Any center console bass fisherman?

[scott123456789]

Greetings, I am waiting for the market to crash to jump into my first boat. However, I am struggling to determine what it is I really "need." I'm looking for the boat to be 70% bass fishing, including the occasional working man's tournament and serving as a captain for high school anglers.

The other 30% of the time is where I'm struggling on sticking to a bass boat or moving into a bay style center console. I enjoy wakeboard (I know I'm not going to get a Mastercraft wake from anything I'm looking at) striper fishing in the summer, try to get out a few times a summer to scuba dive, and the big wild card is I grew up taking a yearly trip to the coast to fish the bays for a variety of fish.

Hesitation:
The ability to have ocean capability is great, but I do have to be realistic and know that I live 7 hours from the coast and taking a guided trip may be cheaper than the gas to drag it down.

When I fish with my buddies, I take 5+ rods as do they and we spread them out on the front and back deck. On a bay boat without carpet that doesn't seem reasonable as I don't want to destroy expensive rod/reels. Using the center console storage is too slow for bass fishing, have to be ready to jump from a flipping rig to moving bait as we move through different areas.

With the larger profile of the center console, getting pushed around in the wind isn't fun especially as every high school tournament this year had 15-20 mph winds.

Questions:
Stupid to even mention, but would you say a bay boat would provide better year round resale?

Would compromising to have some better potential outside of bass fishing just annoy me when the main reason I am getting a boat is to bass fish?

Is it ignorant to think a 19' bay boat would be safer than a 19' bass boat in 25-35 mph winds?

I can't afford a reliable 60mph Bay boat, would being slow be a let down in working man's tournaments and in the high school game.


Potential Rides:
Looking for used later 2000 with a Yamaha.
Skeeter ZX190, Ranger 518, Skeeter ZX20Bay, Nautic Star 1910, Mako LTS 18, Slightly looking at RT188 and RB190 as I could just about swing new to have utmost reliability and even warranty


If you made it this far, I'd be grateful for any and all advice you can provide.

[Puggy625]

If the majority of your fishing will be for bass, get a bass rig. You WILL regret it otherwise. Trust me.

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[pervis]

Mastercraft csx.... just joking. Get 2 boats. That's what I did. I have a 01 xstar that I've had since 01 in college, then I bought a mud rig like 2 or 3 yrs ago. We fish and hunt from the mud rig and wakeboard have fun w the mastercraft

[hogslayer78]

I was in your same shoes. I mainly catfish and crappie fish but love to bass fish also. I have a son that fishes for Sam Houston State and also one that will be entering highschool and fishing highschool tournaments. I narrowed my decision down to the nautic star 1910 or xpress h20 bay. I knew I didn't want carpet for one, and then started thinking which one would be better to bass fish out of. I decided on the xpress h20 bay. The layout is perfect for bass fishing with nice size casting decks and it will float shallow for trolling up creeks and in coves. I also looked at the ranger rb190 aluminum center console and it was no comparison to the xpress. Mine has a yamaha sho 115 and runs 44mph with gear and 2 people. You can upgrade to 150 on this boat if you wanted. We fished a couple tournaments out of it and it was great. Handles rough water better than any aluminum boat if ever been in.

[TexanDuke]

I've bass fished out of a cc for the past 4 years, my experience in bass boats is limited to a ranger. Resale is a huge pro. Also I find interior maintenance to be much easier in a CC, especially if you're using it in fresh water. Personally I find the ride on a CC better in any windage, especially on a big lake.

[Radar]

For your yearly trip to the coast, you would be better off with a guide. You will catch more fish and not have to drag a boat four or five hours to get there.

[scott123456789]

Hogslayer when y'all are bass fishing do you just throw rods down on the front deck? Or stick to the vertical rod holders?

Also, can you take 10-15 rods on the boat or is that not possible.

Why was the xpress greater than the Ranger? I've read many extremely positive reviews of the ranger and their foam filled hulls. Their live well setup is stupid but otherwise ranger builds an extremely nice boat.


Was leaning towards a skeeter to give the option of fishing the skeeter owners tournament if I got the way of a bass boat.

[rocky]

Greetings, I am waiting for the market to crash to jump into my first boat. However, I am struggling to determine what it is I really "need." I'm looking for the boat to be 70% bass fishing, including the occasional working man's tournament and serving as a captain for high school anglers.

The other 30% of the time is where I'm struggling on sticking to a bass boat or moving into a bay style center console. I enjoy wakeboard (I know I'm not going to get a Mastercraft wake from anything I'm looking at) striper fishing in the summer, try to get out a few times a summer to scuba dive, and the big wild card is I grew up taking a yearly trip to the coast to fish the bays for a variety of fish.

Hesitation:
The ability to have ocean capability is great, but I do have to be realistic and know that I live 7 hours from the coast and taking a guided trip may be cheaper than the gas to drag it down.

When I fish with my buddies, I take 5+ rods as do they and we spread them out on the front and back deck. On a bay boat without carpet that doesn't seem reasonable as I don't want to destroy expensive rod/reels. Using the center console storage is too slow for bass fishing, have to be ready to jump from a flipping rig to moving bait as we move through different areas.

With the larger profile of the center console, getting pushed around in the wind isn't fun especially as every high school tournament this year had 15-20 mph winds.

Questions:
Stupid to even mention, but would you say a bay boat would provide better year round resale?

Would compromising to have some better potential outside of bass fishing just annoy me when the main reason I am getting a boat is to bass fish?

Is it ignorant to think a 19' bay boat would be safer than a 19' bass boat in 25-35 mph winds?

I can't afford a reliable 60mph Bay boat, would being slow be a let down in working man's tournaments and in the high school game.


Potential Rides:
Looking for used later 2000 with a Yamaha.
Skeeter ZX190, Ranger 518, Skeeter ZX20Bay, Nautic Star 1910, Mako LTS 18, Slightly looking at RT188 and RB190 as I could just about swing new to have utmost reliability and even warranty


If you made it this far, I'd be grateful for any and all advice you can provide.

I’ve fished out of an X20 Bay for 2 years. It is an all around great boat for multi- species, and more than adequate for bass fishing. Call Sartin Marine in Yantis Tx. They have a great used CC Xpress H20 Bay, with carpet, with warranty.

[hogslayer78]

Hogslayer when y'all are bass fishing do you just throw rods down on the front deck? Or stick to the vertical rod holders?

Also, can you take 10-15 rods on the boat or is that not possible.

Why was the xpress greater than the Ranger? I've read many extremely positive reviews of the ranger and their foam filled hulls. Their live well setup is stupid but otherwise ranger builds an extremely nice boat.


Was leaning towards a skeeter to give the option of fishing the skeeter owners tournament if I got the way of a bass boat.

I can get 5 to 6 rods in each rod box. I normally will have 3 and my son 3. We just lay the 2 we are not using on the decks. And keep one or two in the vertical rod holders. The xpress is foam filled also. The ranger vertical rod holders aren't built in to the consloe just the screw in kind on each side. The inside layout of each is not even close. I didnt care for the ranger aluminum center console. There fiberglass bay boat is whole different animal though lol.

[Brazos Hunter]

I have fished fresh and salt out of this Kenner that is now in the classifieds






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[Mertzon Man]

I was in your same shoes. I mainly catfish and crappie fish but love to bass fish also. I have a son that fishes for Sam Houston State and also one that will be entering highschool and fishing highschool tournaments. I narrowed my decision down to the nautic star 1910 or xpress h20 bay. I knew I didn't want carpet for one, and then started thinking which one would be better to bass fish out of. I decided on the xpress h20 bay. The layout is perfect for bass fishing with nice size casting decks and it will float shallow for trolling up creeks and in coves. I also looked at the ranger rb190 aluminum center console and it was no comparison to the xpress. Mine has a yamaha sho 115 and runs 44mph with gear and 2 people. You can upgrade to 150 on this boat if you wanted. We fished a couple tournaments out of it and it was great. Handles rough water better than any aluminum boat if ever been in.

Wow awesome rig, dream fishing boat!

[Mertzon Man]

[quote=hogslayer78;13476150]I was in your same shoes. I mainly catfish and crappie fish but love to bass fish also. I have a son that fishes for Sam Houston State and also one that will be entering highschool and fishing highschool tournaments. I narrowed my decision down to the nautic star 1910 or xpress h20 bay. I knew I didn't want carpet for one, and then started thinking which one would be better to bass fish out of. I decided on the xpress h20 bay. The layout is perfect for bass fishing with nice size casting decks and it will float shallow for trolling up creeks and in coves. I also looked at the ranger rb190 aluminum center console and it was no comparison to the xpress. Mine has a yamaha sho 115 and runs 44mph with gear and 2 people. You can upgrade to 150 on this boat if you wanted. We fished a couple tournaments out of it and it was great. Handles rough water better than any aluminum boat if ever been in

[BolilloLoco]

You can fish for trout and redfish out of a bass boat. Did it for 20+ years.

[Brazos Hunter]

You can fish for trout and redfish out of a bass boat. Did it for 20+ years.

We did as a kid in a 12’ jon boat. A person can just about make anything work when they have to.


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[CookieMonster]

I faced this same dilemma 3yrs ago. I ended up going with a used Nautic Star 2200. It has allowed me to fish Rayburn and Toledo comfortably during high wind days as well as head south to chase some salty fish. The main factor that made me decide on the CC was more than 3 people fishing with me at a time. A bass boat gets crowded with 3 people fishing out of it and dangerous with 4 or more. I’ve had as many as 7 fishing out of my boat (which was an adventure and kinda dangerous in itself), but 5 can fish comfortably out of it. And when it comes to rods and storage, I took the rod tubes out of the rod box and using rod socks I can stack 12-13 rods in a box. We normally will leave one or two on the deck for quick use if needed otherwise we keep 2-4 in the vertical rod holders for quick access. And since it’s a CC, I hit it with a pressure washer when I get home to keep the inside clean and the water stain off of the outside. But...it’s not as pretty and fancy as a bass boat and even though I’m happy with it and it meets my needs...those high end bass rigs give me the fever to swap every spring.