ok i currently have a 12' john boat with 2 seats mounted and i recently installed a bow trolling motor. well this thing is rediculously to small especially for a big guy like me 6'1" im all cramped so its time for a nice bass boat.

what do you guys think would be a good starter bass boat that would be good to last me for some years to come. i have been thinking a nice used 17' bass tracker. although i love the nitro/ranger style fiberglass boats to. im basically lookin to spend around 3-4k on a decent used setup. so what do u think would be a good boat to get. what boats are known for being the most stable i hate the feeling of im gonna tip the boat when i stand up lol. i also seen a nice 1999 NITRO 640lx i was liking except the front deck seemed knda small compared to a tracker. I DO NOT like deep-v style boats. im surethey are probably the most stable but i have this thing against them.

Look around for a used one.  That's what I did, when I wanted a boat, I decided the type, and the motor size. Then went looking.

I wanted an aluminum, flat bottom decked boat to fish the rivers. I wanted it big enough for me and my buddy to fish, and 3 guys in a pinch.  I wanted at least a 40hp, so I could take the family to the lakes and have a little fun.  And, I wanted to pay as little as possible.

I found a 17 modified V aluminum bass type boat, with a flat back deck, and the front is sunk about 12 inches with a pedestal seat front and back.  And a 60hp motorPerfect for fishing and playing.  

Now, a couple floors need replaced, and all the carpeting is shot but it all works and no leaks got it for $1500.

this winter, it will get new floors, new carpet and new paint.  Next spring it'll be a brand new boat and I'll have less than 2K in it can't beat that.

With only $3 or 4K to spend you're going to be looking at an old fiberglass, probably 1984 - 1990.  Fiberglass boats of that age in that price range tend to need some immediate care, ie: like carpet, seats, electronics, engine work, new TM, etc.   If having to invest money into a new (used) boat isn't your bag then I'd suggest an aluminum.  Just remember that the tendency for tippiness is the result of the beam of the boat insufficient to overcome the higher center of gravity that results when 2 fishermen are standing on raised casting decks.  In aluminum that translates into the width of the beam of the boat but especially the width of the beam AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT.  Measuring the beam of the boat at the gunwale top isn't going to cut it in a aluminum, check the beam width at the bottom of the floor side-to-side.  I had a friend buy a 16ft tracker years ago.  The beam at the top seemed alright but the sides slanted in fairly steeply making the beam at the waters edge fairly narrow.  The boat was pretty tippy when 2 180-190lb guys were fishing in it.  You had to constantly be aware of the partners position in the boat.  If the guy in the back was going to move to the outside edge of the boat the guy in the front needed to brace himself or move slightly to the opposite side of the boat.  Kind of a pain I know but the boat was cheap enough.

Like Cart7 mentioned, to get a reasonably new (five - six years old) boat or one a little older in real nice conditionm you will spend $5K+. You can pick up older Trackers, Fisher's etc for less, even much less based on age and condition. I have a 86 model 15' Fisher with an 88 model 48 hp Evinrude I'm selling for $1,900. The boat is a good boat but is not in anything near a great conditon, and you see others for even less, but their condition dictates the price. Sometimes, if your'e patient, keep looking and don't just buy the first boat you see in your price range, you can come across some pretty nice boats at some good deals.

The main thing is knowing what you want in a boat, hull style, size etc and don't just settle for something different, you won't be happy with it. If you want a 16 - 17' Tracker or similar aluminum bass bass, hold out until you find one like want. After you shop for a while and look at a number of boats, you will get a pretty good feeling for want and what you can expect to pay for it. Then you can adjust your wants/desires or what you plan to pay if necessay.