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Aluminum CC for dedicated bass boat - Am I nuts?

2K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  srr5008 
#1 ·
As the title of my post indicates, I am looking for a sanity check. I currently have a little 16' bass tracker and am looking to upgrade. I only fish short sections of the Susquehanna River, small local lakes, and medium sized lakes in Canada. I'm usually targeting bass, pike or musky (casting, no trolling).

I was looking for a used 18-19' aluminum bass boat with a side console, and then I stumbled upon a used 20' Alumacraft 2072 center console boat for sale. I have not looked at it in person yet (2.5 hour drive) but for some reason it's peaking my interest. Has anybody here used a CC boat as a dedicated bass boat?

I like the thought of the higher sides to keep my dog and nieces in the boat. I also like the idea of a tunnel hull for running skinny water in the river. However, I'd say 85% of my fishing is done in lakes so I don't want to let that dictate my purchase. My concerns are mainly the CC getting in the way of casting if I have a 3rd adult on the boat. I'm also sure that the higher sides will catch the wind more, but that isn't as much of a concern to me. The bimini top would go, so that wouldn't be a concern to me either. I know they don't have as much storage, but neither does my current boat so I'm not worried on that count either. My last worry is that it'll just be too much flipping boat for small lakes.

Do y'all think I'm nuts for considering this style boat?
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I have fished off shore in center console boats, they were 23 and 24 feet, I wouldn't have wanted to be in a side console , you can fish the bow, the stern and next to the console. The higher free board gives you more safety, what is not to like?
 
#3 ·
console location is not more important then the layout of the boat.
bass boats are noted for the raised frt and rr decks as well as under deck storage and very low draft.
so if it meets your needs ,console location dosnt really matter.

you mentioned a tunnel ,most tunnel drives I've seen run an inboard motor to propel.
if this is the case they are different to maintain and service.
make sure you want to deal with it and be prepared to spend more on gas
 
#6 ·
You might get wet on smaller lakes while launching... I had an 18' Tracker alum. BB and it was a little tuff getting on + off the trailer at some of the Elect. Only lakes in my area. Waders in the early spring/late fall were needed, summer time I just wore gym shorts and got wet(still a little chilly at 4am). That boat had a drive on trailer so it sat pretty low ... After I realized I did more fishing on the Elect. Only lakes I downsized to a 15' Grizzly. That one did not have a drive on trailer and the boat sat higher so I still needed the waders or shorts to launch
 
#7 ·
I went with a center console when I bought my boat for a few reasons. I think a side console on a light weight aluminum hull tend to lean toward the console side due to uneven weight distribution side to side. The CC keeps the weight centered in the hull. I also like to stand while driving for better visibility, and the CC works better for that then a SC.

What manufacturer and model are you looking at?

Good luck, Tony
 
#12 ·
that's a typical flats boat
you see that design a lot on the fla and gulf coasts
often times they will have a poling platform over the rear deck.

when comparing to a bass boat its,,
a bass boat has a wider beam offering more stability.
a bass boat also has more deck area and therefor more under deck storage that's often lockable.

I've run and fished out of both types,both fish well
the flats boat should have 2 livewells like a bass boat ,but equipment ei gas tank, batteries, etc.
will eat up much of the under deck space
your largest storage area is the console unit itself
 
#13 ·
that's a typical flats boat
you see that design a lot on the fla and gulf coasts
often times they will have a poling platform over the rear deck.

when comparing to a bass boat its,,
a bass boat has a wider beam offering more stability.
a bass boat also has more deck area and therefor more under deck storage that's often lockable.

I've run and fished out of both types,both fish well
the flats boat should have 2 livewells like a bass boat ,but equipment ei gas tank, batteries, etc.
will eat up much of the under deck space
your largest storage area is the console unit itselyf
This is actually from Florida. Its got a 7' wide floor so I'm not too terrible concerned about stability. Won't have the displacement a bass boat would but i think the width would compensate. Lack of deck space is my major concern (long legs). I dont care about storage because i dont have any on my current setup so I've learned to work around that issue.
 
#14 ·
IMO that is a nice fishing boat. I think a boat like that would be a good all around boat for the types of fishing you described. Is it a typical bass boat that you see the pro's fishing out of, no. I dont think there is a pefect all around boat made, so a person has to make compromises and/or decide if they want a boat dedicated to just one type of fishing. What I see in that rig is a boat that you will be able to handle some river fishing, should work good in lakes, work ok in electric only waters, and even be a nice bay fishing rig.

Good luck, Tony
 
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