Looking at a buying a phoenix

Weekendwarrior11 · February 11, 2014, 04:28:16 PM

I have been thinking about getting a new boat. Always been a skeeter man but saw where Wood marine in Ruston started carrying phoenix so I decided to ride over and look at them. Fell in love with the 921. Really like the lay out and seems to be very fisherman friendly. Seems to be very reasonably priced compared to other brands too. Problem is that I do not know anybody that has a phoenix. The majority of the reviews seem to be very good. I was wondering of anybody had some first hand knowledge of them? How do they drive and ride? Any problems? Good choice? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

sillybass · February 11, 2014, 06:17:21 PM

Darold_31 here on the forums runs one and is a guide on Toledo Bend and also fishes the Opens. JMGullo also on the forums has one on order and he should have it in the next few weeks. Tell Gary at Wood Marine you want to ride in one and Im sure It can be arranged.

I sent you a PM

bluebonnet2 · February 11, 2014, 06:23:08 PM

good evening,

check out the BBC boards....

good luck,
PURA VIDA,
bluebonnet2

Mike Cork · February 12, 2014, 06:50:44 AM

There are several owners here on UB hopefully they will be along soon to help out. They have been wanting their own board here on Ultimate Bass and as soon as there are enough threads that will happen

Polaris425 · February 12, 2014, 08:33:49 AM

I looked at one a while back, opened some lids & checked out the dividers inside, etc...

I was not impressed with the quality of the deck/lids. Fit & finish just didn't seem to be what it is on other boats. They all seemed flimsy & thin. The parts inside like rod holders & dividers were thin cheap flimsy plastic.

There's probably a reason that a company can sell a similarly equipped boat for a LOT less than other brands, and that reason is usually cutting corners on materials & quality.

Now granted I've never ridden in one or fished from one but, this is just my opinion from my experience with looking at one at the dealer. All i did was check out the deck, lids, etc... And I wasn't impressed at all.

Weekendwarrior11 · February 13, 2014, 06:20:34 PM

Quote from: sillybass on February 11, 2014, 06:17:21 PM
Darold_31 here on the forums runs one and is a guide on Toledo Bend and also fishes the Opens. JMGullo also on the forums has one on order and he should have it in the next few weeks. Tell Gary at Wood Marine you want to ride in one and Im sure It can be arranged.

I sent you a PM

I talked to Jody when I was over there and a few times since then. Seems like a good guy. Easy to talk to and was not trying to force feed me a boat. I hate pushy salesman. They have a 921 I am thinking mighty hard about.

unpaulie · February 18, 2014, 10:12:40 AM

Shoot me a PM if you would like some information. I have a Phoenix 920 XP and love it! We fish the Potomac and Upper Bay which gets rough with no issues. I take care of my stuff but am not afraid to push my gear and have been very very pleased.

As far as the cheaper and quality comments see below.

Phoenix has aluminum lids as does Bass Cat
Phoenix uses same rod tie downs as Ranger
Phoenix rod holders are made out of Marine Starboard at the butt
Phoenix rod dividers are standard golf tube with Marine Starboard
Standard Southco Latches across all models
Standard Stainless Hardware across all models (including lifting shocks, cleats, livewell drains etc.)
Privately owned company who answers email and phone calls (personal experience)

Polaris425 · February 18, 2014, 10:44:25 AM

Quote from: unpaulie on February 18, 2014, 10:12:40 AM

As far as the cheaper and quality comments see below.

Phoenix has aluminum lids as does Bass Cat

Same material, does not mean same quality. Just saying....

unpaulie · February 18, 2014, 11:02:46 AM

I respect your opinion but disagree. Being a current owner I do not see the quality issues you speak of.

Love the Bass Cat brand as well and they were on my short list. But there were a couple of features on the Phoenix that pushed me to the Phoenix over Bass Cat. Price was not part of my decision.

1. Padded Front Deck
2. Wider Beam (Cougar FTD vs Phoenix 920)
3. Ability to flush mount 9" screens at the bow
4. Softer Ride

PS I am not Pro Staffer. Just and average weekend warrior.

BassCatBates · February 18, 2014, 11:50:26 AM

If you bought a Phoenix over a Cat for a "softer" ride, you did not get in a correctly set up Cat. BTW softer also means SLOWER.

Seriously, I have no problem with Phoenix. Only thing I don't like is the paint schemes. They remind be of high end aluminum rigs the way they look.... just personal preference I suppose.

unpaulie · February 18, 2014, 11:54:17 AM

LOL, this is a fun debate.

I have seen 78 and change GPS. But, I am still tweaking setup. The new Torquemaster 2 (Wingmaster) is confusing to setup.

DCJohnson · March 12, 2014, 06:39:55 PM

I just bought a 2012 Phoenix 619 Pro last week. This one has all the upgrades to make it equivalent to the 719 ProXP except that it has a single axle trailer and a 200 (Yamaha SHO) instead of a 225. I've only had it out a couple of times, but so far I love it. Lots of storage for a 19'8" boat and rides great.

E5Zero · March 16, 2014, 04:00:42 PM

Warrior, I bought a 721 a year ago, moving over from a Nitro. I have been more than pleased with my boat. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, I will give you an honest straight up answer.

As to the commentary about inferior components or construction, as a former Nitro owner I saw and heard enough of that to last me a lifetime, to hear it relating to a Phoenix, I call, well I will reserve that. With the Nitro bashing I saw over 4 years, I ignored it. It all comes down to the old Ford vs Chevy debate. Get the boat you want, ask good questions, and you will get good answers.

Good luck on your decision, do your homework and go with what your gut tells you.

Polaris425 · March 16, 2014, 04:12:07 PM

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. And that's all he should take them as. I agree he should go look at them, ride in one, and if that's what he wants by all means get it. That's what I did.

I wasn't bashing Phoenix, I'm sorry you took it that way. He asked what we thought of them, and I was just simply stating that I was not impressed with what I saw, when I looked at a brand new one sitting in a dealer showroom. And explained what I wasn't impressed with. Nothing more nothing less. Everyone else seemed to want to start the brand war. Not me. He asked what we thought and I reported what I thought. And that was it.

caddyjoe77 · March 17, 2014, 11:53:23 AM

I too, have recently started lokoing at a phoenix. In fact, I may go look at one tonight. A 2011 619. Interested mostly in the storage and width of the front deck. Also, going to give it the deck lid test to see how strong/weak they are.

Talked to the guy that currently owns it about speed. With a 200 opti from the factory he is seeing 67 fully loaded. No tweaking at all. he claims he has a couple friends with the same platform and they get over 70. Obviously, I wont be able to see that tonight but before I even get to that testing point, I want to check out the quality first.

One thing I do like is the price points. The standard features that are upgrades everywhere else.

I will report back tonight after I look at it.

caddyjoe77 · March 19, 2014, 09:45:39 AM

I went to look at one last night. A 2011 619. Wow, what a sweet boat. The passenger rod box is awesome, and capable of storing up to 7 foot rods. The front deck is more than roomy enough. And with a 200, without mods will run in the high 60's, which for me is more than sufficient. With some jackplate mods, I have heard of this model getting over 70.

I walked all round the front deck, and the deck lids seemed to be high quality. No bowing or anything of the sort that I noticed.

In fact, I was considering making an offer, except the boat was not very well taken care of. Livewells were really dirty, and stained. Plus the carpet was matted down. So, I have decided this will more than likely be my next boat. But, maybe not this particular one.

BassmanRudy · March 19, 2014, 09:58:26 AM

Captk88 on here runs a Phoenix and fishes several tourney trails. He is also a Coast Guard guy by profession so if he trusts one... Anyways I am sure he would be happy to answer any questions y'all have if you shoot him a Pm or he happens to see this post. Great guy/fisherman!!

Bud Kennedy · March 19, 2014, 10:40:20 AM

Scott McGehee on this site is also a Phoenix Owner. He is running a 721 pro and would be more than happy to talk about them. His website www.mybasslife.com also has some videos he has taken about the boat and he also has them on you tube. This is Scott's second Phoenix and is also sponsored by them. Also Chuck D of this site is a former Phoenix owner and now runs a Bass Cat. I am sure he can give you the straight story. He once wrote a review on Phoenix that got a lot of views on my former site and hopefully he could repost if he has a copy. He is a frequent boat trader and studies all the boats in great detail and might be able to answer any questions you may have.