different hull's

[sala0288]

How do you guys approach different hulls on the different boat brands? always been curious about this as I have never really looked into it or asked this question but I hear a lot on podcasts/social media about oh that is a good big water hull, or that is a good speed hull.....what do you look for? are different brands known for different things? what would be good big water hulls vs speed hulls? or is this even a thing, did I make it up? Appreciate any input. Not looking for a new boat right now but just curious about this.

Cheers,
Zach

[Bass Cat Boats]

We never get to do this…

Good luck in your search Zach!

[Jbass123]

About the time you think you have it all figured out, new models replace the old ones and you need to start over. Go to boat shows, talk to dealers, and listen to dock talk. Take a hefty grain of salt with a lot of what you hear, of course, but a big part of life is figuring out what and who you can trust. I’d rather have a boat dealer I can trust than the fastest or smoothest riding boat in the world.

[BMCD]

We never get to do this…

Good luck in your search Zach!

[sala0288]

We never get to do this…

Good luck in your search Zach!

awe man you don't have all the answers? rats, and thanks lol

[Aruss1984]

I respectfully disagree. Im not taking the smooth talk of a dealer out onto Erie in 4ftrs. Im taking the best product I can afford and what makes the most sense for my budget. I want something that is built well and will provide me the best experience...cough* BCB cough*

OP... you ask a very good question and Im sure there is a lot of mathematics that goes into perfecting each hull for different outcomes which I wont even pretend to comprehend. Like Jbass stated, talking to users of differing brands is a great place to go. Im most familiar with the Basscat lineup and will say they have a boat that can fit almost any budget and performance request.

Do you want to go fast? The Eyra is second to none. Do you want to handle rough water on regular basis? The new Puma STS, Caracal STS and Cougar are great choices. Perhaps youre a weekend angler who just wants to get out for a few hours; then the 19ft Classic may be a better fit for you.

About the time you think you have it all figured out, new models replace the old ones and you need to start over. Go to boat shows, talk to dealers, and listen to dock talk. Take a hefty grain of salt with a lot of what you hear, of course, but a big part of life is figuring out what and who you can trust. I’d rather have a boat dealer I can trust than the fastest or smoothest riding boat in the world.

[fishnfireman]

I respectfully disagree. Im not taking the smooth talk of a dealer out onto Erie in 4ftrs. Im taking the best product I can afford and what makes the most sense for my budget. I want something that is built well and will provide me the best experience...cough* BCB cough*

OP... you ask a very good question and Im sure there is a lot of mathematics that goes into perfecting each hull for different outcomes which I wont even pretend to comprehend. Like Jbass stated, talking to users of differing brands is a great place to go. Im most familiar with the Basscat lineup and will say they have a boat that can fit almost any budget and performance request.

Do you want to go fast? The Eyra is second to none. Do you want to handle rough water on regular basis? The new Puma STS, Caracal STS and Cougar are great choices. Perhaps youre a weekend angler who just wants to get out for a few hours; then the 19ft Classic may be a better fit for you.

dang Rick--- you better put this feller on the payroll.

[willwork4fish]

A lot of people generally think that the bigger a boat is the better that it will be in rough water. There's been a lot of threads on here about good rough water hulls and everyone has their opinion. I don't necessarily agree with bigger is always better (but it probably is most of the time) I had a 95 Champion 171 which would only do 45 mph but I could go 45 mph in water where 20 footers could also only go 45 mph. I also had a 96 Eyra (only 17'11") that was great in rough water. Other hulls I've owned on ridden in that I would consider very good when it's rough.

Stratos 201 (really good)
Stratos 294
My BCB P4 (my P2 was good but not as good as P4)
BCB Puma
Ranger 521 (my team partners Z519 is good but he's a great driver)
Any Ranger 6 series (not a bassboat but better than any bassboat)
Pretty much any Champ...I've owned the 171 and have ridden in 193's and 201's
Bullet 21XD (I was kind of shocked but rode so well in rough water)

[Highcentered]

A good driver can make a hull ride as good as possible for the conditions. A bad driver can make a known good riding hull beat you to death. I've been in (and owned) boats that had a soft landing in bigger swells and I've been in (and owned) boats that handled moderate chop OK but was a real back breaker on the landing when chop turned into swells. Best all around that I've been in is my friend's Champion 196. Worst bass hull I've been in was an old HydraSports tri-hull. Ever feel like you were the only thing keeping a hull from folding up like a taco as it squeezed the stuffing out of you between the side and livewell in a turn?

One thing I'll never say about the hull I have now is how good it rides. I can make it ride good enough but you have to know what you're doing and actually DRIVE IT.

[DaveBrabec]

Generally the wider boats are more stable to fish out of. The narrow front deck boats handle rough water better. Also some older boats had terrible seat foam in them and some new boats have shock built into the seats. Also have found that boats with fuel tanks under the seats seem to slam harder than boats with fuel in the stern.

[sala0288]

Thanks for all the replies much appreciated. I have an 02 ranger 620 which is great on the great lakes when you need the bigger deep V - I live fairly close to Erie - and I do love the boat. Only thing i don't like is the inability to lay my rods flat on the deck. I fish for walleye rarely but still enjoy it when I can, 90% of the time I'm fishing for bass. Will probably switch back to a traditional bass platform in a few years. I have some time to ponder what "hull" I might go with. I have a few dealers close - mainly ranger/WRMG. Closest BCB is about 1.5 hrs, not too bad. Never ridden in a bass cat either but have heard good things. Appreciate the opinions/thoughts though, definitely lots to think about.

[ifishinxs]

Entry angle and dead rise dictate how a boat will handle rough water. This is generally why Bass boats ride rough.

[sala0288]

Entry angle and dead rise dictate how a boat will handle rough water. This is generally why Bass boats ride rough.

Are these values given by the boat manufacturer?

[bassdge]

You will get the Ford vs Chevy arguments all day long. Best to go ride in boats and form your own opinions. If you fish Erie and go back to a traditional bass boat, none of them will take the rough water like a walleye deep v hull.
Reality is there has been little innovation in bass boat hull design over last 15 years. It’s been about slight changes to say we have a new model to sell new boats.
a hybrid design of a bay boat and a walleye boat with a front deck would be a great design in my mind.

[Jbass123]

I fish Erie myself, and the dealers I trust have 1000 times more experience to draw from than I do, so I’m definitely going to take their advice into account. The idea that all boat dealers put selling what they *want* to sell above their customers’ needs would only work is they planned to go out of business by the end of the current year. Dealers who want to stay in business—and grow their business—tell the truth as they know it and stand behind that. Of course it’s not wise to trust everyone implicitly, but “local” dealerships that have maintained a sterling reputation over many decades are a solid source of information.

I respectfully disagree. Im not taking the smooth talk of a dealer out onto Erie in 4ftrs. Im taking the best product I can afford and what makes the most sense for my budget. I want something that is built well and will provide me the best experience...cough* BCB cough*

OP... you ask a very good question and Im sure there is a lot of mathematics that goes into perfecting each hull for different outcomes which I wont even pretend to comprehend. Like Jbass stated, talking to users of differing brands is a great place to go. Im most familiar with the Basscat lineup and will say they have a boat that can fit almost any budget and performance request.

Do you want to go fast? The Eyra is second to none. Do you want to handle rough water on regular basis? The new Puma STS, Caracal STS and Cougar are great choices. Perhaps youre a weekend angler who just wants to get out for a few hours; then the 19ft Classic may be a better fit for you.

[Dixie-Raven]

A lot depends on the driver but generally the deeper the V and the further it carries back to the pad the better the rough water ride. The narrower the pad generally speaking the better the potential speed and usually harder to drive, keep from chine walking. Of course it's more complicated than that but just speaking in general terms.

[MCIPinkie]

My Standard Rant:

"There is no such thing as a good riding bass boat. Only bad riding bass boats, and real bad riding bass boats."

How a bass boat rides is more dependent on the driver, and how the boat is loaded, than the hull. Most modern hulls are capable of a decent ride, if driven properly.

I can take any boat out there, drive it badly, and have it beat the snot out of you, or have you swear it's the best riding boat ever made if I drive it correctly..

I run a Skeeter ZX200, a 19'-5 boat. It rides like a 19'-5 boat, not a 21 footer. Bigger boats will always ride better, no matter the brand.

Lots to look at when deciding on a boat, but I never would, or never have, looked at ride reviews.

Been in Skeeters since 2002. All ZX200's. Currently in a 2020. No complaints, except they are not 21 feet long.

[Gusman2424]

It's fairly simple (sort of!)

Narrower and deeper Vee boats generally run better in rough water but suffer stability while on the trolling motor.
Wider and lesser vee boats will excel at on the trolling but may beat you to death in the waves.

I've owned two fiberglass boats... A 1991 Nitro 185 TF... and now a 2004 Ranger 519 VX.... The Nitro rides a bit better even though it's shorter... but the Ranger kicks ass in stability.

Of course the driver makes a lot of the difference... and no bassboat is going to excel in truly rough water.

Cheers....

Gusman