Thinking about 16 thru 19‘ aluminum center console . Looking for pros or cons thanks.
Thinking about 16 thru 19‘ aluminum center console . Looking for pros or cons thanks.
After decades of center console boats I decided in Sept 2019 to buy a bass boat. I purchased a Ranger RT188 and it lived up to every statement I've read about them. Good ride, fishes great with the TM down, quality was there . Nothing bad to say about the boat ! BUT, my knees , hips and balance proved to be more of an obstacle than I had anticipated. My wife was right ! At this point in my life, 72 yrs old next week, the center console with the lower floor space, console grab bar was a better boat for us. I was able to find an Xpress H20B and sold the Ranger. The Xpress has some storage but not as much as the RT188, I'll have to adjust, but adjusting is what life is all about.
In hindsight perhaps the 198 may have been a better fit for me, but the dye is cast now so we are off to the water on our CC. Hope this helps.
The RB190 and 200 are stellar and they are really setup for fresh or salt. They have pad hulls and will benefit from a JP. I agree with lukethedog. I'm turning 72 next month and it's harder to sling myself up; however, I bought a couple of aluminum hiking sticks and they really help. I had a Triumph CC in LA and it was fantastic. Being able to store rods, vertically, is a real plus. Just be sure to add a Fortrex/Ultrex.
2015 Ranger RT188 DC; BassCat Storage Box; Mercury Optimax 115ProXS;
19" Spitfire X7; Vessel View Mobile; Minn Kota Ultrex 80; GForce Handle;
TM Eliminator; Helix 7 G2N SI Combo F/R; HydroWave KVD; BBT 4" Angled Bow Mount; Durasafe Locks for Electronics and Ultrex;
Twist Step Boarding Ladder; EZEE Step ES1; BAC RAC Rod Storage; Motor Mate Transom Saver
I bought a RB190 2 years ago and love it I have no complaints yet it's great for my kind of fishing mostly crappie some bass and catfish it's a good all around rig.
There was another thread recently that compared center consoles to bass boats. Good info there. The two boat styles are really quite different. In GENERAL,
Bass boats faster. More comfortable seats. Larger front deck. Lay down rod storage.
Center console carry more people. Stand up while running, so somewhat better visibility. Handle rough water better due to deeper V. Rod storage for use while fishing is standing along sides of the console, so could be less. Higher freeboard. Smaller or no back deck depending on model. Often cooler at front and under seat (my wife hated using the front cooler as a seat & did not like standing). Center console can make them tow heavier, catch more wind on the lake, rods get in way going under low bridges, and will not fit many garages.
Make sure you have any electronics installed when it's built. That includes any networking cables. Crazy as it sounds to a boat they don't leave a path to upgrade. The two I had looked like they had a wire run from console to bow. After a couple of hours trying to get a pull wire through I called Ranger. They told me the cable run was there but 99% of the time some foam would get in and seal it off during manufacturing.
The guy that does my installs now won't touch one.
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