There has been some recent chatter lately on FB about bass boats and why one brand is better than the other and here is our take on this discussion. First everyone is different as we all have different tastes. Some guys buy bass boats just for their looks. Some guys buy because of the name of the brand of bass boat . And some guys buy certain brands because they have owned one or the other brands and found something better. The best way to look for your next bass boat is to take a close look at the build quality of the entire package. Start by looking at the trailer- Does it have the right bearing & brake system - Look and make sure it has Vault Hubs. Vault hubs are maintenance free and are warrantied for a minimum of 5 years. If it has oil bath hubs expect to do maintenance on these regularly. Does it have a good trailer jack as well as dependable long lasting lighting. Is the trailer coated for rust protection. Most bass boat trailers have some type of rust protection sprayed on the trailer. If you find a trailer that does not have this protection you are asking for trouble and I mean expensive trouble. Now comes the fun part of your boat search and this is critical in making the best decision for the $50+ thousand you are going to spend on a new bass boat. Look real close and I mean real close at the lay-out of the brands you are looking at. For example start at the drivers seat. Is the entire console visible - Are the gauges and graph in full view. If they are great. Now look at the console itself - really look closely - Most consoles are modular which is standard for bass boats, but here are the details you need to be concerned with. Look underneath the console. If you see wires hanging down or the console is open underneath you are asking for trouble in the long run. If you see trim ( The black edge piece) on the bottom of the console attached by rivets your asking for trouble as this trim piece will be sitting on the floor or your lap in a matter of months. The trim piece is not for looks it is added to cover the rough edge of the fiberglass. If the trim piece falls off due to the rivets popping out(Poor Engineering) your dealer will have a challenge trying to make it look the same as when you bought it. Find a bass boat with a closed console you will be way happier in the long run. One suggestion would be to look at Phoenix Bass Boats console it is totally enclosed. If you have dual consoles make sure you have enough room to maneuver between them. Some boats are 12 wide between the two- not enough room in my opinion. The best ones are 18+ inches in width. This is important because I can guarantee you will have a time when you are fighting that fish of a lifetime and you will need to run between the to catch that fish. Removable consoles offer the best of all worlds - Take a close look at Phoenix Bass Boats patented removable console. It can be removed in less than 30 seconds to give you more room to fight fish. Most major brands have tried to copy it but what you will find is that other brands removable console is way harder to remove. Some of them are bolted in and others are using a toggle style anchor used in drywall. The toggle style is a joke and has been used by a relative new comer in the market that just arrived in the NW. Another item to look at closely is tackle storage - Is it adequate for all your tackle or is it massive where you can store your entire arsenal. My preference since I am a tournament angler is massive. Is the tackle storage made of fiberglass or plastic? Cheaper boats have plastic trays. The best have tackle storage systems built into the top cap of the boat made of fiberglass/composite. Seating - Now here is the interesting part in my opinion as I have ridden in every brand out there. Two types of seats are used these days in bass boats, bench and bucket. Bucket seats are the best and here is why. If you make a sharp turn you dont slide across the seat like a bench seat. I have taken sharp turns in some brands with bench seats and have slid all the away cross to my passengers seat. Not the safest way to drive. Check the materials used and make sure they are quality. Look closely at the trim along the carpet padding. Here again if rivets are used that is the cheapest fastener and most unreliable method of holding the trim down. Screws are the best fastener used for this application. Rod and side box storage - I go back to this as its very important in your search. Make sure rod storage holds a minimum of 10 rods in the port side rod organizer and there is plenty of room to remove and place your rods in the organizer. Side/rear storage boxes - Make sure they are made of fiberglass and not plastic. Small plastic drop in trays are fine. But totally plastic full drop in boxes are junk. Plastic warps/changes shape, and make sure all of them are big enough for both you and your partner. Dinky rear storage boxes are worthless. Bilge/Battery Box - Make sure it has additional room for power pole pumps, spare prop, etc. and is clean and organized. Ride,Handling and Stability = Performance - Two most important details in a bass boat today that will decide which brand you choose. Ride - Make sure the boat is test driven in at least a two foot chop. If you dont have a two foot chop create one. When you are riding in a two foot chop the boat should Not be plowing the water creating a jarring effect on your back and not be getting you wet. If it does any of these your not in the right boat. A good quality bass boat should be riding on top the waves, not getting you wet and feeling as you were driving a sports car. It should be able to tightly turn in a corner without hooking - If the boat you are testing hooks in a corner you could be possibly thrown out of the boat. There will come a time when another boat or PWC is not paying attention and you will need a boat that has the ability to make a sharp turn at any speed without the potential to hook. Drive a Phoenix and you will see what I mean by total performance & handling. Stability - Make sure you are not getting a lot of rocking when your standing on the front deck. Stability also has a lot to do with balance. Does the boat feel balanced when two people are front and back. Company and dealership behind the product - Make sure the manufacturer & dealer doesnt treat you like a number. Its in there best interest to listen to you as a customer so others will follow. If your dealer doesnt respond to you in a favorable manner drive the extra distance to a dealer who will. These are just some things to really consider when buying your next bass boat. Drive, fish, and run different brands and you will see the difference. Good luck in your search and get to fishing!!! Russ Baker
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 04:32:47 +0000
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