Boat Show Season is here!

Now that hunting season is pretty much over – small game is still legal until the end of the month, and some waterfowl – it’s now Boat Show Season!! This is the best time of year to buy a new boat, and a boat show is the place to do it!

Boat shows are the industry’s rollout of all the new models. Dealers use their traffic and advance sales at the shows to decide how much inventory they should order, and what models they believe will be in demand. But if you are looking at a popular model, well the boat show may be your only chance to get one at a good price, if there are any to be had!

I remember when I was selling boats that we had a particularly hot model (she was another story) and a very popular boat for sale at the show in Houston, Texas many years back. We sold several of these boats, and as we sold a few, some others that were sitting on the fence before, decided to go for it also. Even though we sold a lot of those boats during the show, the owner decided not to order any more for inventory, thinking we could just get another off the production line if a customer wanted one…WRONG! The year’s production was sold out by the end of the month, and we could not get another model for a year! If we had ordered a 2 or 3 after the show, we could have sold them as soon as we got them; actually, folks were coming in with deposit checks for months afterwards, but we had to tell them they had a year to wait. So, they took their checkbooks and drove to another dealer about 4 hours away and bought a boat there!

The hardest part of buying a boat is deciding how you will use it. Once you do that, you will be able to pick a category or type that suits your needs. If all you do is one particular activity, like fishing for bass, no wakeboarding, no deep sea fishing, etc. then a specialized boat is for you. Bass boats are great for serious bass fishing and tournament fishing – for bass. They are a poor choice for most any saltwater applications, and have very few creature comforts. Got a large family? Then a bass boat is not a good choice for you.

Most of us fit into the all-around category. We like to do several activities on the water, and we need a boat that can do them. Unless you are a hard core pro fisherman, you will find nearly any boat is suitable for some fishing. A cruiser with a small cockpit can still be used for fishing by adding rod holders and making the bow area accessible for more fishing space. It won’t be perfect, but it will work. The same holds true if you really want, say, a center console boat for fishing but still want to overnight in it. A camping enclosure that can be easily raised might be just the ticket for you. Center console boats have a lot of clear deck space for pads and sleeping bags. Not the plush berths of a cruiser, but doable. See what I mean?

So, spend sometime before the show and think about how you would likely use the boat and let that list be your guide for choosing a model or type. Build quality, dealer service and price (in that order) should be the final decision points. Then get out on the water and have fun!!!