Bass Fishing Boats: Advice For The First Time Buyer

by William Scott

Bass fishing is a great past time that many people, both young and old enjoy. Once you get the taste of bass fishing, you might decide that you want to venture into buying your first bass fishing boat. This is truly an exciting experience, so it is best that you get some advice, being a first time buyer of a bass fishing boat.

One of the first things you want to make sure you have when you go to get your new boat is the right kind of vehicle for towing the boat. There are many vehicles that are just not made for towing something behind them. When you have your boat fully loaded with your gear as well as gas and attach it to your trailer, you can expect to be towing over 3500 lbs. behind your vehicle. You need to be sure to get a car or truck that can take that kind of load and pull it up a mountain or a hill.

When deciding on what size of a boat to get you will want to consider the size of the body of water that you will be fishing in. In larger bodies of water it is best to go with a boat that is at least 19 feet long where as if you are going to be fishing in a smaller body of water then you can go with a smaller outboard motor on a smaller boat. You can also choose which material your boat is made out of. Bass boats are generally made from aluminum or fiberglass. Each type of material has its good points as well as its bad points. For instance, if you were going to be doing most of your fishing in a small lake then you may want to go with the aluminum boat.

You may want to go with a fiberglass boat if you want a smoother ride on larger bodies of water. Fiberglass is generally more expensive then aluminum but not in all cases. The fiberglass boats are sturdier than the aluminum and they will not be blown around with the wind as much. Before making your choice, be sure to way all the options and check the pros and cons of each type to make the best educated decision.

You can buy either a new or used boat but again, there are pros and cons associated with both. Used boats seem to hold their value much longer but you have to keep in mind that outboard motors are generally short lived. If you decide to buy a used boat then you want to check out the motor properly before you use it. Another advantage to buying a used boat is the price. You can get a good deal for a used boat if you look around but keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you get the boat at a cheap price you may have to be prepared to do some “fixing up” on the boat.

If you decide to go with a new boat then you will have the pleasure of getting a warranty with it. You will not have to worry about working on it and you can just get right to fishing. You will also most likely have more boats to choose from than when you are looking for a used one. No matter which way you decide to go, be sure to check out the vessel thoroughly, so that you know what you are buying.

About William Scott
William Scott contributes bass fishing advice to BassFishingAdvice.com, a site dedicated to helping people learn about bass fishing boats.