Bass boat comparison Nitro X5 vs Stratos XT186

[Switchback_XT]

Which series is better in your opinion? Stratos XT series starts at 13k while nitro starts at 15k both top out at 20k.
I saw the nitro's at bass pro the other day. They look like a simpler version of the Z series.
DISCUSS!!

[marlin30/30_drabe]

the x5 is supposed to have the features of a 30k bass boat imo i hate stratos though they are nice boats i have fished stratos and nitro

[mohunter82]

it may be a little more but i would go with the nitro in my opinion. never have likes the overall design aspects of Stratos

[m.t.hands]

not really familiar with either but i'd check the layout and see which one suits you best, the one deal i had heard about nitro in the past was that the trailers were not quiet up to industry standards, but that was several years ago i would think that situation has been rectified...

BTW everybody is building a better boat today than they did in the past, some had too or else, i don't think you'd be dispointed in either of those rigs though

[Alpha Capo]

niether boats are bad.....get wich you like best

Personally if i was gonna buy a new Glass boat the only Hull i would consider is Champion. they were always a big brand in the southern states they were made in Mountain Home Arkansas and recently (2000 or so the rest of the country caught on they are one of the best (if not the best) rides in rough water and handle great....

but im a little bias because i grew up fishing in Champion boats.
my dad bought a 17'6 champ in 1986 then a 19 footer in 94'. Great boats but they cost a little more. but the cx is the supposedly the "Budget" line over the Elite series... but im sure they are still quite abit more than the nitro cost wise....(they dont put the fancy stuff on like sparkly gel coat, they are mostely white wich saves a bunch)

if i were you id check into a champion...there construction and materials used are top notch. you can order one exactly the way you want it...(ommit alot of options, to keep down the cost)..

i wonder what the 18'3 CX would price out at with a 135 or 150 optimax merc....and just the options that are necessities ?????

i know id like to have one.

not trying to advertise this buisness (im sure the salesmen are real ****'s there)....it was just a nice pic that happened to have a billboard in it.


what ever you do dont buy one without test driving first....Drive them in smooth and choppy water and see what one is best. when running 10-20 miles in choppy water your gonna regret it if your boat rides like crap.

also dont be scared to buy used....alot of people buy boats and end up not having the time to use them (alot of money just sitting around) so they sell them check this out.... Skeeter makes a great boat too....they would be my number two choice behind Champion
they want $17,000 for this 18 footer and its a 2008:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Skeet...=p4506.c0.m245

[Oneshot7]

If it had to be a new boat, I would go with the Nitro for sure. They have a good ride, and great fishability with a lower price tag.
If you want a new boat that costs more, I would go with a Triton, I just believe they are made with quality in mind and will last you as long as you want.
Now if you want a great used boat, find yourself a Gambler. It is fast, incredibly stable, very fishable and just flat out gorgeous when they are cleaned up. I grew up in a 1996 Gambler and loved it to death. Ive been up to 85 in it, but Dad had it up to 97 mph without me in it, I was too young to go that fast at the time.

Champions are good boats too, so dont overlook them.

[Alpha Capo]

gamblers are even more pricey than Champion, ranger and Stratos ive never been in one(gambler) or even seen one very close up in person.

they(gambler) have one of the fastest hulls.... and the front decks on them are huge....ive seen one guy on the river with one....and there are alot of bass boats on the river....they arent that common around north west IL ....i dont even want to attempt 90 MPH in a boat unless the water is GLASS smoooooooth like at 5:00 am with no wind..... 65 is fast enuff specially with some chop.....

just recently 2 guys were fishing a local tourney they hit a wake wrong going 65 or so.....it bounced them both out of the boat (a triton i believe) the driver wasnt wearing his kill switch and he had the standard lever throttle (not a hotfoot) so the boat circled around and caught the passenger in the leg....im not so sure they saved his foot.....they had to airlift him. wear your killswitch guys....specially if your hotdoggin it.

as far as fiberglass boats go Used is a great option. specially in the 2-5 year old range.

[Oneshot7]

They are very, very high quality boats and you will not get a cheap one unless it is about 12 yrs old. They are extremely stable, even at 90 mph, it was like riding in a Cadillac. It actually liked a little bit of chop on the water, as far as handling. You just need to have experience to handle speed. Also, any bass boat that goes over 50 mph needs a hot foot IMO, kind of like a reserve kill switch that keep both of your hands free.

[Switchback_XT]

Originally Posted by Alpha Capo

niether boats are bad.....get wich you like best

Personally if i was gonna buy a new Glass boat the only Hull i would consider is Champion. they were always a big brand in the southern states they were made in Mountain Home Arkansas and recently (2000 or so the rest of the country caught on they are one of the best (if not the best) rides in rough water and handle great....

but im a little bias because i grew up fishing in Champion boats.
my dad bought a 17'6 champ in 1986 then a 19 footer in 94'. Great boats but they cost a little more. but the cx is the supposedly the "Budget" line over the Elite series... but im sure they are still quite abit more than the nitro cost wise....(they dont put the fancy stuff on like sparkly gel coat, they are mostely white wich saves a bunch)

if i were you id check into a champion...there construction and materials used are top notch. you can order one exactly the way you want it...(ommit alot of options, to keep down the cost)..

i wonder what the 18'3 CX would price out at with a 135 or 150 optimax merc....and just the options that are necessities ?????

i know id like to have one.

not trying to advertise this buisness (im sure the salesmen are real ****'s there)....it was just a nice pic that happened to have a billboard in it.


what ever you do dont buy one without test driving first....Drive them in smooth and choppy water and see what one is best. when running 10-20 miles in choppy water your gonna regret it if your boat rides like crap.

also dont be scared to buy used....alot of people buy boats and end up not having the time to use them (alot of money just sitting around) so they sell them check this out.... Skeeter makes a great boat too....they would be my number two choice behind Champion
they want $17,000 for this 18 footer and its a 2008:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Skeet...=p4506.c0.m245

I had over looked ebay entirely, What about craigs list? has any one on here used it? what about boat trader? From the same place as auto trader, are they any good?

[Alpha Capo]

do you know any tourney anglers?? if you do id talk to some of them and see if they can point you in the right direction(maybee they know someone selling)...go to a local tourney weigh in and ask....alot of those guys are happy to help.

i know a guy that bought his Triton Aluminum boat off of ebay (nice boat for alum, you forget its aluminum unless the water gets pretty rough...welll done boat really)...that was a few years ago....its harder and harder to find deals on ebay anymore....everyone selling there is to trying to make a buck (like a online used car dealer) but sometimes you find people that just want to get rid of something, those usually end up being good deals for the buyer.

my dad bought his boat motor (200 optimax) off a company called "Jaco" in 2005....he had a buddy whos a dealer give him a dealer code so he got a really good price on it....i believe Jayco only sells to dealers but im not positive...but from what i understand , if you know someone that can hook you up with a dealer # than you can get hooooked up. but im not positive on how it works,, he didnt tell me exactly what he did...but i know he got a deal

heres the web site
its Jaco's marine:
http://www.jacosmarine.com/

id say just keep looking....and dont get in a big rush.
if your in the boonies somewhere, try and look up classifieds in the closest big city "craigslist" would work, or whatever the local newspaper is. Take your time....youll find exactly what you want.