Bass Boat
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
Guide to Buying Your First Bass Boat
Bass Boats have gone through a tremendous evolution to get to the point where they are today. The first “bass boat” was considered to be a hulled out canoe made from chippings off of very large trees. The Caddo Indians of east Texas and western Louisiana are credited with this type of boat “invention.”
They used these boats to fish to provide food for their families. Bass during that time were the number one food choice to enable families to survive. Fortunately for these families, bass were found in very large supplies in the swampy waterways of the southeastern United States, exactly where these tribes were located. Thus began the evolution of the bass boat as we know it today. Below are present day considerations and tips for purchasing a bass boat.
Consider your Towing Vehicle:
Bass boats and trailers with a full tank of gas and loaded with all the fishing gear easily weighs over 3500 pounds. Before you consider your purchase of a bass boat, make sure your towing vehicle can handle to the load. Also, remember to take into consideration towing up mountains and hills.
Bass Boats:
There are key questions that an angler looking into buying a bass boat needs to ask themselves. Where are you primarily going to be doing your fishing? What is the size of the body of water? Will it be small lakes and rivers? If so, perhaps all you will need is a small boat with a small outboard motor. If you are planning on fishing in larger bodies of water, a minimum of 19-foot boat is your best choice. Overall, the three main characteristics recognized and looked for in the bass boat of today are shallow draft, maneuverability and stability of the boat.
Lastly, if this is going to be your first bass boat purchase, you might want to consider buying a used boat. This way you can gain more experience and have a better idea of what you want in your next new boat purchase.
Aluminum Bass Boats:
Aluminum boats are much less expensive than fiberglass boats. Additionally aluminum boats are much more forgiving of occurrences that inevitable happen on the water; banging into a dock, running up into shallows, hitting submerged rocks or stumps and so forth. The downside is that aluminum bass boats ride much rougher than fiberglass boats and are easily blown around by even the slightest wind. Again, the size of the body you plan to bass fish on is clearly a tremendously important component in the decision making. If you are intending to fish in a small lake, a 16-17 foot aluminum bass boat would likely be a good choice.
Fiberglass Boats:
Fiberglass bass boats are much more expensive than aluminum but clearly there are reasons for this. Fiberglass bass boats are capable of handling rougher and bigger bodies of water, they give the boater a much smoother ride and they can go much faster than aluminum bass boats. Experts suggest that if you are considering going with a fiberglass bass boat that you purchase one with a 4-stroke outboard engine as opposed to a 2-stroke engine.
The reasoning is that even though they cost a bit more, they cover much more water as far as fuel is concerned, they are much quieter and much cleaner than a 2-stroke. The reduced fuel cost is estimated to pay-off for the additional cost of the engine in the long run. To give you an idea of the cost of a fiberglass bass boat, they usually range from $20,000 to a $40,000 top of the line boat.
New vs. Used Bass Boats:
There are advantages of buying a used bass boat. Clearly they will be less expensive than a new one and historically, used bass boats hold their value much better than a new one. Also, as mentioned above, is this is your first bass boat purchase, buying a used boat will give you a better understanding of what you may or may not want if you ever decide down the road to purchase a new bass boat. There are also disadvantages of purchasing a used bass boat. In the simplest way to state it, you may be buying someone else’s headache.
Outboard engines, as are found on bass boats, are known to be short lived and it is difficult to determine this on a causal inspection of the boat. The best suggestion is to either buy from someone you trust or have a professional inspect the boat and engine before purchasing. Lastly, just as in purchasing a car, the seller needs to be willing to negotiate on price with a used bass boat sale.
Obviously, the biggest advantage to buying a new bass boat is warranties and the sheer joy of owning a brand new bass boat!
Boat Handling:
Whether you decide to purchase a new or used bass boat, learning to handling it is a process that takes time. Every boat has its own “personality” and handles differently in every way. From launching to retrieval to water handling, bass boats are all different. A few examples of these differences are the sounds your engine makes when it is trimming, the way it pulls out and into shallow water and the correct engine positioning and trim tab positioning to get it up on plane. Bass boats are all different. Realizing this and knowing that it will take time to learn your boat will encourage you to spend more time on the boat and enjoying the wonderful sport of bass fishing!
About the Author
Read about volleyball terms and volleyball rotation at the Volleyball Drills website.
Everglades Extreme Bass Boat
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Womens Bass Boater Leather Boat Deck Brown Tan Shoes Top Siders 8.5M NICE $21.99 |
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Bass Boat Stereo Radio ANTENNA Perfect out on the lake! $30.00 |
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Spinnerbait Jig Organizer Holder Triton Ranger Champion Nitro Skeeter Bass boat $8.00 |
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Bass T-Shirt Bass Fishing Magazine Lure Crankbait Spinner Boat Vintage Old Style $9.99 |
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5 DIAMOND JIGS 4 oz SALTWATER LURE BAIT BUCKTAIL TUBE TAIL HOOK BASS SURF BOAT $25.99 |
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BASS AHIDA BOAT DECK SHOES 8-1/2 M $20.00 |
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Story of My Life Bass Metal Tin Sign Men Bass Fishing Boat Home Kitchen Decor $15.99 |
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Bass Boat Window Vinyl Decal Sticker Car Window $9.99 |
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Bass Boat Window Vinyl Decal Sticker Car Window $9.99 |
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Bass Boat Window Vinyl Decal Sticker Car Window $9.99 |
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Bass Boat Window Vinyl Decal Sticker Car Window $9.99 |
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Bass Brown Men Boat Shoes, Size 8-M $39.99 |
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Yamaha ouboards motorcylce hat cap bass boat $18.95 |
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2006 TRITON TR200 20FT BASS BOAT, MERC 225 OPTI, TRAILR S2006 TRITON TR200 20FT BASS BOAT, MERC 225 OPTI, TRAILR $26,995.00 |
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USED SINGLE AXLE 12,13,14,15,16 ft GALVANIZED BOAT TRAILER v-hull / bass (TR#1) $275.00 |
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1982 RANGER BASS BOAT WITH 150HP EVINRUDE OUTBOARD MOTOR $1,924.00 |
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USED SINGLE AXLE 13,14,15,16,17 ft STEEL BOAT TRAILER green v-hull / bass (TR#2) $375.00 |
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HYDRA SPORT BASS BOAT MERC MOTOR PARTS REPAIR $1,000.00 |
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Santa Bass Boat Airblown Christmas Inflatable NEW $89.45 |
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Mens Shoe Lot/ Bass Sperry boat suede leather $9.99 |
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BASS CROSSING Sign new xing fishing boat fish $6.99 |
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BASS FISHERMAN Street Sign fish fishing boat rod gift $6.99 |
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USED TRAILBOSS SINGLE AXLE 17,18,19,20 ft STEEL BASS BOAT TRAILER v-hull (TR#3) $495.00 |
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USED SINGLE AXLE BASS BOAT STEEL TRAILER 15′,16′, 17′ ft v-hull (TR#4) $195.00 |
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I’D RATHER BE FISHING TROUT BASS BOAT NEW BELT BUCKLE! $9.99 |
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1993 Aluma Weld / Express Bass Boat $2,800.00 |
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Bass/Fishing Boat Telescoping Floating Rope Hook Pole $28.49 |
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Womens Bass Blue Suede Leather Boaters Boat Shoes 10 M $15.95 |
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AUTOGRAPHED 2011 JAMIE MCMURRAY #1 BASS PRO TRACKER BOATS SIGNED NEW IN STOCK $59.99 |
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bass boat $0.99 |
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Pyramid PS46KX 35 Amp Power Supply $426.99 o… |
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Set of 3 Fish Figures Crappie Trout Bass $19.99 Approximately 9 ” X 6 “-Made Of Nice Quality Resin-Looks Like Carved Wood-Each Figure Sets On A Shelf or Any Flat Surface (No Stand Required)-Can Be Displayed Inside Or Outside-Includes Crappie-Trout-Largemouth Bass-Great Gift Idea!… |
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Fisherman in Boat with Live Fish on the Hook! Cake Topper $8.99 Create a fishing cake with these cake toppers…. |
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Suzuki $17.49 More moody musical fairytales from Richard Dorfmeister, this time with Rupert Huber under the guise of Tosca. Suzuki is–like his releases with Kruder and Dorfmeister–a sublime work that manipulates emotions through sound. Soft and sweet, subtle and supple, Tosca’s tracks drift, sifting from one dream to the next. Though they patch hip-hop, jazz, ambient, and techno together, you can’t hear where… |
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Porgy & Bess $5.97 Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour’s worth of George Gershwin’s opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sound… |
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The Foundation (Special Edition with 3 Exclusive Live Songs) $24.99 This special edition presented by Cracker Barrel features 3 exclusive live songs! Track listing: 1. Whatever It Is 2. Where the Boat Leaves From 3. Violin Intro To Free 4. Free 5. Chicken Fried 6. Mary 7. Different Kind of Fine 8. Highway 20 Ride 9. It’s Not OK 10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (live) 11. I Lost It (live) 12. I Shall Be Released (live)… |
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My Best Friend’s Wedding [VHS] $0.01 One of the best romantic comedies of the 1990s, My Best Friend’s Wedding not only gave Julia Roberts a delightful vehicle for her crowd-pleasing comeback, but it further distinguished itself by avoiding the conventional plotting of the genre. Julia plays a prominent Chicago restaurant critic whose best friend (Dermot Mulroney) is a former lover from her college days with whom she’d made a binding … |
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Man in the Wilderness [VHS] $14.98 An abandoned fur trapper must fight for survival and revenge in the western wilderness…. |
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Largemouth Bass:Day in the Boat [VHS] $19.95 … |
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Vehicle Wall Decals – Cartoon Flaming Bass Boat These Cartoon Flaming Bass Boat Removable Wall Decals are not your standard vinyl wall stickers. Wallmonkeys uses premium Photo-Tex to produce decorative wall decals for the home, office space, or business. While Wallmonkeys has a wide selection of awesome kids wall decals, we are experts in creating custom business wall graphics. Wallmonkeys handles everything from trade show graphics to fundrais… |
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Bass Boat Fishing, Sunset $24.99 Chip Henderson Bass Boat Fishing, Sunset – Photographic Print |
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Bass Lake, California – Wooden Boat, c.2008 $19.99 Lantern Press Bass Lake, California – Wooden Boat, c.2008 – Premium Poster |
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Garelick Bass Boat Ladder $187.99 Garelick Bass Boat Ladder . Removable, black-coated aluminum ladder for low freeboard transoms features angled, stair like design with two oval, nonskid steps. Mounting Style: Mounting Bracket Material: Aluminum Number of Steps: Two Stand-Off Depth: Mounting bracket is 1 3/16″ thick Dimensions Deployed: 28″ x 13″Mounting Hardware: Included Fastener Size Required: 5/16″ Dia. 18 grade Warranty: One year |
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No Boat $12.78 This CD is billed under the co-leadership of vocalist Theo Bleckmann and guitarist Ben Monder, who are joined by drummer Jim Black and electric bassist Skuli Sverrisson. There is a certain abstract, esoteric quality to much of the music, which includes mostly originals by the musicians, with two standards, and a Maxime Hong Kingston poem put to the music of Jon Hollenback. Bleckmann’s voice is generally used like an additional horn, although occasionally he sings the lyrics. Monder is a wonderfully creative guitarist who is equally effective whether he launches atmospheric blasts or post-bop cascades. Bleckmann has an unusually slithery voice, which he yodels, twists, and stretches like putty. He blends nicely with the trio, resulting in some highly attractive pieces. The closing “Every Time We Say Goodbye” is sung slow and straight, a gut-wrenching finale. ~ Steve Loewy, Rovi Performers: Skúli Sverrisson – Bass (Electric); Ben Monder – Guitar; Jim Black – Drums; Theo Bleckmann – Vocals |
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Buck Gardner Mainstreet Duck Call Bass Boat Red/Fluorescent Green $78.99 Buck Gardners Mainstreet acrylic duck call with Spit Tech technology is an extra loud competition call, it s also a top performer in the flooded rice fields or marshes. This call comes in Bass Boat Red / Fluorescent Green |
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Anglers Book Supply Co 0If200904D InFisherman Largemouth Bass Day On The Boat $29.63 Let your customers spend a day in the boat with Al Lindner. They ll learn Al s strategies for locating catching bass how to have a fishing plan cover water how to search for bass. Al shows how to set up which rods reels lures lines to use. 60 min. DVD |
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8.5′ Sportsman Bass Boat Gray – Black $959 The lightweight Sportsman bass boat fits into a back of a pick up or van for easy transportation to those secluded fishing areas. Features reinforced motor mounts front and rear, recessed drink and tackle holders and contoured swivel seats that adjust for your comfort. Ready to go when you are. Features: Color: Gray / Black; Actual Product Weight: 100 lbs.; Adjustable and removable swivel seats for comfort; Built in motor mounts fore and aft; Pre-wired for electric trolling motors; Recessed drink and tackle holders; Rugged UV-stabilized High Density Polyethylene deck and hull; Closed cell polystyrene foam flotation; Meets CE and US Coast Guard safety standards; Assembly Required?: No.; Made in USA; Two year warranty on the deck, hull and parts.; Dimension: 20″H x 48″W x 102″D |
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Bass Fishing $15.99 Bass Fishing T-Shirt One hundred percent cotton screen printed t-shirt. Fisherman snaps his line as huge large-mouthed bass eats his boat. |
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Gannets in Flight, Following Fishing Boat Off Bass Rock, Firth of Forth, Scotland $24.99 Toon Ann & Steve Gannets in Flight, Following Fishing Boat Off Bass Rock, Firth of Forth, Scotland – Photographic Print |