Boat Purchase

[R22]

I am in the market for a boat. I currently have open bow runabout and a bass boat but want something more for striper fishing. My thoughts are to sell my runabout and get a center console in hopes that it will suffice when it comes to family water activities. We have a house on the lake and there are a half dozen times per year that I need to pull a couple of tubes or a skier. For those of you that have gone this route, am I thinking clearly to dispose of the "family boat"?

Even though we like to bass fish, do I sell the bass boat and keep the runabout? The question becomes, can the center console work as well as the bass boat for bass fishing?

I would very much appreciate your feedback. I want the pros and cons along with the recommendations of boats. Other than the posts on this site, I know very little about center console brands other than what I have read on this site. I have been looking online along with reading reviews and find that pricing seems to be a reflection of these reviews.

I intend to use the boat in SML only. Is there a particular style I look for such as a bay boat?

What brand do I look for or stay away from? For example, Sea Fox gets some marginal quality reviews and NauticStar seems to undersize their engines.

Is there an engine brand to look for or stay away from?

For size consideration, I want to be comfortable not cramped. There will commonly be 1 or 2 fishing but when the kids are there, there may be 5 people on the boat. One thing I learned so far, striper fishing is expensive and it takes a lot of space. I am not trying to buy a huge boat but simply error on the larger size while finding a decent balance for tubing and skiing.

I will be looking for a low mileage (hour) used model.

Thanks to everyone in advance for your replies.

[ready2fish]

Hi R22 - If you are looking for a good used bay boat already rigged for striper fishing, check out the boat Wish has for sale under the Market tab on this site. Its a great boat that's been well taken care of.

[mwardncsu]

Taking a look at Wish's boat would be a good idea - 5 might be a little tight on it for fishing being a 21' though - but if its mostly 1-2, or 2-3 then it would be a good option.

A lot of Bay Boats setup for striper fishing on the lake - good mix of deck space for casting and fishability. You sacrifice creature comforts/ family space & seating though.

Another route is to look at a Deck Boat - Hurricane has a "center console" deck boat which is a good cross-over platform for fishing & family fun.

HokieChad has the 21' version, and they make a 23' version. The only downside to the 21' is space for a bait tank, which you could overcome if you got a leaning post made to sit over the bait tank like mine..... With the 23' I think you'd have enough floor space for the tank. Chad has a smaller tank (20 gal?) that he puts on the rear bench seat when fishing - works well enough.

www.smlfishingforums.proboards.com/thread/15/hokiechad-hurricane-gs-211

[mwardncsu]

Also, on engines - I was scared away from a Suzuki after a horror story from one of the guides when his blew up and he could not get parts/service for a long time. That said I know several guys here running them for a long time with good success. There are a few Yamaha certified mechanics on the lake and parts are accessible, so that gets my thumbs up. Honda's also seem to run strong. I think the net is that all the marine outboards are good motors as long as you don't get a dud, and any mfg may have a dud. The key to me is the ability to get service & parts when an issue does arise....

[smlmike]

My uncle is helping a recent widow to sell her husbands 2005 Triumph center console boat. The only details I have, is it has a trailer, very clean, been in fresh & saltwater, and he used it to do some striper fishing. I supposed to be getting some pics and more information soon. My uncle is in the process of getting it ready to sell.

[mytoyzfishing]

Like Mward said with a CC bay boat, unless you find the right layout you will give up some seating. That is the main reason my arm was twisted to sell mine to get a pontoon which I am regreating ever since I did it over a year ago. I saw some realy sweat set up CC deck boats at the last boat show i went to. As for the bass boat, it all depends on what type of fishing you are going to be mainly doing. Fish dont care what you are sitting in. But if you are fishing bass tournaments you might just want to hold onto the bass boat.

A bass boat can be used for striper fishing and I am bound and determined it can be done If I can just find the time to get out on the water to test it out

[BentRod]

Around SML, buy Yamaha. I think Suzukis are the best motors performance wise, but if something breaks, you're screwed. Yamahas are really good and Hondas aren't bad either but they are heavy and always have that whine to them. I hear a lot of bad things about the Etec motors. I'd buy a Yamaha without hestitation if I was buying new, even though they're usually the highest price wise. If you're buying used without warranty, it doesn't really matter as long as the motor is in good shape.

[R22]

Visited Chatlee today. Very Nice, very helpful people. The used 23 ft. Sea Hunt they have listed is very nice with lots of room but lots of money.

Does anyone have any experience with the newer Yamaha 250 with the digital controls?

Is the deeper V in any way a concern at SML?

Thanks Again.

[mwardncsu]

I have the "250B" which I bet is the same motor on that 232 Ultra at Chatlee. It's "throttle by wire" - no throttle cable to get stuck - of course I guess it's another piece of electronics to break down the line. No issues in almost 4 years and almost 300 hours on the motor. You just have yo warn folks driving it not to lay down on the throttle unless they mean it

The Ultra claims the same draft as my bay boat at 15". I bet it drafts a little more but perhaps not much. It will give a better ride but with the deep v, though maybe a title less stable at rest - main concern I'd have is as I mentioned in the PM about mounting a trolling motor and bait tank.


Did you look at the deck boat?

[R22]

Thanks mward. I did look at the deck boat but the salesperson and the sales manager both spoke pretty strongly against that move. Nothing really to look at other than the used model and it was really used. They claim that Hurricane will be moving away from that center console for several reasons.

They indicate that the trolling motor is not an issue. It will take a long shaft but it seemed insignificant to them. A 36V I-pilot installed for about $2000. Do you see this a questionable functionality at the lake?

I did look at the bay style boats and although I like them, I feel the bay boat utilizes lots of floor space for lockers and makes the use for family purpose and even bait tank placement less desirable.

The showed me the Nautic Star. Nice boat but as the sales staff begin to compare it to the Sea Hunt, you begin to lose interest pretty quickly. Nautic Star has a lot of built in features that I could not imagine ever using. These features take up considerable floor space.

I did ask their lack of competitiveness in the Nauctic Star as was indicated in a recent post by another member. They readily admit that they are likely $3000 higher than most Nautic Star dealers since they only keep a few boats in stock, must wait 4 months for delivery from Mississippi and the difference being shipping and dealer rebate. Probably the reason the member indicated the sales person wanted to sell "that boat". Chatlee was a great referral for the Sea Hunt but probably not so much for the Nautic Star unless they happen to have what you want in stock.

Still don't know what I will do. Thanks Again for all the help. Any additional comments are appreciated.

[R22]

Is the NADA avg. retail price a typical selling price when combining the boat, features, motor and trailer?

I want to negotiate a better deal but the sales manager claims the avg. retail on the boat is just north of 41K

[Bert]

This time of year combined with 2014 models coming out you should be able to get a good deal if you have patiance and are willng to shop around.

[hotdog]

I think this is a sweet deal.

smlfishingforums.proboards.com/thread/1423/2008-mako-2201-stroke-suzuki

[Bert]

I've got a 160 Sea Hunt that I may be selling later this fall. Let me know if you want more details.

[piper]

Oct 2, 2013 18:49:34 GMT -5 mytoyzfishing said:

Like Mward said with a CC bay boat, unless you find the right layout you will give up some seating. That is the main reason my arm was twisted to sell mine to get a pontoon which I am regreating ever since I did it over a year ago. I saw some realy sweat set up CC deck boats at the last boat show i went to. As for the bass boat, it all depends on what type of fishing you are going to be mainly doing. Fish dont care what you are sitting in. But if you are fishing bass tournaments you might just want to hold onto the bass boat.

A bass boat can be used for striper fishing and I am bound and determined it can be done If I can just find the time to get out on the water to test it out

I use my 17.5 Procraft 1-2 times a week for striper fishing. Right now it's perfect for me and a buddy and a 55 gallon drum/bait tank. I bought a fold n troll and it has been the ticket for holding 4 rods at a time. I will say I downline fish 80 percent of the time.  I wouldn't use it for down rigging but I bet a few planers would be fine.    Sooooo I say keep the bass boat and the coin and invest it somewhere else