I am looking for my first fiberglass bass boat. My budget keeps me in the 80’s or very early 90’s. I am hoping not to have to replace stringers and transom because I have limited work space. In you experience which boats are likely to be the most solid built from that time frame? For the life of me I cannot understand why people buy a boat and just let it sit out on the rain for years and then decide to sell it. My fear is rotten stringer and transom.
thanks for sharing your experience
Champions are about the worst for rot, I can't say a brand that would be the best. I think Champion - Story, made the best riding bass boat of the time. Best handling also. When I found mine the engine had fallen completely off tearing the outer skin of the transom. Seems numerous companies bought up used boat for resale reducing the supply of quality boats for restoration. Garage kept, solid boats that only need cosmetics bring a good price still. I picked up a Strada F-80 Skeeter for 2 tiller outboard motors from a friend recently and the boat was stored in a shed always. It took him a year of needing the outboards to agree to the swap. The run up of outboard prices helps tremendously. I hope you find one to restore. I will say, stay with the big name brands, seems the ones I cut open to repair has more glass. My little Blazers were, are very thin, lacking materials like you see in late 90's Champions. You can see the extra glass I put back in mine for very little weight gain.
What size? Budget? Suggest you research when specific brands went to composite. FWIW, Allison went all composite in the late 80s. An Allison XTB-21 would be a great choice from that time period, but it likely won't be cheap.
370 series rangers. 89 up glass transom’s. Foam filled. Have owned several 373s with solid transomes. Of all ages
Thanks to all
i am looking between $3k-$4k
i found a 1986 Skeeter always garaged or covered that looks great in the pics. He is asking $4k. May go take a look at that. Thanks for the heads up on Ranger (found a 1982 for $3500 that looks cosmetically good) and Champion
Last edited by Givey1982; 02-11-2023 at 05:58 PM. Reason: Edited
How do you like the F80? That is one I found and was wondering about it being only 15’.
how do you like the F80 Skeeter. ThatOriginally Posted by rojoguio
is a model I found here that is in good shape. I was just
wondering how the 15’ length
is Working for you
20210604_132558.jpg20210604_131825.jpg
My first bass boat. I had it for 5 years. It's small. I mean it's really small. You will absolutely get wet in high waves. It was ok. Then again it was what I could afford at the time. Note: garage kept or not really give the transom a very good look.
when you see this on the water stop and say hi.
So both the VL100 Blazers are 15ft with a 68in Beam. The F-80 Strada is quite wider, it is a '86 model. The hull has lots of glass in the right places, transom still rock solid, nice straight Pad after all these years stored on the original Skeeter trailer. I have the Crappie spawn close on Ross Barnett where the other Blazer is stored and a Top End Overhaul going on with my 2001 2500HD tow truck. It was special ordered as a factory tow truck with all the heaviest duty options. I refuse to pay the prices today for a new truck with them breaking down at 30K miles, any brand. Everything is being replaced, pumps, HVAC, transmission lines, PS - Completely, Lifters, Pushrods, Rockers, every sensor under the hood, radiator, PS Cooler, Trans Cooler, etc. Waiting to finish the water test on the new CC Blazer to swap it in Jackson to strip the other for the F-80. The 90 Etec, Hydraulic steering, trailer, electronics, etc will be swapped over and I have a good running 70TLR, Tilt NFB Steering helm, jackplate, electronics, I will install on the Blazer to sell it. I'm going to sell it cheap since the condition of the hull but it will be a complete package. There is so much stuff laying around my shop I can equip it well. Once the swap starts I will post up here.
I didn't answer your question I see, well the Blazer in Jackson has had North of 50,000 Crappie, Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder caught out of it. Rides a chop very well due to the deep V entrance up front. I specifically fish out of 15ft boats as 95% of the time I crappie fish alone. The little boats get way back in the Swamp here, almost as good as tin boat. Also my friend are less likely to ask me to take them since the tippyness makes then nervous. I love fishing out of a 15 footer by myself.
Last edited by rojoguio; 02-12-2023 at 07:18 AM.
Nice looking boat. Thanks for posting.
An F80 was my first glass boat, I think it was an '85 and had a Johnson 70 on it, think I bought it in 1997. Fished a lot of club tournaments out of it for 3 or 4 years. It was a fun little boat, it's small but was really fishable and obviously not awesome when it got rough but it was a big step up from my 14' jon with a 9.9. I had sold it to a friend of a friend back in 2001 or 2002 and about 5 years ago I noticed it for sale on Craigslist. I called and it was the same guy I sold it to, told me it was still going strong and even the VRO on the Johnson was still working.
Since no glass bass boats in the 15-16ft range are being made anymore, especially with a deep V, if you want a good one you just have to cut one up and make it yourself IMO.
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