NorCalWannaBe

Just FYI, I've changed my mind on the Ranger. After talking to local service center that works on both Mercs and Yamaha I have come to the conculsion that both the Pro-V and Optimax are very well built motors. And teamed with the little bit bigger console, it looks like the Ranger is the boat my father and I will be pursuing... Thanks for the people who took the time to view my thread.

Hello guys. We're going to be buying our first bass boat soon. We've looked at a couple and they all seem to have a fairly small console for the driver. I have long legs and a spare tire on my waist. my question, is do some boat brands have larger consoles than others? If so, what brand traditionally has the largest? We're looking between a 1995 Ranger 362V and a 2001 Nitro NX750. I have not tried the helm of the Ranger, but the Nitro was a pretty tight fit, although, probably manageable. On an additional note; which boat would you guys rather purchase. 1) 2001 Nitro NX750 is very good shape, carpet needs cleaned is about it. Has a 135 Merc Optimax with 96 hours. 43 lbs trolling motor. Ski-tripod (semi-importatnt to me). Everything works. 2 owners. Asking $10,000. We're going to offer probably $8,000 if we decide on this boat. Is it worth that much? 2) 1995 Ranger 362V in dang near immaculate condition. Has a 150hp Yamaha Pro-V unknown hours. 50+lbs trolling motor. Everything works. 3 owners. Asking $9500. Probably offer $8500 or $9000 if we decide on this boat. I know Ranger's hold their resale value better, but we'd be the fourth owner and it's 6 years older than the Nitro. I think the seller of the Nitro might be willing to go "down" more on the price just from talking to him a bit. Oh, the Nitro also matches my tow vehicle. Me and my dad (we're going in halves) are at a crossroad, he likes the Ranger, I like the Nitro. Any suggestions? Thanks guys!

Thanks for the comments everyone. BassinDave you're post really helped because for the fact that it shows me that with the guy asking $10,000 for it is way over the top. Granted the one were looking at has more HP, but it is also a year older. That makes me feel better for offering him $8,000 (we're in California, everything is inflated here.) How many hours did it have when you bought it? Also how many hours is considered "a lot" for an outboard? We went to look at it the other night. It's in ok shape. The hull looks good, hardly any scratches, didn't see any cracks. Some cosmetic stuff (carpet stains, minor rip in seat, etc...) Motor started right up, he said he hadn't started it in a week. The hobbs shows 96 hours (the ad in craigslist said 85, typo? maybe?) It comes with a ski tripod! So my worries about that are over. It has hydrolic steering that the previous (original) owner added. The current owner added a "fuel seperator". I am not sure what that does, can someone enlighten me? Overall it's in good shape. I know it's not worth what he is asking, but I am not sure what to offer on it (is it even worth $8500 that NADA says, I mean NADA doesn't take into account the extremely low lake levels around here, the fuel prices and the economy...) Not to mention, he said his was under pressure from his wife to sell it... We're going to be calling on some other boats, around the same price range. An '95 Ranger 362V (17'10") with a 150 Yamaha and a '96 Skeeter DX180 (18'6") with a 175 EFI Merc. I like the Nitro, it matches my tow vehicle and is the newest, would I be wise to pursue it further, or take a real long look at one of the other two? Oh, sorry, one more thing... I am a big guy, long legs, big stomach, I was kind of cramped in the console of the Nitro, but it wasn't too bad. Are all consoles pretty much the same throughout different boat brands? Thanks again everyone! Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks for the quick response! We're going tonight to look at the NX750. I've called a local Mercury dealer and they said they would do an inspection on the motor for $100. That seemed like a very reasonable rate since we'll be spending close to $10g's if we buy it. I know that isn't much for a bass boat, but it is to me and my father. If that one doesn't work out, I'll be calling to check out the '94 170DC And as for the pulling skiers question... I found a thread at iBoat.com that matches what J_Zink said. That also puts my mind at ease a little in the "family fun" department. Thanks again!

Hello everyone! My father and I are in the market for a used boat. We've only had a small 14' Valco before and this will be our first bass boat. We'll be using it mostly in Lake Oroville, CA, maybe Clear Lake too. My question is would a 2001 NX750 with a 135 Optimax be a good first choice? It seems a little overpriced, but it looks very sharp. I wanted to include links to the craigslist posting but I can't because this is my first post and the system won't let me... Do a search in "Sacramento/Boats" for Nitro and you can see the ones I am talking about. Would you choose maybe an older '94 Nitro 170 for $5000 over the one I mentioned above, even though this one only has a 115hp? Questions. Is the Nitro NX750 a decent first bass boat? Any known problems that I should look for? It comes with a 2001 Optimax 135, is this a decent motor. Is it big enough for 1 large guy (320lbs) another midsized guy and a 10 year old? Does anyone know if there are attachments to tow intertubes? They don't appear to have ski ladders on them, some of the rangers I've seen do have the ladders. With this being our first bass boat that we've looked at in probably 10 years, what are some of the questions I should ask? Things I should look for? I think we're going to see if the guy will take $8000 or maybe 8500, (that's what NADA says for the smaller motor). Sorry for all the questions... We're going to look at the NX750 tonight. I hope to really get back into Bass fishing, I was a real "wanna be pro" back when I was a early teenager (10+ years ago!) LOL! Sorry for all the questions and horrible paragraph formatting! Thanks everyone!