Picking A Bass Boat

Picking A Bass Boat

By Todd Reed

The ability to get out on the water, away from the hustle and bustle is a wonderful thing. As I get older, therapy time in a boat is invaluable. As a youngster, I dreamt of having a bass boat, just like the pros on the Bassmaster tournament trail back in the 80’s. I am not sure if it was big motors, the sparkly finish of the boat, or the way those guys could catch bass out them, but I wanted one! I was able to fish out of dozens of bass boats through high school and college, and that just confirmed the “need” for one. When I graduated college and got my first job, I soon got a part time job to save up for my first bass boat. A 1984, 16-foot aluminum Bass Tacker was my first bass boat, I was so proud of that boat. Since then, I have owned a few more bass boats, each one of them a little better than the last. Looking back, they are only tools to get us out on the water to enjoy that simple pleasure…reeling in our next catch. Today, there are so many choices when it comes to picking out a bass boat, it may seem very confusing, I hope to narrow down that confusion for you.

Where to Start
The mature doe passed by at twelve yardBass boats come in two different varieties these days. You can buy an aluminum or a fiberglass boat. Each different type of boat has advantages and disadvantages for chasing bass around the state of Iowa. As far as brands and manufacturers are concerned, there are a lot of quality boats out there to choose from. First, decide your budget. The amount of money you have to spend may help decide in which direction you may turn when finalizing your pick. In general, the same size aluminum boat will cost quite a bit less than a fiberglass boat. Each boat could be rigged with the same engine, trolling motor, electronics and livewells, but the fiberglass boat will cost you more.

Market Research
Once a person has their budget figured out, the search is on. Perhaps you have enough to purchase a new boat, or you may be looking for something on the cheaper side. The cost will limit you on some items, but there are many boats out there for sale between $10,000 and $20,000 that are used and will suit you well for many years. Some large money items on boats that make the price go up quickly include electronics, upper-level trolling motors, and anchoring systems. These things seem to be normal on bass boats, but with power anchors costing a few thousand dollars, added in with another $2,000 for a trolling motor, and then top it off with $6,000 in electronics…as you can see you don’t even have a boat yet and you have $10,000 wrapped up in those three large ticket items. If those things are important to you and are all “must haves” then know that your budget will be wrapped up in those costs. Both types of boats can be loaded up with extras, planning and deciding what your boat must have on it is a good step to take in the early stages of this process.

Pros/Cons of an Aluminum Boat: I have already mentioned that these boats will cost less money. Another advantage to aluminum boats is the overall weight of them, they are considerably lighter than fiberglass boats. They are much easier to pull down the road and they take less water to float them. Typically, an aluminum boat can float into more shallow areas than a fiberglass boat. If you really like to fish rivers, this can be a huge advantage. Nobody likes to scratch or scrape their boat, but fixing an aluminum boat is much less than a fiberglass boat too. A disadvantage of having an aluminum boat is that they are light. Yes, it is good at times and bad at times. Windy days will cause some extra headaches in an aluminum boat over a fiberglass boat. The wind will push the lighter boat around much more easily, this applies to current too. Being a lighter boat does make it a little more apt to tip from side to side while fishing. This isn’t a make-or-break item, but if you have some balance issues or will be taking older folks out it does make a big difference. One last thing that I have noticed in aluminum boats is they can be much noisier than fiberglass. Moving around in some aluminum bass boats displaces a lot of noise and vibrations into the water, this is not the case with a fiberglass boat. One last note about aluminum boats is how they are constructed. An all-welded boat is much better than a riveted boat, much sturdier and less likely to spring a leak at a rivet.
Pro/Cons of a fiberglass boat: Fiberglass boat are heavier, making them harder to pull on the road. Another con is trolling motor power, if you are looking at a fiberglass boat over 19 feet long, I strongly suggest a 36-volt trolling motor. This option will add extra cost to the trolling motor, and you will need three batteries just for your trolling motor. A fiberglass boat looks pretty, but that comes with a lot of time washing/buffing/waxing it to get that nice shine. This could be a pro or a con of this type of boat, you will have to decide on that. Fiberglass boats offer a smooth ride at high speeds and windy conditions, they also offer a ride that is drier than an aluminum boat in those not-so-nice weather conditions.

My final take on this subject includes finding what is important to you and those that will be using the boat. Manufacturers from many companies in the past ten years have made huge progress on the aluminum side of bass boats. They keep getting better and better each year. At the same time the fiberglass boats just keep getting more user friendly and comfortable, you can even get heated seats as an option! Start with you budget, decide on those big-ticket items; trolling motor, electronics and anchors and start cruising around the internet for your next boat. No matter what boat you may end up with, you will always be able to tinker with it and make it your own to fit your fishing style. Which in the end, that is all we want, a boat that fits our fishing situations and allow us to enjoy our time on the water chasing those beautiful bass around our great state.