Looking for a bass boat.  Have about $5000 for one.  What should I look for when I am buying one?  Any brands I should stay away from?

Avoid anything that has a Force motor on it or a Mercury "Power Series" motor. Boat wise though you should have some solid choices at that price. One known issue with with some of the smaller Nitro's from the 90's and into the early 2000's is they'll tun down the lake with an odd tilt to them. When it comes to a boat, so much of the value is based on condition. It's pretty evident usually after looking at a boat to see if it's been cared for or not. 

A lot will depend on what type of water you fish, large lakes or shallow rivers.

Tin.

Newer for cheaper. Look at the Trackers.

I was thinking the same thing as WIguide. Stay away from Force, and any Mercury with the word Force printed on the cowling.

 

For 5000.00 you should be able to find a great deal on Craiglist for a Bass Tracker Pro Team w/60-90HP and maybe a smaller Nitro/Skeeter in the 115-150HP range. Just be patient, after shopping for a while you should be able to regonize a good deal when you see one and be aggressive once you do. I would recommend finding a boat with a good storage layout and lots of compartments.

 

If you are buying from a dealer you may be able to find a decent 14 foot aluminum with an 15 HP motor.

Thanks for the tips.  Definitely not rushing it.  Might save up a little more and then get a little nicer/newer one.