what are the biggest things to look for when buying a used bass boat. i'm not the kind of person who can "or wife will let" buy a 10K dollar bass boat new or used. i've seen a few that look decent for around 4K.

i can pretty much guess the obvious stuff like; make sure the motor runs and stuff like that.

i need to know stuff like; how long an outboard is really good for. ex, buying an 83 model boat with a 90 model motor, what are things to look for that will tell me that the motor will spend more time in a shop than on the water.

You missed it by a couple of weeks, my dad just sold his 93 Stratos w/ 93 150 Fast Strike for $3,500. I was in very good cond. But the very bottom line is spend the few dollars and take it to a mechanic (if you can't do it) and have a compression check done on the engine. Check for cracks in the hull. Check the lower unit oil for metal peices, but most things on the boat itself an individual can fix such as bilge pumps, gauges, carpet, etc... An 83 model is really old, take your time and look around, a deal will eventually come around. I will keep my eyes open as well.
Almost forgot, don't forget the trailer. Any steel trailer in this area will have some rust. Most steel trailer don't last more than a few years.

good info, thanks. i like the look of the 92 tide craft that is in the classifides section and is the showcase on the normal website. it's been a long hard road to convince the wife that we need a bass boat when i already have a jon boat that has served me well for years now. if i'm not mistaken you can ski from a bass boat as well, right???

Hey man, that Tide Craft is my boat. Feel free to call me and ask me any questions you may have. Its a solid boat. I just up graded. It took some willing and dealing with the wife to up grade, so iknow what you mean about the wife.

will do; just so you know i'm really interested in it. i'm trying to figure out a way to afford it without having to do the whole loan thing