The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Bass Boat

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

New videos are posted every Tuesday and Thursday at 12pm CST. Subscribe with this link to not miss a thing. kzbin.info

[@jamesc.murray5932]

Great job, Mr. Rogers! I am just getting my feet wet about possibly buying my first boat. And I have searched for a video on KZbin, like this one, until I found yours. There are a lot of amateurs out there trying to do the same type of video you accomplished, without the true knowledge and experience that you truly have gained, to obtain the proper end result. Thank you!

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

You're welcome! I hope it helps in your boat buying journey. Good luck and I'm sure you are going to get something perfect for what you want to do. I'm very excited for you!

[@indybob770]

Get as much motor as you can. That's on the trolling motor also put the biggest you can. It will well worth it on the water😎

[@unkierich]

Great boat advise from Captain America, it doesn't get much better. I couldn't agree more on the motor, tandem axle, and trolling motor suggestions. As far as the gas struts on the deck lids, I think you can get by easily with two for example I think it would be nice on the main rod locker and the center storage where you keep the Plano boxes. But, the second rod locker for me is just life jackets, black boxes and networking. If I find myself getting in those I have bigger problems. Also, you should expect that a descent trolling motor will run around 3-4k

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

It is amazing how much trolling motors are now. I just bought an Ultrex to replace my Fortex and wow. And that wasn't even the new Quest version.

[@Eec2023]

Super good info.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@rickyreynolds9056]

Great advice!! I have a 19’ war eagle and love the boat but big water is ruff on it and me! It’s very important that you consider where you are gonna fish before you buy a boat like you said. 👍

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Thank you for watching! My hope is potential buyers love their purchase. Thinking about where you will be fishing is so important. I am so glad I took off my old trolling motor and went a size up for the river fishing I like to do. Thank you for sharing.

[@lowvpro9651]

All good information, I don't know if I'd say I need the biggest motor the boat is rated for but I definitely wouldn't get anything under the minimal recommend HP. For example a lot of 21' bass boats are rated for up to 300hp, when you look at the manufacturers recommendation it will typically says something like, Recommended HP 250-300. In the vast majority of these cases the 250 is plenty. And if you're a tournament fisherman there might be HP limitations to enter your tournament. Other than that from my decades of boating and fishing I'd say yeah this video is spot on.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Thanks for watching!

[@nybbhUSA]

Excellent advice about motor size!

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Thank you. I have seen folks disappointed in undersized motors so many times, hopefully this video will help someone when making a purchase.

[@oldmanbassfishingarizona5706]

I like my 2020 Tracker 175 TXW Tournament Edition. I did opt for the 60HP motor, then upgraded to a Spitfire 14 pitch prop to peak performance, cut my hole time, and allows a little more trim to get higher on plane and reduce drag and squeeze a couple more mph while staying between 5750-5940 rpm WOT. 75HP was too much for a couple mph difference. I took that money and put it into an Ulterra iPilot Link 80lb 24 volt trolling motor with Heix units and Ethernet for both units and trolling motor to communicate with each other. For the trailer I replaced the single leaf springs with 3 leaf springs that dramatically reduced bounce. I did get the trailer brake option though.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

You did a great job of getting what you wanted! Thank you for sharing.

[@thomasmartin8202]

Great info and well communicated, thanks.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Thank you! Hopefully people find it helpful and make the right choice that works best for them. Thanks for watching!

[@somewhereinsd362]

What a timely video for me... I am looking for my first boat.. u covered some things I didn't even think of like piston lids... this helps a bunch... thank u ... man this bass fishing is addictive😅... I'm looking at nitro z19 pro .. maybe it's too advanced for a first boat ??

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

A first boat is an exciting time! As you do some research i’m sure you are going to find the perfect boat for you.

[@somewhereinsd362]

Well I pulled the trigger on the z19, will travel to Missouri next week to pick it up.... can't wait to be a boat guy😅

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

@@somewhereinsd362 Congratulations!! That first fish caught out of a new boat is always photo worthy! Enjoy the moment and all the firsts.

[@MrBdogg317]

Same here I’m about to purchase my first boat. Skeeter zx225 and I’m like a kid in a candy store.

[@somewhereinsd362]

@MrBdogg317 I love my boat, no regrets at all.. hoping u find as much enjoyment with yours.... lots of people said don't get that brand don't get this brand ,but I got what fit me and it worked out great.... good fishing

[@upthecreekyt]

Great information! I'm looking at 2 completely different boats on saturday. A 2012 bass tracker 17 foot with 60 hp 4 stroke, and a 2010 triton explorer 17 90 hp 2 stroke. It'll be my first bass boat and I'm not sure which one will fit me better. Your video helped me a lot. Thanks 👍

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

You're welcome. I believe that the 60hp on the Tracker is what that boat is rated for. It will run real nice. I'm not sure about the Triton, I would have to look that one up. The 4 Stroke is always a plus - so much quieter and fuel efficient. I'm betting the Triton is rated for 90 too. I am very excited for you. It is always fun to pull in the drive with a new boat.

[@arrowheadhunter5224]

For a yankee , you’re like able and offer great advice. Thanks .

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Lol. Thank you!

[@arrowheadhunter5224]

Man , just teasing you… Really helped me watching your videos! Professional done , thanks again. Sorry for calling you a yankee, lol..

[@Maxiumus_Mausimus]

Hey Steve, I see you have conduit tube rod holders on your camper shell, I would be very interested in a video of your set up, opinion, and cost of a system like yours.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

I actually made those because I wanted something soft on the inside that was durable as well. I used outdoor carpet to pad the inside the protect the rods from bouncing. It took some time to figure out how to get a piece of carpet inside the tube in one piece, but we did it. I will have to get a video put together on that. Thanks!

[@pittsburghangler]

All of my lakes around me are 20hp limit sadly. I was looking at the ranger rt178 because the ranger website says its offered in 20/25/45/60/75hp. I currently have a 16.5 foot aluminum boat with a 15hp 2 stroke that i can get going about 16mph on a calm evening (dont laugh lol). Probably 1/3rd of the boats on my lakes are 25hp with 20hp sticker, so thats an option if im ok with a 300$ fine every few years

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Quite a few lakes around here are similar. On the plus side nobody will go flying by you. As long as there are some good fish in there I'm even good with no wake. Lol

[@wyldbill100]

PHYSIOLOGY: As a DAV, I've gotta pamper my back so "ride" is extremely important to me and I simply can not tolerate a back jarring boat ride. Being older and carrying a little more weight than I did in my 20s, and not as agile anymore either, I am really leaning toward a fiberglass boat than a much cheaper tin boat. Additionally, getting up and out of the captain's seat can be a bit of a challenge for us older folks.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

The glass boat would definitely be the better choice for ride. And those seats are tough to get out of for sure

[@JMurphy357]

Any experience with Vexus or Lund? I'm looking at a 2019 Vexus AXV 1998 with the 150 hp Evinrude etec G2 . The Lund Pro V Bass looks interesting also.

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Both great boats. The Lund Pro V is designed on their deep-v hull with a typical bass boat deck. If the water you fish is big and catches a lot of wind, that hull will serve you well. The Vexus is more of a traditional bass boat design as far as draft. Being that the former Ranger folks designed it, I have a lot of confidence in it although I have not personally tested one out. The Lund Pro V also has some interesting seating configurations with pedestal seats if more floor space is something you are looking for.

[@JMurphy357]

@@SteveRogersOutdoors I live in Las Vegas so what would be your recommendation for a Bass Boat for Lake Mead and Lake Mojave?

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

@@JMurphy357 I think I would go with the Pro V. The hull would serve you well out there when the waves get kicked up.

[@tengenriku]

what boat is this???

[@haydenpalmer5027]

cap looks a little different here

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

No kidding. I always tell people I am the "before" version. Lol

[@SteveRogersOutdoors]

Be sure to explore our website, www.thebassfishinglife.com/. Links to videos, articles, and products. Enjoy and have a great day!