20 or 21 footer and we ain't talking about subway sandwiches

Grnbasser · Post by **Grnbasser** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:02 pm

My old '83 19' ranger don't have much life left and I've been really considering buying a newer boat if not new. I will be mostly fishing the Delta, Clearlake, Barryessa, and Oroville. Should I get a 20' or 21' bass boat? Will that extra length make a difference when fishing around docks and other things as well as cruising the lakes? I've never been on any other bass boat but mine so those with experience on both size boats, I really would appreciate your input. I'm sure this topic has been talked about before but I can't seem to find it using the search function. Thanks for input...

kb · Post by kb » Fri Mar 15, 2013 7:42 pm

Not sure what brand you are leaning to but if you would like to get on the water and demo a 21 or 20 foot Triton I can arrange that for you and answer any questions you may have. Feel free to send me any questions you may have.

Kent Brown
Triton Boats

Mike Reidy · Post by **Mike Reidy** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:52 am

Grnbasser,
I would encourage you to contact Kent and take him up on his offer. I have drawn him on a couple of occassions in tournaments and he is very knowledgable and experienced about boats. Triton makes a great boat and Kent is an excellent source of info. He will give you straight scoop. I personally have a Ranger Z-520 and love it. Gary Dobyns was very helpful with my research and he would also be more than willing to help you with questions regarding your decision. I suggest you contact him for info. as well. If you need a contact number for Gary he can be contacted at Dobyns Rods shop 530-671-1989. Find the boat that meets your needs and you are comfortable in. I know these two guys can answer your questions. Good luck!!

mike

Champion Jon · Post by **Champion Jon** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:15 am

Lots of good info above.

I have never owned a 21 foot boat.

I have a 20'4" Bass Cat Puma and it is all the boat I need. Great Ride, and more storage than you will need. I had a 17 foot champion before and that was a nice boat due to its short length when fishing around under and threw docks, but the benefits of the bigger boat outweigh it.

I have never found myself wanting a bigger boat then my Puma. Maybe if you fished 3 people a lot.

I will be at clear lake for the holder ford tournament if your up there and want a ride let me know!

Jon

BMX Bassin · Post by **BMX Bassin** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:28 am

kb wrote:Not sure what brand you are leaning to but if you would like to get on the water and demo a 21 or 20 foot Triton I can arrange that for you and answer any questions you may have. Feel free to send me any questions you may have.

Kent Brown
Triton Boats

I have Kent's old boat and love it. Passengers always comment on how well it rides. Great in rough water and still can get over 70mph. So easy to drive my son started when he was 8.

eagle123777 · Post by **eagle123777** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 3:57 pm

Grnbasser wrote:My old '83 19' ranger don't have much life left and I've been really considering buying a newer boat if not new. I will be mostly fishing the Delta, Clearlake, Barryessa, and Oroville. Should I get a 20' or 21' bass boat? Will that extra length make a difference when fishing around docks and other things as well as cruising the lakes? I've never been on any other bass boat but mine so those with experience on both size boats, I really would appreciate your input. I'm sure this topic has been talked about before but I can't seem to find it using the search function. Thanks for input...

i fish the same areas as u as well as the foothills and i will tell it was between night and day when i moved up from a tr20 to my 21x2 and what a difference up front with the fishing deck...and i wouldnt trade my x2 for any other triton...go for the 21 and of course triton...

Grnbasser · Post by **Grnbasser** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 7:47 pm

Thank you for the great information, contacts, and offers. The best thing for me is to actually go on some boat demo rides and decide for myself. I'm sure going up from a 20' to a 21' will make a difference but is the difference that obvious with the ride in rough water? Has anyone ever said to themselves, "I should of got the 20' instead (or visa-versa)"?

Gary Dobyns · Post by **Gary Dobyns** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:22 pm

Thanks Mike for kind words for both me and Kent. I can speak for both me and Kent here...we were both 20 foot boat guys and both now LOVE the 21 footers too.

I'm not up on the Triton boats but I am on the Rangers. Our 20 footer is 20'9" and our 21 footer is 21'3"...only 6 inches of length difference but there are a lot of other differences. As Mike said, call me at Dobyns Rod shop 530-671-1989 or PM me and I'll send you my cell number or call you for any questions. I can arrange a ride in a Ranger 520 or 521 anytime. I would encourage you to do your research and take demo rides, boats are a major investment these days. I'll be glad to help.

kb · Post by kb » Sat Mar 16, 2013 10:53 pm

Thanks Mike for the nice comments. Both Gary and I try to always represent our boat companies and help the guys that are looking to make a purchase. As Gary said he and I were both strong supporters of the 20 foot boats but both have been fortunate enough to own the 21's as well. There would be a considerable amount of whining if Triton told me I was going to give up my 21HP ........

For all the anglers out there both Gary and I are happy to help you find your new boat and answer your questions honestly. Like Gary said I am not all that up on the Rangers but can give you the VIP tour of the Triton's and get you on the water in one. New boats are fun and if you guys have questions or need advice before you buy take advantage of the offer from guys that have logged lots of time in our boats....I can be reached here on WB by private message or my webpage www.ultimatebassradio.com or my facebook pages.....

Along with a great boat built alongside the Rangers in Flippin the Triton's offer you more opportunities for contingency money with Triton Gold than any other boat company...up to $7000 per event!

Hopefully we can help a few of you into your new boat...... your used boat may be worth more than you ever thought!!

Kent Brown
Triton Boats

flipit · Post by **flipit** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:50 am

I recently bought a 21 ft Z521. I wont own anything smaller at this point. The ride and fishing platform is so much more comfortable. The storage of course is huge. As mentioned earlier you can really load the bigger boat down with gear and not lose noticable speed. Lots of great boats out there. I was never a Ranger guy, but I absolutely love my Z521.

Terry Smith · Post by **Terry Smith** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 1:30 pm

Bigger is better in this case. Go 21' and put A 250 on the back and you will be loving life!!!!!!

tfranceschi · Post by **tfranceschi** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:50 pm

Grnbasser

I can get you out on the water in a Bass Cat as well if you are interested. Feel free to contact me by PM. I would be happy to give you any and all information that you need. I am located in Livermore, just a hop, skip and a jump from Union City, so it would be easy to get you out on the Delta.

Nothing like looking at all of your options! Hope to hear from you.

Tony Franceschi

Corey Fenske · Post by **Corey Fenske** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 5:07 pm

While on the topic of Demo rides, as some know, I have been honored to become the newest Skeeter rep for the Western United States. I would be glad to get together with you and let you experience the Skeeter FX, Yamaha SHO combo. It will truly impress you.
No Skeeter dealer, you say...... Well Gone Fishin Marine is the newest dealer to bring Skeeter back into their line up. Very excited for the things to come.
Please feel free to send me a message or email ( skeeterwest@ymail.com )

Fish Trap · Post by **Fish Trap** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 6:54 am

Two weekends ago I had a chance to take a Demo ride and fish out of one of Corey's Skeeters up at Clear lake. It was a very solid boat with lots of nice features. That boat flat out hauled a**. It rode well in Clear Lake's rough water on Friday when the North wind blew about 20 and stayed pretty dry compared to my 2000 520 ranger. Definitely a boat worth checking out and seems to be a brand that is growing strong on the west coast as I have seen a lot more of them lately. Thanks again Corey.

Tony Koregelos

Hipster · Post by **Hipster** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:08 am

I have almost brand new Ranger 198 it is a 2010 which is just a tad under 20 feet and is an awesome boat. Since moving to AZ I just do not fish much and am willing to part wit it for a very very good price.

Only 40 hours the optimax pro' hds console and bow 82. Motor guide hot foot loaded to the hilt, will run your 48 k from Ranger I will take 32k call Phil at c&c and ask how oMark takes care of his boats.

Boat runs 68 -70 and is great in rough water

Let me know?
Mark

Larry Hemphill · Post by **Larry Hemphill** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:34 pm

Very good and thoughtful comments responding to your question. Just one thing to think about concerning the length of a 20-9 vs 21-3. I have had two Ranger 520's and now a Z521. When fishing rough, open water lakes like Clear Lake and Berryessa, one has to consider the distance between the wave tips (distance between the swells). Not necessarily the heighth of the swells but the distance between them. The Z521 seems to handle that trough better even though it is just a little longer. This becomes especially important to me (and clients) in the dark of the moon when night fishing. Clients do like to return to the dock somewhat dry!!!

Aaron Cole · Post by **Aaron Cole** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:08 am

If you are interested in a demo ride in a BassCat, I would be available. Just contact Boatmasters in Livermore @ 925-443-5775 and talk to Mike or Drew for my number. You will love a 20' BassCat. I'm located in the Central Valley.

B Becker · Post by **B Becker** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:57 pm

I'm going to jump to the other side. I have a Skeeter 20i and love it, but what I hate is the space it takes up in the garage. I had the TZX 200 which is 19'6" and I loved it. Single axle trailer lets you move it where you want in the garage and it had all the storage I needed and enough length to handle rough water. Let me tell you, living on Mead and Mohave, we have some huge stuff. Heck, my boat is still in the shop from a tourney on Mohave that swamped my motor, along with 5 others! Size did not matter in that situation. I do believe that it is 80% driver and 20% boat. I feel it was my fault I swamped the darn thing and could have done better. I miss the 19', getting in and out of skinny water too (backwaters of Havasu) Now the other thing is how much you travel on the road. Tandem axle is awesome for long distance, but it is an extra maintenance expense. I'm tired of packing 4 sets of bearings and $500-$700 in tires. If that doesn't bother you, then the 20' boats that can take a 250 is the way to go. Do not under power your boat, always put the max you can, it makes a world of difference in the way the boat handles. Just my .02

Grnbasser · Post by **Grnbasser** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 9:09 pm

Wow! Lots of great advice and tips. One thing for certain is it really sucks getting caught in rough water with an old smaller boat. Happened to me at Clearlake twice coming around the narrows. I wasn't sure if the water coming from the bilge pump was from the lake or from me! However, regarding the motor, if I don't "put the pedal to the metal", is it necessary to max out the HP on a given boat? I was actually thinking this is where I can maybe cut 15hp off the engine and save some $$.

Gary Dobyns · Post by **Gary Dobyns** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:04 pm

I'd put the Max Rated engine on the boat. You can always throttle back to save fuel and it does work well. It also will give you many more years of service by not always running them at max RPM's. A smaller engine will have to be ran harder for performance. It will cost you a few dollars more up front but it'll be worth it in the long run. Also, if you ever want to sell the boat, it will be a big factor in selling. Most guys want Max Rated engines on their boats. Give me a call at the shop if you have questions. 530-671-1989 I'll be glad to try and help.

Larry Hemphill · Post by **Larry Hemphill** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 10:13 pm

Gary is absolutely correct. Unless that is going to be the last boat you own, you need to invest in the max horsepower the boat is rated for. Folks rarely will be interested in an under-powered bass boat when looking for a used boat.

Ross England · Post by **Ross England** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:32 am

Regarding how a 21 footer does in tight places like docks. I have no problem going around docks, under piers, through the tules, etc. The two friends I fish with on my off days both run 520's and there isn't a place they can go that my 521 hasn't been able to make it through. There is a noticeable difference in stopping the 21 over the 20 in my opinion....I find myself thinking whoaaa Bessy sometimes once she gets rolling on the electric. One other thing to note is that you can get by with a 24 volt TM on some 20 footers, should stick with 36v on a 21.

I did add a 10" setback to mine, not for speed but to extend the overall length to 22'. Makes a difference as others have noted in this thread. If Ranger made a 25 footer I would probably look real hard at it!

Ross