You never forget your first boat. I was 12 when my dad told me that he would match whatever money I saved from cutting grass to buy a boat. By the end of summer, I had $400 to my name. So, we drove to Atlanta to look at the $800 BassTender 10.2. The only problem was that it didn't have the bells and whistles the $1,200 BassTender 11.3 had. But it didn't take much convincing for Dad to kick in the extra cash—and we drove away with the bigger BassTender hanging out of the truck.
Over the next four years, I fished out of that boat every week. In time, we started to make some additions and modifications to it. First, we put a foot-controlled trolling motor in the front, and eventually, a 5-horsepower Nissan outboard on the back. I tinkered with it for years, and it was the boat that I really learned how to bass fish on. Eventually, I upgraded to a fiberglass hull in high school, then several larger boats in my 20s and 30s.
However, the old BassTender never left my dad’s shed. And when Newport Vessels reached out to me last year see if I wanted to test their new NT600 electric outboard, I knew just the boat to put it on. I pulled the plastic boat out of the yard, installed the new motor, and began upgrading it with modern features. Turns out, you don't need to spend $100,000 on a new boat to catch bass. In fact, you can build a budget bass boat for a couple of thousand dollars. Here's how.
Determine Your Budget and Find a Boat
All totaled, you could build a boat comparable to what you see here for around $2,500. Buying as many used components as possible is neccessary to stay within budget. If you have some extra cash to spend, then you can start looking at upgrading graphs and trolling motors. If you have $10,000 to spend, you can really deck out a boat like this out by adding an electric outboard. It ultimately comes down to your budget and what you want out of your boat. Either way, you can still outfit a small boat and turn it into a bass machine without breaking the bank.
The first step to building a budget bass boat is getting an actual boat. While the days of buying a boat like the BassTender brand new for $1,200 are over, you can still find really great deals on small plastic and metal boats. If you shop secondary market, you can find a nice budget bass boat for as little as $500. I found the same boat I use for $1,200 on Facebook Marketplace with a 50-pound thrust trolling motor included. Stability is the main thing to look for—you want a boat that’s safe to fish from. After that, it’s up to you on how many accessories and modifications you want to make. Below are some of my favorites.
Essential Accessories
Newport NT600 Electric Motor
A small outboard is a great way to elevate your budget bass boat. Initially, I had a 5-horsepower Nissan on this boat, but I recently upgraded it to the Newport NT600 electric motor. Newport Vessels sent their 6-hp-equivalent motor and 48-volt lithium battery for me to test. I opened the throttle on my first outing and was able to get the BassTender up to 6 miles per hour. Plus, this thing is nearly dead silent at low speeds, and it still has plenty of power when you rev it up. If you want to go with a traditional outboard, there are plenty of cheap options on the used market. Even though a new electric motor is a bit pricer, there’s next to no cost to operate the NT600, and no maintenance either.
Trolling Motor
If you're only going to add one accessory to your budget bass boat, make it a solid foot-controlled trolling motor. This is a game-changer, no matter the size of the boat. Fortunately, and shockingly, the Minn Kota All-Terrain trolling motor that I had put on this boat 20 years ago is still operational. A quick Facebook Marketplace search found a used 40-pound thrust All-Terrain for $200. If you want to be able to move a boat this size around, it’s a good idea to go with something at least that big.
Frabill Livewell
If you’re interested in adding a livewell to your boat, consider the Frabill Magnum Bait Tank. You can get this 30-quart tank with two built-in bubble makers for $200. Or, you can make your own out of an ice chest and portable bubble makers. I’ve done that, too. Just make sure the tank is big enough to suit your needs before you buy it.
Garmin Striker Vivid 7CV Graph
You don’t need a graph, but I chose to install a 7-inch Garmin Striker Vivid 7CV on my boat. This graph retails for $520, and I’ve found used ones for half that. It’s a solid unit. If you want forward-facing sonar, you could even go with Lowrance’s Eagle Eye 9. This is currently the cheapest FFS unit on the market, priced at $1,000. Again, you can get it cheaper used.
Goldenmate Orion 1000 12V Battery
You don’t have to buy a lithium battery, but for a small boat, it's a good idea. Lithium batteries are significantly lighter than traditional lead batteries. Plus, they hold up longer. I installed a Goldenmate Orion 1000 12-volt 100-amp-hour lithium battery in my boat, available on Amazon for under $300. This is the same battery that I use to power my graphs in my fiberglass boat and run my trolling motor in my kayak. You will need to cough up a little more money for a battery charger that’s compatible with lithium batteries as well.
Build Your Bass Boat on a Budget
All totaled, you could build a boat comparable to what you see here for around $2,500. Buying as many used components as possible is neccessary to stay within budget. If you have some extra cash to spend, then you can start looking at upgrading graphs and trolling motors. If you have $10,000 to spend, you can really deck out a boat like this out by adding an electric outboard. It ultimately comes down to your budget and what you want out of your boat. Either way, you can outfit a small boat and turn it into a bass machine.
