Hi Bob,

Well, if it has to be a bass boat, then your stuck with the lower free
board. Big waves, big water, you most likely want a big boat.

I know that we have discussed this before, but it should be said again.
Buy from a dealer you trust to give you good service. That is the most
important item. If he has good service, that is prompt and friendly,
chances are he has one or more quality lines of boats.

That being said. I prefer Ranger. Why? Because no matter how bad it
gets out there, if that boat breaks down, just stay with the boat. You
cannot sink it. If it cannot sink unless broken into little pieces, it
will eventually get you to land. There is a lot of boats out there that
only float for a time. Or only level for a time when filled with water.
I have been in some that would head straight to the bottom if filled
with water.

My 400 series is a big improvement over the 300 series when it comes to
ride. New models are even better. It's not really necessary to beat
yourself so badly you **** blood anymore at the end of a day. Stay away
from hulls with almost no vee under them. Yeah, I know, everybody likes
what they own, but there is a lot of designs that are not very dry and
handle poorly in big water.

Winter shows are coming and that's a great time to pickup a new boat.

Later
Carlos