Nitro to Skeeter

[bnt55]

Looking to go from a 2005 Nitro NX882 (18'3") to a 2005 Skeeter SX200 (19'6")...good, bad, don't bother?

[Dave A]

Depends on the condition of the skeeter.

[Bassin Bob71]

I agree.....what's the condition of each boat, motor?

[06 SB]

…and what motor! OX66, yes. HPDI, no.

[bnt55]

The skeeter has been sitting for a couple years and needs some cosmetic work as well as lower unit rebuild on the Yamaha V-Max 200. I was considering using this winter to work on everything and get it into fishing condition by the spring. My nitro is in good shape and is a fine fishing boat, just looking to upgrade to the next size up as long as the ride would be better than the nx882 nitro...
..

[Dave A]

JMO, since your Nitro is in good shape i'm not sure all that work and money would be worth it for no more than you would be gaining.

[ECobb91]

Even though I firmly believe the Skeeter is better quality (I’ve owned a 2003 Nitro NX750 and the quality was pretty sub par), I would keep the Nitro you have and any money you spend to fix up the Skeeter could be put into the Nitro to upgrade add-ons or polisher her up good.

If the Skeeter was in great condition and didn’t need cosmetic or mechanical work then it would be a different story.

[bnt55]

It's really gonna come down to whether I can get the boat in my garage to work on. He said he will sell it to me for 6500 and I am guessing another 7k in repairs/graphs and trolling motor (I generally buy used electronics). I do know it rides waaaaayy better than my nitro. Appreciate the comments

[Mcrider55]

I've never understood this internet infatuation with "bigger is better". Of the 5 boats I've owned, all have been 18footers powered by 150's, and I've gotten along great whether fishing tournaments or just solo time on the lake. The faux pro's online denounce every boat maker out there except what they own. If you really have an issue with your Nitro, which is a damned fine ride, they why trade it away for something unknown and needs work?

I think way too many internet fishermen spend too much time trying to emulate the full time tournament pros than they do fishing. Bigger isn't better and neither is newer in most instances. I run an 89 Champion 184 with 150 Merc ProXS and get along great.

[waknbass]

I've never understood this internet infatuation with "bigger is better". Of the 5 boats I've owned, all have been 18footers powered by 150's, and I've gotten along great whether fishing tournaments or just solo time on the lake. The faux pro's online denounce every boat maker out there except what they own. If you really have an issue with your Nitro, which is a damned fine ride, they why trade it away for something unknown and needs work?

I think way too many internet fishermen spend too much time trying to emulate the full time tournament pros than they do fishing. Bigger isn't better and neither is newer in most instances. I run an 89 Champion 184 with 150 Merc ProXS and get along great.

Depends on your style of fishing but for the most part, bigger is better. More room, much better ride, speed, etc. I definitely wouldn't want to go back to an 18ftr after having a 21. Newer isn't always better is true as there are some nice older boats that will get the job done.

[GOFISH$]

had skeeters forever. and love them. Currently in ZXR-21 which is awesome. SX-200 was not one of their best. Very fast, very light, and slapped very hard in rough water. Fit and finish left a lot to be desired. I would sit tight for a newer model unless the SX-200 is perfect condition and a great buy!

[skeeterator]

I've never understood this internet infatuation with "bigger is better". Of the 5 boats I've owned, all have been 18footers powered by 150's, and I've gotten along great whether fishing tournaments or just solo time on the lake. The faux pro's online denounce every boat maker out there except what they own. If you really have an issue with your Nitro, which is a damned fine ride, they why trade it away for something unknown and needs work?

I think way too many internet fishermen spend too much time trying to emulate the full time tournament pros than they do fishing. Bigger isn't better and neither is newer in most instances. I run an 89 Champion 184 with 150 Merc ProXS and get along great.

Most intelligent post I've read on here in years.

[Jfish]

Most intelligent post I've read on here in years.

+2

[ECobb91]

I've never understood this internet infatuation with "bigger is better". Of the 5 boats I've owned, all have been 18footers powered by 150's, and I've gotten along great whether fishing tournaments or just solo time on the lake. The faux pro's online denounce every boat maker out there except what they own. If you really have an issue with your Nitro, which is a damned fine ride, they why trade it away for something unknown and needs work?

I think way too many internet fishermen spend too much time trying to emulate the full time tournament pros than they do fishing. Bigger isn't better and neither is newer in most instances. I run an 89 Champion 184 with 150 Merc ProXS and get along great.

i agree to an extent. Often times people believe newer isn’t better because they only are comfortable with what they have and aren’t willing to change. If we all kept the old, there would be no improvements. But sometimes new sucks.. Ive only owned one other boat and it was a 17.5’ 2003 Nitro. I can say without a doubt my older ranger is much better in quality and ride. In fact I would never consider a WRM boat built before 2015 now. The quality is subpar compared to other brands. If you put your knee on the sidewall of a mid 2000s Nitro, there’s a lot of flex. I have 0 flex in my Ranger. It’s not about being a wannabe pro, rather buying the best you can in the price range you can afford. My Ranger is older, bigger, and way better quality than my old nitro. Even though my Nitro had really no issues and I Have no ambitions on being a pro, I wanted a little bit bigger boat for the storage and room when fishing with more than 2 people.

However bigger is better on the Great Lakes and any large body of water where waves and storms can be dangerous. Tou don’t have to be a wannabe pro to realize that. There’s times where I ran 20 miles from a bay on glass smooth water only to turn around and drive into 5-6’ waves because the wind shifted unexpectedly. 2 weeks ago I ran 7 miles down this one lake by me. At the end of the day there was 3-4’ white caps. I sure was glad I had a bigger boat that handles much better than my Nitro.

that said, I do agree with you on buying an unknown boat that needs mechanical and structural work. I wouldn’t consider buying a boat that’s in that rough of shape, it typically means the owner was careless with maintenance and operation.

[bnt55]

I've never understood this internet infatuation with "bigger is better". Of the 5 boats I've owned, all have been 18footers powered by 150's, and I've gotten along great whether fishing tournaments or just solo time on the lake. The faux pro's online denounce every boat maker out there except what they own. If you really have an issue with your Nitro, which is a damned fine ride, they why trade it away for something unknown and needs work?

I think way too many internet fishermen spend too much time trying to emulate the full time tournament pros than they do fishing. Bigger isn't better and neither is newer in most instances. I run an 89 Champion 184 with 150 Merc ProXS and get along great.

While I do agree with your post to some extent, the original intent of my post was to see if Skeeter was far and away a better riding bass boat at 19' 6" than a nitro at 18'3". I do like my boat and I have worked hard to get it where it is today after buying it from a guy who had cats living in it. That being said, if I can move to a bigger boat that would be safer in rough water and allow my 6'4" frame to move around the boat better than I would be for it. Based on some comments from guys that knows Skeeters, I don't think this is the direction I will go. However if it was a 20' champion then maybe that would be a different story , I've always wanted to own one of those boats, or at least ride in one to see how she handles. It seems the bigger water I fish the more I am finding the limitations of my 18' Nitro, and I am man enough to admit it may be the more the driver than the boat. But first things first, I need a bigger garage!

[wildkat7]

I've never understood this internet infatuation with "bigger is better". Of the 5 boats I've owned, all have been 18footers powered by 150's, and I've gotten along great whether fishing tournaments or just solo time on the lake. The faux pro's online denounce every boat maker out there except what they own. If you really have an issue with your Nitro, which is a damned fine ride, they why trade it away for something unknown and needs work?

I think way too many internet fishermen spend too much time trying to emulate the full time tournament pros than they do fishing. Bigger isn't better and neither is newer in most instances. I run an 89 Champion 184 with 150 Merc ProXS and get along great.

My take on this.....I started with an 18ft Stratos with a 150 Evinrude. Upgraded to a 2001 Skeeter zx225. Had it up until 3 years ago and bought a z19 Nitro. Just upgraded to a 2021 z21 Nitro. Won't ever go back to anything less than 20ft, prolly not less than 21ft. especially after the past few months I've been going down to Texas and fishing the bigger lakes (Rayburn, Toledo, Lake O the Pines). With that said, I wouldn't want to buy a project boat just because it's bigger when everything is working on my "smaller" rig.

[Rob Allen]

totally agree I had an old stratos 201.. now I have a 19 ft Cobra even though the cobra is a nicer boat i REALLY miss the 21 foot boat... I don't think upgrading from an 18+ to a 19+ that needs work is a good idea.. If you are going to upgrade get into a 21 foot boat..

[jc1992]

I would keep what you got for right now. You got a boat that doesn’t need anything from what you say, to a boat that needs a good amount of work isn’t worth it. I fish lake O the pines and caddo in a 17’7 raycraft 86 year model with no issues. If you really want to upgrade, I would take the money you are planning on spending, keep adding to it then find something that doesn’t need much of anything. Or if you save enough, buy you a new rig of your choice. Also
keep in mind that a lot of aluminum boats are getting pretty good on ride as well

[bnt55]

I passed on the Skeeter, no time or desire to tear into another boat redo and it needed ALOT. Amazing how some guys can take a perfectly good boat and turn it into crap in 3 to 4 years, to each his own I guess.

[Dave A]