I'd love to own one, but can't afford a boat payment... it just got me thinking about ways to win a bass boat. I live in the greater Philadelphia area, and would love to find some tournaments that offer bass boats as prizes, or grand prize. Anyone know of anything in my area, or not too far?

Look into FLW's tour schedules for a tournament near you.  The Rayovac's offer boats to winning co-anglers.    

Enter every single give away you see online.. Lol

If you do decide to try and go the FLW way, you need to enter all three events to make sure you get priority entry.  If you enter only one they can bump you for an angler that wishes to fish all three.  

Just some food for thought if you cant afford a boat payment can you afford the gas maintenance and other various things that go along with boat ownership.. Boat= bust out another thousand

Just some food for thought if you cant afford a boat payment can you afford the gas maintenance and other various things that go along with boat ownership.. Boat= bust out another thousand

Winning a boat would mean no boat payment. Insirance, taxes, has, maintainable, sure, I can afford those if I didn't have to shell out another $400-700 a month for a boat payment.

Look, this is just a curiosity question. I doubt I'll ever actually win a bass boat.

Are you currently in the aluminum set up in your avatar photo? What is that set up?

if you win a nice glass boat you could always sell it and get an older version and use the excess to pay for al the other stuff for a few years

1.  Win a raffle.

2.  Win a contest.

3.  Win an FLW or BASS Open Series as a nonboater.

4.  Marry a rich girl and get a Ranger as her bridal gift to you.

You understand you'd have to pay income tax on the value of the boat which could cost you $10,000 depending on the cost of the boat and your other income. Add that to the entry fees and the expenses to fish all the tournaments you'd have to enter before you won, and you could have bought a nice used boat.

1. Put some money from each paycheck away in savings.

2. Determine a budget for your boat.

3. When the savings you've accumulated equals your budget, start boat shopping.

4. When you find a boat you like, buy it.

In the meantime, fish all the tournaments you want that feature a boat as a prize. Just remember, it's very rare for even a great angler to come out ahead. I think you'd do better in smaller cash payout tourneys.

You understand you'd have to pay income tax on the value of the boat which could cost you $10,000 depending on the cost of the boat and your other income. Add that to the entry fees and the expenses to fish all the tournaments you'd have to enter before you won, and you could have bought a nice used boat.

I didn't think it was income tax unless you took a cash equivalent, it would just be sales tax and all the registration and stuff...

Nope, If you win any kind of contest or even if you won a car at the casino, you pay income tax on the value of whatever you might have won. If you sold the boat or prize, you'd pay income tax on the cash you got. 

Nope, If you win any kind of contest or even if you won a car at the casino, you pay income tax on the value of whatever you might have won. If you sold the boat or prize, you'd pay income tax on the cash you got. 

 

Absolutely correct.  In fact, if you win a prize valued at $25,000 and sell it immediately for $15,000, the IRS will still base your taxes off of the $25,000.  Kinda like having to pay full sales tax on the cell phone that the carrier gives you for $1 when you sign a contract with them.

 

Decades ago, my cousin won a billiard table & mink coat on "The Price is Right".  She & her husband were flat broke, so she sold the billiard table to pay for the taxes on the mink coat.  Her husband divorced her about 3 months later.

Winning a boat would mean no boat payment. Insirance, taxes, has, maintainable, sure, I can afford those if I didn't have to shell out another $400-700 a month for a boat payment.

Look, this is just a curiosity question. I doubt I'll ever actually win a bass boat.

Honestly, you'll be better served by saving the cash it would take enter, travel to, and fish those bigger tournaments and use it to start a boat fund. 

 

Also, bass boat as in full size glass rig?  Or something like a 17' AL bass boat with a jet?   

 

Your area has some world class smallmouth fishing that can only be done in a jet/AL boat.  Myself and others with glass boats will beg, borrow, and steal to get on the back deck of our friend's jetboats when they make trips up to the Susky...It's fantastic .  

 

Believe me, having a full size boat is great...But if you can't get there yet, a mid size AL bass boat is not a bad option.  I fished out of a Bass Tracker for a long time before buying a glass boat.  It had it's limitations, but it was still a great boat and VERY cheap compared to what I have now.  More options for tow vehicles too, if you don't currently have a full size truck/suv.  

 

If you want it, draw up a plan and make it happen!  

 

BTW, $400-$700/month for a boat payment seems pretty high...That's like a brand new Ranger with little to no money down (on the upper end of that estimate).  Hit the used market and you can find very good deals on both glass and AL boats.  

Probably be best if you just save up for a while and then buy one. Trust me, the longer you wait the better it is when you get it. I learned that. 

$5,000 to $7,500 will get you a nice used boat around here.  If I were you I'd take Francho's advice.  That is what I'm doing.  I have about $3,000 saved up from doing odd jobs and cutting grass. That way I don't take away from my income.  You might also look around in some surrounding states.  If you know what your looking at you could save some money if your willing to travel.  Just my 2 cents

Some of you guys make it sound horrible to win a beautiful, brand new, bass boat. If any of you should ever happen to win one, send it my way and I'll deal with all of the hassle.

For some, the taxes and fees incurred with winning a boat might actually be a hardship.

Try winning some club tourny first...its friggin hard man

Best of luck to ya but when you statt getting into toirny big enough to offer a new rig to the winner tou need to be on top of your game and then some...beating 20 or 30 dudes in a club is one thing but taking down 100 or more is someting altogethet different.

And there is less water to do it in!

God luck!

Try winning some club tourny first...its friggin hard man

Best of luck to ya but when you statt getting into toirny big enough to offer a new rig to the winner tou need to be on top of your game and then some...beating 20 or 30 dudes in a club is one thing but taking down 100 or more is someting altogethet different.

And there is less water to do it in!

God luck!

I've been fishing clubs for a several years. I make no claim to be the greatest angler, but I can hold my own in competition. I asked the question because.... well, why not?

Well then get you butt out there and win a boat man! Lol

I know if i ever won a rig id probably pass out lol

I hear ya! I'm just looking for the opportunity!