New Bass Boat Prices"Is this where we are now?"

[Legend Chris]

Plenty of very nice and well taken care of pre-owned boats on the market out there. Personally, I will not buy another new boat.

[pavi69]

Ego can be a terribly expensive thing to maintain.

2018 NITRO Z19 $35,995

https://www.nitro.com/2018-z-series-bass-boats/z19.html

[hunter991]

It's insane. Even aluminum boats are sky high. And if you want worse try the wake boat market. The boat I want is over 120k and that starting price. No idea why any of them are worth this kind of cash.

[cart7]

Ego can be a terribly expensive thing to maintain.

2018 NITRO Z19 $35,995

https://www.nitro.com/2018-z-series-bass-boats/z19.html

I just built a boat, only added an OB charger, hyd pedestals, swapped the Maxxum TM for an Ultrex, spare tire and an automatic bilge pump. With freight and prep, $39,575 for the Z-19. I could add Helix graphs, 9" and 7" for an additional $2k or less if I buy from a dealer and install myself.

I'm sure the 18 1/2 foot would come in at $5k less than the 19 1/2.

It seems to me the problems come in as you go from the 18 1/2 - 19 1/2 models to the 20ft + models. The overall pricing just isn't linear.

If you're looking at a barebones boat, motor and trailer + freight and prep, the cost per foot is around $1700 - $2000 per foot of boat. Go above 20' and suddenly the cost jumps to $2500-3000 a foot or more. This is whether it's a Nitro or some other brand. I can't see where the extra cost is coming from. I'm sure there's extra materials needed to beef up a boat that is over 20' but not enough to justify that sort of cost increase. You can buy a fairly cheap boat in that shorter length, just avoid the bigger boats. You don't need a 20' + boat to catch fish.

[pavi69]

I just built a boat, only added an OB charger, hyd pedestals, swapped the Maxxum TM for an Ultrex, spare tire and an automatic bilge pump. With freight and prep, $39,575 for the Z-19. I could add Helix graphs, 9" and 7" for an additional $2k or less if I buy from a dealer and install myself.

I'm sure the 18 1/2 foot would come in at $5k less than the 19 1/2.

It seems to me the problems come in as you go from the 18 1/2 - 19 1/2 models to the 20ft + models. The overall pricing just isn't linear.

If you're looking at a barebones boat, motor and trailer + freight and prep, the cost per foot is around $20 per foot of boat. Go above 20' and suddenly the cost jumps to $25-30 a foot or more. This is whether it's a Nitro or some other brand. I can't see where the extra cost is coming from. I'm sure there's extra materials needed to beef up a boat that is over 20' but not enough to justify that sort of cost increase. You can buy a fairly cheap boat in that shorter length, just avoid the bigger boats. You don't need a 20' + boat to catch fish.

Look at the difference between a Camaro and a Corvette. Pretty much the same except for the fiberglass body. Corvette $50+ Camaro $35+. No way it cost $15,000 more to build the base model Corvette over the V8 Camaro.

[Gnute]

Worked my way up to 50+k boat. Buying used for years. Bought new then paid a lot of it off, traded it in and got the boat for 35k, so it can be done just takes a while if done right.

But yes the prices are up there compared to where they were when I started fishing

[DAC244]

Like PT Barnum said there is one born every minute.

[woppercatcher]

So im in the market of shopping for a new boat. Id like it to have what my old one does, but everything out there is 50 to 80k? Am I the only one that thinks we have priced the weekend angler out of this equation now?

50 to 80k? What kind of boat are you looking for and with what options? Does the weekend angler really need a 50 to 80k boat? It's all up to the person and how much disposable income that person has. I recently purchase a new Skeeter ZX200. The boat was $46,495 with two graphs, Fortrex trolling motor and one power poll. I sold my old boat for $23,500 and got a credit for the two Lowrance graphs I didn't want along with the trolling motor I didn't want. I purchased two Humminbird graphs and a Ultrex trolling motor along with all the other things I wanted. That was another $4000 or so. In the end after the dealer credit, rebate, additional down payment I financed around $16,000. Pretty affordable in my mind and I got the boat I wanted and could afford.

[mastergun]

Easy and long term financing is one of the causes of the dramatic cost of boats. Was at a Bass Pro yesterday and they had a "new" 2017 on clearance, Sticker was $63k and clearance was $59k. $5k off for what is essentially 3 years old with the 2019s hitting the floor.

Unless I hit the lottery I'll only be buying used. Until then my plan is to "refresh" my current boat, besides wanting to be able to go faster (currently only have 90hp outboard) what I have meets my needs.

[Casslaw]

We do average a large banking/“money” crisis every 10 years on average...the last one I can remember was 2007 so we’re about ready to be humbled again....just my opinion. 30 year boat loans are crazy! The entire industry relies of selling long term loans and people are waiting to buy them. To each their own, I’ve made my fair share of very bad financial decisions being short sighted...and that Vette turned into Totalled within 3 years...that one hurt, paid cash for her.

[dean c]

I thought everybody wanted to grow the sport? Well here ya go...its growed.

Just stop looking at boats you can't afford, and be realistic about what you need. Tracker has your 9999.00 special right down at
BPS...

[woppercatcher]

Easy and long term financing is one of the causes of the dramatic cost of boats. Was at a Bass Pro yesterday and they had a "new" 2017 on clearance, Sticker was $63k and clearance was $59k. $5k off for what is essentially 3 years old with the 2019s hitting the floor.

Unless I hit the lottery I'll only be buying used. Until then my plan is to "refresh" my current boat, besides wanting to be able to go faster (currently only have 90hp outboard) what I have meets my needs.

Agree to a point. Sure, it can be a problem if people are over extending themselves on credit...see post above. But that is pretty much how our economy works. Companies borrow money to expand their business, people borrow money to buy things they want or need and the government borrows and lends money to keep the government working. I could have paid cash for my boat but with the my $16,000 loan only costing me 2.5% for 5 years (which I will have paid off in 2 or less) and my investments making me over 10% why use my money if I can afford it. Boat prices are high for many reasons one of which is demand, which is high right now because of the perception of a great economy and people feeling good about themselves. Other reasons are costs. The post above about the 120 thousand for a wake boat is because those are popular and people are willing to go into debt or use their money to buy one. If everyone, company or government only bought things when they had the cash our economy would be slow at best. Maybe that would be a good thing but a lot of people would be out of work. The key which we should all know is pay yourself first and only spend your disposable income. That's not always easy it our I want it now world.

[Aries 181]

Like PT Barnum said there is one born every minute.

Fancy chrome trim and other bobbles have never caught fish but some on here and elsewhere will still pay extra for them.

Bill

[davidsa]

by used. I do it on cars and they far cheaper then boats

[WjColdWater]

5 years? I wish... outdated in 2 maybe 3 usually. Im going the repower route, as a new boat is out of the question for me. My gel is perfect , powerpoles, latest electronics console and bow, Ultrex up front. new carpet, seats , wheels, tires, winch, batteries charger etc. Does everything I want it to do and its paid for. No 650 to 800 a month payment for me. I Can't do it the BBC way and pay cash..

Im with Kevin. My 06/519vx is updated and cherry. I can’t imagine the mortgage a new rig would come with. Still love drooling on them at the dealership! Lol

[Chris1978]

Unfortunately you are right, I think they price most people out of the new boat market. Many cannot or are not willing to pay the high price of a new boat, meanwhile there are many that will and are willing to finance an 80k boat. Let’s be honest, while there are people that can pay cash for a new boat, they represent a very small portion of boat buyers. If you could count the number of new boats at a lake on a certain day and then ask yourself if that many people have 50-80k in cash lying around as disposable income, the answer is no. The market drives the price, the good news is you don’t have to buy new or finance a boat, you can save up money and buy a good used one and save a bunch. Things are good now but if we were to see a recession, and someday we will, that’s when the boating industry will take a very hard hit such as it did in the mid to late 2000’s. Until then boats will only climb in price, if you run out and buy a new boat every couple of years then you contribute to the problem, that being said, you only live once and if you have the means then go for it, I would.

I see it a different way. The reason prices are so high is because you can finance a Boat purchase or roll it into a house mortgage. That’s what has caused the problem, not the few guys buying the boats outright. How many guys roll a Lamborghini payment into the house mortgage. None cause they can’t afford a Lamborghini.

The problem is not that guys are driving up the prices by paying 100k for a boat. It’s that guys are driving up the prices because they can make a payment towards something the bank owns.

[Bass Junkie]

Part of the issue is nobody really needs a 21' fiberglass missile, with big screen TVs serving as fish locators, dual shallow water anchors, and a trolling motor that mans itself to go out on weekend and chase little green fish. I get it if you are a guide that makes his living doing this or a pro but most of us could get by just fine with a 18-19' rig with a 150-200hp outboard reasonably equipped with a modest 24v trolling motor and a couple of graphs in the 7-9" range. I'm not and old man by any means and I can still remember when most bass boats were shaped like a bathtub, had no carpet, flashers for fish finders and 12v trolling motors with about 3 speeds. In 1984 my dad bought a used 1978 Skeeter Wrangler with a 115 Johnson on the back. Man we thought we had something special there. Caught lots of fish out of that boat for years and years.

Everybody just wants what they see the pros fishing out of and with. Big boats with big motors, big graphs, power poles, $350 reels and rods. Someone else hit the nail on the head with the ego comment. It's quite alright to fish out of an 18' boat with a 115 or 150 on the back and only a 7-9" single graph on the console throwing baits with a rod and real combo that cost you less than $150. The only problem I see is less and less companies are making boats that size because the market is too small for them. If folks would swallow some pride and just go back to fishing out of those type rigs and be happy it might actually help the boat market some and push them back into making more boats that working class guys without modest incomes can afford. However, I don't foresee that anytime real soon.

[printman71]

Let's step back from this a minute and ponder this. As of 2016, there was less than 9500 fiberglass bass boats manufactured for the entire model year of all brands. Let's say roughly 250 of these are sold to top tier pros (BASS and FLW), not counting the next level "wanna bees". I have no idea how many freshwater fishing licenses are sold yearly, but 9250 new bass boats isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. There are lots of fisherman with that much disposable income. Maybe if there were more manufactured, they would cost less.

[Lea]

Teadow, when Champion sold the 198, it was at least 10K more than the 30K you state. I know because I bought a brand new one myself back then. However, yes, it was way less than prices we are being quoted today.

[Sam378]

I’ve got a boat on order, 2019 pheonix, $62k loaded, trading in a 2017 rig that is paid for, title in hand, getting 50k for it, have a remaining balance of $12k plus tax on remaining balance so that’s $13k owed, so don’t say it is not affordable, the key to it is you have to put yourself in better financial situations instead of financing 70k, and I’m no rich guy just a carpenter that works for myself, took me four boats of buying, using, and selling to finally get in this position, and so I will pay the remaining balance of 13k and use the boat and if I decide to sell in a year or so I’m in just as good a position