Ranger, Triton, Basscat nitro Stratos, Champion, Legend...Top of the line right there...and make sure its powered by an Mercury Evinrude ;D. We just sold our Ranger fish n ski and we too are looking for a full on bass boat

Fixed it for ya.

U are right about the nitro only the z 9s are top of the line. But the evinrude thing no mercury dominates all

Merc's are good as long as its not a XR6(which is what im stuck wit right now) for that reason I would go with(and like to have) either and evenrude or yamaha.

Whats wrong with the XR6

You might want to check out the Allison brand.

If I had the bucks, I would choose between Bass Cat, Allison, and Ranger. Take them all for a ride and see what is right for you.

Put the largest motor rated for the boat so you will not have any regrets later.

Mercury, Evinrude, and Yamaha make a great motors. You can't go wrong with any of them IMHO. 

Ranger, Triton, Basscat nitro Stratos, Champion, Legend...Top of the line right there...and make sure its powered by an Mercury Evinrude ;D. We just sold our Ranger fish n ski and we too are looking for a full on bass boat

Fixed it for ya.

U are right about the nitro only the z 9s are top of the line. But the evinrude thing no mercury dominates all

Merc's are good as long as its not a XR6(which is what im stuck wit right now) for that reason I would go with(and like to have) either and evenrude or yamaha.

Whats wrong with the XR6

If you ever decide to repower to a Rude or Yamahaha, I can take that pathetic xr6 off your hands

Ranger, Triton, Basscat nitro Stratos, Champion, Legend...Top of the line right there...and make sure its powered by an Mercury Evinrude ;D. We just sold our Ranger fish n ski and we too are looking for a full on bass boat

Fixed it for ya.

U are right about the nitro only the z 9s are top of the line. But the evinrude thing no mercury dominates all

Merc's are good as long as its not a XR6(which is what im stuck wit right now) for that reason I would go with(and like to have) either and evenrude or yamaha.

Thats why u get a PRO XS SON  ;D.All mercurys optimaxes are the top.I dont know about their 4 strokes,but their line of optimax are BA 

Fish for dollars is correct.....

Buy the boat in the fall or winter and you will get your best deal.  You will pay thousands more in the spring.

Go to Evinirude, Mercury and Yamaha's website and look at the performance bulletins for the outboard and boat that you are considering. 

You will be surprised about boat size, outboard size and horsepower.   My Stratos 294XL Evo (19' 6") boat with a 200 HO Evinrude Etec gets the same gas mileage at 55MPH that the 285XL (18' 6") boat with a 150 HO Etec gets at 25MPH.  25MPH is where the 285XL gets its best gas mileage of 4.1 MPG.  I spend a lot more time going 55 than I do 25. 

I seriously considered gas mileage when I made my purchase because I will not forget $4 a gallon gas prices. 

Buying new is not a "smart option"

Motor brands all have certain issues, just surf brand specific user forums and they can usually tell you what particular models to avoid, that being said I am Yamaha fan. Also, make sure you do a compression test of the motor and it never hurts to check lower unit oil for contamination. Also, try to by a boat with its max recommended HP rating on it. 

Make sure you look at accessories, are they in good shape, up to date?  If you save on a stripped down boat just to add brand new accessories are you really getting a good value?

As far as brand, many options to choose from.  Good thing about a major cookie cutter or high quality niche manufacturer is that they are still around to provide you with support.  Basscat, Ranger, Triton, and Skeeter are all great boats so you can't go wrong, you'll be glad you are on the water.  Also, forgot to mention the trailer, make sure the trailer is in good working order especially hubs, tires and suspension.  It can get pricey repairing a trailer.