Used well made bass boats recommendations

[rangerjockey]

38 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Leaning towards the Lund 1875 pro v bass right now, funny I could pick up a Triton TRX 19 or a Skeeter zx200 for much less $$. Hard decision I think most of the boats are decent out there but I think the Lund gives me more options, extra seats for taking folks for a ride, better rough water handling then the other 19ft glass boats etc.

I've never fished out of a deep V but I'd ask someone who has one if they blow around if it's windy. 

It wouldn't be a issue running but on the trolling motor with the deep sides I'd be curious.

[bishoptf]

1 minute ago, rangerjockey said:

I've never fished out of a deep V but I'd ask someone who has one if they blow around if it's windy. 

It wouldn't be a issue running but on the trolling motor with the deep sides I'd be curious.

I've talked to several and read on forums and pretty much its all good in regards to tracking with the trolling motor that I have read, that is not a concern on my part. Really most owners have nothing but good things to say about the boat, there are some cons but most say they prefer it over glass etc...YMMV...

[Born 2 fish]

4 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

I've talked to several and read on forums and pretty much its all good in regards to tracking with the trolling motor that I have read, that is not a concern on my part. Really most owners have nothing but good things to say about the boat, there are some cons but most say they prefer it over glass etc...YMMV...

I had a 2014 Lund impact 1875 and I hated it in the wind it blew around like a tin can. It was great in rough water but my Phoenix is actually a much better ride than my Lund. But that’s just my opinion.

[bishoptf]

3 hours ago, Born 2 fish said:

I had a 2014 Lund impact 1875 and I hated it in the wind it blew around like a tin can. It was great in rough water but my Phoenix is actually a much better ride than my Lund. But that’s just my opinion.

Understand, I done a good bit of searching and actually talked to some that own them and most have said wind is not an issue. The main problem I am having is that the lund is actually more expensive than a new triton trx19 or skeeter zx200 boat. It's not a lot but 3-4k buys a lot of stuff and add ons for electronics and shallow water anchors etc. I found a 2019 that supposedly has low hours and cheaper but lot of unknowns with that. Still leaning towards the Lund since it will just allow me to go to any of the larger lakes and not worry about the bigger water. LOZ and Kentucky can get pretty interesting and not due to the weather, I will be fishing middle of the weeks etc but still the Lund just provides me peace of mind.

[bishoptf]

Honestly I think this video that @A-Jaymade shows how well the boat performs when things are not behaving, honestly Lund should have @A-Jay on the payroll - 

 

 

Really not sure how the other 19ft boats that I am looking at would have handled that, they would have been wet if the wind was in the opposite direction, I believe they were downwind, but even if you were getting wet the boat can handle it pretty well, imho. Thanks to @A-Jayfor posting stuff like that...

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, bishoptf said:

Honestly I think this video that @A-Jaymade shows how well the boat performs when things are not behaving, honestly Lund should have @A-Jay on the payroll - 

 

 

Really not sure how the other 19ft boats that I am looking at would have handled that, they would have been wet if the wind was in the opposite direction, I believe they were downwind, but even if you were getting wet the boat can handle it pretty well, imho. Thanks to @A-Jayfor posting stuff like that...

Thanks. 

If you haven't already,  turn the video volume All the Way Up and rewatch this one.  Specifically LISTEN to the outboard RPMs during the whole ride.  I was working that ProXS pretty hard to keep the  boat on plane, while not spearing or Running over waves.  So my speed over ground was changing every 2 seconds or so. The boat 'handled' fine and that 25 inch transom makes a huge difference. The boat has a V hull which is usless if it's not in the water. But the motor and the operator did ALL the important work. 

A-Jay 

 

[rangerjockey]

12 hours ago, bishoptf said:

Understand, I done a good bit of searching and actually talked to some that own them and most have said wind is not an issue. The main problem I am having is that the lund is actually more expensive than a new triton trx19 or skeeter zx200 boat. It's not a lot but 3-4k buys a lot of stuff and add ons for electronics and shallow water anchors etc. I found a 2019 that supposedly has low hours and cheaper but lot of unknowns with that. Still leaning towards the Lund since it will just allow me to go to any of the larger lakes and not worry about the bigger water. LOZ and Kentucky can get pretty interesting and not due to the weather, I will be fishing middle of the weeks etc but still the Lund just provides me peace of mind.

When LOZ gets bad I don't think it matters a whole bunch what your in. They catch a lot of nice bags there and I realize it's a shorter drive but with Table Rock and Bull Shoals not that much further I would avoid that place like the plague. It's like fishing downtown St. Louis in a flood.

You mentioned power poles. The only time you realty use them on our lakes is bed fishing .. Maybe,

or beaching the boat.

 

[Functional]

My mod V aluminum boat blows around like a paper plane in the wind if I'm not on the trolling motor constantly. I'm not sure who you talked to but its pretty well known most (cant say all) aluminum boats get blown around much easier than the heavier and lower profile fiberglass bass boats. 

 

This issue is one of my top items on my list of reasons to get a glass boat. 

[gimruis]

20 hours ago, Born 2 fish said:

I had a 2014 Lund impact 1875 and I hated it in the wind it blew around like a tin can.

 

My parents have a 2001 Crestliner Fish Hawk (tiller) and a 2021 Warrior Pro Tiller 2090 (fiberglass).

 

I used the Crestliner for years before I bought my own boat as a "family boat."  That thing is exactly like you stated with the Lund Impact.  It catches a lot of wind if you are trying fish from the bow - way more than a bass boat because of the high-sitting gunnels.  Its a great multi-purpose boat though, and that's what it primarily gets used for.  It makes an annual trip to Canada, gets used to bass, walleye, muskie, and crappie fish throughout the season.  I would never buy it solely (or mostly) to bass fish though.

8 minutes ago, Functional said:

My mod V aluminum boat blows around like a paper plane in the wind if I'm not on the trolling motor constantly. I'm not sure who you talked to but its pretty well known most (cant say all) aluminum boats get blown around much easier than the heavier and lower profile fiberglass bass boats. 

 

I think this is pretty widely known and accepted too.  The issue that recently came up in this thread was comparing a bass boat to a deep V one with higher gunnels/sides.  The deep V's catch a heck of a lot more wind than bass boats do, regardless if its a aluminum mod V or a fiberglass one.  That's been my personal experience.

[bishoptf]

1 minute ago, Functional said:

My mod V aluminum boat blows around like a paper plane in the wind if I'm not on the trolling motor constantly. I'm not sure who you talked to but its pretty well known most (cant say all) aluminum boats get blown around much easier than the heavier and lower profile fiberglass bass boats. 

 

This issue is one of my top items on my list of reasons to get a glass boat. 

Understand, mod v is a little different from the pro v bass and really its about as heavy as my current glass ranger fish and ski since I only have a 115 opti on it. I get it the bigger heavier boats are going to do better in wind and I am sure that a 19ft glass with a 200 will be less pushed around than the lund 1875 pro v bass but really they weight difference between those 2 boats is not huge, the pro v bass is not a light boat. I have seen many posts talk about the 1875 where people are wanting feedback and wind usually comes up and most say its not an issue. Most all the owners I have read say they would purchase again.

 

Just for an example here is a comparison of the triton trx 19 glass vs the Lund:

Triton trx 19 boat weight - 1765

Lund pro v bass 1875 weight - 1475

 

Its lighter by about 300lbs, now I am sure that the weight does make some difference but I think the pro v is heavy enough that it should hold its on, again imho.

[bishoptf]

Here are some links talking about the wind not being an issue, again, probably better in a heavier glass boats but I've not found anyone that states its an issue - Really the only common theme is depending on wind direction it's a wet ride, your going to get wet depending on conditions. I just do not think you can compare the normal deep v walleye boats to this boat just not the same comparison, imho.

 

[gimruis]

12 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Understand, mod v is a little different from the pro v bass

Its way different actually.  Mod V's are lighter and cannot handle rougher water like the Pro V Bass can.  The Pro V Bass has the hull of Lund's legendary Pro V Series (deep V) does that were originally built for walleye fishing, but in more of a bass-style boat version.  So it can take on significantly choppier waters.  It also does cost more than say, a Lund Renegade, which is a mod V series that Lund also makes.

 

I have a mod V and I would never take it on rough Great Lakes-type water.  Its not built for that.

[Functional]

Its less about the Pro-v and mod v, I have no argument the Pro-V will do infinitely better running in water at speed than a mod v. Its the height of the boat out of the water. A sail 18" tall will catch a lot less wind than a sail 24+" tall. My point in less words were my mod-v which should be lower profile than a deep V like the Pro-V already catches wind like its its job. 

 

I really have nothing against the Lund, its an excellent boat. Just trying to make sure you are aware of some of the differences between an AL and fiberglass boat you should expect that are not a financial influence since it seems like its a tough decision...and it should be, your list of boats are really nice. 

 

If you look at the images, the Lund ProV 1875 vs the Skeeter 19'. If you took each person out of the boat and could stand them on the water next to the boat the Lund would come up to the guys thigh and the skeeter maybe his knee. Its less of an issue underway with the big motor but trying to work a bank slowly will make you feel it. Better in rough water though, no doubt.

 

 

[bishoptf]

2 minutes ago, Functional said:

Its less about the Pro-v and mod v, I have no argument the Pro-V will do infinitely better running in water at speed than a mod v. Its the height of the boat out of the water. A sail 18" tall will catch a lot less wind than a sail 24+" tall. My point in less words were my mod-v which should be lower profile than a deep V like the Pro-V already catches wind like its its job. 

 

I really have nothing against the Lund, its an excellent boat. Just trying to make sure you are aware of some of the differences between an AL and fiberglass boat you should expect that are not a financial influence since it seems like its a tough decision...and it should be, your list of boats are really nice. 

 

If you look at the images, the Lund ProV 1875 vs the Skeeter 19'. If you took each person out of the boat and could stand them on the water next to the boat the Lund would come up to the guys thigh and the skeeter maybe his knee. Its less of an issue underway with the big motor but trying to work a bank slowly will make you feel it. Better in rough water though, no doubt.

 

 

Yeah I understand its going to catch more wind, I was just surprised that when trying to find someone that says its an issue I didn't have much luck. I made a post with some other forum posts talking about the boat but awaiting mod approval. One specifically talked about the wind and stated they had not had any issue. I thought I would find posts talking about it but the only issue that I see most talk about is when its rough expect to get wet.

[NYBasser]

3 hours ago, bishoptf said:

Yeah I understand its going to catch more wind, I was just surprised that when trying to find someone that says its an issue I didn't have much luck. I made a post with some other forum posts talking about the boat but awaiting mod approval. One specifically talked about the wind and stated they had not had any issue. I thought I would find posts talking about it but the only issue that I see most talk about is when its rough expect to get wet.

A boat with higher gunnels is going to blow around in the wind more because there’s more surface area that the wind is contacting, it’s basic physics. People don’t like to talk about the negatives of their boat because they’re biased.

[bishoptf]

Well yes and know, usually people have no problem bashing stuff, I mean the internet is full of that, lol. I'm still in search mode and may decide to go the cheap route which would be a nitro z-19. For a brand new 23 nitro I can get for almost 14K cheaper. After upgrading the TM to an ultrex I am 10k less and 10k would upgrade all my electronics and get me close to being able to put raptors on it. I know the quality is not as nice as a skeeter but having a hard time doing the math for the more expensive boats, I do not tournament fish etc and the lake I have my boat on now would do fine with a small tin boat but I want something to use here and at other lakes.

 

 

[NYBasser]

Yes people bash stuff online all the time. If you’re looking for negative comments on a Lund forum, you’re probably not gonna find much though. Someone who just spent $80k on a new Lund is probably not going to be bashing their new boat that they spent all their hard earned money on unless something was majorly wrong

[J Francho]

I would say it's more about surface area and weight, along with submerged hull design. My 18' Xpress Hyperlift blew around a lot less than my 21'10" Bullet, bucking conventional wisdom. These boats are outliers though. The former a heavy, pad hull aluminum, the latter a very light carbon Kevlar hull. Your typical light, 16-20' deep V with high gun whales will likely blow around more than a typical 18-20' glass bass hull. Some of these top end bass boat can sit pretty high, with quite a bit of stuff to catch the wind though, but I'd argue being twice as heavy plays a big factor in the wind. Keep in mind, some of those deep V hulls draft in quite a bit of water, further resisting wind, though not current. It's really beneficial to ride in a ton of boats with different layouts and hull styles in all sorts of conditions. When buying, I can't imagine not test driving a boat, but I've only ever bought used. 
 

fun fact, my Xpress could go shallower than most glass boats, including my buddy's 20' comp hull Bullet that weighed less than 1000 lbs. 

[bishoptf]

Here's my update, I am closing to pulling the trigger, but can't make up my mind. I am trying to decide between a triton trx 19 and Nitro z19. Climbed over both of them multiple times, the fit and finish is better on the Triton, better warranty, better trailer but it's also 5k more. For 5k that goes a long way that I can put towards electronics, extended motor warranty and the other stuff I need for both boats. Not saying Nitro is a bad boat its just that you can tell a difference but 5k is 5k, lol. Going to look at the nitro again today, some things I do like better on the Nitro like the battery compartment hatch opens towards the boat vs the triton that opens towards the back. I've seen that in a couple of boats and it makes getting into that compartment really more difficult when in the boat, not sure the logic with that one but really do not like that at all. I think the Triton may have better resale value, the trx 19 comes with a 225 vs the z19 has a 200. I do not tournament fish and speed is really not a concern. Both come with a dual axle trailer, trailer on the Triton is c channel vs tube but I've not heard to many issues with either one. The triton is 19' 9" and the z19 is 19' 4", as my wife pointed out comes out to 1k per 1", lol.

 

Anyone have anything else to throw out there that may make the 5k make more sense I'm all ears...I think I would be satisfied with either boat but trying to make up my mind. 

 

 

 

[A-Jay]

You named the title of this thread 'Used well made bass boats recommendations'.

Which rig fits that best ?

Perhaps keep in mind that

the Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long After the Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten.

 

btw, 

IME, you'll spend at Least 5K the first year on ' needed accessories' for your new rig.

This list of item varies for each new boat owner and can end up being quite a bit more.

So in the big picture of buying a rig, that $$ is already spent.

You just don't know it yet.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

 

[bishoptf]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

You named the title of this thread 'Used well made bass boats recommendations'.

Which rig fits that best ?

Perhaps keep in mind that

the Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long After the Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten.

 

btw, 

IME, you'll spend at Least 5K the first year on ' needed accessories' for your new rig.

This list of item varies for each new boat owner and can end up being quite a bit more.

So in the big picture of buying a rig, that $$ is already spent.

You just don't know it yet.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

 

Thanks A-Jay, yeah I have a long list of upgrades and the ones I have settled on for the most part do not have electronics on them, I want to rig them they way I want with trolling motor and graphs etc. Initially I was looking used and probably would have changed the title now if I could since the used market hasn't caught up the the new market. Originally was going to go 2-3 year old boat and try to save money but folks have priced their used boats sometimes more than what I am currently looking at for new boats. There are quite a few 2023 boats out there and they are not moving like they have in the past, they are not cheap but there are better deals to be had. I guess we will see as the summer goes but I've been to quite a few dealers and heard it said multiple times, boats are not moving like they had been. BTW I still really like the Lund Pro v Bass but its about 16K more, they really like that boat and just to much $$ for my budget.

 

Again thanks for commenting...

[A-Jay]

20 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Thanks A-Jay, yeah I have a long list of upgrades and the ones I have settled on for the most part do not have electronics on them, I want to rig them they way I want with trolling motor and graphs etc. Initially I was looking used and probably would have changed the title now if I could since the used market hasn't caught up the the new market. Originally was going to go 2-3 year old boat and try to save money but folks have priced their used boats sometimes more than what I am currently looking at for new boats. There are quite a few 2023 boats out there and they are not moving like they have in the past, they are not cheap but there are better deals to be had. I guess we will see as the summer goes but I've been to quite a few dealers and heard it said multiple times, boats are not moving like they had been. BTW I still really like the Lund Pro v Bass but its about 16K more, they really like that boat and just to much $$ for my budget.

 

Again thanks for commenting...

You're welcome.

I realize it's a tricky decision 

and can be pretty stressful too.

But you know what's Not Stressful ?

Why you're doing this . . . . 

https://youtu.be/MRZZqbN03Jg?feature=shared&t=11

A-Jay

[bishoptf]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

You're welcome.

I realize it's a tricky decision 

and can be pretty stressful too.

But you know what's Not Stressful ?

Why you're doing this . . . . 

https://youtu.be/MRZZqbN03Jg?feature=shared&t=11

A-Jay

Amen to that, and that is why I am in a good spot since I am still fishing out of my old boat since it hasn't sold. Another great picture, looks like an awesome day to be on the water. 

 

One question I did want to ask, you upgraded I think to 10" Helix units, I was debating 10 vs 12 and know to go as big as you can afford but the price difference for the 10 vs the 12 is $800, ouch. I am leaning towards the 10" Helix unit on the bow, it will be dedicated to Mega 360 since I am going to run Garmin for all the rest. Just wanted to know how the 10" were doing.

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Amen to that, and that is why I am in a good spot since I am still fishing out of my old boat since it hasn't sold. Another great picture, looks like an awesome day to be on the water. 

 

One question I did want to ask, you upgraded I think to 10" Helix units, I was debating 10 vs 12 and know to go as big as you can afford but the price difference for the 10 vs the 12 is $800, ouch. I am leaning towards the 10" Helix unit on the bow, it will be dedicated to Mega 360 since I am going to run Garmin for all the rest. Just wanted to know how the 10" were doing.

Thanks ~ 

The max screen size I can flush mount on my rig,

which is what I prefer, is 10 inch screens.

That's what I started with and that's what I replaced the first units with.

Both at the console & the bow.

I am NOT a huge 'electronics' guy, mostly using the basics.

I use mapping & 2D sonar the most. 

Don't use much split screen either, especially with SI or 360 displays. 

Half screen loses too much detail.

If I could have flush mounted 12 inchers, I probably would have;

especially as my old guy eye sight fades. 

A-Jay

[bishoptf]

Here is my followup, picked up a new 2023 nitro z19 last saturday. In the end for me getting what I felt was the best bang for my buck was the driving force. I know many consider it to be a budget boat but I think I have climb over them and read enough that I know most of the weaknesses and will see how it goes. I looked at a lot of boats but the 7K delta was at least for me not worth the delta but thats just me. For the most part I purchased the boat for what some used boats are selling for since the new market I think has slooowed way down but the used market hasn't caught up from what I can see. I think if your willing to drive and don't mind rigging or having it rigged they way you would like then there are some deals out there, if you call a 40K+ bass boat a deal, lol.

 

I was able to find a boat that had what I was wanting with my plan always to rig it the way I want it so I really wanted a clean sheet as much as I could get. Basspro has a website that you can search for 500mi and see whats in the inventory - https://www.bassproboatingcenters.com/boats-for-sale/make-nitro/?zip=64101&orderBy=Price&OrderDesc=true&model=nitro^z19&distance=500#scrollToResult

 

There are also independent dealers also so you have to search multiple ways but the offers as in discounts will apply to where ever they are being sold. The one tip that I will throw out there is that the boats on the floor room are not ordered by the dealers, factory builds them out and ships them and from what I can see is that whoever they have doing it doesn't have a clue with what a normal bass boat user wants. The factory floor models come the way they do and they cannot remove/swap items BUT what I learned and most salesmen do not know is that MOST factory items can be added at the build price. One of the biggest sticking points for me was I wanted a port console and not many had the port console, its removable but if you order it after the fact they charge you 2.5x the build price. I still have no idea who decided and why they do that since you could order a ranger console or triton console after the fact for not much over build price just the nitro that was crazy price. Long story but I found a salesman locally that told me about the ability when purchasing a boat that they could add items like the port console at the build price, he stated it was the one thing they COULD do to sell a showroom price so for me it meant that I could get the console at the build price, that sealed the deal. The only downside is the console will be shipped to the order store which means for me I have to drive 4 hours to pick up but the cost savings was worth it. Many of the build and order processes are so antiquated, they build the Nitro's in Missouri and they would save $$ by shipping it to a local store but no way to do it, lol.

 

I think I will start a rigging thread since it's going to get a minor overhaul and maybe someone else may be curious how I am doing things, which I am doing myself. I will say that I already sealed the deal, house sits on a slight hill and wasn't sure about the engine cowl clearing the garage door opening and lowered the engine to take a measurement (it clears by 2") but in my zeal I needed to adjust my angle and forgot to raise it back up and you guessed it, scrrraaape...sigh, so my brand new engine now has a scratched up keel...sigh. Oh well I guess it was bound to happen at some point, felt like an idiot but is what it is...

 

Couple of pics and the one in the sun does not do it justice, its a silver metal flake and in the sun makes all kind of pretty colors...really like it. The other pic is me tearing into it, already have it taken apart.

 

Anyone has any questions let me know just wanted to follow up and post what I did...