I've been a hardcore kayak fisherman the past several years.  Because of COVID, all our trail events got cancelled and a local boat club switched to a catch-photo-release format similar to the KBF format when their marine event permits got cancelled.  They'd meet away from the lake, do a drive-thru style livewell inspection, issue identifiers, and send everyone away at launch time.  Then, using a chart, they'd convert inches to lbs.  I actually fished my kayak against them.  I didn't win... but I did fare pretty well.  I came in 3rd on one with a 26.5 lb bag, behind a 26.6 and a 27.1 lb bag.  However, a trip co-angling in a guy's Skeeter and the exhaustion I felt after two consecutive days in the Hobie have made me decide I'd like to start fishing boat tournaments.  Yeah, 70MPH on a boat is fun as hell... while 4MPH across Santee Cooper in whitecaps and a kayak can be a bit painful.

My kids are still a bit young to enjoy boating.  My wife and I both want a family boat in three or four years...  (Albemarle 27DC dream boat please?) so I've decided to get a bass boat.  I was leaning towards a new Vexus 1980... but a friend convinced me I really want 20'+ fiberglass.  (He also happens to be a guide and a serious expert on the region).  Another friend told me he's selling his 2014 well-equipped Skeeter in Jan or Feb.  I'm deployed now and will only be back briefly in Oct/Nov, then return for 3 months home in late Feb so the timing works out.  Still.. I've spent most of my time in quarantine surfing bbcboards and the Basscat.com forum.  Yeah, I'm a bit obsessed right now.  I really think I want to go the used route in the $40k range... and save back up to buy a family boat in 3 or 4 years.

can't hardly go wrong with a used ranger. although your probably looking at newer than my old tub. but hey its paid for.... Attached File

Attached File

Yeah, looking for something newer... but she is a pretty boat!

thanks not bad for an old 1990.

I love my Bug. If you are in the 40k range you should be able to snag a 2010-2015 Skeeter in either 20 or 21 foot easily. The iClass in those years is a Cadillac. You'll run 68-72 consistently and have a sweet ride that won't leave you feeling like you've been in a boat for 8 hours. The extras it is equipped with are going to be the biggest factor in determining your price. If you are looking at one that has an older SHO on it, ask if the power head has been replaced yet, most likely it has. It was common for them to blow before 100 hours.

My 2019 FX21LE. I plan on keeping this one for a long time.

have you thought about skipping the saving back up for a family boat in a few years and just buy a fiberglass multi-species boat now?

Ive got a mint older skeeter.  Its a 2000 but i love that thing.  It has been taken care and garage kept since day one.  Ive been more than happy with my bug.

Not even slightly.  I've got access to Dad's 17' aluminum Triton for inshore and catfishing.  At Santee Cooper, Ive got some spots that I like to fish.  Google Earth review shows them as up to 20 miles from where most of the club tournaments my friend runs launch from.  I need to be able to scoot... and handle rough water.

There was a pretty clean white 06 20i in laurens for sale, i think 28 or 29k?

Im a big fan of the bugs!

I've had bass boats for 20 plus years and got the bug for a new one earlier this year. I had it bad.

Course so did everyone else , so what I wanted was hard to find.....

Got it finally on July 12 . 2020 Triton 20trx . Attached File


I made it 7 days..... Merc 250 4 stroke developed a crack in the block allowing motor oil to be pumped into cooling system . Oil was leaking out of the water intakes.

Fuck me , 3.7 hours on the motor.

She's in the shop waiting on the new motor coming from Mercury .

Fucking karma got me , lol.

Change of plans... Skeeter purchase fell through.  Guess I'm getting a 2019 Ranger Intracoastal 521L!!  Its my buddy's partners.

I can only guess that you're either putting in at blacks and running up the canal, or john c and running down to the lower lake.

if you need a tournament partner, shoot me a message. maybe we can grab lunch or go wet a line. I relocated to the orangeburg side of the upper lake last december and my old tournament partners stopped fishing. I usually fish the swamp up near low falls or around canal lakes resort.

that's the boat i've always wanted, but could never find one used. ended up with a 2018 nitro. if you can swing a good deal on that boat, it'll last forever with care and best part is no carpet.

Let's do it!

Congrats! Awesome rig. Would love to have one of the Intracoastals one day.

Had a '94 481VS and still regret selling it. It was a blast and fairly quick for what it was. Loaded down I usually topped out at about 55 mph, but empty and on glass water I was able to hit 62.4 mph on the GPS just seeing what it could do. Never played around with props or anything and that was with a 4 blade on that Johnson 175.

In the next few weeks im going to be draggin her out of the shop, mounting a new depthfinder at the bow, and getting her good and clean for the year.  Firet tournament is in feb.  

Anyone starting to get that springtime itch?!

I usually don't get the spring time itch because i fish through the winter, but I haven't put the boat in the water since late last year and I sold my truck in december. getting an older model chevy next week or so I've been itching pretty fierce lately. I went to one of the public parks nearby eutawville to chuck a spinner bait and drag a jig across rocks. had a couple swipes, but i think the water temp is still a bit cool. next week or so, if the warm weather holds and we don't get rain like we did a few weeks ago, it'll be time.

did you fish the CR tournament this weekend? I had a couple friends in it.

I did not.  My next one is on the 20th on greenwood.

I try to fish some over the winter but i rarely do it seems like.

I didn't either.  I'm out of the country for a bit with work.

Its been a little funky here too.  Alot of the lakes i fish are cold and muddy.  Thats tough.  Not my strength.

if they aren't in sc, they will be after this week, only go get pushed back out by next monday or so. highs in the 70's lows in the mid-50's. no rain for the last few days. they'll move up a bit.

What lake?  I just got a boat and really want to get into bass fishing again.  I used to be a pretty good fisherman 20 years ago on the east coast but these AZ lakes are way different.  I did catch a few at Sahuaro a month or so ago.

I'm "downrange" and missing her.   Hey, at least I see her everyday on my laptop walllpaper.  The downside is for probably six or eight weeks after I get home, I'll be on Cape Cod with the family at our summer home.  Parking sucks so I'll probably just leave it down south and use my Hobie.

I've fished Canyon one weekend.  I'm going to be honest... it was a strugglebus.  I've done better on Mohave but even better on Havasu.  Parkers was a fail on the trip we made.
Mead continuously disappoints. From Vegas, I think my favorite body of water < three hours is Sand Hollow in St George.  That's really the lake I "started" bass fishing on.

She's a beaut, Clark.

Got a tournament this weekend on greenwood.  Looking forward to fishing cold chocolate milk!

Yeah, I have a lot of experience fishing in the Llilly pads.  Canyon and Bartlett fishing is completely different.  I am going to try  to catch some stripers at Lake Pleasant this summer.