My Ranger is sitting in garage. Hasn’t been on water this year because of the surgeries and fighting this cancer. Appointments are now slowing me down but don’t be sorry for me cause I will be out there in a few weeks God willing.
A few years back I met Randy Hopper, President of Ranger at the time. I introduced myself as a 4 time Ranger owner....each boat brand new, ordered from the factory thru one of their dealers. I started with a 518 way back in 1998 or so, and moved all the way up to a Ranger Fisherman 621 VS after a few other purchases. That 621 was in my opinion the best all around fishing boat ever made for inland lakes.....it was tremendous. Randy was cordial and thanked me for my business. I asked him this question: "Sir...... I thankfully make a very good living. I (and folks like me) are your target market. WE are the folks that buy your new boats and pay retail price. Well I am here to say Mr Hopper that I can no longer afford your boats. My salary has not gone down, I am not out of work, I have no major expenses.....and yet you have lately priced me right out of the market. I suspect you have done the same to many fisherman ". When a Ranger 621 that I bought new in 2009 for $53,000 now can cost over $100K, that's ridiculous. His response was thought out carefully, and he simply said....."well we are sorry about that, but it costs a lot to build the best boat". Mr Hopper.....you and I both know that the PRICE set for a boat, has little or nothing to do with what it COSTS to make. He obviously over the years lost track of his customers. That's a VERY bad thing. I now run a Lund.
Ok here is my two cents. I have a 1999 Ranger R 31. I bought it new at a boat show. Even though it was not a Comanche some will argue it is a faster hull. I still have mine. I did have to repower it but I have kept it in the garage except for fishing and as much as I want a new one can’t afford what an equal comparison to a new boat cost. Now, in the last twenty years as I have been enjoying my paid for boat the market changed. For some reason everyone wants to copy what the pros do. Pros aren’t fishing Ranger anymore due to the market changes…my first boat a champion which I loved…went out of business as well so….here we go. The top brands you mentioned are what “want to be” pros buy to copy and look like you. How do I know this…I fish in East Tennessee close to the Chick.. but more Where the Bassmaster was fished. No reason at all to have a power poles here yet every boat now has two? To look cool when they park their boat….only reason…I was guilty as well in my late twenties. I now tell my son when we launch by the guy with the new Phoenix and try to make some dock talk while launching and he s an ass. I always say…”Now remember son…he’s not the guy to watch for at the weigh in…he just looks good. It’s the dude in the old faded out Procraft you have to watch out for….he’s gonna have a bag and not excuses.”
I just bought a Ranger 188P last year and enjoy it alot. I think, in the beginning, there weren't many other brands to compete. Now it is Bass Pro not wanting competition for its Nitro series.
They disappeared because they're a high dollar nitro. They used to build legends one at a time. Now since Johnny bought them, they are production boats.
I’m the senior lead over hulls lamination at Ranger Boats in Flippin Arkansas. As soon as Ranger was sold Forest Wood began opening up Vexus Boats right down the road from Ranger. They took most of the experienced boat builders with them as well. So yes we struggled for a bit, and our quality went down. We’re hiring everyday though, come join the team! I can see it getting better everyday. Defects in the hull is my main concern at work and I’ve been doing my best to put out the quality we all want. Perfection🤩
you guys really "missed the boat" when you built my 22 519 what a gel coat mess it is! has been in the body shops for almost 3 months with all the gel issues! wish I would have got a cat!
You may be able to answer a question I have sir, and I would be grateful if you do. The forward deck on my 1987 ranger 350v has failed, it’s structurally weak around the front seat post to the point that it feels like you could go through the floor. What can I do to repair it? It’s sentimental my grandfather was the original owner I believe, and he left it to us. My kids are going to Learn to fish on it.
Sorry Randy, you put out Ranger not being around and want everyone to give their opinion but you state you aren't going to put your theory out there in a public forum. You want to be a TH-cam personality put your opinion out there. Don't ask other people to and not do it yourself!
Ive had 2 Rangers. I would love to have another, but the prices went up way too much. Its ridiculous what they want for a 19 foot fiberglass. It has pretty much doubled in 8 -10 years. The quality seems to have went down also. Beyond that, I believe there is more competition that has equaled and surpassed Ranger. They just want too much for what you get nowadays. At one time they were what everyone dreamed of. What happened, is my question also.
People buy what they want, you don’t see as many “pros” in Rangers anymore, perhaps Ranger saw no value in it. Most of these so called “pros” are buying their boats anyways. Be honest Randy, Skeeter didn’t give you a boat, it’s a memo deal or a discount with the dealer involved.
Johnny Morris is what happened. Every boat company he buys the quality goes to hell and he changes the whole face of these companies, weather it be salt or fresh water boats. Crawl inside one of these Rangers and really look at how they are made and the attention to detail. It is just not what it use to be. Bas Cat, Phoenix, and Skeeter now dominate the fishing world, Ranger is just a memory. Nitros are few and far between.
Do a video on the average discounts that boat brands give to pros. Also the sponsorship from accessory companies. I would love to know what pros pay for a loaded out boat
Back when I received boat deals, I received 15-20% discount below dealer cost. I got to use the boat for 12 months, then I had to sell it and pay off the invoice. My first couple of years the boat company held the note but then that changed. The boat company ran the deal with a bank, they got paid for their boat up front and I received a contract, payment book and had 12 months to sell the boat. If it didn't sell in 12 months then I owed a payment on the 13th month. That was my sponsorship. It's a sold boat for the manufacturer, a possible free boat for the angler and a better price for whoever buys the boat from the angler. Bad for the boat dealer because that is one boat they didn't sell. I don't know what kind of deals are being offered these days.
It would be awfully hard to do a video like that. First, no one is getting a free boat. The absolutely top echelon pro's get a boat to use and turn in at the end of the year, no cost so it's more of a loaned boat. Contrary to popular belief, those deals are few and far between. Like already mentioned, some get boats at cost, some get them at a percentage off. Most are "memo billed", meaning that the pro can use the boat for a year, but at the end of the year it must be paid for. Most sell their boats, passing on the savings to the next guy, paying off his boat and picking up his new rig.
What happened to Ranger is the same thing that happened to Cabelas ( l used loved that store) they kept the name alive but gutted the brands. One of the former Ranger executives lives near me, and not long after the takeover happened lots of employees retired or went to work for other manufacturers. Its a real shame.
Well. I really like the rides I've gone onto in a ranger boat ! We still have a lot in NC at the rivers and lakes. Thank you for all of the content in your article s !!!
Because nitro wants to be #1 , morris bought them out to cut them out and it has worked out just like he planned on . Build a ranger and charge 100 grand for it , build a nitro for 50 grand which is gonna sale first and most ? They are both built with the same raw material where at one time ranger was built with proprietary resins and glass and by folks who cared about their reputation. Morris has so much invested in his business that he has to buy cheaper material to make his wanted profit and his product suffers the downgrade . Ranger went by the wayside as soon as he purchased it as well as triton and stratos , his nitro has to be top of the heap , it's what he made his name on . He done the same with cabelas .
Yep what he said couldn't have said it better,I know of 3 people that have the new Rangers and all 3 hate them and want there old boats back,had nothing but trouble outbif them
that would explain why when I went into the hooksett nh store twice this year it was so dam dark in there I couldnt find what i was looking for ,I left without buying anything, and i told the customer service they would probably double the sales, especially impulse buys if people could see in the store, THE LIGHTING IS WORSE THAN BAR after midnight
Like one pro said that went from Skeeter to Nitro after years with Skeeter " KVD has been with Nitro for 25 or so years and has been putting his input into the design for all that time and if they are good enough for the GOAT then that speaks volumes as to their quality " . I would tend to agree with him .KVD would not be using Nitro if it was lacking in any way . And Cabelas is just BPS with a different name .
JM does not promote Ranger in any way near as much as he advertises Nitro in my view. It just seems like sponsorship $$s go to Nitro vs Ranger, so it's no surprise Ranger is no longer seen much on the Bass Tours. I would guess that if Forrest Wood were alive today, he'd be a bit upset over what JM has done with Ranger, once again, IMHO. JM bought out a competitor (Ranger Boats); I would not be surprised if Ranger would cease to exist in 5 years.
I own a Ranger 2013 z520c w/ a 2019 250 sho ( thanks Ish ) but I've noticed the " New " Nitro boat are now coming with the same upgrades my 2013 already had.....🥱. Good job Johnny! Can't have your own ideas so you bought someone else's.
My dealer near me sells both Phoenix and Ranger. I talked to the service rep and he stated both manufacturers make a great boat, what separate Phoenix from Ranger is customer service, which has diminished a lot since with Ranger since White River Marine took over.
I’m reading this a year later and have to disagree. After contacting Ranger Parts Dept for a new seat skin, they sent me samples to choose because they didn’t make my colors anymore for my 2003 185VS. I chose the colors, contacted Ranger, skin is being created.
I purchased a brand new ranger April 7th. I absolutely love the boat. I did spend a little more than I wanted to spend, but with the boat market crazy like it is where I live you cannot find anything new for sale. This was in stock and fit my needs and I am completely happy with my purchase. I didn’t need a pro Fisher to sway me to ranger.
no one can argue Johnny Morris is a supreme business man. If Ranger can sell as many boats as they can make w/o the expense, why spend it. Plenty of Rangers in my neck of the woods and there is a Skeeter dealer right here in town. Whereas the Ranger dealer is 100 miles away.
I was fine with Johnny Morris back in the day but now I think he's done us a disservice in the last 25 years in buying up competition. He needs that competition for him to do good work.
Well number one in why people have stopped fishing out of rangers is because everything JM gets into, the quality goes out of the window. Number two, and my own theory, is that they’re absolutely hideous and no one wants to have an ugly, slow boat. They look like bath tubs with an outboard, definitely not like a Gambler!
Randy....Please clarify. In the video you said that you had been with Ranger Boats for 35 years and the best thing that happened was Ranger being bought out as it allowed you the opportunity to move to Skeeter....Is that correct???? If so why stay with Ranger for 35 years???
This seemed more like a plug for Skeeter than a true inquiry into Ranger. After 35 years, he should be telling US what happened...not just "starting a conversation." But...TH-cam likes "discussions."
I agree totally. He wants to spread shade toward them but not offer an opinion. This is just an advertisement for his skeeter dealer. Ranger had more boat deals out there than anyone and a lot of them didn't deserve a deal including Randy. They're pro staff is solid now. Top to bottom as good as any pro staff out there.
Johnny happened to Ranger! Forest Wood would be loosing his mind right now! Fortunately Nitros are getting more Ranger in them. But I'm sure Johnny will change that!
I just bought a new Ranger last year. I had many issues with the boat and the customer service (Bass Pro folks). We’re terrible. So much so that I paid out of pocket to have all of my warranty stuff taken care. I’m hind sight it was a mistake to buy the Ranger.
My buddy shelled out nearly 30k for an aluminum ranger and the deck collapsed within a few months. He's average size. If that's not bad enough, it took Ranger nearly two years to get him a replacement hull. This after trying to blame him and do a craptastic job fixing it. And I thought Tracket didn't care about their customers. This dude is so fed up he he's fixing to sell the darn thing for something else. Terrible.
Been following this channel for a long time and strangely enough this is the first comment I’m leaving Last year I purchased a pros ranger that was probably nine months old retailed for probably $90,000 when it was new I contacted Ranger for some small fix problems and they told me they will not cover anything on the warranty and they voided everything to do with the boat because I waited more than 15 days to let them know that I have purchased a boat and trailer which is very strange to me especially after buying it in the winter time And not getting to use it until the spring very hard to recommend a company like that to any of my friends even though it’s a beautiful boat
Terrible Customer service was my reason for abandoning the ranger brand. Quality versus price point also suffers. When Mr Wood left he took the homespun attitude that kept the Ranger brand special. Sad but true.
The main reason that Ranger was so big with the FLW, EverStart and BFL anglers back then had nothing to do with a Ranger boat. It was the perks you got by owning a Ranger boat. If you owned one, you got priority entry into the tournaments. I may be wrong, but I think that a Ranger owner could enter a full week earlier than non-owners. That said, Ranger made an awfully good boat. As for now, who knows. I worked for BPS when they purchased Ranger, Triton and Stratos from the equity company, Sterling Equities I think. We all knew that Stratos was going to go away. Their sales numbers had tanked years before. No one really knew about the plans for Triton and the rumor was that Ranger would be left alone. I know that we were never going to sell them in BPS stores, but that was prior to the Cabela's purchase m
I own a 2016 Z520C. There have been a ton of start up companies pop up in the last 10-15yrs & build these lightweight bass “speed” boats. Everyone is so worried about doing 97mph on the lake & thats 1 of Rangers downfalls. It’s not a race boat. Personally I’d buy a Skeeter , Bass Cat or Ranger over any other brand just because they’ve been making them in the same plant in the same town for 50+yrs. All these Phoenix, Caymas, Avid, etc brands haven’t proven their long term reliability to me yet. You buy a Ranger, Skeeter, Bass Cat it’ll be the last boat you need to buy.
Forrest and Nina Wood along with a bunch of the Ranger Team started Vexus. I'm running a AVX 1880 love everything about it except when I have to get off and go to work.
Hello From Northern Virginia, we bought a RT178 Two years ago and love it, except for there cheap emblems that are breaking off , crooked decals, Just Subscribed, safe fishing to ya, we show these issues in our videos 🇺🇸
Just test drove a 2007 Ranger Z20 over the weekend. I thought it handled pretty well, but was way slower than I expected. Owner's asking $29,900. I don't think it cost much more than that when it was new in '07.
Paid $62,000 for my 2007 z20 forest wood tournament edition, still run it and it still runs great, fished many everstart series and 5 U.S. opens and numerous local tournaments and it still runs and looks great. Previous boats nitro, and champion
I'm a kayak fisherman so I don't know much on this topic. I am curious how so many people can afford new bass boats with how exspensive they are plus gas & maintenance & I assume insurance. Sounds excessively exspensive!
You can finance boats up to 20 yrs and yes....i know several people who've done just that. It's stupid as hell but that's why prices are what they are now bc fools will finance them for forever. Recently won a fruit jar jackpot tournament in a '98 18' triton by 9lbs. 5 hour evening tournament. Dudes in new phoenix boats, new tritons, new express boats all for sure more than $60k....paid $6,500 for mine.
@@lkeith88 well at least you go a good deal, that $ sounds more than reasonable. But new bass boat plus all toys, gas that go with it is way above my price range & now way in hell I'm financing something like that for that long! I have a high end pedal drive kayak & it was exspensive for a yak but I bought my 1st one used them sold it 6 yrs later for same price. Then put that $ twords my new one.. So technically I've got 2 really nice pedal drive yaks for past 7+ yrs for price of 1. Everything is exspensive theses days. I just don't know how so many people have these new boats plus the toys. Unless thier all doing what you're saying. Which your most likely spot on.
This is how large corporations eliminate competition. Buy up smaller boat makers sell off the assets and increase your market share. If the brand survives it’s even better. Possibly Ranger was doing poorly before the buyout. I sure hope the brand survives.
Right now Ranger, like most, cannot keep up with boat sales. So why pay pros to market them? When someone buys a bass boat, they look at reviews, price, boat forums, etc... They do not blindly walk into a dealership and say "give me what Randy has". Especially with a $60K plus price tag.
I first want to say it doesn't matter what bass boat brand you talk about because they are all too expensive in my opinion. Now as far a Ranger goes - Price vs. quality - Expensive boats for sure and they have always been more expensive than other brands until recently but the quality was unmatched. I have heard and read that the quality just isn't there like it used to be. Now I'm not here to bash Ranger, and as far as I am concerned Forrest deserves a lot of credit for pioneering the sport of bass fishing. Yes, I realize that there have been some "shady" dealings that went on with Ranger but overall I give the man a lot of credit.
Yep. And back in the day you could get glass boats from 14 to 20 ft and now a lot of them set their entry level at 18 or 19 feet. When I bought my 17 ft Fisher I also looked at a 16 foot Procraft. The only 16 foot glass boat I am aware of today is one from Pro Gator
I love my Ranger Bass Boat, I also had a Nitro. I have had it for 3 seasons starting my fourth Season. I had no idea Rangers weren’t the number one boat when I bought mine in 2019 I didn’t even consider anything else because this is what I have wanted since I was a kid in the 1980’s. I think now I wish I considered a Vexus or Skeeter looking back but at that time they were just not on my radar like having a Ranger. The question is why are they not as popular and i think its all the different options people have now.
What do you mean options? You mean the options that price the boats out of reach of most people or options from competing brands. I tell you what, I was born in the 70's and there were way more options back in the 70's and 80's in terms of boats to choose from. We had glass bassboats from 14 ft to 20 ft at various price points. It sucks ass now. The only thing really better is the rod boxes are longer and have organizers. Otherwise it's shight.
Ranger priced the boats too high, they didn’t keep up with sleek graphics, and are considered old school heavy boats. Guys had tons of trouble with the oil filled hubs which didn’t help the image.
It comes down to money, Ranger isn’t giving “pros” deals anymore! Ranger is still Ranger! Those of us that have had Skeeters for instance got tired of carrying a screwdriver and hammer to fix the rubrail and make sure the cap was tight, Bass cat which has chine walk problems , Phoenix and Triton with their narrow front decks…nitros sit too high and slap water and fall apart in rough water …now Vexus is a good boat if you like a different look! For me I’ll stick with Ranger!
I fished from 1984-2018 bfl s Stren Everstart Costas some Bass Opens , I fished a Ranger the entire time , I still fun fish and still have a Ranger 521c / mercury outboard! Most everyone ran a Ranger !
I’m always struck at the amount of hate Johnny Morris gets. The guy built literally the most amazing shop in the world. I’ve traveled to almost every continent and it doesn’t matter what kind industries we’re looking at nothing absolutely nothing comes even close to a bps. You guys take it for granted as its the most natural thing to walk to a shop with an indoor waterfall, giant fish tanks and all that. Not to mention world of wildlife, cedar lodge, top of the rock resort and so on. The man is the kind of legend that sets America apart. Now for ranger let’s keep in mind it was owned my some Wall Street fund who couldn’t care less the fishing world. And they could have sold it to other wall street bandits who could have shut it down and sold the assets. And what happened with the wood family and Vexus is not very clear to say the least. Johnny got the short end of the stick. Lastly to those who keep saying a Ranger boat is nothing but a Nitro with a ranger sticker are just showing their ignorance. I’ve been a boat dealer for many years, selling nitros and ranger, before, during and after the purchase and I can testify how wrong that is. Ranger boats are as good as they ever been. Now to Randy’s question, I would answer him with another question, does having pros fishing from your boat company really help to sell more boats? Or in other words, who buys a certain brand because a favorite pro fishes from that brand? I would think not many.
@@christopherwood2290 I care about it. As Renaud has said, the man (Johnny Morris) has done a tremendous amount, an amount we'll probably never know the true extent as he does not look for credit for what he does. I admire and have tremendous respect for Johnny Morris, and the Ranger boat brand could not be in better hands now. And of course Forrest Wood deserves a tremendous amount of credit also. He made the Ranger name great and I believe it's headed back that way.
I absolutely agree with you Renaud. It was better that Johnny Morris bought those boat brands instead of a bunch of investors like did own them. Johnny and family care about the sport of fishing, it's future and the future of our environment. That should make everyone happy.
@@christopherwood2290 Really? In Missouri he created not one, not two but three museums, that are each quite amazing. Where has museums ever been profitable? Answer: never, that’s why they always are government run.
I bought a new Ranger Z185 in 2017 love the boat no issues at all love Bass fishing not tournament fishing just came back from Dale Hollow got my butt kicked!! Ranger on!
Bassboatcentral is one of the biggest and most utilized websites that boat owners use to buy/sell used bass boats. Ranger is by far the biggest brand name in sheer numbers of boats bought and sold on bassboatcentral, and boat trader for that matter. Granted , the brand has been around longer than most other brands but even if you only count the later models , they still hold their own or surpass the other brands. Like them or not, ranger is here to stay and they hold their value as well as anything out there.
My 2020 520 is my third Ranger and I have loved every one of them. The last two Rangers I had sold in less than a week and I got top dollar out of both.
Number one, in recent past no other boat companies had the sales volume/share of market to afford the major sponsorship across the whole US. Second market changes created more companies and the market share split between numerous companies not just 2 or 3 majors. Ranger profit vs sponsor cost was getting pretty slim, yet the price point was really high. BPS, Johnny Morris did NOT cause this drop, that occurred during and after the market change. So finally, we have todays market divided more ways then ever and still plenty of Rangers, just a much smaller share in tournaments
The bass boat market is incredibly competitive in todays world. Ranger in its prime brought a well built-and fishable boat to the market and was the innovator in that. And they did a superior job of that, but In todays world with Phoenix, Basscat, Vexus, Caymas, Blazer, etc., they all accomplish that and way more. There is now a sizable amount of different bass boats that are faster than a ranger, they ride better than a ranger, they are family owned, and the quality is very measurable and most of the time exceeds what you get out of a Ranger today. I tell people all the time now, if you want a boat today that resembles ranger best, buy a Vexus. There's nothing wrong with it, its just a sign of the times.
Randy,why not tactfully give us 1-2 of your theories? Many of us haven't been in the pro circuit as long as you've been.I can only speculate that it's less relationship related,however you can shine light on it.
A lot of people are saying there are more choices of boats now. That's just not the case. There were three times as many boats to choose from back in the 70's and 80's.
I don’t think many people put much thought into what anyone says that is sponsored by a boat company. On videos skeeters seem to porpoise like hell. The others have the Walmart trim around the bottom edge of their console with the rivet at the corner….that is not on a Ranger. Not fond of their switches. Trailers seem to be better than most. I would buy a cat if buying new because I like the owner. But even the cat look at the bottom edge of the console..lol. 2$ piece of trim riveted at the corner ….for $80k….really…..
If you want to degrade a boat you can make anyone of them porpoise and look bad. Morris is a great business man but not a boat builder owner, Profit over quality. I never owned a Ranger as I have always owned a Skeeter, Whereas I have never had a problem with them like some say they have, and at 82 yrs. old. I have had a few skeeters in my day. I fact just sold mine to college kid ,and looking to buy a new one Skeeter.
What happened to Ranger Boats IMHO is, "John Morris/Bass Pro Shop/Nitro. On Dec. 11, Bass Pro Group, the owner of Bass Pro Shops, announced it had signed a deal to acquire , the manufacturer of Ranger, Triton and Stratos fishing boat brands. The move will merge some of the largest brands in the fishing world under the same ownership".Dec 11, 2014 they put Ranger Boats on the back burner to kill the competition (Ranger Boats,Triton and Stratos)!.
IDK what happen? I only can buy a Ranger hat now. lol I had a 1982 Ranger 350v for over 20 yrs loved that boat. great hull on it, fast and smooth. thanks Randy..
Some of it is the major draw back in the contingency awards in tournaments. I think to be eligible for ranger cup now you have to be the original owner, with a boat less than 3 years old, 19' or longer with a 200hp or bigger outboard. While I don't think guys have issues buying a bigger boat they want to be able to have the contingency award ability for more than 3 years if you're spending that much on a new boat. To the best of my knowledge Phoenix and several other brands don't have size restrictions or year eligibilities. You may not even have to be the original owner. Ranger cup used to be eligible for any Ranger Boat even if it was 30 years old. Now if it doesn't meet all the criteria you get a bass pro gift card instead of the Ranger Cup cash
My take is I think they went from being big in bass boats to being big in walleye boats, up here in North Dakota when they came out with the 620 and 621 Ranger they were everywhere, still are alot selling today but there are alot of walleye boat competitors now too!
Sounds like a mess as a year after Bass Pro bought Ranger (2014) the execs at the plant resigned (2015) so likely quality declined. They also acquired Stratos and Triton which you don't really hear about anymore. I think it is a consolidation strategy to winnow the bass boat market down to a few... with Nitro being the primary high end bass boat line for Bass Pro. They have consolidated Bass Pro and Cabela's so Johnny Morris may try to do it in the boat industry. Could be Ranger is phased out in the future due to "a fading brand with lower than expected sales."
I’m leaning your way. I think Ranger will be faded out over the next few years. I hate to see it as I’ve owned 3 and liked all of them. Everything I see is Phoenix in my area. A lot of them. Probably 3 to 1 at boat ramps.
Changed how pros get their boats, up front payment. No more selling it and paying at the end of the season. My 2012 is in perfect condition and worth more than I paid with updated electronics and Ultrex
The state of WA says a 24 year old ranger is still worth $14,000, so we don't want to pay the tax. Hell, a 24 year old woman depreciates faster than a Ranger
I've run my 620 for 20 years with zero problems. But I am not shelling out 75K for a new one. Sad the quality may have diminished. I'd like to hear why Randy thinks his Skeeter is so much better. Give us some specifics.
There is still a ton of rangers out there. Alot depends on region, in the ozarks there are not a ton however in the Illinois bfl devision I'd say at least 60% of the field is rangers. I think a big part is just that there is more options now and they are all about the same nowadays.
Go read the old Bassmaster magazines from the 70's and 80's where they have articles giving the rundown on new bass boats for the years. There were three or four times more options back then.
Isn't Nitro, Triton, and Ranger all under same ownership? I wonder how much business sense it makes to build three brands. I've been expecting them to shut down at least one brand. Right or wrong, that has caused me to not include either of those brands on my short list for a new one. I think other brands have caught up in quality, innovation, and or marketing too.
I still harken back to the BPS buy out of Cabela's and the fact that if this deal wasn't an example of monopolizing an industry, Idon't know what is. During the FTC rreview of the deal, I was astounded to learn that there was no real way that members of the public could lodge comments re the iimpending sale. The sale devastated a comunity (Sidney Neb) and left thousands unemployed, both in Sidney and other suppliers
Check the AOY in the open division you fish what was he driving? Of course he would have won out of any boat he used, we all know that. However to say there not out there anymore is just not true. But they did cut a lot of their team deals out but of course you know that.
What I heard from a couple of pros is that range or quit paying the angler money for first place that’s what I was told so everybody wants the Skeeter Boats and Phoenix
If you go and look at a boat by every company hands down Bass Cat is the best quality. I can't stand the cheap plastic panels on All the other brands. But to each their own. If you like what you have F*** what anyone else thinks.....
I have a 2001 Ranger. I love the boat. Seems like 20 years ago Ranger and bass fishing went hand-in-hand...., I just don’t see that many Rangers anymore. Used to I’d pull up to the ramp and it would be loaded with Ranger bass boats. Now it’s just a huge variety. I do like them skeeters!
Ranger hasn’t been Ranger in quite some time. The other thing is, is that there’s so many other options that are on par or better than even when the Ranger was the pinnacle. In my opinion they’ve also been the roughest riding boats out there. I never saw the draw to them.
My logic is this, the bean counters at White River Marine decided they could sell all they could make anyway, so why sell 100+ boats a year, at a discounted price, to pros, when they could sell the same boat, at higher margins, to the rest of us fishing idiots that have to have the latest and greatest every year. Long term, I think Ranger has made a mistake. For years they were the flagship brand in the flagship tours (BASS and FLW), now they are just another good, not great, boat.
Here are some ideas I have. First of all Johnny Morris didn't buy Ranger Boats to kill the brand or not make money so get that out of your head. 1) Up until 2017 although Ranger Boats belonged to Johnny, some of the original owners / engineers were still in contract to work at Ranger. 2) Late 2017 early 2018, original owners / engineers started Vexus Boats first glass boat to hit the marked around 2019 2020. 3) The Ranger Dealer network has to make a choice. Continue to sell Ranger or if you sell Vexus you lose your Ranger affiliation. 4) FLW | MLF shakeup, Ranger Cup sponsorship was greatly reduced. Many guys I know moved to Phoenix Boats. 5) I assume BASS tournament anglers probably get better deals with Nitro then Ranger so why stick with Ranger if fishing is your business. 6) Rumors that Ranger Boats are not built to the same standards as before. Rumor LOL, My boat is awesome, love my Ranger. There are still some pros running Ranger Boats. What was your reason for making a move to Skeeter? I have a Ranger Z-185 and love it. I have nothing against Triton, Skeeter, BassCat, Nitro, Vexus, Caymas, I should put Vexus first as they are ahead of the game.
Randy, Why doesn't skeeter and the rest of the boat manufacturers cut some holes in their boats and float them on the water (FULLY RIGGED), on one fishing trip the drain plug come out and we did take on water but we fished all day, with no problem, we did pump out and drain while on plain between fishing holes.
Simple answer. Ranger has now quit sponsoring so many people. The pros are no more than a salesman for their sponsors. When a company takes away their discounts, the pros go to other companies that will. Follow the money.
Rangers are the slowest Bass boat made, everyone wants to be the first one to the spot but Rangers last FOREVER! I have a 98 Ranger and it gets the job done and still together.
@@dbender3644 if your in a big tournament like Randy’s talking about than yes but in a local club derb that mite work! I know down here in FL guys are running 300’s on Bullets doing triple digits at local derbs just to be the first guy at the spot, I got a EFI 200 and 65mph is fast enough for me! I never care who beats me to the spot I’ll get there when I get there and still catch em!! lol
@@DaTGuY2HoLLyWooD brother its a rule in the bigger tourneys your HP is limited to 250HP and those don’t run much faster than mine. Now there boat is 21ft and mine is 18ft but the 250 plus HP’s run smaller clubs. Thats why you see all the pro’s in like BASS and MLF runnin 250hp.
@@dbender3644 I’ve been in Phoenix’s, Tritons and Bullets in the FLW Costa’s Series & Bass Opens that run 85 easy so 65mph is not fast to me and Yes I’m aware of the cap on motor size I was just explaining in FL a 65mph boat will get left in the dust at a local derb!
@@DaTGuY2HoLLyWooD yup i hear you there. I had a 17.5 ft 84 champion with a 150hp that stuck a rod through the head twice, the mechanic caused the 2nd one leaving shavings in the cylinder and didnt have any more parts for it. So they sup’d the hell out of my motor, bored out the cylinders to fit parts for a 200hp engine, i had to get the transom reinforced cause the engine was rippin apart the Champion. My speedometer went to 85mph and I had no problem peggin it. This was before we had gps on everything so im not sure how fast it went cause no one could ever keep up. Out here we don’t have to many boats doin 80mph + bit maybe thats because we have a bunch Rangers out here.
Prices on Ranger boats have continued to rise. However, now the expenses of having a large Ranger pro staff have been reduced. I see it as now there is more revenue generated for Tanger.
I once had a 188VS that I enjoyed. Now that Mr 1000% profit bought them they will soon cease to exist!! When I was a kid I dreamed about going to Bass Pro!! I finally did and it was good. A few years later I went to a Cabelas and it was much better!!!! Not anymore!!! Because you guessed it......
Great topic along with thoughtful comments. JM is estimated to be worth in excess of $6 BILLION! Ranger Boats IMHO are still nice boats; however, PRICE? Forget it. But clearly the really big names in Bass Pro fishing get a NEW NITRO fully equipped boat EACH YEA
Question for you Randy......during your 35 years with Ranger, how many more boats did they sell because you ran one? I'm going to guess, not very damn many. And, here in lies the problem. Right now, Ranger cannot build enough boats to keep up with demand so why should they give discounts to a bunch of pro's to help sell their boats when they can't fill production orders? What you're complaining about is based on a business model developed long before there ever was a TH-cam, social media and tons of advertising at literally everyone's finger tips now. Mark my words, you can bet other boat mfg's are watching and I'll be surprised if they don't follow suit. If Skeeter changes how many pro's they sponsor, will we see a "what happened to Skeeter boats" clickbait video then also?
My Ranger is sitting in garage. Hasn’t been on water this year because of the surgeries and fighting this cancer. Appointments are now slowing me down but don’t be sorry for me cause I will be out there in a few weeks God willing.
Best of luck to you sir!!
🎣 🎣 go get them buddy!!! 💪 Dont slow down!
Thanks guys. Little agent orange from Vietnam but I got this.
May the man upstairs and the fishing gods smile down on you to get you back on the water. Be safe be strong!!!!
Prayers and tight lines my friend
A few years back I met Randy Hopper, President of Ranger at the time. I introduced myself as a 4 time Ranger owner....each boat brand new, ordered from the factory thru one of their dealers.
I started with a 518 way back in 1998 or so, and moved all the way up to a Ranger Fisherman 621 VS after a few other purchases. That 621 was in my opinion the best all around fishing boat ever made for inland lakes.....it was tremendous.
Randy was cordial and thanked me for my business. I asked him this question:
"Sir...... I thankfully make a very good living. I (and folks like me) are your target market. WE are the folks that buy your new boats and pay retail price. Well I am here to say Mr Hopper that I can no longer afford your boats. My salary has not gone down, I am not out of work, I have no major expenses.....and yet you have lately priced me right out of the market. I suspect you have done the same to many fisherman ". When a Ranger 621 that I bought new in 2009 for $53,000 now can cost over $100K, that's ridiculous.
His response was thought out carefully, and he simply said....."well we are sorry about that, but it costs a lot to build the best boat". Mr Hopper.....you and I both know that the PRICE set for a boat, has little or nothing to do with what it COSTS to make.
He obviously over the years lost track of his customers. That's a VERY bad thing.
I now run a Lund.
Ok here is my two cents. I have a 1999 Ranger R 31. I bought it new at a boat show. Even though it was not a Comanche some will argue it is a faster hull. I still have mine. I did have to repower it but I have kept it in the garage except for fishing and as much as I want a new one can’t afford what an equal comparison to a new boat cost. Now, in the last twenty years as I have been enjoying my paid for boat the market changed. For some reason everyone wants to copy what the pros do. Pros aren’t fishing Ranger anymore due to the market changes…my first boat a champion which I loved…went out of business as well so….here we go. The top brands you mentioned are what “want to be” pros buy to copy and look like you. How do I know this…I fish in East Tennessee close to the Chick.. but more Where the Bassmaster was fished. No reason at all to have a power poles here yet every boat now has two? To look cool when they park their boat….only reason…I was guilty as well in my late twenties. I now tell my son when we launch by the guy with the new Phoenix and try to make some dock talk while launching and he s an ass. I always say…”Now remember son…he’s not the guy to watch for at the weigh in…he just looks good. It’s the dude in the old faded out Procraft you have to watch out for….he’s gonna have a bag and not excuses.”
I just bought a Ranger 188P last year and enjoy it alot. I think, in the beginning, there weren't many other brands to compete. Now it is Bass Pro not wanting competition for its Nitro series.
He's talking fiberglass.
They disappeared because they're a high dollar nitro. They used to build legends one at a time. Now since Johnny bought them, they are production boats.
They're all production chopper gun boayts besides Bullet&Allison.
boats**
Johnny Morris is what happened to ranger , bass pro shop and cabellas
I’m the senior lead over hulls lamination at Ranger Boats in Flippin Arkansas. As soon as Ranger was sold Forest Wood began opening up Vexus Boats right down the road from Ranger. They took most of the experienced boat builders with them as well. So yes we struggled for a bit, and our quality went down. We’re hiring everyday though, come join the team! I can see it getting better everyday. Defects in the hull is my main concern at work and I’ve been doing my best to put out the quality we all want. Perfection🤩
you guys really "missed the boat" when you built my 22 519 what a gel coat mess it is! has been in the body shops for almost 3 months with all the gel issues! wish I would have got a cat!
You may be able to answer a question I have sir, and I would be grateful if you do. The forward deck on my 1987 ranger 350v has failed, it’s structurally weak around the front seat post to the point that it feels like you could go through the floor. What can I do to repair it? It’s sentimental my grandfather was the original owner I believe, and he left it to us. My kids are going to Learn to fish on it.
Sorry Randy, you put out Ranger not being around and want everyone to give their opinion but you state you aren't going to put your theory out there in a public forum. You want to be a TH-cam personality put your opinion out there. Don't ask other people to and not do it yourself!
Ive had 2 Rangers. I would love to have another, but the prices went up way too much. Its ridiculous what they want for a 19 foot fiberglass. It has pretty much doubled in 8 -10 years. The quality seems to have went down also. Beyond that, I believe there is more competition that has equaled and surpassed Ranger. They just want too much for what you get nowadays. At one time they were what everyone dreamed of. What happened, is my question also.
People buy what they want, you don’t see as many “pros” in Rangers anymore, perhaps Ranger saw no value in it. Most of these so called “pros” are buying their boats anyways. Be honest Randy, Skeeter didn’t give you a boat, it’s a memo deal or a discount with the dealer involved.
Johnny Morris is what happened. Every boat company he buys the quality goes to hell and he changes the whole face of these companies, weather it be salt or fresh water boats. Crawl inside one of these Rangers and really look at how they are made and the attention to detail. It is just not what it use to be. Bas Cat, Phoenix, and Skeeter now dominate the fishing world, Ranger is just a memory. Nitros are few and far between.
I think you hit the nail on the head, not to mention a 15% hike in prices when the other company came in
Yep, I wish someone would dethrone that S.O.B.
Do a video on the average discounts that boat brands give to pros. Also the sponsorship from accessory companies. I would love to know what pros pay for a loaded out boat
They pros probably don’t pay a cent.
Back when I received boat deals, I received 15-20% discount below dealer cost. I got to use the boat for 12 months, then I had to sell it and pay off the invoice. My first couple of years the boat company held the note but then that changed. The boat company ran the deal with a bank, they got paid for their boat up front and I received a contract, payment book and had 12 months to sell the boat. If it didn't sell in 12 months then I owed a payment on the 13th month. That was my sponsorship. It's a sold boat for the manufacturer, a possible free boat for the angler and a better price for whoever buys the boat from the angler. Bad for the boat dealer because that is one boat they didn't sell. I don't know what kind of deals are being offered these days.
It would be awfully hard to do a video like that. First, no one is getting a free boat. The absolutely top echelon pro's get a boat to use and turn in at the end of the year, no cost so it's more of a loaned boat. Contrary to popular belief, those deals are few and far between. Like already mentioned, some get boats at cost, some get them at a percentage off. Most are "memo billed", meaning that the pro can use the boat for a year, but at the end of the year it must be paid for. Most sell their boats, passing on the savings to the next guy, paying off his boat and picking up his new rig.
I think back in the day some people didn't have to buy them. They just got to have them for one year. I could be mistaken though.
What happened to Ranger is the same thing that happened to Cabelas ( l used loved that store) they kept the name alive but gutted the brands. One of the former Ranger executives lives near me, and not long after the takeover happened lots of employees retired or went to work for other manufacturers. Its a real shame.
Bingo!
Well. I really like the rides I've gone onto in a ranger boat ! We still have a lot in NC at the rivers and lakes. Thank you for all of the content in your article s !!!
Because nitro wants to be #1 , morris bought them out to cut them out and it has worked out just like he planned on . Build a ranger and charge 100 grand for it , build a nitro for 50 grand which is gonna sale first and most ? They are both built with the same raw material where at one time ranger was built with proprietary resins and glass and by folks who cared about their reputation. Morris has so much invested in his business that he has to buy cheaper material to make his wanted profit and his product suffers the downgrade . Ranger went by the wayside as soon as he purchased it as well as triton and stratos , his nitro has to be top of the heap , it's what he made his name on . He done the same with cabelas .
Yep what he said couldn't have said it better,I know of 3 people that have the new Rangers and all 3 hate them and want there old boats back,had nothing but trouble outbif them
I have to agree, plus the contingency money has been raised so high with the other brands.
that would explain why when I went into the hooksett nh store twice this year it was so dam dark in there I couldnt find what i was looking for ,I left without buying anything, and i told the customer service they would probably double the sales, especially impulse buys if people could see in the store, THE LIGHTING IS WORSE THAN BAR after midnight
Like one pro said that went from Skeeter to Nitro after years with Skeeter " KVD has been with Nitro for 25 or so years and has been putting his input into the design for all that time and if they are good enough for the GOAT then that speaks volumes as to their quality " . I would tend to agree with him .KVD would not be using Nitro if it was lacking in any way . And Cabelas is just BPS with a different name .
JM does not promote Ranger in any way near as much as he advertises Nitro in my view. It just seems like sponsorship $$s go to Nitro vs Ranger, so it's no surprise Ranger is no longer seen much on the Bass Tours. I would guess that if Forrest Wood were alive today, he'd be a bit upset over what JM has done with Ranger, once again, IMHO. JM bought out a competitor (Ranger Boats); I would not be surprised if Ranger would cease to exist in 5 years.
on my 3rd ranger and absolutely love it .. i run rangers not because a pro does, but because their hulls meet all my needs as a weekend angler .
Forest wood sold Ranger boat co. In 1987 to Thompson manufacturing out of Dallas Tx. It’s passed hands at least twice before Morris bought it.
I own a Ranger 2013 z520c w/ a 2019 250 sho ( thanks Ish ) but I've noticed the " New " Nitro boat are now coming with the same upgrades my 2013 already had.....🥱. Good job Johnny! Can't have your own ideas so you bought someone else's.
My dealer near me sells both Phoenix and Ranger. I talked to the service rep and he stated both manufacturers make a great boat, what separate Phoenix from Ranger is customer service, which has diminished a lot since with Ranger since White River Marine took over.
I’m reading this a year later and have to disagree. After contacting Ranger Parts Dept for a new seat skin, they sent me samples to choose because they didn’t make my colors anymore for my 2003 185VS. I chose the colors, contacted Ranger, skin is being created.
I purchased a brand new ranger April 7th. I absolutely love the boat. I did spend a little more than I wanted to spend, but with the boat market crazy like it is where I live you cannot find anything new for sale. This was in stock and fit my needs and I am completely happy with my purchase. I didn’t need a pro Fisher to sway me to ranger.
no one can argue Johnny Morris is a supreme business man. If Ranger can sell as many boats as they can make w/o the expense, why spend it. Plenty of Rangers in my neck of the woods and there is a Skeeter dealer right here in town. Whereas the Ranger dealer is 100 miles away.
I was fine with Johnny Morris back in the day but now I think he's done us a disservice in the last 25 years in buying up competition. He needs that competition for him to do good work.
Well number one in why people have stopped fishing out of rangers is because everything JM gets into, the quality goes out of the window. Number two, and my own theory, is that they’re absolutely hideous and no one wants to have an ugly, slow boat. They look like bath tubs with an outboard, definitely not like a Gambler!
Randy....Please clarify. In the video you said that you had been with Ranger Boats for 35 years and the best thing that happened was Ranger being bought out as it allowed you the opportunity to move to Skeeter....Is that correct???? If so why stay with Ranger for 35 years???
This seemed more like a plug for Skeeter than a true inquiry into Ranger. After 35 years, he should be telling US what happened...not just "starting a conversation." But...TH-cam likes "discussions."
If you don't want to give an opinion, why bring it up?
I had a Ranger years ago. Good boat.
I agree totally. He wants to spread shade toward them but not offer an opinion. This is just an advertisement for his skeeter dealer. Ranger had more boat deals out there than anyone and a lot of them didn't deserve a deal including Randy. They're pro staff is solid now. Top to bottom as good as any pro staff out there.
Johnny happened to Ranger! Forest Wood would be loosing his mind right now! Fortunately Nitros are getting more Ranger in them. But I'm sure Johnny will change that!
I just bought a new Ranger last year. I had many issues with the boat and the customer service (Bass Pro folks). We’re terrible. So much so that I paid out of pocket to have all of my warranty stuff taken care. I’m hind sight it was a mistake to buy the Ranger.
My buddy shelled out nearly 30k for an aluminum ranger and the deck collapsed within a few months. He's average size. If that's not bad enough, it took Ranger nearly two years to get him a replacement hull. This after trying to blame him and do a craptastic job fixing it. And I thought Tracket didn't care about their customers. This dude is so fed up he he's fixing to sell the darn thing for something else. Terrible.
The price of a Ranger sure hasn't disappeared...
Been following this channel for a long time and strangely enough this is the first comment I’m leaving Last year I purchased a pros ranger that was probably nine months old retailed for probably $90,000 when it was new I contacted Ranger for some small fix problems and they told me they will not cover anything on the warranty and they voided everything to do with the boat because I waited more than 15 days to let them know that I have purchased a boat and trailer which is very strange to me especially after buying it in the winter time And not getting to use it until the spring very hard to recommend a company like that to any of my friends even though it’s a beautiful boat
Glad I read this. That’s the kind of customer service we need to know about. Or lack of.
Terrible Customer service was my reason for abandoning the ranger brand. Quality versus price point also suffers. When Mr Wood left he took the homespun attitude that kept the Ranger brand special. Sad but true.
The main reason that Ranger was so big with the FLW, EverStart and BFL anglers back then had nothing to do with a Ranger boat. It was the perks you got by owning a Ranger boat. If you owned one, you got priority entry into the tournaments. I may be wrong, but I think that a Ranger owner could enter a full week earlier than non-owners. That said, Ranger made an awfully good boat. As for now, who knows. I worked for BPS when they purchased Ranger, Triton and Stratos from the equity company, Sterling Equities I think. We all knew that Stratos was going to go away. Their sales numbers had tanked years before. No one really knew about the plans for Triton and the rumor was that Ranger would be left alone. I know that we were never going to sell them in BPS stores, but that was prior to the Cabela's purchase m
I own a 2016 Z520C. There have been a ton of start up companies pop up in the last 10-15yrs & build these lightweight bass “speed” boats. Everyone is so worried about doing 97mph on the lake & thats 1 of Rangers downfalls. It’s not a race boat. Personally I’d buy a Skeeter , Bass Cat or Ranger over any other brand just because they’ve been making them in the same plant in the same town for 50+yrs. All these Phoenix, Caymas, Avid, etc brands haven’t proven their long term reliability to me yet. You buy a Ranger, Skeeter, Bass Cat it’ll be the last boat you need to buy.
Forrest and Nina Wood along with a bunch of the Ranger Team started Vexus. I'm running a AVX 1880 love everything about it except when I have to get off and go to work.
Hello From Northern Virginia, we bought a RT178 Two years ago and love it, except for there cheap emblems that are breaking off , crooked decals, Just Subscribed, safe fishing to ya, we show these issues in our videos 🇺🇸
Just test drove a 2007 Ranger Z20 over the weekend. I thought it handled pretty well, but was way slower than I expected. Owner's asking $29,900. I don't think it cost much more than that when it was new in '07.
15 yr old boat I would not pay that high some serious depreciation going on just saying.
Rangers aren’t known for speed but overall a good boat and good resell value
Paid $62,000 for my 2007 z20 forest wood tournament edition, still run it and it still runs great, fished many everstart series and 5 U.S. opens and numerous local tournaments and it still runs and looks great. Previous boats nitro, and champion
I'm a kayak fisherman so I don't know much on this topic. I am curious how so many people can afford new bass boats with how exspensive they are plus gas & maintenance & I assume insurance. Sounds excessively exspensive!
I know! I have a ancient Carolina skiff 17. I got 10 batteries, torqeedo and a trolling motor. I am king of the world or lake.
You can finance boats up to 20 yrs and yes....i know several people who've done just that. It's stupid as hell but that's why prices are what they are now bc fools will finance them for forever. Recently won a fruit jar jackpot tournament in a '98 18' triton by 9lbs. 5 hour evening tournament. Dudes in new phoenix boats, new tritons, new express boats all for sure more than $60k....paid $6,500 for mine.
@@lkeith88 well at least you go a good deal, that $ sounds more than reasonable. But new bass boat plus all toys, gas that go with it is way above my price range & now way in hell I'm financing something like that for that long! I have a high end pedal drive kayak & it was exspensive for a yak but I bought my 1st one used them sold it 6 yrs later for same price. Then put that $ twords my new one.. So technically I've got 2 really nice pedal drive yaks for past 7+ yrs for price of 1. Everything is exspensive theses days. I just don't know how so many people have these new boats plus the toys. Unless thier all doing what you're saying. Which your most likely spot on.
This is how large corporations eliminate competition. Buy up smaller boat makers sell off the assets and increase your market share. If the brand survives it’s even better. Possibly Ranger was doing poorly before the buyout. I sure hope the brand survives.
Right now Ranger, like most, cannot keep up with boat sales. So why pay pros to market them? When someone buys a bass boat, they look at reviews, price, boat forums, etc... They do not blindly walk into a dealership and say "give me what Randy has". Especially with a $60K plus price tag.
The average angler can not afford a boat in the price of upwards $90,000, Just crazy at last to me, I will stay with my 1984 Ranger 350V.
I first want to say it doesn't matter what bass boat brand you talk about because they are all too expensive in my opinion. Now as far a Ranger goes - Price vs. quality - Expensive boats for sure and they have always been more expensive than other brands until recently but the quality was unmatched. I have heard and read that the quality just isn't there like it used to be. Now I'm not here to bash Ranger, and as far as I am concerned Forrest deserves a lot of credit for pioneering the sport of bass fishing. Yes, I realize that there have been some "shady" dealings that went on with Ranger but overall I give the man a lot of credit.
The quality hasn't changed much. Getting local service for some has changed however. Some dealers have move to Vexus and Caymas.
Yep. And back in the day you could get glass boats from 14 to 20 ft and now a lot of them set their entry level at 18 or 19 feet. When I bought my 17 ft Fisher I also looked at a 16 foot Procraft. The only 16 foot glass boat I am aware of today is one from Pro Gator
Ranger boats basically tripled in price from 1990 to present. Ranger is a one time new boat purchase, unless you can afford it.
Isn’t this a re-make video?
Pretty much
Just bought a '92 362V and it's a solid old school ranger.
I bought a 2021 Ranger z519 in July. Absolutely love it.
I love my Ranger Bass Boat, I also had a Nitro. I have had it for 3 seasons starting my fourth Season. I had no idea Rangers weren’t the number one boat when I bought mine in 2019 I didn’t even consider anything else because this is what I have wanted since I was a kid in the 1980’s. I think now I wish I considered a Vexus or Skeeter looking back but at that time they were just not on my radar like having a Ranger. The question is why are they not as popular and i think its all the different options people have now.
What do you mean options? You mean the options that price the boats out of reach of most people or options from competing brands. I tell you what, I was born in the 70's and there were way more options back in the 70's and 80's in terms of boats to choose from. We had glass bassboats from 14 ft to 20 ft at various price points. It sucks ass now. The only thing really better is the rod boxes are longer and have organizers. Otherwise it's shight.
Isn’t Vexxus the old Ranger crew?
Ranger priced the boats too high, they didn’t keep up with sleek graphics, and are considered old school heavy boats. Guys had tons of trouble with the oil filled hubs which didn’t help the image.
I'd love to get off the bank but even fishing kayaks are overpriced. After spending an and arm and a leg I won't even be able to paddle or pedal one!
It comes down to money, Ranger isn’t giving “pros” deals anymore! Ranger is still Ranger! Those of us that have had Skeeters for instance got tired of carrying a screwdriver and hammer to fix the rubrail and make sure the cap was tight, Bass cat which has chine walk problems , Phoenix and Triton with their narrow front decks…nitros sit too high and slap water and fall apart in rough water …now Vexus is a good boat if you like a different look! For me I’ll stick with Ranger!
BassCat "porpoising" problems??? Expand on that issue would you please
Bass Cat doesn’t have chine walking issues, folks just don’t know how to drive a performance boat.
@@rman110 you are correct but at low speeds Skeeter fxr does for sure
The best looking Rangers were made in the late 70's through the early 90's.
I fished from 1984-2018 bfl s Stren Everstart Costas some Bass Opens , I fished a Ranger the entire time , I still fun fish and still have a Ranger 521c / mercury outboard! Most everyone ran a Ranger !
I’m always struck at the amount of hate Johnny Morris gets. The guy built literally the most amazing shop in the world. I’ve traveled to almost every continent and it doesn’t matter what kind industries we’re looking at nothing absolutely nothing comes even close to a bps. You guys take it for granted as its the most natural thing to walk to a shop with an indoor waterfall, giant fish tanks and all that. Not to mention world of wildlife, cedar lodge, top of the rock resort and so on. The man is the kind of legend that sets America apart.
Now for ranger let’s keep in mind it was owned my some Wall Street fund who couldn’t care less the fishing world. And they could have sold it to other wall street bandits who could have shut it down and sold the assets. And what happened with the wood family and Vexus is not very clear to say the least. Johnny got the short end of the stick.
Lastly to those who keep saying a Ranger boat is nothing but a Nitro with a ranger sticker are just showing their ignorance. I’ve been a boat dealer for many years, selling nitros and ranger, before, during and after the purchase and I can testify how wrong that is. Ranger boats are as good as they ever been.
Now to Randy’s question, I would answer him with another question, does having pros fishing from your boat company really help to sell more boats? Or in other words, who buys a certain brand because a favorite pro fishes from that brand? I would think not many.
Nobody cares about waterfalls, aquariums or garbage like that. Johnny Morris has ruined everything he touches except his bank account.
@@christopherwood2290 I care about it. As Renaud has said, the man (Johnny Morris) has done a tremendous amount, an amount we'll probably never know the true extent as he does not look for credit for what he does. I admire and have tremendous respect for Johnny Morris, and the Ranger boat brand could not be in better hands now. And of course Forrest Wood deserves a tremendous amount of credit also. He made the Ranger name great and I believe it's headed back that way.
@@christopherwood2290
Preach brother preach
To some the truth hurts
I absolutely agree with you Renaud. It was better that Johnny Morris bought those boat brands instead of a bunch of investors like did own them. Johnny and family care about the sport of fishing, it's future and the future of our environment. That should make everyone happy.
@@christopherwood2290 Really? In Missouri he created not one, not two but three museums, that are each quite amazing. Where has museums ever been profitable? Answer: never, that’s why they always are government run.
I bought a new Ranger Z185 in 2017 love the boat no issues at all love Bass fishing not tournament fishing just came back from Dale Hollow got my butt kicked!! Ranger on!
Bassboatcentral is one of the biggest and most utilized websites that boat owners use to buy/sell used bass boats. Ranger is by far the biggest brand name in sheer numbers of boats bought and sold on bassboatcentral, and boat trader for that matter. Granted , the brand has been around longer than most other brands but even if you only count the later models , they still hold their own or surpass the other brands. Like them or not, ranger is here to stay and they hold their value as well as anything out there.
Had a 1750A, 374 and 361. Super good boat back then. Only 25+!year old boat I’d consider owning. I think Forest Wood was Ranger Boats.
Yep. And Ray Scott was B.A.S.S.
My 2020 520 is my third Ranger and I have loved every one of them. The last two Rangers I had sold in less than a week and I got top dollar out of both.
Number one, in recent past no other boat companies had the sales volume/share of market to afford the major sponsorship across the whole US. Second market changes created more companies and the market share split between numerous companies not just 2 or 3 majors. Ranger profit vs sponsor cost was getting pretty slim, yet the price point was really high.
BPS, Johnny Morris did NOT cause this drop, that occurred during and after the market change. So finally, we have todays market divided more ways then ever and still plenty of Rangers, just a much smaller share in tournaments
Big names still represent ranger like Mike Mcclealand, Todd Auten, and a lot of other bassmaster anglers still run ranger.
My previous 2 boats were Rangers. Now I run an xpress. I made the move to aluminum and couldn't be happier.
Xpress are solid. I run a Ranger but I love Xpress too.
The bass boat market is incredibly competitive in todays world. Ranger in its prime brought a well built-and fishable boat to the market and was the innovator in that. And they did a superior job of that, but In todays world with Phoenix, Basscat, Vexus, Caymas, Blazer, etc., they all accomplish that and way more. There is now a sizable amount of different bass boats that are faster than a ranger, they ride better than a ranger, they are family owned, and the quality is very measurable and most of the time exceeds what you get out of a Ranger today. I tell people all the time now, if you want a boat today that resembles ranger best, buy a Vexus. There's nothing wrong with it, its just a sign of the times.
Venus has a good ride however they are slow and overpriced
@@brianblume3770 Like I said, you want a modern day ranger, buy a Vexus. Overpriced and SLOW
Randy,why not tactfully give us 1-2 of your theories? Many of us haven't been in the pro circuit as long as you've been.I can only speculate that it's less relationship related,however you can shine light on it.
A lot of people are saying there are more choices of boats now. That's just not the case. There were three times as many boats to choose from back in the 70's and 80's.
I’ve seen it time and time again a big company buys another company out and they run it in the ground you never hear from them again
In my shop. Gotta 94 492vs Comanche with 2018 mercury 250 pro xs. Boat still looks brand new. Best boat ice ever owned.
I don’t think many people put much thought into what anyone says that is sponsored by a boat company. On videos skeeters seem to porpoise like hell. The others have the Walmart trim around the bottom edge of their console with the rivet at the corner….that is not on a Ranger. Not fond of their switches. Trailers seem to be better than most. I would buy a cat if buying new because I like the owner. But even the cat look at the bottom edge of the console..lol. 2$ piece of trim riveted at the corner ….for $80k….really…..
If you want to degrade a boat you can make anyone of them porpoise and look bad. Morris is a great business man but not a boat builder owner, Profit over quality. I never owned a Ranger as I have always owned a Skeeter, Whereas I have never had a problem with them like some say they have, and at 82 yrs. old. I have had a few skeeters in my day. I fact just sold mine to college kid ,and looking to buy a new one Skeeter.
What happened to Ranger Boats IMHO is, "John Morris/Bass Pro Shop/Nitro. On Dec. 11, Bass Pro Group, the owner of Bass Pro Shops, announced it had signed a deal to acquire , the manufacturer of Ranger, Triton and Stratos fishing boat brands. The move will merge some of the largest brands in the fishing world under the same ownership".Dec 11, 2014 they put Ranger Boats on the back burner to kill the competition (Ranger Boats,Triton and Stratos)!.
I just boat a 2020 Ranger RT188P w115 Merc last week.
IDK what happen? I only can buy a Ranger hat now. lol I had a 1982 Ranger 350v for over 20 yrs loved that boat. great hull on it, fast and smooth. thanks Randy..
Some of it is the major draw back in the contingency awards in tournaments. I think to be eligible for ranger cup now you have to be the original owner, with a boat less than 3 years old, 19' or longer with a 200hp or bigger outboard. While I don't think guys have issues buying a bigger boat they want to be able to have the contingency award ability for more than 3 years if you're spending that much on a new boat. To the best of my knowledge Phoenix and several other brands don't have size restrictions or year eligibilities. You may not even have to be the original owner. Ranger cup used to be eligible for any Ranger Boat even if it was 30 years old. Now if it doesn't meet all the criteria you get a bass pro gift card instead of the Ranger Cup cash
My take is I think they went from being big in bass boats to being big in walleye boats, up here in North Dakota when they came out with the 620 and 621 Ranger they were everywhere, still are alot selling today but there are alot of walleye boat competitors now too!
Sounds like a mess as a year after Bass Pro bought Ranger (2014) the execs at the plant resigned (2015) so likely quality declined. They also acquired Stratos and Triton which you don't really hear about anymore. I think it is a consolidation strategy to winnow the bass boat market down to a few... with Nitro being the primary high end bass boat line for Bass Pro. They have consolidated Bass Pro and Cabela's so Johnny Morris may try to do it in the boat industry. Could be Ranger is phased out in the future due to "a fading brand with lower than expected sales."
I’m leaning your way. I think Ranger will be faded out over the next few years. I hate to see it as I’ve owned 3 and liked all of them. Everything I see is Phoenix in my area. A lot of them. Probably 3 to 1 at boat ramps.
There were still some execs and engineers left up until 2017 if I remember correctly.
Changed how pros get their boats, up front payment. No more selling it and paying at the end of the season. My 2012 is in perfect condition and worth more than I paid with updated electronics and Ultrex
2004 Ranger 185VS in the house! Better quality and lower prices, get yours now!
The state of WA says a 24 year old ranger is still worth $14,000, so we don't want to pay the tax. Hell, a 24 year old woman depreciates faster than a Ranger
I've run my 620 for 20 years with zero problems. But I am not shelling out 75K for a new one. Sad the quality may have diminished. I'd like to hear why Randy thinks his Skeeter is so much better. Give us some specifics.
There is still a ton of rangers out there. Alot depends on region, in the ozarks there are not a ton however in the Illinois bfl devision I'd say at least 60% of the field is rangers. I think a big part is just that there is more options now and they are all about the same nowadays.
Go read the old Bassmaster magazines from the 70's and 80's where they have articles giving the rundown on new bass boats for the years. There were three or four times more options back then.
Isn't Nitro, Triton, and Ranger all under same ownership? I wonder how much business sense it makes to build three brands. I've been expecting them to shut down at least one brand. Right or wrong, that has caused me to not include either of those brands on my short list for a new one. I think other brands have caught up in quality, innovation, and or marketing too.
I won’t buy any of them! I once loved and enjoyed Ranger!!
He also bought Stratos. And he did shut it down.
Triton will be next.
I still harken back to the BPS buy out of Cabela's and the fact that if this deal wasn't an example of monopolizing an industry, Idon't know what is. During the FTC rreview of the deal, I was astounded to learn that there was no real way that members of the public could lodge comments re the iimpending sale. The sale devastated a comunity (Sidney Neb) and left thousands unemployed, both in Sidney and other suppliers
Check the AOY in the open division you fish what was he driving? Of course he would have won out of any boat he used, we all know that. However to say there not out there anymore is just not true. But they did cut a lot of their team deals out but of course you know that.
What I heard from a couple of pros is that range or quit paying the angler money for first place that’s what I was told so everybody wants the Skeeter Boats and Phoenix
If you go and look at a boat by every company hands down Bass Cat is the best quality. I can't stand the cheap plastic panels on All the other brands. But to each their own. If you like what you have F*** what anyone else thinks.....
Don’t know I can’t afford one… I’ll just stick with my Nitro Z8. Fits my needs.
I have a 2001 Ranger. I love the boat. Seems like 20 years ago Ranger and bass fishing went hand-in-hand...., I just don’t see that many Rangers anymore. Used to I’d pull up to the ramp and it would be loaded with Ranger bass boats. Now it’s just a huge variety. I do like them skeeters!
Resale. Ranger still tops.
Ranger hasn’t been Ranger in quite some time. The other thing is, is that there’s so many other options that are on par or better than even when the Ranger was the pinnacle.
In my opinion they’ve also been the roughest riding boats out there. I never saw the draw to them.
Ever since Johnny Morris acquired them. From 2015 they’ve felled off in quality.
Nope. Look back. There were way more options back in the 70's and 80's and Skeeter and Bass Cat were always on par with Ranger.
and Champion...
Randy go listen to a recent episode of bass talk live last week. They had the executive VP of Bass Pro on to discuss this very topic.
My logic is this, the bean counters at White River Marine decided they could sell all they could make anyway, so why sell 100+ boats a year, at a discounted price, to pros, when they could sell the same boat, at higher margins, to the rest of us fishing idiots that have to have the latest and greatest every year. Long term, I think Ranger has made a mistake. For years they were the flagship brand in the flagship tours (BASS and FLW), now they are just another good, not great, boat.
I’m picking up a Comanche Z21 in the morning! Only 110 hours on a 2008!
Not only have they disappeared from tournament fishing, but product support as well!!!😡
JM... corporate ownerships.... that's what happened to Ranger. Actually, that's what's happening to America!
When a boat cost more than a fully loaded truck I'd say they priced there self out of business,the average person can't afford 90k for a boat
Here are some ideas I have.
First of all Johnny Morris didn't buy Ranger Boats to kill the brand or not make money so get that out of your head.
1) Up until 2017 although Ranger Boats belonged to Johnny, some of the original owners / engineers were still in contract to work at Ranger.
2) Late 2017 early 2018, original owners / engineers started Vexus Boats first glass boat to hit the marked around 2019 2020.
3) The Ranger Dealer network has to make a choice. Continue to sell Ranger or if you sell Vexus you lose your Ranger affiliation.
4) FLW | MLF shakeup, Ranger Cup sponsorship was greatly reduced. Many guys I know moved to Phoenix Boats.
5) I assume BASS tournament anglers probably get better deals with Nitro then Ranger so why stick with Ranger if fishing is your business.
6) Rumors that Ranger Boats are not built to the same standards as before. Rumor LOL, My boat is awesome, love my Ranger.
There are still some pros running Ranger Boats. What was your reason for making a move to Skeeter?
I have a Ranger Z-185 and love it. I have nothing against Triton, Skeeter, BassCat, Nitro, Vexus, Caymas, I should put Vexus first as they are ahead of the game.
Randy, Why doesn't skeeter and the rest of the boat manufacturers cut some holes in their boats and float them on the water (FULLY RIGGED), on one fishing trip the drain plug come out and we did take on water but we fished all day, with no problem, we did pump out and drain while on plain between fishing holes.
Simple answer. Ranger has now quit sponsoring so many people. The pros are no more than a salesman for their sponsors. When a company takes away their discounts, the pros go to other companies that will. Follow the money.
Rangers are the slowest Bass boat made, everyone wants to be the first one to the spot but Rangers last FOREVER! I have a 98 Ranger and it gets the job done and still together.
My 88 374V with a 150hp and 26pitch 3 blade prop does 64mph. Is that slow for a 150hp?
@@dbender3644 if your in a big tournament like Randy’s talking about than yes but in a local club derb that mite work! I know down here in FL guys are running 300’s on Bullets doing triple digits at local derbs just to be the first guy at the spot, I got a EFI 200 and 65mph is fast enough for me! I never care who beats me to the spot I’ll get there when I get there and still catch em!! lol
@@DaTGuY2HoLLyWooD brother its a rule in the bigger tourneys your HP is limited to 250HP and those don’t run much faster than mine. Now there boat is 21ft and mine is 18ft but the 250 plus HP’s run smaller clubs. Thats why you see all the pro’s in like BASS and MLF runnin 250hp.
@@dbender3644 I’ve been in Phoenix’s, Tritons and Bullets in the FLW Costa’s Series & Bass Opens that run 85 easy so 65mph is not fast to me and Yes I’m aware of the cap on motor size I was just explaining in FL a 65mph boat will get left in the dust at a local derb!
@@DaTGuY2HoLLyWooD yup i hear you there. I had a 17.5 ft 84 champion with a 150hp that stuck a rod through the head twice, the mechanic caused the 2nd one leaving shavings in the cylinder and didnt have any more parts for it. So they sup’d the hell out of my motor, bored out the cylinders to fit parts for a 200hp engine, i had to get the transom reinforced cause the engine was rippin apart the Champion. My speedometer went to 85mph and I had no problem peggin it. This was before we had gps on everything so im not sure how fast it went cause no one could ever keep up. Out here we don’t have to many boats doin 80mph + bit maybe thats because we have a bunch Rangers out here.
I just bought a 2013 z 118c… love it always wanted one but wanted one pre 2014 before bass pro…last real ranger
Prices on Ranger boats have continued to rise. However, now the expenses of having a large Ranger pro staff have been reduced. I see it as now there is more revenue generated for Tanger.
I once had a 188VS that I enjoyed. Now that Mr 1000% profit bought them they will soon cease to exist!! When I was a kid I dreamed about going to Bass Pro!! I finally did and it was good.
A few years later I went to a Cabelas and it was much better!!!! Not anymore!!! Because you guessed it......
188vs was an amazing sub 19ft boat. Great fishabilty and good fit/finish. I don't know of a better package under 19ft.
When a Pro can no longer get the discount he/she thinks they deserve they change brands. Fewer discounts to go around equals fewer Rangers.
Great topic along with thoughtful comments. JM is estimated to be worth in excess of $6 BILLION! Ranger Boats IMHO are still nice boats; however, PRICE? Forget it. But clearly the really big names in Bass Pro fishing get a NEW NITRO fully equipped boat EACH YEA
Question for you Randy......during your 35 years with Ranger, how many more boats did they sell because you ran one? I'm going to guess, not very damn many. And, here in lies the problem. Right now, Ranger cannot build enough boats to keep up with demand so why should they give discounts to a bunch of pro's to help sell their boats when they can't fill production orders? What you're complaining about is based on a business model developed long before there ever was a TH-cam, social media and tons of advertising at literally everyone's finger tips now. Mark my words, you can bet other boat mfg's are watching and I'll be surprised if they don't follow suit. If Skeeter changes how many pro's they sponsor, will we see a "what happened to Skeeter boats" clickbait video then also?