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.
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.
Comment