opinion needed !

[fishmaster911]

im looking into buying one like this ! i want to hear yall opinions on these boats before i blow my dough !
http://www.mako-boats.com/boat/printView.cfm?boat=3280

[LaAngler]

dont do it!

you want me to talk you out of this one or into another one?

[fishmaster911]

Originally Posted by LaAngler

dont do it!

you want me to talk you out of this one or into another one?

if its in my price range! @ 20
i have a 17ft bass boat, im looking for something a lil better for the saltwater !

[LaAngler]

Okay

First of all I do like the looks of the mako skiff. The problems come in on several areas. Tracker marine has a bad rep for service after the sale/warranty work. The hardware (lids, latches, hinges, gas cap, cleats, instruments) that mako uses is pretty cheap and will fail with any decent amount of saltwater use.

Another issue is this, IF you go with an 18 footer, you will find that the length of the boat in a lot of our open bays just isn't long enough to span the typical day to day chop. This makes for a lot slower and ROUGHER travel. 20 to 21 foot is a good length for this.

Will you actually pole the boat? how much?

What will you be doing 80 percent of the time? How many people will you have onboard? will you fish livies a lot in the summer? what bay system do you fish most?

Do you realize what kind of depreciation this rig will have, ESPECIALLY with Mako's newfound bad repuation. I would look into getting a rigged out saltwater boat that is 1-5 years old.

IF i were buying a 18 foot flats type skiff I would look into getting a 18 foot maverick master angler or 18 foot hewes redfisher. There's a good chance that a "bay" boat might fill your needs better, in that case, the options are endless. A lot will depend on what type of deal you find.

[fishmaster911]

well said ! i guess im looking more for the bay boat style. i would like to stay @ 18 or 19 ft ok so what kind of bay boats would u suggest ?

[Reel Bender]

Yeah Bruce, you did a good job of why not. Now make your case on what he should buy!

[LaAngler]

does if have to fit in a garage? you need to ride an 18 and a 22 in the chop before you buy

i'd much rather some hulls like these for 20ish K than the mako

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now one great thing about flats boats, they eliminate the need for a bass boat, lots of deck space and storage, great for specks/reds.

[Reel Bender]

What I can tell you is boat prices are outrageous. I've been thinking of getting a smaller boat (15-18 ft) since I fish alone alot. Shoot, it would still cost me 20-30k to get a good boat

[LaAngler]

fishmaster, send a message to Ray, he's got a nice 19 footer made by MBC boat company i'm not sure what it costed

[Reel Bender]

Ok this guy has dropped his price to 28 K and will probably move some more.

Heck of a Boat

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[Nasty]

I had the new boat fever also for about 2 years. But, I never ruled out a slightly used boat that was taken care of and with a good reputation. And, that is exactly what I found. You will save thousands from taxes by purchasing from an individual. And, depreciation has already set in because it is used. I figure I have saved $15,000 by buying a good used rig. It is something you might want to think about. I agree about mako-- it was red flagged during my investigations.

[flounder_smacker]

find you a good used hewes 18 redfisher. know a buddy who picked up a 2003 with a 150vmax for 16 and the motor had just at 100 hours. look around before you just buy you can find decent deals on a nice used rig.

[fishinpox]

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lp...e_ad&id=137548

check out this shearwater pretty sweet , a coiple g's more than you looking to spend but come on a budget ? who really sticks to em budgets are a word throwen around to keep the wife from freaking out when men make purchases like this !! lol

[blackmamba]

Originally Posted by fishinpox

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/lp...e_ad&id=137548

check out this shearwater pretty sweet , a coiple g's more than you looking to spend but come on a budget ? who really sticks to em budgets are a word throwen around to keep the wife from freaking out when men make purchases like this !! lol

True dat brotha

[huntin fool]

that lake and bay IS SWEET! sucker hauls i bet

[Ray]

Originally Posted by LaAngler

fishmaster, send a message to Ray, he's got a nice 19 footer made by MBC boat company i'm not sure what it costed

It is a Cobia. Same hull as the Pathfinder, but a little cheaper. It uses an
different style of lay up for the fiberglass, but same molds, same hull.
The Pathfinder is lighter and has lower sides. In order to get a boat I wanted,
it also had to meet the wants of my wife and had to fit in my garage.
The Cobia had higher sides, plenty of storage, plenty of seating, thicker
fiberglass, and the windshield and grab rail folded down to get in the garage.
I paid ~$27K with trolling motor, GPS/Depthfinder and 150 HP Yamaha 4 stroke.
I got a 2009, they already sold the 2008 that was on the lot. It was a few
thousand cheaper than the 2009. At the Lake Charles boat show, they were
about $3K cheaper than at the Houston boat show.
I looked at Nautic Star, but the local dealer acted like he was doing me a
favor to even talk to me, twice. I also looked at Blazer Bay, which I liked,
but my wife liked the Cobia way better. It was a lot easier to get a boat
we both liked than to get one that just I liked.

[blackmamba]

Originally Posted by fishmaster911

im looking into buying one like this ! i want to hear yall opinions on these boats before i blow my dough !
http://www.mako-boats.com/boat/printView.cfm?boat=3280

I was looking at this same boat because I could put the motor that I have now (etec 90) on it. I was also looking at the Kenner 1901 but I thought these were made by the same people? The Hewes boats are nice but are on the high end of pricing.

[blackmamba]

Originally Posted by Ray

It is a Cobia. Same hull as the Pathfinder, but a little cheaper. It uses an
different style of lay up for the fiberglass, but same molds, same hull.
The Pathfinder is lighter and has lower sides. In order to get a boat I wanted,
it also had to meet the wants of my wife and had to fit in my garage.
The Cobia had higher sides, plenty of storage, plenty of seating, thicker
fiberglass, and the windshield and grab rail folded down to get in the garage.
I paid ~$27K with trolling motor, GPS/Depthfinder and 150 HP Yamaha 4 stroke.
I got a 2009, they already sold the 2008 that was on the lot. It was a few
thousand cheaper than the 2009. At the Lake Charles boat show, they were
about $3K cheaper than at the Houston boat show.
I looked at Nautic Star, but the local dealer acted like he was doing me a
favor to even talk to me, twice. I also looked at Blazer Bay, which I liked,
but my wife liked the Cobia way better. It was a lot easier to get a boat
we both liked than to get one that just I liked.

Ray if you have a pic of your boat please post

[LaAngler]

ray, i have heard nightmares about porpoising issues on the 20 pathfinders with the F150 yammys.....

takes a freakin prop witch doctor to fix and sometimes it can't be

does your bounce at midrange at all with no tabs?

[Ray]

Yes she does if I don't drop the tabs. It is not a nightmare, in my opinion.
It is only at certain speeds, just above planing speed.

http://www.saltycajun.com/forum/show...t=cobia&page=8