Z18 or Z19 Honest Opinions

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

Hello folks. 
There’s a good chance in the coming months that I will be in the market for either a Nitro Z18 or Z19 and I would love to hear some honest opinions on both. But first allow me to list the details about how I fish and what I consider important. Also I know there are strong opinions on boats. Nitros are in my price range (used 2022 or new 2023 range likely). 
 

I almost always fish alone but will want enough space for one more adult. My kid will be getting old enough to join me soon and as he gets older I want enough space for both of us to fish all day. I’m 6’4” so I take up space in case that matters. I usually fish smaller to medium sized lakes and rivers but would like to start getting out onto Lake St Clair with some more boat stability and confidence on the water and don’t want to be limited if I’m going to spend the money on a bass boat. I don’t tournament fish but might play around in smaller local ones so that’s a non-factor in buying a boat. 
 

I already have all the electronics I need including the the trolling motor. I want a boat with ample storage for my rods, tackle, batteries and food and water for the day and a boat that is fishable in reasonable weather and water conditions. I can handle darn uncomfortable conditions but I’m not crazy when it’s dangerous. 
 

My question given the factors above is what am I gaining or giving up with the 18 versus the 19 or vice versa? And what is the difference really given the price difference? Storage and towing is not an issue and if money were no issue I would go with the 19 but this is the real world and the price comes into consideration. The boat doesn’t have to meet every need perfectly, just adequately to get me out in the water and fishing longer. Trying to figure out the sweet spot between overspending unnecessarily and shorting myself on the boat and finding it less than adequate when I want to fish some bigger waters. Hope that makes sense. Thanks in advance!

[J._Bricker]

Congrats on your pending boat purchase @Bucks Bass and Bourbon. Get the biggest boat and motor you can afford is my advice and in your above last paragraph you do kinda make the point as well. Look forward to seeing some pictures of the boat and fish in the future.

 

*of the two models mentioned, the Z19 with a 36v lithium battery system.

[TOXIC]

As soon as you said you were going to venture out on St Clair you made my opinion very easy.  A 19 footer is the absolute minimum I would venture out on the big pond with and even with that you better be very aware of the weather and in the summer with all of the pleasure cruisers it’s downright dangerous in smaller boats.  My minimum for St Clair is a 20 footer and personally, I run a 21 footer.  Give a little consideration to stepping up in size and back a few years in age.  

[RipzLipz]

@TOXIC makes a very good point. 3-4’ rollers on a 20’ bass boat on LSC or any lake for that matter can be no fun at all. Just spitballing here - deeper hull aluminum (I know some lakes up there are very rocky)? No clue on prices. Just hate to see anyone get into a fiberglass boat & ruin it going over a shallow reef, etc. As stated, just food for thought.

[detroit1]

Like Toxic said, nothing less than 19' on st. clair. Many times a 21 aint big enough. But i have had my 16' deep v tin out there. (very close to shore, mind you, and only 3 times.) If you fish inland lakes mostly, then i would go 18'. Visits to st. clair should be during the week and without wind if you could.

[crypt]

the 19. better to have the space and not need it than need it and not have it.much better riding boat also in big water.

[Jig Man]

If you can swing it get the 19.

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I’ll probably holdout for the 19 the more I think about it. LSC type trips would be the exception not the rule but seems like that’s the way to go. 

[Susky River Rat]

Always get the biggest you can afford. I’ve never heard anyone say their boat is to big or has to much storage or HP. Unless you are trying to get in super skinny water. Which then a nitro would not be the best choice to start. 

[GaryH]

9 hours ago, Bucks Bass and Bourbon said:

Thanks for the replies fellas. I’ll probably holdout for the 19 the more I think about it. LSC type trips would be the exception not the rule but seems like that’s the way to go. 

Good decision… 

[mcipinkie]

That Z19 is a nice little boat.  I looked at one several years ago and decided to stay in Skeeters.  Been in ZX200's since 2002.  Happy.  Nito quality did not look as good as some the bigger names, but more than adequate since it doesn't sound like you are going to use it hard.

 

Take a look at the accessories.  BPS (assuming you are buying from BPS) usually puts cheap, crappy TM's and electronics on their pre-rigged boats.  Need to factor that cost in your decision making if you anticipate needing good units.

 

 

[Dwight Hottle]

I fished Erie with a 18’ as my first boat ever owned. I moved up to a 20’ two years later. If you’re going to fish St Clair you definitely want the 19 as a choice between your two candidates. 

[Big Hands]

On 11/27/2023 at 11:53 AM, TOXIC said:

As soon as you said you were going to venture out on St Clair you made my opinion very easy.  

 

Literally, word for word what I scrolled down to write. 

 

I have been out on Lake Mead in both sizes. The difference between an 18' bass boat and a 19' bass boat in rough water is significant in my personal experience.

[Catt]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:38 PM, Bucks Bass and Bourbon said:

LSC type trips would be the exception not the rule

 

Personal I would go with the 18' & trick it out with better electronics.

 

If it's to rough for an 18' I can promise this Coonass ain't gonna be on the water.

 

If you were going to fish LSC full time then I would go with a bigger rig. 

 

 

[Deephaven]

I would go slightly older and bigger in particular since you already have electronics and such.  I am 6'7" and find the nitro cockpit area too small although I haven't been in one newer than 2019.

[Born 2 fish]

Let me give you another thing to think about since you have all your electronics already . If you buy a new nitro Z18 it’s going to come with a trolling motor and electronics you can’t order it without them at least through BPS. I would price a Phoenix 819 with no electronics or trolling motor but pre wired for everything you need. Just to and see how close you are in price to a new factory rigged Z18. Plus you said you were a bigger guy & with Phoenix you have plenty of space behind the wheel. 
I’m sure you can order some other brands without the trolling motor and electronics as well but I’m partial to Phoenix I absolutely love my 819.

[Catt]

I agree with @Born 2 fish don’t get locked in on one brand. Always consider the dealership your buying from.

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

Good replies fellas, thanks and I’m taking them all into consideration. I did sit behind the wheel of both a 2023 z18 and 19. The 18 was doable but the 19 definitely was more comfortable. I’m not locked into a 2023 by any means but I am very careful about watching the hours and maintenance on used ones. 
 

I also love the idea of the Phoenix boats but the biggest issue is getting to see them in person. Nitros and Rangers are the two abundantly available makes in my area and as much as I love Rangers and acknowledge their quality they’re just a bit out of my price range for a first bass boat. Maybe I can find a good used Phoenix somewhere within a reasonable drive to check one out tho. 
 

As for length, I think 19 is my best bet. While yes I do mostly fish lakes where my 16 aluminum is just fine (most days) I am within easy striking distance to St Clair and even Saginaw Bay, Grand Traverse Bay, and Little Bay de Noc if I have a few days to make it worth the trip. The smallmouth bug bit me hard late this year…

 

Sincere thanks again everyone! I’ll keep you posted on what I end up going with. Might have to wait another year or two now since the divorce is getting sorted out lol. Hopefully the judge likes to fish! 
 

*One last thing is I am good on electronics. I literally gave up an entire hobby (long range shooting) and put it toward bass fishing electronics. 126 ultras, a 106 and a 93 with the LV34 and Force. Anything I buy that comes with graphs I’ll just sell and one of the dealers even offered to try to get them shipped in the box on a boat I order from the factory so I can do that easier. 

[Junk Fisherman]

With Great Lakes fishing, the size of boat needed for smallmouth fishing comes down to making good decisions and whether or not you plan on fishing tournaments.  I've spent a lot of time on Grand Traverse Bay, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan around Chicago.  You can easily fish all of those in an 18' boat as long as you pay attention to the weather.  I follow Accuweather and Underground Weather Apps for wind speed and more importantly direction and they're very accurate.  I also drive to the closest launch to fish the areas I want to fish.  The only times I've ever had anxious moments were when I chanced it.  I wouldn't have taken those chances with an 18' bassboat but with my 19' deep V, I had more confidence.  I remember when I posted a question about getting an 18' or 20' bassboat for fishing big water back when I was getting started and everyone told me to get the 20'er and that the 18'er would be a mistake.  Well, after fishing big water for over 10 years now, I could easily manage with an 18'er and actually my next boat will be a 19' bassboat.  I'd rather have a bassboat than a deep V since the vast majority of the time I am fishing big water, it's relatively calm.  Granted, I don't fish tournaments which is a HUGE factor.  I don't force myself to make long runs in sketchy conditions or have to fish all day when a front moves through and changes the wind direction.  I don't like fishing in whitecaps and rollers.  It's not as much about safety as it is not enjoying bouncing around all day.  If the wind is up, I'll go somewhere else.   

 

With all that said, I'd get the 19'er just for the additional space.  The bigger deck, more area in the cockpit, and more storage is worth it alone.  

[Bucks Bass and Bourbon]

On 12/22/2023 at 7:24 PM, Junk Fisherman said:

With Great Lakes fishing, the size of boat needed for smallmouth fishing comes down to making good decisions and whether or not you plan on fishing tournaments.  I've spent a lot of time on Grand Traverse Bay, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan around Chicago.  You can easily fish all of those in an 18' boat as long as you pay attention to the weather.  I follow Accuweather and Underground Weather Apps for wind speed and more importantly direction and they're very accurate.  I also drive to the closest launch to fish the areas I want to fish.  The only times I've ever had anxious moments were when I chanced it.  I wouldn't have taken those chances with an 18' bassboat but with my 19' deep V, I had more confidence.  I remember when I posted a question about getting an 18' or 20' bassboat for fishing big water back when I was getting started and everyone told me to get the 20'er and that the 18'er would be a mistake.  Well, after fishing big water for over 10 years now, I could easily manage with an 18'er and actually my next boat will be a 19' bassboat.  I'd rather have a bassboat than a deep V since the vast majority of the time I am fishing big water, it's relatively calm.  Granted, I don't fish tournaments which is a HUGE factor.  I don't force myself to make long runs in sketchy conditions or have to fish all day when a front moves through and changes the wind direction.  I don't like fishing in whitecaps and rollers.  It's not as much about safety as it is not enjoying bouncing around all day.  If the wind is up, I'll go somewhere else.   

 

With all that said, I'd get the 19'er just for the additional space.  The bigger deck, more area in the cockpit, and more storage is worth it alone.  

Great post, thank you. Your comments are really in line with where I’m coming from. I don’t fish tournaments either, and while I can tolerate some pretty miserable conditions I don’t enjoy fighting those white caps or pushing the limits of what is safe within my abilities and comfort level. The vast majority of my fishing is the one to two hour drives to inland lakes but as mentioned above if I’m going to get a bass boat I want to give myself the opportunity to get out in places like Green Bay, Grand Traverse, LSC and LBDN if the conditions allow it. 
Thanks again! I will most likely be going with a 19 when the time comes. 

[r83srock]

On 11/28/2023 at 9:24 PM, Big Hands said:

 

Literally, word for word what I scrolled down to write. 

 

I have been out on Lake Mead in both sizes. The difference between an 18' bass boat and a 19' bass boat in rough water is significant in my personal experience.

18’ boats were the gold standard for years. I own an 19 foot ranger and have been on everything from a narrow creek to Rayburn, bull shoals to lake Murray, the Mississippi River to Sturgeon Bay. You need to pick your days and be smart. A 21’ is more comfortable in 4 footers but only a little. If it’s that rough I stay home, these days. That said if the 19 fits your budget, garage, I would get that. A little more space and I feel is the perfect all around size bass boat for most situations. Good luck in your search. The new Nitros are very nice and be proud to own one.

[Cory Doras]

There is NO perfect boat. There is sooooo many, perhaps up to a hundred things to consider. Winds, waves, storage, HP, storage, budget, service, towing,deck size, leg room, single or tandem trailer, deep or shallow water...the list goes on and on.  You really have to look at your true "requirements", then "wants". Bigger is better but that same statement is totally wrong as well. The bigger the boat....the less ponds you can fish. Make a list of the needs and wants, look at every boat and check or "X" the box and see which fits the bill. 

As far as purchasing,wait cause the market is getting very soft and I'd be looking at some steals as peoples money is getting tighter. Dont rule out a 20yo boat either, they were built far better then than now and you can get a really nice 20' garage queen rig for 15-20k

[SmallJawSlurp]

I have a 2022 Nitro Z19, I fish the St Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. For what it’s worth, I deeply regret not holding out for a 20-21 footer. 

[WRB]

Bass boats are low free board for good reasons but not for safety in rough white capped water. 

Longer bass boats are not any higher off the water same low free board, but a little wider and heavier as the length gets longer and those factors helps stabilize the ride.

The pitch of waves over 3’ high varies with each lake and wind condition. High waves with short pitch are different than high waves with longer pitch another factor to consider.

The 18’8” boat w/175 hp verses 19’8” boat w/200 hp (Z18 vs Z19) isn’t a big deal in rough water, a 21’ with 250 hp does make a difference.

If the OP’s garage can handle the 21’ boat and engine then shop around for it, if not go with the boat you believe is right for you.

I fished both lakes Mead and Mojave on Colorado River with a 18’6” boat w/175 hp engine for years, also had to find shelter and stay over night do to high wind and big long pitch waves.

Be safe!

  Good luck with your decision,

Tom