How Good Are Bass Cat Trailers

[chad202]

This is not a knock as all manufactures have issues. We have a handful of Cats in our fishing club. They have all experienced trailers issues from tongues cracking, winch issues, bent axles etc. It happens.

[dean c]

I’d imagine most mechanical or structural damage is due to excessive speeds on bad roads.

[mactlman]

This is not a knock as all manufactures have issues. We have a handful of Cats in our fishing club. They have all experienced trailers issues from tongues cracking, winch issues, bent axles etc. It happens.

and the roads in Louisiana are how good? Ohio roads are so so but mich. has terrible roads everywhere!

[chad202]

Yep, lotta factors go into how well a trailer will hold up.

[printman71]

It is said they are the best. Built in house each boat has it's own trailer to fit. There's a notched area (for lack of better term) in the side of boat so it fits into the trailer.
I had a puma ftd for 13 years never did a thing to the trailer other than repair a fender from a tire blow out. Got a new puma sts for+2 years no issues other than the pens for the swing away part is tight! Too tight to get out without some gentle persuasion from a hammer

That's a very easy fix, loosen the bow strap before trying to remove the pins. Unhook trailer, loosen winch strap a bit at a time until the pins are loose and remove them. Each pin may require different "tension". After removed, fold the tongue away. To reinstall pins, reverse the above process.

[Redngoo]

I’d imagine most mechanical or structural damage is due to excessive speeds on bad roads.

Agreed..... I had a guy follow me just last week end on old country roads.....he was in a bad hurry! I pulled over and let him around. I literally watched his trailor bounce a foot off the ground. When I got to the launch he was their.! Me being a little sarcastic I said (fish must be biting) he fired the opti off .... no warm up....and gone! I told my wife .... I wonder how his equipment holds up!

[1958]

That's a very easy fix, loosen the bow strap before trying to remove the pins. Unhook trailer, loosen winch strap a bit at a time until the pins are loose and remove them. Each pin may require different "tension". After removed, fold the tongue away. To reinstall pins, reverse the above process.

I understand but mine won't do it like that. One pen if the top hole is loose the bottom hole is tight. So I have to tap them up. I even have to use a smaller pen to tap them up through the holes

[mossie3]

My 14 Puma doesn't load particularly well. If loading solo, while exiting the boat on my very last step, the boat will slide back off the roller about 4 inches 75% of the time. So, I just keep the motor in gear running until I get out and winch it up. You can also go off to the side of the bow roller, even with the hull correctly on the bunks. If you try to compensate by not backing the trailer in as far, you are at near full throttle trying to get it fully loaded. There is a very, very, very narrow sweet spot, for the stars to align to load solo.

[dean c]

It’s taken me a few launches to find the sweet spot for both launching and loading . It does take a bit of throttle to power load, but I assumed that’s just the result of a well fitted trailer to the boat. My 16 Ranger was the same way.

[1958]

My 14 Puma doesn't load particularly well. If loading solo, while exiting the boat on my very last step, the boat will slide back off the roller about 4 inches 75% of the time. So, I just keep the motor in gear running until I get out and winch it up. You can also go off to the side of the bow roller, even with the hull correctly on the bunks. If you try to compensate by not backing the trailer in as far, you are at near full throttle trying to get it fully loaded. There is a very, very, very narrow sweet spot, for the stars to align to load solo.

Sounds to me like you are backing the trailer too deep

[Bass Cat Boats]

That is true on most we find, they are loading too deep. We find that on over 9 out of 10 with loading issues. Today’s trailers do require more depth than older models. And it also could be our staff on the bunk alignment. We don’t blame all poor loading trailers on customers.

Sounds to me like you are backing the trailer too deep

[rlb8s]

My 14 Puma doesn't load particularly well. If loading solo, while exiting the boat on my very last step, the boat will slide back off the roller about 4 inches 75% of the time. So, I just keep the motor in gear running until I get out and winch it up. You can also go off to the side of the bow roller, even with the hull correctly on the bunks. If you try to compensate by not backing the trailer in as far, you are at near full throttle trying to get it fully loaded. There is a very, very, very narrow sweet spot, for the stars to align to load solo.

mossie3 - You may want to look into getting one of these - https://www.boat2trailerhookup.com/b...ic-boat-latch/. I put on on my Puma STS trailer and really like it. I installed the short manual handle so I need to remember to reset it after launching, but it will latch automatically which will solver your slide back issue. A trick step and this boat 2 trailer latch make launching/recovering by yourself a breeze.

[caddyjoe77]

mossie3 - You may want to look into getting one of these - https://www.boat2trailerhookup.com/b...ic-boat-latch/. I put on on my Puma STS trailer and really like it. I installed the short manual handle so I need to remember to reset it after launching, but it will latch automatically which will solver your slide back issue. A trick step and this boat 2 trailer latch make launching/recovering by yourself a breeze.

thanks Richard, I was looking for this as i launch by myself 99 percent of the time.

[mossie3]

Any less depth and it's difficult to near impossible to reach the bow roller under full throttle. I typically keep 2+ feet of the front bunks above water. There's no issue at all with the boat staying all the way up while a partner attaches the winch. But if I'm self loading and exiting the boat, it's all good up to the point I place my 220#s on the nose of the boat on my very last step, and at that point, 75% of the time the boat will slide back 2-3 inches. The winch isn't strong enough to winch it back up. So my routine when self loading is leave the motor in gear running while I get out to attach the winch, then pull the kill switch with an attached rope, so I don't have to climb back in and out of the boat again to turn the motor off.

[1958]

Do you have carpet on bunks? Or those plastic covers

[H2O_Fowl]

Power on power off. Just back the trailer in until the stern floats and pull up slowly until it doesn’t. Remember the depth of the trailer and back in to load at same depth. Each ramp is a different angle. My old Basscat was very particular about loading and unloading. To deep and the bow rested on the roller. When I backed off, the bow would drop hard. Loading I had to make sure the bunks weren’t to deep. They had to be at the depth the boat would ride up on them and not float over them. This allowed the bow eye to ride up against the roller and the actual bow of the boat wouldn’t hit the roller.

always thought I had an idea to fix this by modifying the height of the winch stand.

[white gambler]

One smaller topic I don’t think has been mentioned is the height of your hitch. Our tow vehicles,boats and trailers all vary…, height, tire size, some lifted etc. (obviously we want our rig to trailer level as close as possible) I noticed this issue a couple years ago while launching my tunnel hull. The trailer sat lower than my BC trailer and it struggled to float off the trailer while backing down the ramp. Long story short I had to raise my hitch up one notch and the next time it was better as well as putting it back on trailer , the nose cleared the roller easier.
SO if you struggle with loading you may try and raise your hitch a tick. This will lower the rear of the trailer And raise the nose changing the approach angle to help more easily clear the front bow roller while loading.

[billius]

I've had 4 BassCats. The trailers themselves have been rock solid. That being said, all four of them have had various problems with wiring. I usually have to fix something in the wiring ever year. I've done that on all 4 BCB trailers I have had. I guess the wiring does take a beating on the road and maybe pulling into and out of the water, but it has been a pain to have to repair wiring so often.

[Leo Carrillo]

Great trailers! Would put them right at the top with Vexus and Ikon.

[swimrunbiker]

Great trailers, but all brands will have issues at some point. Their trailers, although great, might not be quite at the level of Vexus right now.