I posted this in the Bass Cat page and a few people recommended to post it here as well to see opinions from owners of both sides.
I've owned 2 Skeeter Bass Boats and I've had that dream for a few years now to step up to a Bass Cat.
I made a 3-day trip down to Guntersville a few weeks ago, and it seemed like 80% of the boats were all Phoenix. There were a few Tritons, a Stratos and a Skeeter.
We also met up with a buddy who had a Phoenix and just swore by their hull design and the ride quality. His boat was also pretty refined and had a fair amount of well thought out features. I fished out of it for a few hours and didn't have any complaints.
What's the deal here? Why is the popularity so extreme with those (Phoenix) boats? From the research I've gathered, they have about a 3-month turnaround time whereas some of the Bass Cats are taking 6-9 months or longer. They are also priced slightly lower for comparable models, especially in the used department (depreciation seems significantly higher).
From somebody with experience in both, how does the ride, build quality, fishability, and speed compare?
Yes, I understand there are a ton of factors into what suites me and the water I fish on. I am just looking for overall opinions here and I guess I'd like to be convinced into why I should get a Bass Cat over a comparable Pheonix.
The answers I've received from the Bass Cat page have been basically that the Phoenix boats show wear a bit easier, have lesser quality carpet, and have 3rd party trailers. Features, fishability and customer service seem to be quite even. I'd like to hear from the Phoenix guys why they chose Phoenix boats over everybody else. It seems hard to beat their ride quality and the price.