Looking To Pick Up A Boat

[jlang95]

How's it going guys? I'm looking to pick up a boat this season and was hoping you guys could help me narrow it down on brands. I have family friends that have high dollar fiberglass boats one has a Ranger the other has a Cajun and a Phoenix. If I was a single man I'd have a nice bass boat in a heartbeat but with two young kids and a wife that's not a luxury that's available right now. I have a shop to store whatever boat I get in so I'm not worried about it being exposed to the elements and not afraid of the extra upkeep that comes with a glass boat. So if you guys were in the market for a used boat, let's say sub $16,000, what boats would you be looking at?

Jacob

[hoohoorjoo]

Composite hulls like Phoenix are nice, but usually cost-prohibitive even used. The older Gambler boats are excellent if you're looking for a project. Off the top of my head, Cobra, Allison, BassCat and Hydra Sports also come to mind to get into a quality used boat. Just be sure to use a flexible inspection camera to make sure there's no rot or other structural damage below deck and in the gas tank well. Also look for stress cracks around the transom and damage on the keel.

[jlang95]

I was actually just looking at a Gambler on boat trader. What is everyone's opinion of an older Ranger or Nitro? I also found this one that's about an hour and a half away.
https://www.boattrader.com/listing/2000 ... 103601127/

[toddmc]

It is very important to have service records and a printout of how and how long the motor has been run because motor repairs are almost never cheap. Anything can go wrong at anytime, but having a boat's service records helps give a little ease. That boat that you have a picture of is probably too old in my opinion.
The other thing that I must have is a boat that has been taken care of and stored indoors. Nobody needs a sun-beaten project, unless it costs almost nothing and you have almost unlimited time.
Also, make sure that you do a thorough test drive.

Whatever boat you buy, don't forget to check these things:
-the tires
-the hubs
-that trailer for rust
-the trailer bunks for wear
- the hull for cracks
-the trolling motor cables if applicable
-the motor for leaks

[Bass1980]

I was in your position last winter/spring. Searched for months and my budget went from 10k to 15k and finally found one I really like at 21k. I ended up with a Champion 206 Elite and believe that was the best value for my money. If you look hard you can find some boats around your price range. Even though they no longer make Champion their hulls to this day are still some of the very best. The hard part is finding one close to you. Unless you're crazy like me who drove from MN to Colorado to check it out and then came back the next weekend to buy it. That was brutal. Check out bb...c , they got a few nice ones just a tad above your budget. Feel free to message me if you want more info on Champions.

[FishEastCarolina]

If you aren’t opposed to a tin can, the newer bass trackers are nice, or even the bigger 19-20 foot alumacrafts. Drop some seadeck in there and it’s almost hull maintenance free