess that's just and expression..

[Socal Bassman]

Someone once told me...
"Go outside and place a hundred dollar bill on the front porch and watch it blow away. Repeat this process every other night. When it no longer hurts you to watch a hundred dollar bill blow away, you'll know that you are ready to own a boat."

On a serious note, as mentioned before, the majority of the problems you'll encounter are the little things. However, all these little things add up pretty quick. If you do the work yourself, you'll be able to save some money. Batteries, servicing the motor, and any repairs that requires you to take it into the shop is where you'll get hit. When I had my boat, it cost me $500+ to have the motor serviced.

As for towing, I suggest that you check with your owner's manual as maximum towing capacity is usually lower than a vehicle's GCWR. My old tow vehicle was a '03 Ford Explorer and if memory serves me, it had a GVWR of 5700 and GCWR of 10,200 (give or take) and a maximum towing capacity of about 3300 lbs. with a Class II hitch and 5500lbs. with a Class III. It did pretty good at towing my 18ft. Ranger on flat terrain, but going uphill sucked. If you do intend to tow with the Ranger, I would recommend installing a transmission cooler. When it comes to batteries, it's a matter of trial and error to find a good one I guess. I know of some who had their batteries for 4 years, while others have a problem with at least one every year.

[cutbait]

"I know of a certain evinrude that has 1,000,000 hrs on it and still going strong though..."
A million hours..NOT maybe a 1,000 but not a Million.. That would be 114.15 YEARS..of straight running...I would guess that's just and expression..

Good lord..

You even did the math? Geez!