Bass fishing is incredibly popular with anglers not only nationwide, but worldwide. Yet when it comes to purchasing a boat, there are a few important considerations.
First, be honest with yourself about what types of waters you’ll be fishing. Will it be rivers with current and flowing debris, large, windswept Canadian Sheild lakes, the small ponds scattered throughout farm fields or timber-laden backwater swamps? A combination of these environments might even be the answer.
If you’re tackling big water, a bigger boat definitely helps. Bruce “Doc” Samson, a national walleye tournament champion and former Crestliner Pro once commented “the only thing you get with a bigger boat is more stability and a smoother ride.” The comment was obviously sarcastic, and from a walleye angler, but the concept holds true for bass fishing and boating in general. A larger overall platform offers the most stability. Add in some high-tech engineering and now you have an incredibly stable watercraft.
However, not everyone fishes big water, has a vehicle with the capacity to tow a large boat or a bank account to support owning one. Many anglers got their early starts fishing in small boats, 14’-16’, which are great for lakes and ponds, tow easily andt he maneuverability and stealthiness is precisely what certain bass anglers desire.
The 17’-19’ category not only creates more opportunity for fishing larger bodies of water, but the size also provides flexibility for storing more gear (including longer fishing rods), accommodating more passengers and moving faster across the water with larger engines, while bass boats over 20” are built for serious power, speed and space.
However, it’s common to change boats numerous times throughout life, but it’s not nearly as common to change garages. Someone’s perfect sized bass boat should include available storage space when the watercraft isn’t in use as a consideration. Keep in mind, the perfect sized bass boat should suit your fishing style but also needs to fit into all aspects of your life.
Now that you’ve determined your needs for storing the boat, it’s time to determine which style of aluminum bass boat you’d prefer, Mod-V or Deep V. Both are designed for bass fishing and beyond, yet some anglers gravitate toward the Mod-V design with its low gunnels that allow bass anglers to easily pitch jigs and boat-flip bucketmouths, while others desire the security of the deeper sides offered in a Deep-V.
If you’re a bass angler seeking a traditional style bass boat to sneak into shallow water, with a massive front and rear deck, tournament ready livewell, recessed trolling motor pedal and a Mod-V design, then the Crestliner XF 179 and XF 189 are excellent choices.
Yet some anglers prefer the handling and ride of a Deep-V design. In that case, the Hawk (1650-1750) and Fish Hawk (1750, 1850, 2050) families offer a variety of sizes up to 20’ 6”. The spacious bow decks and mindful storage isn’t only a hit with bass anglers, but for any angler!
Finally, let’s be clear that bass fishing boats come in many styles and sizes, your water, your crew, your garage & tow rig, and your budget, each should be considered in addition to your style of fishing.