Anyone have to make the decision - bay boat or bass boat?

[Rouxgaroux]

Anyone have to make the decision - bay boat or bass boat? What swayed you one way or the other? Did you regret your decision?

[barbarian]

More than once and have regretted decision more than once. In the end for me, it came down to the fishing style of bass fishing is more enjoyable to me and riding in a bass boat is more enjoyable to me.

[ChampioNman]

I'll be selling my bass boat in the not too distant future and be buying a bay boat. It will be something in the line of a Skeeter bay boat

Or a Triton LTS

[billius]

I made that decision when I lived near the coast of Alabama. Traded my BassCat Cougar for a Baycat. It was the wrong move for me for certain. I couldn't stand fishing out of that Baycat. It was a nice boat, but it was just not for me. Traded it after a year for another Cougar. Lost a ton of money because of that dumb decision to get a bay boat.

[ChampioNman]

I made that decision when I lived near the coast of Alabama. Traded my BassCat Cougar for a Baycat. It was the wrong move for me for certain. I couldn't stand fishing out of that Baycat. It was a nice boat, but it was just not for me. Traded it after a year for another Cougar. Lost a ton of money because of that dumb decision to get a bay boat.

Had I known I would be moving to the Gulf Coast I would have bought the Bay Cat from you Bill. I rode in Jeremy Lewis' on Lake Norman at a Rally there and liked it and liked that fold forward console.

[dean c]

Im going to have a second boat (bay) sometime in the future.

[mikesxpress]

You can have both:

[Bill2e]

I just went through the decision process........


i actually listed my PII for sale......I was going to buy a Bay Boat.....

then I went out on a friends Bay boat. Great boat, but don't like the type of fishing. So decided to keep mine.

I also looked at the cost involved to get the speed I am used to.

I like bass fishing period and my boat fits my family of 3, it's also paid for

i woild consider am intercoastal model model as I live 10 minutes from the salt and an hour from the fresh.

[TrackerPro16]

I made that decision when I lived near the coast of Alabama. Traded my BassCat Cougar for a Baycat. It was the wrong move for me for certain. I couldn't stand fishing out of that Baycat. It was a nice boat, but it was just not for me. Traded it after a year for another Cougar. Lost a ton of money because of that dumb decision to get a bay boat.

Please tell more. I was thinking about a bay boat but have never fished out of one.

[johnrt]

whats a good website to look at bay boats forsale like bbc...???

[Bill2e]

Please tell more. I was thinking about a bay boat but have never fished out of one.

They are great boats if you want to take a lot of people and fish multi spieces.

they lake in storage compared to a bass boat and they are not as nimble or fast.

Every boat oat is a compromise. Go rent a Bay for the day and try one out.

[snodogg]

I would like to own a second (bay) boat too. Problem with bass boats are there really just one dimensional, a bay boat is more multi dimensional but will not "tournament" bass fish very well. I shopped bay boats rater extensively about 6 months ago in Florida and I had pretty much settled on Shearwater or Pathfinder. Ended up buying a new bass boat in the end because I'm tournament bass fishing 90% or the time on the water.

[billius]

Please tell more. I was thinking about a bay boat but have never fished out of one.

I have had bassboats since the late 70's. When I got my Baycat I thought I could bass fish out of it as well as go out into Mobile Bay and the Gulf. I did do those things with it, but bass fishing was really tough. I had a hand control great white Motorguide. If the wind was blowing, all I got done was steer the boat. The sides were so high they caught every bit of breeze. It could go up into pretty shallow water, believe it or not though. The ideal situation is to have a bass boat and a bay boat. More money than I was able to come up with though.

[BMCD]

Never seen trim tabs on a Ranger.

[Bass AHolic]

the triton looks good FRED

[Rouxgaroux]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm mostly landlocked and when I travel to fish we visit in Michigan and La/Texas gulf- so probably 50% inshore salt and 50% freshwater whatever's biting. Been shopping for over a year and convinced myself a bay boat was the end all be all for our needs and adventures. And then...I fished out of a friend's bass boat. Dang. And now I'm here.

[Marshfly]

You can have both, pretty much if you go with a flats boat.

My Yellowfin 21 Hybrid has huge deck like a bass boat but is finished like a bay boat and tops out right at 70 mph. The step hull rides better than pretty much any bass boat too.

Other choices are anything made by Sterling, the Hewes Redfisher 18 or 21, Egrets, etc. With the max HP these will all hit 60mph plus.

You want a flats boat and not a poling skiff however. The ones listed above have much more storage and ride considerably better than models from Hells Bay, Maverick, East Cape and similar. I moved from my Maverick HPX-V 18 to the Yellowfin for more storage, a better ride, and more room for the family. The side benefit was a much more stable platform of two guys bass and marsh fishing.

[TrackerPro16]

Thanks for the info. I went and looked at some sites and forums doing the 'vs' between bass boats and bay boats. There were some things I had not considered, like a painted trailer (I have), quality of fittings, and electrical connections. I had considered taking mine out in the salt, but not any more! "Hon! I need another boat!!"

[Natch64]

I switched from a 96 Champion 186DC to a 07 Ranger Bay 2000 in 2007, because the bass fishing was decimated by 2 hurricanes. We enjoy inshore fishing as well and in this area, we are blessed with both. Ran the Ranger Bay until 2015, then sold it to move back to a bass boat. The bay boat is great for lots of things, including bass fishing, unless you want speed, better maneuverability and a foot controlled TM. My wife/fishing partner, enjoys both types of fishing, but didn't like the ride of an 18'8" bass boat, when it got rough, so we looked into a Ranger Z520ci Intracoastal. It's a Z520c hull, with a durable foam deck covering, versus carpet. The wiring is tinned, versus the standard copper in bass boats and ours has trim tabs, which give you two advantages of not having them. First is holeshot, allowing you to run a bigger prop, while maintaining a good holds shot and they are a great addition in rough water. You can trim the boat bow down or elevate either side of the boat to eliminate getting wet from spray. The last bennie is the all aluminum trailer. No corrossion ever.
We have a 2016, with a SHO 250 and it's the finest machine, I have ever owned. Bay boats are fine, but the majority of them do not have "real" dry storage and for me that's important as well.
Hope this helps.

[CaryLab]

Up until last Monday I had both. I sold my 2012 22' bayboat and kept my Basscat PIV. Really killed me to sell but I don't use it as much as I'd like. I contemplated selling both to get an Intracoastal but you're very limited in choices, either Ranger or Legend. Both great boats but man are they expensive by the time you rig them out. Found a couple 2015 520ci's but still in the $60k range. I'm gonna keep looking and hopefully find one but I'm in no hurry to get rid of my Cat! Wish Basscat made an Intracoastal!