On 12 Mar 2005 01:45:13 -0500, Billy
wrote:

I am looking at 2 brands of 24’ bay boats, the Skeeter ZX24Bay and the
24" Champion Baychamp.
I would like input from owners of these two boats about there
handling,

All bay boats handle like bass boats. This is not a bad thing.

fishability,

They are a compromise design between flats boats and deep v center
consoles. I like the versatility to get out a little deeper on good
days (see below) and the speed to run around inshore to different
spots when I'm in the mood. They are a very versatile boat.

and rough water capabilities.

We have one contributor who just bought a Sea Pro in that class and I
own a Ranger 200 CC and have a ton of experience with these class
boats up to 23'.

Personally, I don't think they are very capable rough water boats at
all. Even a 23 Bay Ranger will give you a rather rough and wet ride
in marginal conditions. By marginal, I mean heavy chop or 1 to 2 foot
waves. It's in the nature of their design - they can handle very
shallow water so necessarily, the V which helps with the heavier water
you can find in bays, is very slight. The longer boats handle the
chop and wave action much better than the smaller 20 footers, but you
still get the rougher ride and you still get wet.

On the other hand, they are very stable boats much like you would
think. They are designed for a variety of inshore fishing conditions
like fly fishing, light tackle fishing and the occasional trolling for
larger fish. These boats seem to be very popular in two areas of the
country - SE US and in the Great Lakes. Up in the NE, you see them
occasionally, but not all that often.

These are new lines for Skeeter and Champion and I would really take a
close look at form, fit and function. I know a few bass fishermen who
own Skeeters and it seems like they buy them, then try to get out of
them within a couple of years. This can be problematic because much
like Nitros, once you get into them, you are stuck with taking a loss
on them above and beyond the normal depreciation. I know several bass
fishermen who own late model Skeeters (2001 - 2003) who are taking
almost 40/45% off their purchase price just to sell the things and buy
a Ranger. You ask them why and it's just a shrug - I just don't like
it. Same with Champion. It could be worse for you because these are
very different boats than one normally associates with these brands.

You might want to look at Triton and Ranger who both have bay boats in
that class and are very nicely built. Triton is also new into this
market, but, and this is a big butt, their bay series is one hell of a
boat. I ran one around Narragansett Bay last fall in some moderate
weather (rain/wind, 1 to 2 foot wave action) and was very impressed.
The ride wasn't totally smooth and we still got wet, but it was an
improvement over my 200 C. It handled about the same as the 2300 Bay
Ranger that friend of mine owns over on Cape Cod which is impressive.

You might also want to look around for a Polar dealer and look at
their 23 bay boat. Now I know this is going to sound like BS, but
Polar really knows how to build a fishing boat. I have taken a demo
ride on one up in Cape Ann, MA in some heavier weather at the mouth of
the Anisquam River and was very impressed. It's not exactly a "bay
boat" in that is has moderate dead rise the length of the hull and
draws much more water than any of the other brands, but it seems to
work for them. The Polar bay line is also has a little deeper
interior than the others which can be a safety factor.

Price wise, you will not loose serious money with Triton or Ranger.
I'm in the process of selling my Ranger 200C and I've lost exactly
$1,000 over the four years I've owned it. The 200 isn't as popular as
the 2180 or 2300 Bay Rangers which accounts for the length of time
I've had it for sale - like four months.

Ok, that was a lot of information, most of it specific and not
necessarily brand specific, but it will give you an idea of what you
are looking at.

Good luck. If you want to talk more about bay boats, we can take it
off line - "info - AT - swsports.org".

Later,

Tom