Bass Boat Reviews

It’s been more than a year since I bought the Phoenix and I have to say i love it. The only thing that I am not happy with is the Yamaha engine. Not the engine and the way it runs, but with the large vent slots at the top of the cowling. The slots are so large that squirrels got under the cowl and chewed up the wiring and some of the oil hoses.

I spoke to someone at Yamaha customer service and they said I should have bought a cover for it so critters can’t get in. They recommended a cover for storage only and not for running of course. I think the factory should build a screen inside the cowling — to reduce the openings sizes would be a better solution. A cover won’t work because the critters can easily chew through the fabric of the cover. A friend told me squirrels chewed through the cover on his outdoor grill just recently. A fabric isn’t going to stop critters.

My boat is in the shop now and I should get it back in a few days. I spoke to my insurance comapany and they will cover the costs above my deductible. Unfortunately, the dedcuctible is quite high and I don’t think it will cost more than the deductible to fix it. So if you have a Yamaha, take precautions when you store your boat.

I spent more than a year researching which new bass boat I should buy. I am going to share some of my thoughts and discoveries related to the decision-making process in this and future posts. I’m not an amatuer bass fisherman, but I don’t fish professionally either. However, I had about 10 years experience selling all kinds of boats, but bass boats were my favorites and my specialty.

I went to the forums I could find, searched manufacturer websites, and test drove numerous bass boats. I looked at boats at fishing shows too. Now there are many decent boats on the market. But I wanted something that is relatively quick, manueverable, and good quality without breaking the bank.

I had to make some compromises for several reasons. One was delivery time, the other price.

This is the actual boat I’m going to buy. I’m finishing the paper work and setting up the financing. I’m not in a hurry to pick it up, but the dealer is, of course, anxious for me to get it off his hands.

The things I liked about the Phoenix are the stainless hardware, unique storage of gadgets and gear, and the hull design. I will discuss more in the next post.