Boat Buying Decisions, What is your Motivator?

I bought a 2002 Lund Fisherman 1800 with a 2003 Honda 115hp at the end of
the 2002 season. I've used it 2 full seasons now (2003 + 2004) and am now
thinking of selling it to get more of a bassboat style boat, maybe a fish n'
ski from one of the major bassboat companies. So, since I've recently been
through all that and I might be about to go through it again, I think I can
answer most of questions !


Our fishing boat lines are Bass Cat, Champion, Lowe, Alumicraft, and
Shallow
Sport. Mercury and Yamaha.

Now the questions are....

How much research did/will you do before you make your decision?

TONS. I have the tendancy to research things to death before parting with
my money, whether it's a $70 humidifier or a $20,000 boat. I look at a
dozen companies and 3 or 4 models/sizes in each company, lay all the specs
out side by side and go through them one by one, including
available/included options, accessories etc etc.


What is the final reason you will/did choose your particular boat?

I wanted a well-rounded fishing boat that could double as a pleasure boat to
take friends and family out on the water for the day as well for skiing and
tubing. Primarily I wanted a boat that allowed me to fish in most waters
for most species (ie. bass fishing, jigging perch, trolling trout/walleye),
but also one that was comfortable and had plenty of seating for recreational
boating. I settled on the Lund 1800 because of 1) Lund's reputation, 2)
seats 8, 3) is plenty "fishable". After having it for 2 seasons now though
I realize that I don't do the 50% trolling that I thought I'd do. It's more
like 5% trolling and 95% bass fishing. Plus, I want more power ! The 115hp
just doesn't cut it for me anymore ! I need a 200hp e-tech or 4 stroke !!


Price?

Obviously very important. I'm not loaded. I'm in the lower middle income
bracket. I can't afford to throw away money so I need the best value in a
boat for my dollars


Reputation?

Again, very important for me. Which is why I went with a Lund. Now I'm
looking for a fiberglass fish n' ski and I'm only looking at established
companies with good reps like Triton, Stratos, ProCraft, Champion, Ranger
etc. But, there's a breaking point in there as well. The companies with
good reps seem to feel they can jack their price up because of name
recognition. You've heard the saying "You're paying for the name and that's
it". I just had to back out of a 4-boat Triton deal some other bass club
members were swinging with a marina in Virginia (I'm in Vermont) because for
the length, horsepower, and options I wanted in a boat, the Triton was still
way too much, even with the deep discount for the bulk order. I felt I was
going to be just paying for the name Triton, and that I could likely find an
equal boat with a better price from another manufacturer.


Service?

Not as important to me. The biggest service issue to me on a new boat/motor
is warranty service. I didn't buy my Lund and Honda locally, but my local
Honda Marine dealer does all my service work on it without question.


Looks?

Hate to admit it, but it IS important to me. I like a hot looking bass boat
with cool color schemes as much as the next guy. I'm also finicky with
keeping it clean. I wipe it down and vacuum the carpet after nearly every
trip out. I don't want weeds, fish blood and scales, my bread and chip
crumbs from lunch getting ground into my carpet. I've seen some guys fairly
new bass boats look just disgusting after a single season. It sure beats
the hell out of your resale value. My boat is immaculate after 2 seasons.


Would you make the same decision now if you know everything you do? If
not,
what would you have rather done different?

Like I said before, I've already decided to sell my aluminum Lund and go for
a fiberglass fish n' ski, so the answer to that is NO, I wouldn't make the
same decision. But, that's only because the Lund was my first boat ever,
and I guess I really didn't know which way I would end up drifting once I
had my own boat I could take out anytime I wanted to fish. As it turned
out, trolling didn't really "float my boat !!" so to speak, and I found
myself far more interested in the intricicies of bass fishing. But, having
said that, I still want a boat I can spend time on the water with family and
friends and not fish. Hence - a fish n' ski rather than a bass boat.


Did/will you take a test ride before you bought/buy? How important is
that?

It is important and it's something I struggled with before and I still
struggle with now. Vermont isn't a large state. It's mainly mountain with
some lakes dotted around. Even with Lake Champlain as our western border,
there aren't a whole lot of boat dealers in the state, and few of those that
do exist are bassboat dealers. Finally, the ones that DO sell bassboats
NEVER have fish n' skis in stock. I don't feel comfortable buying a boat I
haven't been able to at least sit in in a showroom and see the layout of
storage, seating, feel, comfortable, legroom etc etc etc. I've never been
in a fish n' ski. They room great in the brochures, but I need to sit in
one before I can commit. I don't know anyone who has one. I'm not sure
what I'm going to do.

Finally, a test ride is imperative to me. I know someone in my bass club
who drove all the way to Virginia to buy a Triton, got it back here to
Vermont, and found out it had never been water tested by the marina. The
trolling motor wiring was all screwed up, the pumps didn't work properly,
the interior lighting was intermittant, the outboard didn't trim right
....... it was a nightmare. He's still having problems, and the marina won't
help him out.


How much do you think that dealer made/will make on your boat? What do
you
consider "fair"?

I'm not a saleman. I have no idea what mark up prices are on boats or what
a marina expects to make on a boat. Maybe it's the same as auto dealers,
where they get kickbacks from the manufacturer and so they can afford to
sell a vehicle $100 over their cost. All I know is that I want the absolute
best price I can get.


Is/was a particular pro influential in your decision?

Not one single bit. Makes absolutely no difference to me what some "pro" is
driving. The pros aren't driving those boats/motors because they've done
the research and love the boat. Their driving it because some company threw
a wad of cash and a free boat at them and said "here you go, make sure you
tell everyone how great XXX" is.


If any, what was unpleasant about your boat buying experience?

Nothing. The experience I had with my Lund dealer out of state was great.


Now ...... can you sell me a new fish n' ski with a 175hp to 200hp four
stroke for a rock bottom price !!?????????

Shawn




Any and all responses would be appreciated, anyone who'd like to have a
conversation with me direct, please contact me a


Looking forward to seeing what the responses are!