Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › going to be buying a new boat and thinking hard about bassCat. couple of question??
PhilAddison.
Ok guys, I am selling my 06 Skeeter 20-I and going to be in the market for a new to me late model boat. Im selling the Skeeter not because I am unhappy with the boat, but because Im thinking I might want a 19 footer rather than a 20 footer. I find myself not being able to fish as much as I used to so I think I need something not quite as big. Im looking at the Pantera line. Probably the PII. The only thing that I am not sure about is the position of the Trolling motor pedal. It is so far forward on the BassCat line it almost looks like it would be easy to fall out in some pretty good chop. I would be interested in hearing the pros and cons of it being so close to the front of the boat. Also, if there are any guys here that have gone from another boat brand to basscat was it hard to get used to the forward position of the foot controll. Thanks in advance for your help. skip
I had an R boat for 8 years and it was an 19 footer. The trolling Motor pedal is set up similar to your Stratos. I know have a Cougar and LOVE the position of the troller all the way forward. I fish shallow water in the delta and deep lakes, either way it works great. After about 2 trips in the new boat, I did NOT even think about how forward it is. I then realized what an advantage it was to stand so far forward. I recommend you find a Basscat near by and try and see if you like it. A co angler had a PIII that I fished two times before deciding I wanted a cat. No regrets on the brand switch. I will keep this new boat around 8-10 years and then go find another one! Forgot to mention, a VERY important aspect of choosing my Basscat is/was the COSTUMER service is no #1 and there is NO close second in sight!
I completely agree with your customer service point. A boat is a big investment, usually made for a long term. The worst thing you can do is to buy a boat where every minor issue is a finger-pointing exercise that does nothing except increase your blood pressure and decrease your enjoyment of fishing. The BCB people seem incredibly involved compared to others. You cant go wrong.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
Just went from a skeeter to a cat. Loved the skeeter but Ill never look back. The pedal is right where it needs to be–out of the way. It is completely uninhibiting. The performance is a step up and the customer service is second to none. Buy the cat!!
I switched from an older Tidecraft boat to a Pantera Classic. I was a little unsure about the forward trolling motor pedal position at first, but quickly found that I liked it. It puts you up there where you can roll cast without whacking the trolling motor. You can see much better over the bow in shallow water. If you ever fish with a partner on the front deck, it puts you a foot or more closer to the front and gives more functional space for you and your partner. There are lots of advantages to the forward positioning. I do keep a leaning butt seat up front, and I lean on it if the water is really rough. Ive never had a problem with the pedal position. KentKent Charles 2002 Pantera Classic & 200 Yamaha VMax
The foot pedal position will be one the things you will like the most about the Cats setup. I have ridden in the 20i Skeeter same year model as yours…very, very impressive riding boat. You might want to look hard at the PIV if youre stepping down and want a 19 footer that handles comparable to your current rig. The PII will be a bit faster than the IV, but the rough ride goes to the IV. Either way youll be overwhelmed with the BassCats craftsmanship and attention to detail. I can say this for certain, I run a Puma…and have been on Rayburn this year in 5 footers +…Ive yet to get a drop of water on me…aside from my partners Cougar, I have never ridden in a boat as dry as a BassCat…and Ive pretty much ridden in them all. Apples to apples, your 20i is a very comparable ride to my Puma…but when you start combing thru the Cat youll say what everyone else does…”The guys who made this boat know alot about bass fishing.” Skeeter makes a great boat, but I promise youll never regret going with BassCat. Service is the best on the planet…no other boat company takes care of its customers like BassCat. Ill be a BCB owner for life.
I was thinking that the PIV might be the better boat for me as I am used to a heavy boat that does real well in the rough stuff too, but the PIVs are so expensive. Even the used models. I have got to stay below 32K and really want an 08 model. Im not a basscat expert ,but it seams a 08 PIV will cost almost as much as a 08 Puma. I have seen several deals for under 30K for the PIIs. I dont really care about going faster than 70gps.How much better is the ride of the PIV over the PII. Is it that noticiable??skip
From what Ive read there is a noticeable difference in the PIV and PIIs ride. They say the PIV will outride alot of 20 boats out there.
Keep looking, someone is always looking to get out of their boat… especially if youre willing to look at maybe an 06 or 07…Ive never ridden in a PIV, but I did run behind one this year on Toledo for about 3 miles down the main river channel in about 2 footers…he was running 60 mph and looked as comfortable as I was in a Puma.
Stratos285 It will take you about 8 hours of fishing out of a Bass Cat to get use to the recessed area for the troller foot pedal. After those 8 hours, youll say to yourself that it is one of the best things on a Bass Cat! I came out of a Triton several years ago and Ive never regret it. Everything youll find on a Bass Cat is top notch including the trailer! By the way………….19 footer for ride = Bass Cat P4 hands down! Good luck with your search!
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