Bass Fishing Forum

Hey guys, I haven't been on here in forever. Life goes a million miles an hour I guess. I've moved from Maine to Texas, near Sam Rayburn. I sold my Lund Alaskan before we left and I'm now in the market for a bass boat. I know almost nothing about them. We've looked at a few and here's what I know I want. 20 or 21 foot fiberglass. Dual console so the wife can hide from the wind. I prefer to have a Yamaha because I've got history with them. Obviously electronics can be upgraded after the purchase. I'm leaning towards a skeeter or ranger. I've watched a few YouTube videos and nitro doesn't seem to have as good a reputation plus they only come with mercury. It's going to be used. New is way out of budget. So what say you UB? Tell me the good, bad, and ugly. Experiences, opinions, thoughts?


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I bought my 1994 Ranger 492VS  in 2018 out of Dallas and drove the 900 miles to go get it.  You won't be disappointed with either the Ranger or Skeeter.  If you buy a Ranger, get a model between 1989 and 2002, as they have no wood in the transom and were built before the EPA rules that weakened the fiberglass resins builders used...

Mike, I would not limit the brands you want to consider.  I am a Ranger Guy but if I was buying today a Bass Cat would be my number 1 choice just because of the customer support that Bass Cat is so famous for.  The boat is also very high quality and does have a Yamaha option.  On some of those Texas lakes a big water capability could be very important especially with those famous Texas winds.

I'm not trying to limit myself but from what I've seen so far I like the ranger and skeeter. So far I haven't found a bass cat in my budget but if I do I will definitely check it out.


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I'm with Bud in not limiting your options. Ranger and Skeeter are great boats and you should be able to find plenty of them for sale over there. But you'll also see a few Legend boats and they were designed with Rayburn and Toledo Bend in mind.

The Legend was build for rough water lakes. Anglers build them the way they wanted them so there are many out there with Yamaha's on them.

Look around, find a good boat that you and the wife fit in, then get a mechanic to check out the engine. If all fits, buy it.

I haven't seen any legend boats yet. I did find an older champion in nice shape. I've read or seen that they were good boats but what about getting parts? Would there be anything on these out of business boat manufacturers that I wouldn't be able to find for replacement?


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Quote from: Mike the fox on November 02, 2022, 04:13:55 PM
I haven't seen any legend boats yet. I did find an older champion in nice shape. I've read or seen that they were good boats but what about getting parts? Would there be anything on these out of business boat manufacturers that I wouldn't be able to find for replacement?


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Parts aren't generally a problem with older boats outside of the hull itself, most everything else is made and sold by third parties. Valves, buttons, pumps, you name it. TH-Marine, Flow-Rite, Teleflex, SeaStar, Perko, all that stuff. Even things like locker covers and windshields are still available. Your biggest concern should be with the condition of the hull and the motor itself.

Good luck finding that rig you want.  You will not have an issue finding a Bass Boat in East Texas or West Louisiana.  Like mentioned by the guys don't limit yourself to a couple brands.  Although finding a good mechanic and dealership to keep it serviced is a hard find.  Make sure the hull and motor are in great shape. 

Here in Central Texas we're either running a Yamaha or Mercury.  The boat brands vary from Rangers, Skeeters, Stratos, Nitro and there's a few Legends and Phoenix brands running around also.   I lucked out when I got my Stratos back in 2009.  Its a 2004 model and I'm the second owner.  She's still running strong.

Keep us posted on your find.  Good luck with the search. 

What's everyone's opinion on nitro. They are everywhere down here but from what I've read and watched, they don't have the best reputation for being high quality. They definitely are priced lower than other brands which says something about them.


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Mike, they do have a questionable reputation that has been earned over the years.  However, the newer models don't seem to share those same complaints.  I had the pleasure of being in a Z 18 that performed very nicely and althought not the highest quality available it was a good solid boat.  The older models prior to 2015 don't seem to share the same attention to performance and quality.  Like other boats it can boil down to the performance of the dealers in your area.  I am a believer that if you require dealer support then they must be judged as strongly as you judge the boat itself.

I will say that I fished out of a Legend boat for the first time a few weeks back at the Open and it was a good boat and hauled ass for sure...

i would stay out of the Nitro unless its a newer one.  One thing I didnt personally like is that it felt like the seat was at the guwale when driving.  Made me feel like i could easily fall out.  My neighbor gets a new one every year and i do like the newer ones. 

Ranger to me doesnt ride that great.  Granted i had a 19'6 but that slap was not good.  Plus it wasnt too fast but it was pretty. 
had a tirton 17 footer -- not a bad boat at all except it was too small.

i run a Phoenix now and its the best ride I have ever been in.  I would definitely take a hard look at a bass cat also.  Tritons had some good models too.  Legend definitely rides good as well. 

For me, ride is more important than speed.  the 21 PHX rides like a dream IMO.  Been in Mikes Legend 21 that rides really good too.  I have heard really good things about the Caymas ride too. 

One of the pros at LOZ was sponsored by BPS and took John Morris on a fishing trip to the lake. On the way back to Springfield, the transom broke and the motor landed on the highway. Six month old boat. Embarrassing for both angler and sponsor. Enough said.

Wizard

Nitro wouldn't be my first choice but I wouldn't be afraid of the newer ones. If I were concerned about big water I'd look for a Champion. I ran one for years and They just pretty much drive themselves much like a ranger. I run a Earl Benz era Triton now and it requires a little more driver input but its quick and nimble.
My Ranger was the best boat on the trolling motor I ever owned.
I tried to like Bass Cat but I just never could pull the trigger. The fishing position to me feels like it's too far forward, like I'm walking the plank.
Whatever you choose try to have a compression check done at the very least.

Don't be afraid of the newer Nitros, they are a good boat. Like any of the others you need to be careful, if you know somebody who knows boats ask them to help you with what to look for and if possible look at a possible with you. If you are able do a test drive if possible.
Rodney

Going to look at possibly a couple boats tomorrow. One is a skeeter that I really like and am waiting to hear back about it but it's on boat trader and it claims that the boat is in Texas but the company is in Florida? I'm a little suspicious about this. The other is a 2009 ranger Z520 Comanche. One owner, very clean. The only hesitation is that it has a mercury pro x2 optimax 250. I've got nothing against mercury but I've never had one. I've always had Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda. Other than that it has lowrance screens, Minn Kota fortrex, and one power pole. It had a recent compression test with no issues and a clean title. Seller said he bought a center console to go fish saltwater and that's why it is for sale.


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With Skeeter based out of Kilgore TX the dealerships there will know how to work on em.

Z520 was Rangers flagship for a long time and a really good boat. You'll probably upgrade to the Ultrex for spot lock but otherwise sounds like that boat is good to go.

I'd test drive both and just see what you like. I didn't see you list the Skeeter length- is it a 20/21' boat?

The skeeter is a 21. You just made a good point that I missed. The fortrex doesn't have spot lock. The skeeter has an ultrex but is missing the power poles. Decisions, decisions. I haven't priced any of that stuff in a while. What costs more? 2 power poles or an ultrex?


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Quote from: Mike the fox on November 17, 2022, 10:11:44 AM
The skeeter is a 21. You just made a good point that I missed. The fortrex doesn't have spot lock. The skeeter has an ultrex but is missing the power poles. Decisions, decisions. I haven't priced any of that stuff in a while. What costs more? 2 power poles or an ultrex?


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The Yamaha would decide it for me. Make sure it was serviced recently.

I had a 2008 250 pro xs that went through 4 top ends. My 2013 pro xs (sold in 2018) as far as I know has had no major issues so far. Always bought the extended warranty and sold with one year left. At the time replacing a power head was an 8k repair. Must be much more now. It is a crap shoot without warranty especially with 2 stroke IMO

I love my 2017 SHO. Yamaha forever for me.

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Looked at the ranger with the mercury today. Decent boat but I didn't buy it. It had a couple places on the gel coat that looked suspicious and coming back in from the test drive the motor tilt quit. We were able to get it on the trailer and manually crank up the jack plate to get it back to the shop. He said he'd fix the gel coat and tilt and then call me. I don't know. My budget only goes so far but I'm not crazy about a 2 stroke or a mercury or the fact that the trolling motor and electronics are pretty outdated. Think I'll keep looking.


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Glad you found out those things before buying. So expensive right now for boats to then have to do "more" for it soon.

This morning I found a skeeter zx200 nearby with a 200 Yamaha vmax on it. Has 2 helix 10 and an ultrex. Has a minn Kota talon that is missing the spike. Are those spikes replaceable or is it junk? It's well within my budget and is fairly clean.


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Yes the spikes are replaceable! Get the serial number so you know what year/model and get the right one.

Might be less than $100 too.

https://motors.johnsonoutdoors.com/store/product-search/1/?searchCriteria=Talon+spike

Sweet! Thanks for the link


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Well, Mike it sounds like you have about made your mind up to get the skeeter.  Are you still thinking about it or are you gonna keep looking.

Just got home from looking at it. It's a done deal! Boat overall is in good shape. Needs a little love but nothing I can't handle. I'll be the second owner. 2011 skeeter zx200 with a Yamaha vmax 200 2 stroke. Minn Kota 24volt ultrex with 2 helix 10's linked together. Power head was redone this summer with paperwork. Seller seemed pretty honest. We went all over it and he showed me how everything worked then we went for a test drive. I mad a lap around the lake and he encouraged me to run it as much as possible. We put it back on the trailer and made a deal. I bought it under my budget so I've got some cash leftover for... rods, reels, who knows! (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20221120/2882ebc23c6a8f56614e4595b64972f3.jpeg)


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Very cool! Congrats!  ~c~ ~beer~

Way to go!!  ~cf

Good for you.  Ya did good.

Congrats on the new ride!

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Thanks guys! I'll get some more pics to post up


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Sweet ride. Congrats

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Congratulations!  ~c~

Congrats on the boat, I'd use the cash saved for a good going over, fluid changes, tune up, etc. We need more pics.
Rodney

So my ultrex has Bluetooth on it. Can I buy a remote and pair it up? I like to let my wife fish the bow but she doesn't want to run the trolling motor.


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Quote from: Mike the fox on November 24, 2022, 09:54:32 AM
So my ultrex has Bluetooth on it. Can I buy a remote and pair it up? I like to let my wife fish the bow but she doesn't want to run the trolling motor.


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Yes, there is a remote and there's also an app for your phone.

https://www.amazon.com/Minn-Kota-I-Pilot-Micro-Remote/dp/B01M64J23B (https://www.amazon.com/Minn-Kota-I-Pilot-Micro-Remote/dp/B01M64J23B)
https://a.co/d/dEsp80h (https://a.co/d/dEsp80h)

Congratulations on the boat!

Thanks. Just downloaded the app and it works good. I wonder how bad it will kill the battery on my phone? If it would be better to just buy the remote?


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Quote from: Mike the fox on November 24, 2022, 11:14:32 AM
Thanks. Just downloaded the app and it works good. I wonder how bad it will kill the battery on my phone? If it would be better to just buy the remote?


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I'm using a Samsung Galaxy S10 and it does fine, but I use and prefer the large remote with touch screen. I've used the app  at most two or three hours and not a lot if difference in battery strength. I suppose if I let my phone hang where it could be more quickly accessed, I might use it more. I use the Auto Pilot, Record Track, and Spotlock most of the time and for me the remote is a lot more convenient.

i use the remote a lot more than i would use a bluetooth connection on my phone. 

Congrats on the new ride  ~c~  Tks for sharing the picture with us also.. That's a really nice looking Skeeter there  ;)

I had an early I-Pilot, no bluetooth, I just hung the remote around my neck so it was right there if I needed it, worked well.
Rodney

I ordered the remote. Figured it was easier than digging out my phone every time I want to make an adjustment. Besides one of the best parts about being on the water is not looking at your phone.


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Congratulations

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Took her out for a few hours on Rayburn yesterday. Boat ran fine. Wife caught a couple small bass. I caught nothing. It's going to take some getting used to all the boats. When I was in Maine there obviously were other people fishing but this is on another level. Holy smokes! One thing I didn't understand. There was a tournament out of the same landing we used. We fisherman's not far from the landing. At about 10:50 a.m. all kinds of boats raced for the landing. 20 or 30 minutes later they all left again and headed back down lake. Why? Mid day weigh in?


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Mike, sounds like the tournament was a Big Bass event.  Prizes are awarded through out the day as established by certain cut off times for morning vs afternoon catches. 

That makes sense.


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Quote from: Bud Kennedy on December 04, 2022, 11:28:08 AM
Mike, sounds like the tournament was a Big Bass event.  Prizes are awarded through out the day as established by certain cut off times for morning vs afternoon catches.

Or a MLF format type of event.

Quote from: Mike the fox on December 04, 2022, 11:20:35 AM
Took her out for a few hours on Rayburn yesterday. Boat ran fine. Wife caught a couple small bass. I caught nothing. It's going to take some getting used to all the boats. When I was in Maine there obviously were other people fishing but this is on another level. Holy smokes! One thing I didn't understand. There was a tournament out of the same landing we used. We fisherman's not far from the landing. At about 10:50 a.m. all kinds of boats raced for the landing. 20 or 30 minutes later they all left again and headed back down lake. Why? Mid day weigh in?


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Lakes pretty quiet in Maine today ;)

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I bet it is. This time of year you might find a duck hunter out there but I'd say 99.9% of anglers have put the boat away and are getting geared up to go ice drinking err um, I mean ice fishing.


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Quote from: Mike the fox on December 05, 2022, 05:42:32 PM
I bet it is. This time of year you might find a duck hunter out there but I'd say 99.9% of anglers have put the boat away and are getting geared up to go ice drinking err um, I mean ice fishing.
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Versus drinking in the boar?
Lakes her are pretty quiet too.
Rodney

Honestly I've seen way less drinking in a boat than ice fishing. Not saying it doesn't happen but I know plenty of folks who go out to the ice shack every weekend and never set a tip up.


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Here's a question for the UB braintrust. Can I put a console on the passenger side of my skeeter? Wife complains that she can't get a breath of air when we're cruising. I know it's probably too old to buy a new one but could a used one be found or is it a unicorn made from unobtainium?


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There is bound to be one for that model Skeeter. So many people "opt out" of the passenger consoles probably a warehouse full of em lol.

And I agree a passenger console is a must for long runs in cold weather.

46 years bass fishing. 22 years guiding and fishing tournaments. Almost 20 years selling boats. Say "No" to Nitro...

Dale

D.W. I did say no to nitro. Where would I start looking for a console?


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I haven't been around Skeeter for years (ran a sponsored boat back in the 90's). Do they even offer a removeable console? I ran Tide Craft boats at the end of my career and they are a LOT like Skeeter. If you could find one, maybe? Of course it'd be RED or something.

I'd go to a fabrication shop that does aluminum (race cars, etc.) Maybe one that does custom Duct work. They could build a simple console I'll bet that could be Dzussed in place. I'd bet this will be your best option. It won't be cheap either, but nothing concerning bass boats is ever cheap.

Congratulations on the move, and the boat. Best of luck with it.

Dale

Talked to a buddy who works with Skeeter and he said they wouldn't have any from that far back on hand. He recommended calling Fun n Sun in Hurst TX and see what they had.

If they are detachable maybe a more current year boat of the same model could work?

Very cool! Thank you very much!


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Quote from: Mike the fox on December 17, 2022, 03:56:01 PM
Here's a question for the UB braintrust. Can I put a console on the passenger side of my skeeter? Wife complains that she can't get a breath of air when we're cruising. I know it's probably too old to buy a new one but could a used one be found or is it a unicorn made from unobtainium?


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My first 2 boats had a dual console (for her I thought).  3rd boat had a removable console. My wife preferred the console out. My current boat, maybe the last boat, is a single console. Barb doesn't fish in the rain, if I am smart I don't go over 35 mph with her :) The boat is so much bigger with a single  console.

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Dual console was on the "wants" list. This boat had everything else I wanted and the price was right so I bought it but to be honest I'm missing my Lund Alaskan. Hopefully the skeeter will grow on me. What are you running for a boat, Eric?


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In the mean time, buy her a Save Phace Sport Utility mask. I have one on board for my fishing partners and they greatly appreciate it when it's cold, rainy, or just going fast sometimes.

https://www.amazon.com/Save-Phace-3012749-Spiderman-Utility/dp/B01MXYEVG7/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=save+phace+fishing+mask&qid=1671413650&sr=8-2 (https://www.amazon.com/Save-Phace-3012749-Spiderman-Utility/dp/B01MXYEVG7/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=save+phace+fishing+mask&qid=1671413650&sr=8-2)

^^^ oh yeah those things are Awesome!!! Can allow her to pick out a fav color/design too!

Yeah, she's definitely not going to be into wearing that!


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Quote from: Mike the fox on December 18, 2022, 10:28:14 AM
Dual console was on the "wants" list. This boat had everything else I wanted and the price was right so I bought it but to be honest I'm missing my Lund Alaskan. Hopefully the skeeter will grow on me. What are you running for a boat, Eric?


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Ranger 521

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