http://www.boats.com...V170b/116839941

I am in the market for a used bass boat and I came across this one locally. It is a 1994 Pro Craft V170B with a 115 Mercury. This will be my first personal bass boat. I just recently moved to Fargo, ND and I am looking for a 16'-17' boat. I would love to go bigger, but my tow rig is a 1999 Cherokee and I can't afford to upgrade to a full-size truck and buy a boat. My father and I own a 1996 20' Ranger with a 200hp Optimax, but it does little for me since it is in northern IL. I am just looking for a decent inexpensive boat to get me through a few years up here until I graduate from college. The major restriction I have is that I do want a fiberglass boat. I am presonally not a fan of aluminum for bass fishing.

I have a larger trolling motor at home that I could put on it, but I think on a boat this size 60# would be adequate.

As far as electronice goes, I have a good hook-up at a outdoor shop that can get me great deals. And I do not mind having to use older electronics if it means I am off the banks and out on the water.

The nice thing about this one is that it is local and I can give it a real good look over. I did some searches and found the basic questions I should ask and things to look for. Does anyone know any specific problems with this brand or model or generation?

I also do not have to travel far off to pick it up. Although I am not against going a little bit out of the way if I find a better deal. My Cherokee gets garbage mileage and I would have to account for that in the cost of the boat.

Thanks in advance for any and all help. I just recently joined the site and it holds an incredible amount of help and knowledge!

From the Pics it appears that the boat has some fairly bad oxidation. It could be dust or dirt. For a 94 that price is a bit steep IMO

I have a 96 Stratos that I paid $5000 for 3 years ago and it had new tires, two SS props, a cover, all lowrance electronics, 4 idfferent seats, new PFDs, and three new batteries, not to mention it had been garage kept and the gelcoat looked, and still does, like new

Never pay the asking price !!!!!!!

In addition to the gelcoat, the carpet looks tired as well. Not saying that should necessarily be a dealbreaker, but something to think about. I have a 91' ProCraft that I've been fishing out of for 6 years or so, and although I'd like a 521 Comanche, I'm generally happy with it.

You might want to take it somewhere to make sure the transom has not started to rot- there was a specific year they changed their transom design to one that's less susceptible to that, but I can't remember what year it was.

You can have the gelcoat restored - at least along the gunnels- for a couple hundred bucks. At least that's what I was quoted on mine. FYI.

With the economy still struggling a bit, you should have buyer's leverage if you are really interested.

I went and looked at it today. The gelcoat is shot. It feels like sandpaper when you rub your hand over it. The transom looked and felt ok, but I am not experienced in inspecting boats by any means so I would have to have someone knowledgeable check it out. The carpet is worn out, but it is not torn anywhere. All of the storage compartent lids open and close great and the seats are in good shape. Overall the boat needs a really good cleaning, and that kind of worries me about how much it was neglected in the past. There was nobody there to give me any history on the boat or the motor. It would work for what I am looking for, but only if I could get it at a much discounted price. Maybe it's time to sell the Harley and invest in a little bit nicer boat!

I once owned a procraft 21.5 fish and ski. After fishing out of that boat for about 4 years, and having the oportunity to fish out of several other makes, I came to the conclusion that there were better quality boats out there. The boat certainly got me out on the water and allowed me to catch fish but I knew there was better quality and ride out there. You get what you pay for. IMO procraft is a mid level line of boats at best. I think the price on that boat is too high but, if it is in great shape and gets you on the water and you think the price is fair then go for it. If it was only used in ND it's entire life and stored properly, chances are it has not had a lot of use, as they have a short season. With that said, I think there are a lot of great deals out there on mid 90's boats right now. Granted most of them are not close to you. I think $2500 would be fair if everything checked out. good luck.