Caracal input

[lakesareabassin]

Hi all,

I'm looking into the possibility of buying a caracal. I have a couple of questions. How would you categorize the ride? Is it dry? Smooth? Etc. Does the boat get up on pad quick? Is a jack plate needed? Then the two boats I'm between are the caracal and the ranger 520L. I know that maybe a swear word on this board, but curious about comparisons. Thanks for all the help bbc.

[mactlman]

caracal is sub 20 footand the ranger is almost 21 footer? the lynx is closer in size to the 520l.
http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1088602

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1086959

[Bkp2609]

If you want to get wet get the ranger. If you want to stay dry get the caracal. The ride is good. I have a hydraulic jp so holeshot is never an issue. Caracal will be faster than the ranger. No plastic trim on the caracal. So in 5 years the caracal will look like new if you take care of it. Rangers not so much. Most importantly basscat is owned by the same family for almost 50 years. Customer service is the best in the business. PERIOD!!!

[jag9624]

2 completely different boats.. 21ft vs 19'8 The Lynx or Jaguar would be a better comparison. Are you buying new or used?

[lakesareabassin]

I'm looking into both options. The ranger would be used as a lot of pro boats are up for sale now. The caracal has been tougher to find what I'm looking for used, so I have a couple priced new. I understand the size difference. I've already eliminated the 19 foot ranger as I can get the 520l for similar cost and trying to decide on about evenly priced used 520L vs a new caracal. Hope that helps explain the difference size of boats.

Thanks for the input this far

[Tjbubba]

I've owned 10 Basscats and my Caracal 2019 is the driest of them all (probably the way I drive) not even a spray.
I have the G2 and it pops out of the hole hard and tops out at 74 by myself.

[printman71]

If you want to get wet get the ranger. If you want to stay dry get the caracal. The ride is good. I have a hydraulic jp so holeshot is never an issue. Caracal will be faster than the ranger. No plastic trim on the caracal. So in 5 years the caracal will look like new if you take care of it. Rangers not so much. Most importantly basscat is owned by the same family for almost 50 years. Customer service is the best in the business. PERIOD!!!

I'm a BassCat fan, but the company is owned by Correct Craft but is, indeed, a family operated business.

[Bobby8]

I just test drove a 520 for a friend before he bought it and have ridden in 2 others. I have had a Caracal for 3 years now. They are both nice rides. The 520 seems to push more water and seems heavier. My Caracal has 2 ten foot talons and the belly tank with a ten gallon kicker. It has a 24 4 fury. Friends are impressed with the hole shot. I tell them they should have been in it without the talons when, to me, it jumped on plane and was more impressive. I am not a speed guy so I don’t know those numbers. The vast majority of BassCat owners will tell you they love them and the customer service is outstanding, the best. I just think BassCat is a better all around boat.

[printman71]

I'm looking into both options. The ranger would be used as a lot of pro boats are up for sale now. The caracal has been tougher to find what I'm looking for used, so I have a couple priced new. I understand the size difference. I've already eliminated the 19 foot ranger as I can get the 520l for similar cost and trying to decide on about evenly priced used 520L vs a new caracal. Hope that helps explain the difference size of boats.

Thanks for the input this far

Be sure to do your due diligence on a "pro" boat. Many, of any brand, are "run hard and put up wet". To the vast majority of them, it is a tool to get from point A to point B and stand on when the get there. Money can be saved, but there is an element of risk involved, hence the money saved.

[jigman51]

I have a Caracal and it is a solid boat. I have the Merc 2 stroke and have had it to 72 with two people and full gas tanks, 2 26 gallon tanks. I don't have a hydraulic jack plate but the boat jumps on plane when the live wells are empty. With full live wells, it might take 4 seconds. The boat is a dry ride for sure.

[JLeon77]

I have had 2 Caracals and they are gonna be way more of a dry ride than any Ranger. The finish and customer service from BassCat is 2nd to none and I haven't heard anyone say anything good about the new Rangers. They're slowly becoming Nitros...

You really can't go wrong with a Caracal, it feels like a larger boat due to the front deck area. I rode in a 20' Skeeter earlier in the year and it seemed so much smaller than my Caracal.

[llsdjv]

I love my Caracal and had Rangers in the past. To me the Caracal is the best boat I've ever owned.

[Bassman25]

the layout and deck space on a caracal is impossible to beat. even my hard core skeeter friends cant believe how big the boat really is. my only complaint if any is that loading it on a trailer can be a challenge sometimes but the ride is unmatched. I have been in some really rough waters up in south dakota and the boat has been awesome. speed wise, its fast, way faster than I can drive it. i freak out at 68 mph as it starts to walk. best boat ive ever owned, hands down.

[rickmb]

I have looking at a Caracal for a couple of years now. I rode in one at the Classic a couple years ago. It was a very windy day with rough water but it handled it with ease which is surprising for it's length. The boat fishes (I put the TM down on the demo ride and had my wife jump around on different places on the boat - very stable), rides, and feels like a bigger boat. The storage is amazing - no wasted space. I got a deal on a Skeeter demo boat I couldn't pass up or I would have been in a Caracal.
Now if I could find a demo deal on a Caracal.......

[lamoon78]

Caracal is a dry boat I cant recall ever getting even a little spray and I run Rayburn and Toledo. The storage is unreal and fishes way bigger than it looks.