Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › Which model cat to buy?
StanH.
Im looking to upgrade from my 04 Sabre to a slightly larger boat (either a Classic, P2, P3 or P4). Sabre is a good boat but there are a few things about it I dont like. Biggest dislike is that the bow gets really narrow at the front and does not give you much space. Always bumping the trim controls, nav light button with my feet and feel like I could go out of the boat pretty quick. Do the classic and P2 have pretty much the same basic shaped hull as the Sabre? Are you still pushed up to the very front on these models as on the Sabre or do you have a little more space? What do you all think are the pros and cons of the P2 vs the P4 (speed, ride, $, overall fishability)?
I felt like the PII and my Sabre FTD had an almost identical front deck. They did recess those trim buttons to fix hitting them. You have to TRY to push them in now to trim the motor. I did not realize just how much larger the PIV was than the PII until I literally hopped out of one into the other back to back. If you really want to go bigger and have the storage room the PIV is BIG 19 footer! Ive never felt like I was going over the side of my Sabre FTD, cant help you there. Actually its one of the most stable 18 footers Ive been in once I got over sitting on the nose.
Thanks for the input. Mine is a standard Sabre (not the FTD). I hear the Sabre FTD has a much wider deck.
Get the PIV, its a great boat.
I am partial to PIV…. Hmm…. Wonder why? Yep, I pick mine up at the end of next week if all goes well with delivery. Flyswater
I have a Sabre and if all is well next year I will order a 2011 P2 or a PIV (or as tight as I am look for a left over 2010). I dont feel cramped in my Sabre but I dont use a seat or butt seat. When I put the butt seat in it gets tight. If room up front is a big concern the PIV may be the way to go. I am thinking as I get older the PIV may be a better choice. Its a nice choice to have. Maybe BCB can chime in on the model with the most up front room from pin to TM pedal and help us out.
Im 62″ and pushing around 250….I dont have any problem with my 92 Sabres deck feeling too small. That being said, I am looking for a bigger boat but not due to any problems with the Sabre. If I recall correctly it has been said in the past that a PIV deck is actually larger than a Puma deck so if more room up front is what you are after then Id really look hard at a PIV…..BUT that is why there are so many different models of cars, trucks and boats….so that people with different tastes, desires and personal preferences can make their decision based on what they like.Jim EbarbMany, LA (Toledo Bend Lake)2004 Cougar/ 225 OptimaxHumminbird Helix 12 Chirp SI on BalzOut Mount at bowLowrance HDS 7 at bowHumminbird Helix 12 Mega SI on Ram Mount at ConsoleLowrance HDS 8 in dash at console
toledobasser wrote: Im 62″ and pushing around 250….I dont have any problem with my 92 Sabres deck feeling too small. That being said, I am looking for a bigger boat but not due to any problems with the Sabre. If I recall correctly it has been said in the past that a PIV deck is actually larger than a Puma deck so if more room up front is what you are after then Id really look hard at a PIV…..BUT that is why there are so many different models of cars, trucks and boats….so that people with different tastes, desires and personal preferences can make their decision based on what they like. Great comments Toledobasser!
ive “peter panned” TWICE already off the front end of my sabre, so i understand your concerns. im pushing two-fittie, so once i got rid of the butt seat pole up front, that problem went away. my solution is going to be running a second pole (hole) about 8″ back from where the factory pole/hole is positioned. but before buying a new boat, TRY SITTING DOWN in your sabre in that front hole position. its really nice in a chair up there, especially in choppy water !!! i now know why bill dance is smiling so big a the end of a day of fishing…hes on his butt the whole time! the sabre has absolutely perfect positioning for a seat if you can fish sitting down. on windy days, its now standard procedure for me if ill be fishing offshore. im going to add that second position when i get around to it, so i can use my butt seat again. (alot of folks dont realize how awesome a job that BC does with the little things when manufacturing the boats. take a look at how they install the poles for your seats….those suckers are really glassed in, not an “afterthought” like some other boats ive observed in my “research.” (cough, cough). they make it hard for the do-it-yourselfers to simply duplicate in the garage at home….which is a good thing, if you really think about it. all that said…..WHY DOESNT ANYONE EVER SUGGEST THE PIII ? in my opinion, STILL, the best 19 tournament boat ever made! i cant remember the last time i came across one, though.. (granted, ive never taken a ride in the PIV, so maybe im “missing the boat” on this one)Last edited by cajun catter on July 25th, 2009, 9:13 pm, edited 3 times in total.
all that said…..WHY DOESNT ANYONE EVER SUGGEST THE PIII ? in my opinion, STILL, the best 19 tournament boat ever made! i cant remember the last time i came across one, though.. (granted, ive never taken a ride in the PIV, so maybe im “missing the boat” on this one) Youre not missing the boat LOL….The Pantera III is still the best pure 19 tournament rig Bass Cat has ever built. You do not see many for sale because guys that have them rarely part with them. Pure rough water ride, little faster than a PIV, twin rear tanks ( 52 gallons ), all the up front storage you need, under seat storage, 2 coolers. Add the flippin deck and you can fish 2 comfortably all day up front. You just do not see many come up for sale.
© 2026 Bass Cat Boats
