New Boat Questions

Potomacbassin’

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,310
Reaction score
2,184
Location
Annandale, VA
Hey all - short time lurker looking to buy a 23-24’ Bennington or Manitou. Local dealer is Benny rep so leaning in that direction.

Quick question - I’m going to use this platform to freshwater fish 90% of the time (largemouth), has anyone customized their setup for this? What were the key considerations in your design?

My current mental list has extended bow and stern (actually want to see if Benny will “extra” extend the bow to give more room like a bass boat), four battery setup for 36v trolling motor and dual Power Poles, dual graphs, hydraulic jack plate, live well and swing back to open up the rear deck. I’ve even considered if it makes sense to put a 23’ furniture layout on a 25’ deck for the extra room fore and aft. Not sure if I’d want the new CC option, that’s more trolling option in my opinion.

Some might ask why not just buy a bass boat - my kids are small (less than 10 years old) so maximum comfort will help make trips more enjoyable for them. And getting beat up on a bass boat going 70mph through 3 footers isn’t where I am in my life. And as we all know, need to keep the Mrs. happy if this boat idea is going to make it off the ground! Once the kids are older I’ll sell the tritoon and get a true fishing boat.

Budget is in the $60-70k range including the extras, electronics, trailer and 250hp. I’m guessing it will be closer to 70.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice.
 
Welcome ! Keep leaning your going in the right direction. Sit tight you will get a lot of feedback Good Luck !
 
My 23GCW (25’ overall deck) has plenty of space fore and aft for fishing. If I were you and you want even more space, I’d go 25‘ with 23‘ layout like you mention. At least on my 23’ GCW if I dropped to 22’, you lose the backrest on port bow lounger and that is the only reason I went to the 23’ model.
 
Welcome to the forum. You are making a good decision buying a pontoon boat that you can also fish in. You'll have a comfortable roomy platform for the entire family (Happy wife) and you can still fish. Who's your local dealer? Hoffmasters?
 
I'm just picturing a fish hook grabbing that Simtex material. Or trying to clean fish yuck out of the Simtex material! Yikes! Doesn't Benny make a fishing configuration? If fishing is that important to you, there is NOTHING wrong with doing it from a pontoon but I would want to at least use one that at least has some design aspect that makes sense.
 
Kahuna - yes, working with Joe Hoffmaster currently to get a boat priced out. Very responsive so far, good sign! He can get Yammie or Merc which is a plus.

Nautical - you’re correct, there are aspects of fishing on a pontoon that are less than ideal. Trust me - if pure fishing were my only objective I’d have a 24’ Yellowfin in my driveway right now. But it’s all about tradeoffs and there is no perfect boat, and I’m going through the process of figuring out how to check the most boxes. There are fishing models for most manufacturers but those tend to be set up for lazy sundays with a Zebco and bobber... I need something a bit more hardcore. Which is why I’m wondering if anyone else has set up their Benny in a similar manner? Lessons learned?

thanks everyone!
 
I was looking at Bennington and Manitou two years ago. I have to admit the sales pitch on the Manitou was good and the owners seen to love them. My wife and I drove about 60 miles to the closest dealer and checked them out. I wasn't that impressed with the fit and finish, my wife didn't like the seats. What really sealed the deal for me was the wiring to the engine. There was a huge wiring harness coming out from under the boat, up over and screwed to the top of the rear deck before it went to the engine?? I asked the salesman what the heck was that and his answer was, that's the way it's supposed to be". I thanked him for his time and we drove to the Bennington dealer.
We've had our boat a little over a year and love it.

I took this screen grab off their website this am, they still do it the same way, you can see the harness.

21-aurora-le-shp-59f8cc85c0e3c_LR.JPG
 
That is downright Fugly! Possible this is a picture of some boat that had a motor thrown on just for the marketing photo? Sounds like many Manitous could be rigged this way? Not a deal killer but I’d have a rigger re-do and clean up before accepting possession.

Did you find anything about Manitou superior to the Benny? I know a loaded question to ask on a Bennington forum but I suspect something keeps the sales coming.

I crawled over a 22SX this weekend and one area of concern was the wave shield not covering up the bow section of the deck. I know marine plywood is probably resilient stuff but why not throw a few extra square feet of rolled alum and finish the job? Can Benny treat the plywood with some additional marine coating as an option? All else looked fairly decent given the price point. I also looked at a stored 25’ on the lot and that thing is a beast. Way too long for my needs!
 
Last edited:
Yeah, that looks pretty crappy. I suppose they did it to keep it from submerging the harness, but that looks really out of place.
 
That is downright Fugly! Possible this is a picture of some boat that had a motor thrown on just for the marketing photo? Sounds like many Manitous could be rigged this way? Not a deal killer but I’d have a rigger re-do and clean up before accepting possession.

Did you find anything about Manitou superior to the Benny? I know a loaded question to ask on a Bennington forum but I suspect something keeps the sales coming.

I crawled over a 22SX this weekend and one area of concern was the wave shield not covering up the bow section of the deck. I know marine plywood is probably resilient stuff but why not throw a few extra square feet of rolled alum and finish the job? Can Benny treat the plywood with some additional marine coating as an option? All else looked fairly decent given the price point. I also looked at a stored 25’ on the lot and that thing is a beast. Way too long for my needs!
Agree about the waveshield. It's the same way on our 2004 Benny. But the water doesn't make contact with the plywood in that area. It would have a better finished look.
 
I was looking at Bennington and Manitou two years ago. I have to admit the sales pitch on the Manitou was good and the owners seen to love them. My wife and I drove about 60 miles to the closest dealer and checked them out. I wasn't that impressed with the fit and finish, my wife didn't like the seats. What really sealed the deal for me was the wiring to the engine. There was a huge wiring harness coming out from under the boat, up over and screwed to the top of the rear deck before it went to the engine?? I asked the salesman what the heck was that and his answer was, that's the way it's supposed to be". I thanked him for his time and we drove to the Bennington dealer.
We've had our boat a little over a year and love it.

I took this screen grab off their website this am, they still do it the same way, you can see the harness.

View attachment 26306
If you check out the 2nd pic on Magician's New to Bennington thread is that the wiring harness or fuel line sticking up???
 
The extra wave shield can be added at the factory as an option or DIY . I agree with BK ,the water doesn't make contact in that area . Plus Bennington has a lifetime warranty on the deck .

 
Welcome Pbassin'! It sounds like you're one heck of a serious fishhead so I won't attempt to throw any suggestions your way, but it does sound like you've got a good build going. As you rightly pointed out, keeping momma and the kids happy is of utmost importance. I can appreciate your comments regarding the waveshield, but I wouldn't let that keep you up at night. Keep us posted on your decision...
 
Thanks for the comments on the wave shield - very helpful!

Next question if anyone is kind enough to opine - F250XB or F250XCA? Digital control is about $2k more but I’m leaning towards mechanical to save some bucks. Not sure if the juice is worth the squeeze. I also have to add $10k in other goodies including a N2K network so the budget is getting tight. I’m at $70k already and haven’t even optioned this puppy up!
 
I just order a new one also . I had planned to go with a 250 with an Arch . I could not justify the extra 19 K . 10 for the arch and 9 for 50 more hp .
Since we have to travel 45 minutes north to Mullett lake or south to Burt Lake in No Wake Zones ,we opted for a 200 hp and the Power Bimini
 
By all means, digital! I've got the Merc digital controls and they are quiet, seamless and smooth. Personally, I wouldn't go back to the mechanical once I've had the pleasure of boating with the digital. Unlike some other upgrades, this is one that you'll constantly enjoy.
 
100% agree. Digital controls, power steering, extra wave shield etc. all come with a steep price tag but they sure make the boat more enjoyable.
 
Sounds like DEC is the way to go - tradeoff might be to drop the HP from 250 to 200. Everything I’ve read seems to conflict - “go with the biggest motor you can afford” vs. “200 is more than sufficient on a 23’”. I’ll have to ponder this one. Thanks all for the advice. Once I get the build sheet I’ll share with everyone (assuming it’s a Benny).
 
Sounds like DEC is the way to go - tradeoff might be to drop the HP from 250 to 200. Everything I’ve read seems to conflict - “go with the biggest motor you can afford” vs. “200 is more than sufficient on a 23’”. I’ll have to ponder this one. Thanks all for the advice. Once I get the build sheet I’ll share with everyone (assuming it’s a Benny).
I built an entertainment model back in the fall and the best they could do was between 12 and 13% off MSRP. Wasn't enough. Hopefully you will do much better......
 
I 100% agree with the above about how nice digital controls are. We have the Mercury digital controls, and they are so much better than mechanical. I would assume the same is true for Yamaha’s.

As the captain and pilot of the boat, it provides easy to use/access information and features displayed conveniently on my dash; and with the Mercury, it also provides awesome throttle design and control too.

I was also thrown off by the cost of them when we bought our boat, and groaned about it. Then when we got the boat with the digital controls, I was thrilled. If you will drive the boat, this is a feature YOU will appreciate. Much like power assist steering. It is expensive, but it makes the piloting of the boat so much nicer. There is something about making sure the captain is as pleased and comfy as the guests when out boating. ;)

I passed on upgrading to the SPS+ with the 250Hp in order to balance our cost when we bought our boat in 2017. We went SPS and 200hp, and it works great on our boat. :cool:
 
Back
Top