Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › Help & opinions needed!
tflegel.
Im sure this topic has been beaten to death, but its an important topic to me since I just sold my boat and am looking to purchase a new used to me boat! I have been kicking around the idea of a BassCat for some time now and am finally in a position to purchase one. The question I have and the main concerns that I have are that I want a boat that is going to last a while. This boat is going to need to get me through to retirement which may be a few years away. So having said that the main conern I have is the quality of the boat, motor and trailer. Beyond that is fishability, ride, ease of controls etc. I dont need a lot of bells and whistles as I dont tournament fish a lot. Mostly fun fishing with the family. Im looking at a Cougar FTD, but really wanted a Puma. Other than the storage layouts and lighted hand rails are there any real differences in the two? I just got out of a Nitro 912 which is a long and wide boat. Is the BassCat going to be noticeably narrow to me after having been in that tank for a couple of years. And if all I do is fun fish mostly is that going to be an issue anyway. I teach and coach so my time to fish is limited anyway. I appreciate the help. By the way customer service is important to. I like the skeeter boats and am considering one, but I have heard that the customer serivce isnt that great which is a consideration since I plan to keep the boat for many years!
jcarring99. Ive owned a 97 Jaguar for approx ten years, and do fish club tournaments and a team week end series for several years Have had no major issues with the boat and just recently repowerd it w/ a new 225 optimax, but the motors we get have no bearing with the quality of boat you will get w/ BASSCAT. Best personal service you will find.. Now as far as the Cougar or Puma ride Ill let those guys that own them speak for themselves.
As quality of the boat and trailer your not going to find any better than BCB, the materials used in the manufacturing are above others, I not trying to knock other boats but you can look at the other brands that are 4-5 years old, then look at a Cat and see that the carpet, seats, dash looks much newer. This is caused by the quality of materials used in the boats. Each trailer is manufractured by BCB @ BCB for that boat. Customer service is unmatched, it dosent matter if its 2012 Jag or a 1979 model, when you talk with BCB factory you feel that you are the only customer they have. I know this for a fact, Ive owned several BCBs but have never purchased one new, every time i”ve had a question, buying parts or having them service the trailer they have made me feel that Im important to the company. Thats important to me and makes me want to support BCB as much as I can, the personal service that they show to each person is unfounded today!!!!!!!!A good friend of mine who is loyal to R always talked about how narrow BCBs are. We always fish from our own boats, We fished a team tx one day about 3yrs ago ou tof my Cougar and about 2hr into the day were standing shoulder to shoulder throwing cranks from the front of the boat and he looks over and tells me he cant say anything about how narrow the boats are anymore, alot more room than it looked.
I have a 2001 P-III, bought it new.Heres my take after over 11 yrs:1) OVERALL INTERGRITY/DURABILITY OF BOAT CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS – Excellent2) TRAILER – Excellent3) FIT & FINISH – Excellent4) CUSTOMER SERVICE – Excellent5) PARTS AVAILABILITY FOR OLDER MODELS – Excellent6) RE-SALE (if boat is properly maintained and stored) – Excellent7) BIG WATER CAPABLE – Excellent FISHABILIY – Excellent9) COUGAR OR PUMA – Both excellent, though only you can decide on which one will work for you!I think that should about cover it….
LOL. That does about cover it!
jcarring,You ask a bunch of questions here so let me try and answer them in order.1) The question I have and the main concerns that I have are that I want a boat that is going to last a while. This boat is going to need to get me through to retirement which may be a few years away.As many have stated here, you won’t find a better built boat in the industry. If you’re buying used, BCB has a hull warranty transfer and the hull is warrantied for 35 years. No other boat manufacturer has a hull warranty like this so tat says how well built BCB makes their boats.I’ve owned three Cougar FTDs since 2005 and before that it was Skeeters and Champions. The Bass Cat has out performed the others hands down in construction and when it comes to small parts. Although I’ve never had a problem with small electrical parts, I know if you do have something go bad, BCB service will take care of you faster than you can believe.2) So having said that the main concern I have is the quality of the boat, motor and trailer.You will not find a better trailer in the industry. BCB makes their own trailers on site to fit each model they make. That’s huge because most boat manufacturers have another company make the trailers and then they fit them to their boats.Motors, on the other hand, are a crap shoot. If I was buying used, I would make sure to buy a boat that still had warranty on the motor. In the case of Mercury, most Mercs have 5-year warranty. So, you could buy a 2-year-old boat and still have 3 years of warranty left on it.3) Im looking at a Cougar FTD, but really wanted a Puma. Other than the storage layouts and lighted hand rails are there any real differences in the two?It depends on what year you get and what model Puma. There have been a couple different Cougar models and Puma models over the years. Pre 2008, there was only one Puma model. In 2008, they came out with a Puma FTD. The Cougar FTD and Puma FTD have storage under the passenger and driver seats. The standard Puma doesn’t because of the placement of the gas tank under the seats. Because the standard Puma has the tank under the seats, it rides a little better in rough water but it’s also not as fast as the FTD versions.4) I just got out of a Nitro 912 which is a long and wide boat. Is the BassCat going to be noticeably narrow to me after having been in that tank for a couple of years. And if all I do is fun fish mostly is that going to be an issue anyway.Yes, the Cougar and Puma will be noticeably narrower than the Nitro you just got out of. But, there’s no problem with their stability. In fact, what you’ll notice is that the Puma and Cougar are a lot more maneuverable while on the trolling motor because of this.5) By the way customer service is important to. I like the Skeeter boats and am considering one, but I have heard that the customer service isnt that great which is a consideration since I plan to keep the boat for many years!One of the reasons I left Skeeter was because of customer service – and I was on the Skeeter Team! If anything broke on the boat; livewell pumps, switches, valves, you name it, it was a major pain to get replacement parts from the factory. I mean one time it took me 6 months to get a dang dash switch. And, when you call their factory, it’s a royal pain to get anyone in customer service.Bass Cat, on the other hand, you call and you get to talk to someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. Tell them your problem and 2 days later you have a box, with the replacement part, on your doorstep. This even goes for boats that are 20 years old. If that’s not customer service, I don’t know what is. 🙂 If you have any other questions, post them here on the board and they’ll get answered. This is a pretty tight-knit group and everyone is here to help. Buying a boat is a major life decision. Good luck!TerryTerry Battisti
I had a nitro 591 and it was very wide. Nice boat but the rode beat me hard in waves which was from it being so wide I guess. I now have a puma ftd. My main concern at first was it being more narrow and yes it took a little getting use to. Now I think its great and see no need for it being any wider. It is just as stable if not more since the hull of the boat in the water up front is basically same in size. The ride is awesome and its the driest ride on the water. Saying all that after fishing from skeeter, phoenix, ranger, and triton. My old trailer gave me fits so I can really appreciate the basscat trailer. It is by far the best on the market. It is built specially for the boat and they fit snuggly together.My friend has a puma. He has a little boy just learning to fish. The puma and cougar has a second seat pedestal on the front deck in front of the step. His son sits in a chair there so he is close to dad. Really neat setup.
I will just say that I fish three or four times a week out of my 89 PII. My brother bought it new and I bought it in 94. I have upgraded the trolling motor, electronics and had the transom replaced, I hit a stump when I came off plain when Lake Eufaula was low several years ago. The parts are readily available from BCB and they will help in any way they can to get you going again if something breaks. I am retired now and this is probably my last boat. I do not think there is a better more long lasting boat on the market. One of the advantages not listed so far is this board and the almost instant connection with other owners who are more than willing to help any way they can. I do not believe you can go wrong with a well maintained Bass Cat boat!!!!Jim
You could get the Cougar Advantage model as well. It will be a matter of preference as to which you choose, base it on layout of what you think will work for storage in front and back.Remember, your BC boat will carry you into retirement. When you get ready to sell it, you will have peace of mind knowing that you can sell to the next buyer and he can transfer the lifetime warranty to his name. It is a “non-declining warranty”. Other boats warranty declines with each purchase. The third owner may get 3-5 years at best. One less thing to hassle about.Pride of ownership goes a long way as well as reputation and service/interaction. Bass Cat has a positive image for both.Good luck!96 Eyra/12 Mercury 175 Pro XS with 2015 single axle trailer2017 Victory Gunner
I bought a used 2001 Cougar with a 225 EFI Mercury off of Craigs List. The boat was a little rough when I got it, so I took it to Garys boat repair in Mountain Home, AR (he works at BCB). He basically refurbed the boat for me (pumps, plumbing, carpet, new style seats, trailer fenders and tires). I have to tell ya, he did an awesome job! I didnt even recognize the boat when I went to pick it up. I guess i got lucky, no issues with the boat so far, but when i needed some trivial thing from parts, they were outstanding. As far as ride? Its the best in the industry! I have friends that own virtually every type of boat made. They all agree, Bass Cat is one of the best boats out there. Resale value? Nothing beats a BCB. They have great resale, appearance, ride, handling, speed…you name it, I personally feel they are the best. By the way, I bought this one only, and only, because a friend of mine loved his so well. Now I know why! Good luck on your decision, and have a Happy And Prosperous New Year!
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