Hey all,

Im new here, looks great so far.

Im in the market to purchase a boat pretty soon. I love to bass fish, my passion, however i also like to go done to the coast and fish the flats in the gulf. I was looking to make one boat work for both of my two favorite ways of fishing. I have heard that bay boats do not stay in one spot well on a lake, with their low draft they get thrown around quite a bit. I am on Lake Conroe Texas where it can get pretty rough sometimes.

From there i went to the crossover boats, does anyone have any experience with this kind of boat. I have not seen many of them on any of the lakes that i have fished, so i am a little worried about making a purchase with no experience.

I was also looking at the Z22 Comanche from Ranger, and just not have a bay option. Can anyone tell me about their experience with this boat, i hear its great in rough water. Looks pretty nice as well.

With that i have almost surley decided on getting a Mercury Verado Outboard on what ever boat i get. I was so impressed by the one i saw the other day on the lake. However if anyone knows anything that might make me think otherwise let me know.

Thanks a bunch guys!

Mike

Yamaha and triton also make some combo boats.

I fish a Bay Ranger 2180/ Yamaha 225. This is a great boat if you fish with a partner or a couple of guys on a regular basis. It's an excellent guide boat, but probably too big if you fish by yourself.

The pros:

1. I fish for striper on a big river in the summer. The water is turbulant and usually very rough. The boat rides smooth, it's wide and heavy with over 2' of freeboard (inside), yet sleek on the water.

2. When you have a big fish on that you cannot control, you can walk around the boat easily. The center console design is very conducive to big fish, fishing.

3. Plenty of storage, seating and a live well for your convience.

4. For bass fishing, especially smallmouth on the river, we can fish up to four men. The boat holds a line in current very well. For largemouth on a lake, well, that's up to you. I don't think any boat fishes more than three with all those treble hooks flying around, but we've fished more before.

Cons:

1. $45,000 fully rigged and you need a full size truck to pull it.

2. Too big for one guy to fish regularly.

3. The boat is slow, about 45 mph max.

I have not fished the boat on the flats or in salt water at all, but that is EXACTLY what it is designed for. This Bay Ranger comes salt water equiped, including the trailer. For more information visit the Ranger website.

BTW, this rig comes in a 23' model (2300) if you want a bigger boat. The 2300 can be saddled with a larger motor so it's probably a little faster.