Hey everyone,

 

I don't want to beat a dead horse but I have to share with the gang what I was told today at Bass Pro Shop in Ashland by the "guardian of the bass boats" on the sales floor.

 

I had my two grand kids with me and they were having fun on the four-wheelers when I walked over to look at the Nitro's. The following is a synopsis of what the "guardian" said to me when I asked if BPS was going to have Rangers on the sales floor in the future. My question - the reply:

 

Do you know if Rangers will be sold at BPS? - No. Nitro is BPS's flagship line and they and Trackers will be the only boats offered on the sales floor.

 

Any differences betseen the Nitro's and Rangers? - Yes, Ranger will start using the Nitro hull design in the future.

 

Why? - Because the Nitro's have a smoother ride; get on plane faster; easier to control; easier to maneuver.

 

I was really lost for another query. Here is a guy who is selling Nitro's, which removes all impartial, objective, and honest statements so what he said was hard to swallow.  But he said it and to all you Ranger guys out there I was totally floored.

 

So, has anyone heard about Ranger changing hull designs to parallel those of Nitro?

 

Has anyone had experience with both Ranger and Nitro and what is your input on the boats quality, construction, and ease of handling?

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

 

The original story I heard when Johnny Morris acquired Ranger .

For the sale to finalize, Bass Pro Shops could not sell Rangers.

Nitro is Bass Pro Shops flagship boat, because they don't sell Rangers.

Cabelas sell Rangers.

I am not knocking Nitro. They are great boats for the money.

Unless something changed recently, they are not Rangers.

 

I have fished out of both. From my own experience, Nitro's are faster.  Mainly because they are lighter.

Rangers are heavier and obviously a little slower, but in my opinion a little more stable.

Ranger also adds a lot of extras, such as sealed storage.

 

Everyone has their own opinion. It sounds to me like the rep you were talking to was pushing Nitro,  because he did not sell Ranger.

 

I don't believe that would be a good business move. The hulls are like comparing apples to oranges. I do know they are using non structural tracker parts in the Ranger aluminum line, but that's where it ends. Why would anyone pay a premium price for a Ranger if it is identical to a Nitro. Think of the big 3 automakers. At one time we had Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth, and who knows how many GM brands at any one time. Did it make sense to pay $25k for a Cadillac Cimmaron when you could buy a Chevy Cavalier for $12k? 

 

That being said, I read elsewhere that it appears Johnny might be dissolving Cabelas.  If he does that, he will need to rely solely on Ranger dealers to peddle his wares and/or sell Ranger along side of Nitro. The latter seems like a better option to me.