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High Cotton.
Well first off I have been really considering getting a new or used late model boat. Ive done some digging and am leaning towards late model used for a couple reasons, I will likely keep the boat for several years and I believe I will get the most bang for my buck getting used. For my budget my options would be a new P2. Dont get me wrong it appears to be a great boat but for that kind of money Im seeing well equipped Cougars Pumas and Eyras. Often with extended warranties that even used is longer then the standard warranty that would come with the P2, better electronics, Hydro JP, shallow anchors etc. etc. bigger boat, more capable. I have heard new boats often times have little bugs or kinks that need to be worked out and most boats with 100 to 150 hrs have those kinks worked out. For me especially because I dont live close to a dealer so running to a dealer for little stuff isnt easy so I see a potential plus with a lightly used boat. Cougar is the boat Im most interested in, I just love the deck layout and it has the day box up front like my old Eyra. That box is awesome and I truly dont know if I could live without it. Its the perfect box for everything you will basically need in a day worth of fishing. Also like the smaller step it equates to a bigger front deck which is where I spend 90% of my time. For me the layout of the Cougar is ideal, Im a big guy and I often have a friend fishing up front with me. So thats where Im at as far as model goes. If a smoking deal on a Puma came up Im sure I could survive but Im leaning towards the Cougar. I know current hulls are identical in FTDs and the differences are in the layout of the boats. Ive also looked at the history and Im curious as to why these hulls have been tweaked the last 8 or 9 yrs? I know theres guys who get new ones every year or every other, what differences did you guys see with the variances in hull designs over the next? I honestly cant see myself buying anything older than 08 and if it were that old it would have to be low hours and extremely well kept. I know what I have in mind for a monthly payment and just trying to decide if I want to pay for 8 yrs or 12. $45K is my top dollar and low $30s would let me sleep better at night but I will sleep when Im old and dead so probably gonna go all in. I searched and couldnt find real world experiences people noticed on these models from 08 up? Any info is appreciated.
The only reason to tweak the hulls is fine tuning. Nothing is perfect and when alterations are found they tend to move forwards. The newer weights, options and engines all alter the challenges and adaptations have been made.
So as far as real world Im not going to notice a significant difference in handling, performance, rough water ride? I guess Im asking a guy who went from a 10 to 13 model notice wow the 13 felt like a different animal on the top end or in choppy water or did the guy think to himself, I really cant tell they changed the hull on these I wonder what they did? As as I have done more research, Im really kind of thinking I might not want anything older then 13 it seems like you guys got the fiberglass figured out again after the Feds started in with all the goofy regulations that wrecked havoc in the fiberglass boat industry in the mid 2000s.
Ive owned a 2008 Puma, 2010 Puma FTD, 2012 Puma FTD, 2015 Puma FTD, and just ordered a 2016. I havent noticed any differences in these hulls as a fisherman. I know there have been lots of tweaks, material changes, etc but it still drives, rides, and fishes the same to me. Obviously there was a difference coming from a regular Puma to a FTD model. Now, Im answering this question this way because I see the way its posted and have been asked by two other people in the last month. I feel its directed at “what was wrong with the other hulls and why did they change it?” And my answer is there was nothing wrong they made it better. Do I notice the extra deck size on my newer pumas? No. But I know its there. Do I notice the change in the new Resins, etc the boats are made of? No but I trust they are better, stronger, etc. Ive seen many Basscat boats come into my area and not one of them since the 80s has ever had a structural problem. We fish from timber and docks (we steady “bump” and “rub”) to making flat out 100 mile runs on the Mississippi River and Ive never seen one crack or break. Dont look into these as “fixes” …… Because nothing was broke. They are “upgrades” to make it even better. An obvious example are dash modifications …. Weve gone from 7 inch graphs to 12. Or modifications to the pad because the newer engine gear cases are changing. Some of my favorite modifications have been the way the cables are routed into the engine so they dont rub the splash well and the placement of the boarding ladder because of power poles. “Tweaks. Not fixes”Last edited by High Cotton on December 19th, 2015, 2:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Thats the answer I was looking for. I wasnt thinking anything was wrong with them. I searched here long enough that if something was wrong I wouldve found a post about it. Thanks for the input.
and you can find excellent used boats out there that have been taken care of. as stated above from someone who changes every couple of years or so, if he cannot “notice” a difference then buy an older model and save yourself a “TON” of cash to possibly upgrade electronics, tackle, trolling motor, power poles or the like. tons and tons of options out there.
The one thing I really like about the cougar and puma is the rerouting of the cables and harness . Wish my p2 was like that! Thats a big plus2013 PANTERA 2MERCURY 200 PRO XSMINNKOTA 80LB FORTREX25 fury
bwp777 wrote:and you can find excellent used boats out there that have been taken care of. as stated above from someone who changes every couple of years or so, if he cannot “notice” a difference then buy an older model and save yourself a “TON” of cash to possibly upgrade electronics, tackle, trolling motor, power poles or the like. tons and tons of options out there.Thats what got my gears turning, lightly used boat that I dont have to compromise anything with for the same price as a new 19ft boat, often with a longer warranty. And yes I know I can buy more but from what Ive seen most guys who buy and sell yearly buy the extra warranty for the sole purpose of resale.
Very well put High Cotton. I noticed you stayed with the puma, did you ever consider a cougar ftd ?Please change my user name to Firecat
jrank wrote:Very well put High Cotton. I noticed you stayed with the puma, did you ever consider a cougar ftd ?Not really. They are both laid out extremely well. I like the cooler and day box on the step up. Im just used to the puma so Ive stuck with it. I know where everything is. They all have their niches and Ive fished out of all three ( eyra, cougar, puma) and would be proud to own any one of them but I always go back to the puma.
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