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May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
Thinking of pulling the trigger on a War Eagle Blackhawk 961 center console. I’ve been borrowing a ProGator 17’ bass boat for taking my son and his fishing partner for their school fishing team tournaments. I’m constantly tripping over shit getting to the front and rear decks to untangle lines (happens a lot with ten year olds). Plus there’s just not much room for three people in the boat. I’ve never been in a center console boat before, but the layout looks much more friendly towards having to tend to young anglers. Plus I think I’d like to be sitting higher to spot snags when we have to fish the Red River.
Any thoughts?
 
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verporchting

Lifer
Dec 30, 2018
2,879
8,933
Kids in boats with fishing poles = localized chaos and great memories.

My childhood memories and discussions with my dad makes me think no amount of extra boat, better gear, patient explanations of what was expected, etc. made any difference whatsoever.

Add in a dog (or in one instance a baby raccoon) and a cooler of beer and it was just a circus.

Fish were caught, fun was had, and great memories remain. I don’t think a bigger / better boat would have made the slightest difference. Some of my best memories were from a time with a completely shitty cramped and occasionally leaking boat.

Just my take though. I can totally understand the compulsion to buy a new boat!!!
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
CoffeeAndBourbon beat me to it, but draft is important, especially if you like skulking in the shallows for those fish hiding places. A deeper draft isn't bad, just a different approach to fishing, and maybe a little better if a storm comes up. Maybe keep shopping for a while, as long as you have the boat to borrow. You want the right amount of boat, not too much and not too little. Used gives more latitude on price, etc. etc.
 

niblicck

Can't Leave
Oct 7, 2020
385
3,128
Alabama
Have a friend looking to buy a new bass boat myself and he's telling me they are in short supply now. The one he wants he can have but not untill September if he orders it now @ $31,000. Or he can buy the same one now that is 3 years old for $35,000 used.
 
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May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
Have a friend looking to buy a new bass boat myself and he's telling me they are in short supply now. The one he wants he can have but not untill September if he orders it now @ $31,000. Or he can buy the same one now that is 3 years old for $35,000 used.
The prices even on aluminum boats makes me want to order sheet metal and a TIG machine.
There is a place down in Morgan City that builds custom boats, and the price is not too bad, from what I’ve seen. Not sure what the wait is like.
 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,011
Southwest Louisiana
Cajun Country, Jeanerette, Morgan City, New Iberia are hubs of aluminum craft, boats, air boats, been away for some years, DONT know the price of them nowadays, if it’s custom you want, thats the place to go, during the start of our conflict in Asia I was sent to Bayou Vista, near Morgan City to help rectify a problem with Swift Boats, got a handle on it and made the corrections, job done. I like Aluminum over Fiberglass, lifetime boat.
 
May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
Cajun Country, Jeanerette, Morgan City, New Iberia are hubs of aluminum craft, boats, air boats, been away for some years, DONT know the price of them nowadays, if it’s custom you want, thats the place to go, during the start of our conflict in Asia I was sent to Bayou Vista, near Morgan City to help rectify a problem with Swift Boats, got a handle on it and made the corrections, job done. I like Aluminum over Fiberglass, lifetime boat.
Yeah, I’m thinking about just taking a weekend trip down that way in a few weeks to shop around. It’s only a few hours on I-49.
 
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