Buying my first Bass boat

[malachi1364]

Been bass fishing my entire life and have finally decided to buy a new bass boat. I originally was looking into Nitro's until i heard a lot of bad feedback about them. So i turned my sights to Ranger, Stratos, Skeeter and Of course Triton. After looking at all my options i believe i have settled on buying a Triton but I need help selecting the model I want. I want a 18 foot platform as i dont have room in my garage for anything larger. So the models im looking at are the 2012 Triton 18xs, 2012 Triton 18SE, and the 2012 Triton 18 Explorer. I am mainly using the boat to fish for fun but i do like to go to the local Bass tournaments weekly in summer.

These three boats seem to be similar just with different options available. When i buy the boat im looking to keep it for the next 10+ years so i need something that will last and im hoping a Triton boat will do just that.

[marshall256]

So, here's my opinion...and sorry if I get long winded.

To me the SE is just a slightly stripped down version of the XS. Looks like same hull to me, but the SE doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the XS has. My opinion, if you are not planning on becoming an avid tournament fisherman, and just plan to fish tournaments from time to time....the SE should be a fine boat and a good value.

Now, comparing the SE to the Explorer is comparing two different animals. The explorer is rated for less horsepower, it's slightly shorter, carries less fuel - meaning less range, and doesn't appear to give you any option for upgrading electronics later on to a larger display unless you plan to RAM mount your new electronics. I look at the Explorer as the Entry Level Bass Boat for the guy who is limited on funds and really isn't that big into fishing tournaments.

I know the bottom line is going to be $'s in your decision. But, to me the SE seems to be a good fit for you based on what information you've posted here. Plus, you'd still have the ability to upgrade certain things on the SE (Such as Larger Flush Mounted Electronics). Meaning you'd be able to grow with the boat over the next 10 years and possibly upgrade to the point that it would be close to an XS.

Although, if money is not a big hurdle...then I'd vote for the XS hands down. Honestly, I've found that it's a little cheaper in the long run to get exactly what you want at the time of purchase vs. planning to upgrade items as funds become available later on.

[runngunn]

You might want to try and find a newer used boat in the length you are looking for. I say this to try and save you some money because most people find that an 18' boat gets a little short and cramped after a little while and then get the urge to go up in size.

[malachi1364]

I know I won't upgrade to a larger boat in the net future because anything larger will not fit in my garage for storage. So 18.5 ft is about the max for me until I buy a new house. Which I don't see in the very near future.

What are the biggest differences between the XS and the SE. I know for a fact I want to get the boat with a bow mount locator and at least a 80lb thrust TM. I mainly do dock fishing a shallow water structure fishing so I also think that a power pole would be of very great use to me and that is one of the options from the factory which I think I might take advantage of. I'm looking to spend between 27-30k for the boat.

[Chopper]

malachi1364...First and foremost, welcome to the BBC. You have come to the right place to obtain knowledge about anything concerning bass boats, that is for sure.

I can't offer too much advise regarding the specific model boats you are looking at but I did pick up on a couple things you mention that I would like to offer a couple comments on.

First of all, you might have to order an 80lb thrust Trolling Motor on an 18' boat as a special item. I don't think that large of a TM is usually installed on that size boat. Not that it can't be upgraded, its just something that if you want, you will need to make sure your dealer gets it for you and allows you a credit for the upgrade.

Regarding a PP. If you fish docks in less than 8' of water, a PP is a great investment. Anything over 8' deep renders the PP useless. There is a 10' model available now that will give you a little extra depth but not sure how the 10' pole would look on an 18' boat, if looks matters to you. I have an 8' pole on my boat and I'm installing the second one this weekend, so I obvioulsy like the PP's especially for this shallow water in Florida.

Something you did not mention that you might want to be on the lookout for. Some dealers will try to sell you a boat with a smaller engine than the boat is rated for. They do this to hold the cost down which is understandable, but they areen't really doing you any favors. I have fallen into that trap before and regretted getting an undersized engine. Its very costly to upgrade and most of the time you will lose considerble $$ doing that. I would recommend you go with the largest engine the boat is rated for. Trust me, you will not regret that decision later on.

Glad you decided on a Toon. You will love it, I'm sure.

Good luck with whatever you wind up with.

[marshall256]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by malachi1364 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">What are the biggest differences between the XS and the SE. </td></tr></table>

Here's what I see...the XS has these and the SE doesn't...Standard

Battery Master Shut-Off Switch
Retractable Passenger Grab Handle
2 Completely separate Livewells (SE is Single Livewell with a divider) with 2 Aerator Pumps, 2 Recirc Pumps, and 2 Pumpout pumps
6 Guage Trolling Motor Wiring (SE is 8 Guage) meaning you can add a 36V TM later if you wanted to without worrying about your wiring.
Same Fish Finders on Both (Lowrance Mark 5X)
Same Trolling Motor - 75lb MG
XS comes in 10 Standard Color Schemes (SE only 6)
Adjustable Driver & Passenger Suspension Bucket Seats
Folding Bench Style Center Seat w/ 12 Qt removable cooler
Padded Dash with full instrumentation (SE has Delux Dash and does not show to have a Trim or Water Pressure Guage)
Trailer comes with Balanced Radial Tires on XS...doesn't mention this on SE
Custom Aluminum Wheels on XS....doesn't mention this on SE
Spare Tire....SE not showing that it comes with spare (surely this isn't true!)
Load Guides on the Trailer
Triton Lighted Step Pad on Trailer

[bman5150]

I have an "x" boat and I absolutely love it. It fishes absolutely huge and the hull design gives it an extremely dry ride. I regularly fish big waters like Lake St. Clair and Kentucky Lake and even with silly waves my boat handles it very well. No, you can't cruise at 50-60 mph in my boat with 3 footers but it will get you where you need to go. The deck is huge for an 18.5 foot boat.

Downsides are few: its not a speed demon (58 gps is about tops with no jackplate) and it is kinda heavy for an 18 foot bass boat but that's also part of the reason it fishes so well.

You'd be fine making short runds from harbor to harvbor on lake michigan provided you kept an eye on the weather. Plus, it will handle any inland lake in Wisconsin including Winnebago.

Regarding the garage...I too had a tight fit and that's why I don't have a jackplate on mine. I cut the drywall out of a small section of the back wall in my garage + had the dealer move the trailer bump stop up about 4 inches. The latter slightly increrases tongue weight but not enough to matter and still well within my trucks's tongue weight limit.

Check out an x boat - used or new!



Modified by bman5150 at 10:26 PM 3/14/2012