Buying a pro`s boat ???

[mactlman]

a deep water guy great, bank beater maybe or not?

[Savage]

Ok IKE is a PRO.........Would you buy his boat????

[billproxs]

Not after watching bass on ky lake .

[DixieChicken]

a deep water guy great, bank beater maybe or not?

That's the best one I've seen yet!

I managed to end up on Sinclair Saturday with a bunch of FLW guys on day two. The 'wrapped' boats were driven hard and wet for sure! One guy in a green one kept blasting up and down the lake. He passed us half a dozen times.

I'm just too careful about warming up, making sure it's ready, trying to protect the investment etc.

By just after lunch we decided to head well up river because all the weekend warriors were out. There's a place up there with literally ZERO markers and although the map chip shows you're in the channel, there is a boulder the size of a BUS sticking about a foot out of the water with not ONE marker. No buoys, no floats, no posts, signs, NOTHING! Go to the left of it and you MIGHT be in deep enough water to keep going another ¼ mile. Go to the right of it and you'll find yourself in 3' of water and churning MUD, then seriously dragging bottom with the skeg trying to come off plane before you can get stopped. (Don't ask how I know.)

My wife had made the run, then I trolled over to the docks and started fishing them. Meanwhile here comes one, then another, then TWO more ripping up through there. I finally started waving crossed arms at them!!!!!! The last two saw me and came off plane just in time not to hit bottom.

Would I buy a pro boat? Probably not. Depends on the hours, condition of the hull, and yes, the skeg. We've managed to put 50 on in 13 months. I can't see a 'circuit' guy doing less than three to four times that.

Now a demo boat? That's a different matter altogether!

[Bowhuntercoop]

Yep I would. 200,300,400 hours is nothing on a 4 stroke engine. On my last g3 I put 800 hours on it in 4 years between guiding, Fishing tournaments, and pleasure Fishing. As long as the maintence was done I wouldn’t have a problem. I would rather the engine hours be at some speed or higher rpms. Idling kills engines faster then anything. Running em at 5500-6300 is like running your car on the highway. Much better for the engine the just stop and go and idling. It all how they are maintained.

[LTZ25]

I think I might change my mind on this after seeing how nice KVD's boat is rigged . Its sweet .

[Joeandthetomcats]

I think one thing that would worry me and is not often considered is the condition of the trailer. They put so many miles on it.

[PolarKraft195]

i would never buy a pros boat

[Highcentered]

I'd have to know the pro really well to buy their boat.

[rangered]

I bought a '95 488vs off a Pro in spring of '96 who lived in Florida. The internet was where I found
the boat and I called Ranger and spoke to their field Rep about it. He said that the boat was all that
the Pro said it was and if there were any problems for me to contact him directly. I gave a deposit and
the Pro delivered it and test drove. The boat was in perfect condition as stated but the cover was
badly faded and seems pulling apart. I called the guy at Ranger about the cover and he sent a brand
new cover next day air.The Pro gave me a 60 day warranty and paid for new impeller. So not all Pro's
boats are beat up. I was extremely pleased with the boat as I never had another issue. JMO

[Legend Chris]

I'm still running Shaw Grigsby's Triton he ran at Amistad in 2006. Was bought in 2007. Had 70 hrs at that time now with 525. Would do it again

My buddy has his '12 or '13 I can't remember which. But it has heated seats, think it is like 4-5 years before they actually came out. Good boat.

[Ben Harris]

Had a close friend who bought a pro's Skeeter and it was falling apart due to abuse.

[Redneckgearhead]

I can't imagine buying a boat from a pro would be any different than buying from an individual. It is a gamble either way right?

[Roosterman]

Some of you guys need to be a BASS marshal or FLW coangler for a year and you'd not walk but run from their used boats.

[SleepDR]

Some of you guys need to be a BASS marshal or FLW coangler for a year and you'd not walk but run from their used boats.

You are so right!!

[BMCD]

You are so right!!

Condition of boat and price is all that matters. In most cases you get great warranty. If it had a problem they already resolved it.

I think its an opinion of how hard these guys run the boats, a few ruins it for all. Just like any boat.

[billproxs]

Difference i see here on ky lake is pros run alot farther to fish. Martin said he run 700 miles in flw event to new johnsonville and dam and back and forth all days. Not to meation Trailer wear traveling.

[Ben Danbleume]

Depends on the pro.

+1 Lot's of them pre-sell the boat, or at least they used to, you'd even get to pick the colors. Those are the one that would take care of the boat, because they wanted to sell the next one.

[bass-action]

Go on instagram and look at Randall Tharpes video,then think about it

[mossie3]

As a co-angler I've never fished with any pro that would start his engine and let it come up to temperature before running at WOT to the next hole. Years ago, I witnessed one breaking in a new power head by idling around some before blast off. Time is of the essence, and their rig is under warranty the entire time they have it. They aren't that concerned whether the boat still floats and the engine still runs 6 years down the road. A pro could put more use and abuse on his boat in one year that a recreational weekend fisherman would in 10. I wouldn't buy one.