Basscat vs everyone else

[Travelingbass]

I am currently boat shopping and one of the brands I am considering is a cat. My previous 2 boats were Triton's and I have zero complaints and wouldn't hesitate to buy another, however I am very intrigued by the diversity of layouts and designs that cat has to offer.

So my question is, what makes you choose a cat over any other brand? Follow-up question, what is the attraction of the traditional narrow hulls versus the new wide-bodies?

[printman71]

Answer #1: They have the best (highest quality) built boat and trailer there is, period. My 2016 Puma does not have a piece of cosmetic plastic anywhere. All metal or fiberglass.
Answer #2: I prefer the narrower hull for better performance and handling. Mine (Puma) is wide enough for me.

[C130]

Personally, I like the looks, craftsmanship, customer service, and what the company stands for. I think Triton makes a great boat as do several others. I do not like plastic either, some manufacturers have lots of it.

As as far as wide body vs. narrow body, Bass Cat has both options. I have an Eyra and absolutely love it though I’d look at a Lynx also the next time I buy. I like the looks, maneuverability, layout, and the size of the Eyra. It also fits in my garage, anything bigger would not. I’m currently trying to sell my Eyra only because I’ve got two kids to put through college but when I get another boat I’ll be back in a Bass Cat.

[Cbumpilori]

A very attractive and a strong quality built boat. That's one, the other is customer service, none better!
I will say I had a few hic-up's with some of the newer staff but …. That's all!


2017 Eyra / 250 Pro Xs

[Luke]

I love my Cat have no need for any other brand.
for me Customer service is #1 in my book. and I can tell you it wont get any better than from Bass Cat. I have seen first had the amount of customer service that Bass cat has and it would honestly blow your mind.
I have seen the boats in production and how they are built from start to finish and the attention to detail they take...if you seen the amount of people that just look the boat over to make sure the smallest detail is correct...like the metal flake in the boats finish. if its not perfect they fix it before it goes out the door...this is something that when I saw it blew my mind.
everything on my boat like has been said is either fiberglass or metal no plastic junk anywhere, not something that you see on most boats today. Another big thing for me is my boat is an 03. how many companys can you still get parts for a boat that is 15-20-25 years old, but you can from Bass Cat.
Bass Cat is a family its just as simple as that.

I haven't rode in the wider beam boats like a Lynx or Caracal mine is the narrower beam and I love it. cuts rough water very well and performs great. with just me in the boat loaded down it will run lower 70s with a 225 EFI. way more than enough for me.

[mike464]

I have owned 4 Basscats as well as a '16 Triton 21TRX, I currently have an '18 Lynx. The BassCat has a ton more storage than the TRX has and none of the plastic that is all over the TRX, the Lynx is about 3 or 4 mph faster than the TRX as well with the same horsepower. I liked the TRX a lot but couldn't get past the lack of usable storage and less performance. The TRX rides great and lands softer when reentering the water after a big wave than my Lynx does, but both ride well in big water, the Lynx is a much dryer ride. The layout in the bilge in the Cat will make it a lot easier to eventually change pumps than in a Triton. Look at both boats and see which one is going to hold up and be easier to work on / get parts for 10 years from now.

[atta]

Had a 2004 TR22 that I paid cash for. Boat was a tank and could go in any weather you want to fish in. I have zero complaints about the pre Johnny Morris tritons. I would probable still own one if JM didn’t buy them.

That said, I am much happier with my Cat then I was with the Triton. My Eyra is 2’ smaller and other than the rods hanging over a tad you wouldn’t be able to tell. The trolling motor being way up helps a bunch with the length. The layout is second to none with the coffin storage. My boat has the tanks in the back and under seat storage so I am able to adjust the load quickly (rearrange some tackle) and get a smoother ride if it is rough. If it’s a calm day and I want to fly then I’ll adjust my tackle to the back and gain some speed. The boat being less wide isn’t an issue. It doesn’t rock or seesaw when the TM is down and I can get a 20’ boat in tight places.

The onky negative thing thing I can say is about hole shot. I have really had to mess with props to get a good hole shot out of my Eyra. If it’s a rough day and your wells are full then it is a task to get on pad. My prop now is about 3mph slower but gets the boat up when it is loaded. Still able to catch and outrun about everything in the water with a 250.


You will will enjoy the BCB I can assure you that. Quality, craftsmanship, customer service, etc are top notch!

[Bill2e]

I came from a Triton to a Bass Cat and like you i have nothing bad to say about Triton.

Bass Cat in my opinion is just a little better and still run by a family. They also use fiber glass where other use plastic. Total quality. Go spend a day in one and the make a decision.

[MMosher]

Chicks dig em

[BASStex1988]

Chicks dig em

Lol best answer.

But like mentioned above above the quality of the boats are second to none. Being in south Texas with the heat and weather we have down here the ones that don’t hold up will show their true colors very quick. Bass cats do hold up, plenty of storage options on what you may like. You can really tell in rough water and if you’re running hard you feel a solid boat under you no rattling or The cheaper feel.

[Eyra1]

I am currently boat shopping and one of the brands I am considering is a cat. My previous 2 boats were Triton's and I have zero complaints and wouldn't hesitate to buy another, however I am very intrigued by the diversity of layouts and designs that cat has to offer.

So my question is, what makes you choose a cat over any other brand? Follow-up question, what is the attraction of the traditional narrow hulls versus the new wide-bodies?

Buy what you want, you're the one making payments. Everyone is going to have an opinion of "this and that". Most will tout the same company line and recite the advertising like second nature(aka "drinking the kool aid"). THIS IS FOUND ON ALL OPINION BOARDS, NOT JUST THIS ONE.
I've always owned this brand. For 30 years. But the last 5 years I've been fishing more out of a friend's Triton. I like it. It runs good, fishes good, loads on trailer easy. If I ever get another bass boat, I would have to include it as a possible choice. I have reasons I had previously chosen this brand; as I've gotten older, I've also reassessed what my preferences would be. So to research is a good thing.
When you get everyone's views, in the end it comes down to:
1. What are your needs? How much storage do you need/use?
2. What are your wants? Do you want "Bling", "styling", "functionality", "gimmick" or a combination of some sort?
3. What are your desires? What items would you like to add but not sure if budget will allow?

So while dock talk is fun and research opens up options, the most enjoyment will be the first time on the water in your new boat...no matter the brand.
Good luck hunting!

[FastCat04]

Why BassCat ? Easy question to answer, but think of it like this. What car makes you stop in your tracks when you see it? For me, it's Porsche. A wicked cool, totally bad Porsche makes me feel like no other. Well...BassCat is exactly the same way ! It's not a 'one off', ultra light weight race boat...but it's no grocery getter either. It's a well proven, high performance, not for everyone kinda boat. It's fast, yet safe, confidence inspiring, gives lots of driver feedback, responds extremely well to driver input, well connected....custom boat. There aren't many duplicates out there. You can pretty much have it built the way YOU want. BassCat is a passion. It's a product of Rick Pierce, his dad, and his team of craftsman. It's not a mass produced production line boat. If you've ever met Rick, you'd understand 'why BassCat'. In fact, to be honest....if you've ever met a BassCat owner....you'll see some of that passion. It's in the BassCat factory, it's in the employees there, it's in the rep's, it's in the dealers, it's in the customers & end users. It's a passion for something a bit unique...yet within reach. It's a boat that you can spend days, weeks, months, years in....and it still makes you smile. It's a boat that you can walk out into the garage at night and just stare at...it's that cool. It looks like it's going 100mph just sitting on the trailer, or in the garage. It's quality meets performance. It's a custom made for you piece of art work & craftsmanship. And if you ever need anything...just call them. Call Alan in parts, or Dory at the clothing store, or heck, just call them. BassCat treats people like we'd all like to be treated. Like we are their only customer, their reason for being. There are other boats, but once you drive a BassCat, meet the people, and understand the quality, performance & customer service...they stand alone. That's why I choose BassCat.

[Cajunhunter67]

THIS /\/\/\/\/\
Eyra1 also had a well informed post.

I will also add, being able to go online and get almost everything you need for your rig (even if its 15+yrs old) without having to go thru a dealer. Its all there, from the Trailer to the decals.
BTW, That's another thing that wasn't mentioned. BCB makes their own trailers inhouse and every trailer built is model specific.

[Finlander]

I am not a brand lawyalist but I have owned enough different brands, including Cat's, to clearly see a difference in the OAL build quality. In my humble opinion, Bas Cat is number 1 followed by Ranger and then everone else. Skeeter is making a serious play for second place with an improved trailer and nearly eliminating all the plastic trim. Their new FXR is ringing bells but its not nearly as detailed as a premium line Cat. When I trade up next I will be looking at a Cat first.

[BassCatBrad]

Before owning my current boat a 2018 BassCat PII I owned in order a Nitro, Triton and Skeeter. I will say my short experience with BassCat has been outstanding. BassCat builds one hell of a boat and trailer. They are lightning fast and rock solid. As stated above there is no cheap plastics in the boat. The hatch lids fit super tight. They fish great too. They are very responsive when the trolling motor is down. The livewells are deep and I have never lost a fish. The trailer is amazing. I have called BassCat and had my questions answered immediately. My wife even talked to Rick Pierce about adding more women's clothing, guess what, he was in a meeting at the time of her call. He actually called her back and discussed the womans clothing line. He agreed they needed more. Without asking what boat we had, he asked how our new PII was running and if we liked it. A week passed and a box showed up on our door from BassCat, inside was a few womans hats and shirts with a signed hand written note to my wife from Rick thanking her for bringing the lack of womens clothing to his attention. A couple months went by and guess what, a bunch of new items were added to the womens clothing line (which my wife bought a bunch of). I wonder how many other bass boat companies or CEO's would do that.

I am so impressed with my PII, the trailer it rides on and the company behind the boat that I can honestly say I will not even consider owning a different brand bass boat.

[ChuckTR21]

I came out of a 2000 TR21 and went with an Eyra. My choice was based on quality, a long family owned and now family involved business and BCB was one of the few companies left now owned by a conglomerate or holding company. No sense in arguing quality as everyone has their preferences but the history and business model of BCB is what I want when I invest the type of money any new boat requires. I have not been disappointed and I doubt you find many BCB owners who have been. Compare that to what you see on the other boards here and give that some thought.

[cal z20]

I have an Eyra came out or Rangers and Champs. Ranger is a mass production boat now. Champion is gone. Looked at Birds but lots of plastic and cheap carpet and trailers.
BCB in a nutshell
1. Superrior quality in build and materials used.
2. Heavy duty trailer built like a tank.
3. Performance, fishability and ride. Best overall package.

Some brands Excell at one but BCB is the best overall package in my opinion.

[BassCatSC]

Quality of product and they stand behind their product.

[greg88]

As has been mentioned quality and not any plastic other than the windshield. I was a tad concerned about the narrow hull but you don't really notice it at all. The most important thing is the ride and at Lake of the Ozarks and Kentucky lake it really comes into play, the wife asked why I waited so long to get a boat that rides that good.

[adchunts]

Here is a big reason to buy a Cat:

When I met Rick Pierce, he was literally upside down under a Sabre console troubleshooting the touch panel. This was at the 2008 Owner’s Invitational. After determining the issue, Rick made a phone call and had one of his staff make repairs on the spot. Then he helped me get my boat situated in the slip and battery charger hooked up (while explaining that I needed to keep the back hatch open a little to dissipate the gasses from charging). When I ran into Rick a few years later, he remembered my name and my boat. BCB truly is a family, and they make you feel part of the family as well. The entire organization takes their cue from the boss, and it shows. That passion is evident in every facet of the company, from production to sales to support.