I am looking to buy my first bass boat.  I am going to start off with a used boat.  I'm thinking 19 or 20 feet should do it.  What boats out there seem to stand the test of time?  I need something that is dependable and holds its value.  Of the research that I have done, Ranger, Triton, and Nitro seem to be popular among fisherman.  If you had to buy a 10-year old boat, what would it be?

10 year old boat ............ probably go with a Ranger.

May I suggest you take a look at maybe a 5 or so year old Stratos.  You get the most bang for your buck IMO.  Hopefully I will be buying my first bass boat in the next couple years and I think that's what I am going to get

A 10 year old boat has pretty much lost the vast majority of the resale value it's gonna lose. Stick with the name brands, Ranger, Champion, Stratos, Triton, Basscat, Skeeter, Charger.  All are well built boats that will still be resellable in the future.

if you're going to buy one that old, i hope you aren't planning on selling it for anywhere near what you'll pay for it. 10 yr old i would go w/ a skeeter first choice, then a stratos...theres a good market for boats that old and for good prices. just make sure you shop around until you find one that fits your needs. good luck!

I just bought my first bass boat, a 19ft. 1995 Nitro with a 175. The trolling motor, dual charger and fish finder where all only 3 years old. It seems to be in really good condition for the age. I paid right around $5,000 for it but it books at almost $7000. Sit back and wait to find a good deal like this, it's possible if you are willing to look and wait. I would agree that I also really like Stratos boats and you can sometimes find newer ones (1996-1999) for a price that some other brands older boats sell for.

My first choice would be a ranger but rangers do hold there value very well so will be a higher priced than other brands.  My second choice would be as others have said a stratos.  Stratos builds a great boat and are in imo the best value on the water.  Just find the boat that fits your needs and buget! Good luck!

I just bought my first bass boat today!  It is a 95 stratos with a 130 evenrude, and 18'.  Has everything a bass boats needs, eletronics, trolling motor etc.  I got it for 5500, i little higher than I wanted to give, but the motor had just been tuned (plugs, fuses, compression check, etc.) and a whole new steering system installed.  Also the boat was very clean and taken care of.  I found a few others that were a little cheaper, but considering this one was only 20 minutes away from home and the others were several hours away, I figured I made the difference up in saving GAS and time.  Here are a few good websites: www.iboats.com, www.usedboats.com, www.boats.com, and theres always ebay!  Good luck with the search!

Trevor

The first thing you should do is determine how much you want to spend on your boat purchase. Once that is established you can start shopping around for different brands. Like a few of the posters meantioned, there does seem to be some good deals on mid 90s Stratos boats around. Most have Evinrudes and Johnsons if that makes a difference to you. Make sure you do some research on some of the different outboards available in the years you are shopping. Manufacturers have their "not so hot" models at various times and you don't want to get stuck with one of these. As you begin the shopping process you will find yourself getting more and more specific about what you want. Don't rush. Let your decision evolve as you learn. You'll probably get to the point where you have decided the exact boat, motor, year and color that you want. Then it is simply the process of finding it and making a deal. If price is the biggest factor, some of the brands that are no longer produced seem to drop the fastest. I've seen some decent deals on Astro, Cajun and Javelin. In my opinion all three are cool. If you've got some dough get a Skeeter with a Yamaha. Be patient!

I would say lok for a champion or a Ranger in that year model.