Bass Boats of Old

My Bass boat may up there in years, but like herhave any choice, as I did, in leaving it vulnerable to
owner, she is not old! We don't feel old! We arethe outside. But with a good cover you can keep
always ready to get out on the water again andthe damage at a bare minimum. When I
again! Maybe that's why I purchased the oldpurchased my Bass boat it was definitely
Adventure. Looking at her long sleek hull,weathered. I know darn well that it sat in the sun
something caught my eye. It was the registryand rain. One way to tell is when the clear coat
numbers! Something was familiar in the numbers.starts to flake. All metallic paints have clear coat
Her birth registry numbers were the same as myto make it shine. When hairline cracks occur in the
own!clear coat water gets in underneath giving it a
You might say that there was something specialhazy, cloudy look, then eventually flaking off. We
in the air that day. Even though I was more thancan't clear coat the whole boat again, unless you
twice her age this Bass rig was love at first site.are Howard Hughes, but what we can do is stop
She is 19 years old, but she still has heart . Comethe process. The best way to do that is by
tournament time she still moves quickly whenpurchasing a spray can of clear coat at your local
needed! The Johnson engine is old too but I see itpaint shop and spraying the edges of the
as 8 years young and still performing like adamaged area. Just scrape off the 'cloudy' areas
youngster! Plain Jane two-stroke technology is stilland after cleaning it thoroughly, like a wound,
going strong. Just add oil, and gas of course, andspray on the clear coat. What this will do is stop
go! The big 'John' definitely has enough horse tothe water form getting in and keep the clear coat
push my rig!from flaking any further.
When purchasing an old Bass boat don't let theThere are a lot of awesome Bass boats out
years in service bring you down. Every Bass rigthere with engines getting bigger and bigger! But
has potential of lasting many years when properlywhen you think about it; in order to make a
maintained. They are built to last!stronger product, weight is always a factor. So in
If you are unsure of the boat's structuralorder to push that big beautiful heavy machine
integrity, do as I did. Hire a 'glass pro' to check ityou need power, hence the 300 horses to keep
out for you. Yes, that's right, a 'glass pro'. I paid aup with the lighter, more stealth rigs.
few dollars for a local known fiberglass expert toI am not a boat 'racist' by any means. There are
pay me a visit. He did all the testing throughoutincredible rigs out there that are superb Bass
the boat. During the process I was a little nervousfishing machines. Ranger, Bass Cat, Triton,
because you never know, but I felt confident t heSkeeter, Champion, and Pro Craft, to name a
would be pleased with my purchase. He told mefew, are great examples of solid Bass boats.
that it was hand woven! Now, I must say, IUnfortunately, they get old too! So why forget
looked at him in a daze and asked, "What theabout them. Why not keep their luster and
heck does 'hand woven' mean"? "Basically", hebeauty for years to come by taking care of
said, "It's built with light weight in mind combinedthem. Keep them looking their best! An old Bass
with structural integrity!" Well, he was right thererig, what ever the make, is a proven rig in
because I know the boat is definitely built forkeeping up with the vigorous Bass fishing
speed! And structurally she has his confidence andadventures on the water. You never know, that
in turn mine. The old 'sea bird' has proven it overold rig can teach us a few things about Bass
and over again!fishing. If only some of them could talk!
An old Bass boats worst enemy is the weather.Bottom line; be proud of your old rig! Look at it
The best way to stop the sun and rain fromthis way. When pulling your old and 'mature' Bass
aging our prize is with wax, of course and havingboat into a boat launch parking lot picture your rig
a cover for our rigs is good practice too. Keepingas the well kept sparkling old Cadillac pulling into a
it in a garage or covered area away from MotherBMW parking lot. You can't help but get stares!
Nature will ultimately prolong its life. Some don't