Skinny on a bass boat.............

[joetheis]

Presently my spouse and I are fishing out of a 1991 Grumman 184 SF boat.
Not a bad boat, does nothing really bar nor great, got a 70 'Rude off the back, a 5 Hp Honda 4 banger for trolling, a Kota 55# 12 volt motor up at the bow.
Never happy with what I have, I see the guy in the trailer down the road for us at our vacation spot (Clayton N.Y. on the St. Lawrence River) is selling his bass boat.
Older model, but looks soild.
115 Mariner hanging off the back, all the goodies.
My questions.........
How does a bass boat handle waves/wakes???
I've had some spray over the bow crossing wakes, big waves, as well from the beam at times, no WATER like swamp us water, but get my glasses washed as well as my clothes wet.
I was thinking that a bass boat is A LOT closer to the water than I am, is it worse???? or does the hull design ride over the wakes??
I/WE don't expect to ever to any fishing tourney's, so we don't need to go like a rocket ship across the water, (my Grumman does 25 mph tops and we like that fine), just go out and fish, go swimming, go here and there in it.
I don't want a boat that gets us wet, but, it is a nice looking boat, be a lot nicer fishing with the constant wind from the lake pushing us @.
Thought? Jokes?
Joe
I'm ALWAYS looking for my next boat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gm280]

joetheis, without seeing pictures of both boats it is hard to say which would perform better or drier. Yes Bass Style hulls usually will zip over the tops of the waves, to an extent, but that all depends on the wave, the boat speed and the angle of attack. I had a modified V Bass Boat that would surely scoot over the waves...UNTIL the waves got pretty high and then it was a rolly coaster ride. I will say that a Bass style boat does sit lower to the water and that should be taken in to account as well. Post the pictures and I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences and suggestions... JMHO!

 

[southkogs]

My take on bass boats ... and I'm openly not a big fan of the hull style ... is on bigger water with substantial chop or wake on the water, they're not a good option. Without seeing the one in question, they're hulls designed to plane WAY outta' the water and have lots of power hanging on the stern. Here in TN, I see 'em cross the wake of my boat with the afterburner lit and they wobble and skip getting settled back in the water. They're fast, and I get why people like having the casting platform ... but I don't see 'em as worth it.

No mind you ... Sunday night at 8:30PM (dark here) I had one fast pass us from behind and just missed hitting us by at best 15 feet. Made the Admiral scream (which mama-bear rarely does). So, I'm kinda' cranky with 'em right now anyway :rant:

I would think your current boat is at least as well suited to what kinda' water you're in. Center console types with more rake on the bow will help get the water off ya'.

 

[BWR1953]

Presently my spouse and I are fishing out of a 1991 Grumman 184 SF boat.
Not a bad boat, does nothing really bar nor great, got a 70 'Rude off the back, a 5 Hp Honda 4 banger for trolling, a Kota 55# 12 volt motor up at the bow.
Never happy with what I have, I see the guy in the trailer down the road for us at our vacation spot (Clayton N.Y. on the St. Lawrence River) is selling his bass boat.
Older model, but looks soild.
115 Mariner hanging off the back, all the goodies.
My questions.........
How does a bass boat handle waves/wakes???
I've had some spray over the bow crossing wakes, big waves, as well from the beam at times, no WATER like swamp us water, but get my glasses washed as well as my clothes wet.
I was thinking that a bass boat is A LOT closer to the water than I am, is it worse???? or does the hull design ride over the wakes??
I/WE don't expect to ever to any fishing tourney's, so we don't need to go like a rocket ship across the water, (my Grumman does 25 mph tops and we like that fine), just go out and fish, go swimming, go here and there in it.
I don't want a boat that gets us wet, but, it is a nice looking boat, be a lot nicer fishing with the constant wind from the lake pushing us @.
Thought? Jokes?
Joe
I'm ALWAYS looking for my next boat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a lifetime member of B.A.S.S. and have owned a couple of bass boats. They're a ball on flat or undisturbed water but I wouldn't recommend them for big water use where there are a lot of waves or wakes. I had an incident myself some 20+ years ago with a wake and it wasn't pleasant at all.

Yes, a bass boat is wonderful for screaming across a flat lake or river at 70mph with the wind in your face. And they're specifically designed to get into skinny water which is primarily where the fish are much of the year. All that being said, think of them as a fast casting platform rather than an all purpose boat. I owned mine for over 10 years and may own another sometime in the future. But they really are limited when it comes to big or rough water.

Here's a video I found of how a bass boat handled a wake. Poorly.

 

[joetheis]

THIS! Is why I asked here!!
My boat does well, for what it does, (I would think it's more a "Lake" boat, but.....)
I had missed a good deal on a Sea Nymph with a 90 'Rude that I feel would have been a perfect boat (deep "V", sides were tall out of the water).
I do have the hots for a Bayliner Trophy, but seems when I have the $$ they are hiding and when I'm poor, all out!
I like the fishing platform a bass boat has, see a lot of them scooting here and there "pre fishing". I like but wonder about how low in the water so the wind doesn't push us @ (I use a nice sea anchor or just adjust our fishing).
Guess I'll stick with what I have til............
Joe

 

[bassman284]

I'm a lifetime member of B.A.S.S. and have owned a couple of bass boats. They're a ball on flat or undisturbed water but I wouldn't recommend them for big water use where there are a lot of waves or wakes. I had an incident myself some 20+ years ago with a wake and it wasn't pleasant at all.

Yes, a bass boat is wonderful for screaming across a flat lake or river at 70mph with the wind in your face. And they're specifically designed to get into skinny water which is primarily where the fish are much of the year. All that being said, think of them as a fast casting platform rather than an all purpose boat. I owned mine for over 10 years and may own another sometime in the future. But they really are limited when it comes to big or rough water.

Here's a video I found of how a bass boat handled a wake. Poorly.

That video has been making the rounds for the last 6 years or so and it is not really a good example of how a bass boat handles wakes, but it's a very good example of how a grossly overpowered bass boat handles wakes. Almost none of that boat is in the water and it's actually pretty much out of control before it hits the wake.

 

[fishin98]

Nothing wrong with a Bass Boat if your fishin in protected waters or very very MILD sea conditions. I would stay with what you have. If you want a NEW NEW boat...Bayliner for 2016 has come out with the F18 Center Console Element.

 

[joetheis]

I got the "itch" and went to look at the new G-3 boats.
They have a "Guide Series" boats that caught my eye.
No frills, no extra vinyl padding, just seats, storage, powered coated? painted? almn.
Of course they had sold the last one....................
I was told that new boats drop their value quicker than something expensive over the side!
Then I had thought, "I'll build the "ultimate" fishing boat", (I'm not a junkie fisherman, actually my wife is the fisherman, (ette?), I'm a sailor at heart, so I'm the driver, swimmer snore on the boat while she catches dinner), I'd just like to do the project!
The bass boat is just a nice looking boat, well preserved, well maintained, (and it's metalflake! ANY gear head from the 70's loves metalflake)!!
My Grumman UH 184 SF does what I need, nothing great (well it's sips gas), nothing bad.
The fishing platform idea just caught my eye, (as well as the price)!
Joe