NYBassinNY

Just curious, what kind of water do you fish and how do you think the triton handles rough water? I don’t plan on being in any crazy dangerous water, but will be on the Great Lakes

I am looking to buy my first bass boat within the next year or so. I have a good amount of experience boating from being on a family member/friend's boat but have never actually owned a boat bigger than 14'. I am looking in the neighborhood of $35k-$45k and just want to make sure I am not getting into something that is not going to be a nightmare mechanically/electrically. Ideally, I would want a 19'-20' ft boat with good electronics and at least a 200 hp motor. I am mostly going to be fishing in NY (Cayuga, St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, Oneida, etc). I would like to fish some tournaments, but I do not need to be going out in massive winds and waves. A few things I am uncertain about are: 1. What brand boat? I have heard mixed reviews on Nitro, Triton and Ranger, but you see a lot of slightly used ones in the price range I am looking at. I've heard mostly bad things about these (especially Nitro and Triton) since the whole Johnny Morris buy out thing. Are Phoenix's and Skeeter's worth the extra money?? 2. Is fiberglass the way to go? I haven't spent a ton of time in a fiberglass boat, but would something like an aluminum 19-20 foot Ranger, Lund, or Vexus not perform nearly as well as a fiberglass in those waters? 3. How many hours on a used motor is too many? I’ve seen some with 400+ hours that have no issues listed and also some with 100 hours but have had a powerhead replaced. Is that something to be concerned about? Are there any other major factors that I am missing? Like I said, I’ll be a first time buyer so I am open to all thoughts and comments especially from the veterans. Thanks