LAFB Elite | Inshore Fishing Courses Designed For Louisiana › Forums › General Inshore Fishing Discussion › Aluminum Ranger Bass boat vs Aluminum Ranger Bay Boat › Reply To: Aluminum Ranger Bass boat vs Aluminum Ranger Bay Boat
-
Great topic.
I went through a similar experience as you when I was buying my boat a few years ago. Ultimately, I decided on a Ranger aluminum bass boat. I’ve got an RT178, the 17 ft version of the boat you’re looking at. Here’s why I love it:
Bass Boats are the ultimate fishing boats IMO. They are literally designed for fishing and fishing only. Low profile to the water (doesn’t catch as much wind), large casting decks on both the front and rear of the boat, there is nothing in the way when you’re casting (like a center console or a T top), they handle rough water just fine, they’re fast, they have ample storage space, the list goes on and on. But by far, in my opinion, the absolute best thing that separates a bass boat from the others is the foot pedal trolling motor. A foot pedal trolling motor is a massive game changer because it lets you keep fishing while you’re moving. No remote to deal with, no tiller handle to deal with, your hands are always on your rod fishing (which is where they should be). The foot pedal trolling motors they are making nowadays are so good, that alone will probably prevent me from ever having a bay boat haha. I also like how Bass Boats are better set up to install electronics at the console and the bow. I use my electronics to my advantage more than I ever thought I would. Bass boats are also easy to rig yourself.
Another huge advantage of bass boats in the Lake P basin is that you can get under bridges with ease. For instance, yesterday I ran down the Marques canal to get to the Chef. It’s very unlikely that a bay boat would be able to get underneath that bridge. It’s a small detail, but it saves you time when running from spot to spot.
That’s not to say that Bay Boats are bad, because they’re great boats and are really an awesome choice for inshore fishing. They give you options to run out to bigger water and you can take more people fishing if you’re into that. You really can’t go wrong with either option. But in my opinion, the Bass Boat is the way to go.