TOPIC: Glassic bass boats?

I know Skeeter developed the first fiberglass bass boat in 1961, what other companies developed their own line of bass boats at that time? I'd really like to get my hands on one.

I had an early 70s Monarch trihullish stick steer as my first boat
put a 57 Evinrude 35 on it...rode so bad in rough water I changed it to a tiller steer.
with that heavy motor and my 200lbs in the back freeboard was about 2 1/2"
and would take water over the transom till she came up on plane...at which time I would pull the drain plug to syphon the water out of the bottom
LOL

I've done a lot of looking into vintage "bass" boats, a term that come into being in the later 60's. Companies have been making small purpose built fishing boats since 1948. Minn-Kota made the 1st electric motor in 1934 out of a Ford starter motor, what we call a trolling motor today. For me the 1st "Bass Boat' was developed by Allison Boats. Paul Allisons son Darris started making fishing boats in 1955 at 9 years old. In 1962 he developed the swivel deck mounted casting seat, and was using high proformance hulls, what we think of today as a "Bass Boat". Most companies made them and labeled Sportsman or Utility model. A cat hulled Sportsman/Utility is on my list of must haves.

1962 Allison

I guess I'm looking for the more unconventional looking bass boat.
Like this.

CAT*FIN*k wrote:

I've done a lot of looking into vintage "bass" boats, a term that come into being in the later 60's. Companies have been making small purpose built fishing boats since 1948. Minn-Kota made the 1st electric motor in 1934 out of a Ford starter motor, what we call a trolling motor today. For me the 1st "Bass Boat' was developed by Allison Boats. Paul Allisons son Darris started making fishing boats in 1955 at 9 years old. In 1962 he developed the swivel deck mounted casting seat, and was using high proformance hulls, what we think of today as a "Bass Boat". Most companies made them and labeled Sportsman or Utility model. A cat hulled Sportsman/Utility is on my list of must haves.

1962 Allison

I actually have a couple of real early MinnKota motors
one looks like a sump pump with a propeller on it

The Stemco Super Skeeters are unconventional. When I lived in MN I learned them as Duck Boats, might have been a similar, Herters comes to mind. They were big with the duck hunders and very good for gathering wild rice, kinda go together. Never heard them called a Bass boat until I saw in Skeeters site. I drool over the ZX22BayT www.skeeterboats.com/products/12/20

A lot of people built thier own from a jon boat, factory builts were not common until the 80s. Most where of a Tri-hull design. I remember seeing the 1st gen Glastron GT-160 at the boat show thinkin' a few mods and this would be a cool bass boat. Check out the difference between the 75 Ranger and a 75 Allison(note the keel pad)



Boston Whaler had thier Cathedral hull and the Custom Craft vervion the Devil Ray 14 Utility & 16 Sportsman. Power Cat had the tri-maran 14 T Standard & the 17 S a center consol.

Don't think I ever ran across a late 50's/early 60's cat hull built for fishing. Thinkin' I might have to make my own. This Power Cat gets me goin', nice platfom!...needs fins.

I've some "high tech" fishing gadgets of the day. There are many very cool elec motors, some are realy a work of art, some make me think of an old milkshake machine

Power Cat Bass boat first came out around 1968
Made a 16ft and 18ft

Kingfisher in Texas possibly was a very early bass boat builder???? They came into being after Red Fish Boat Co. imploded circa 1962.

Andreas

looked at a kingfisher 2-3 years ago...seemed well built...took some pics but are on a missplaced memmory stick...(moving sux)...glassmagic made boats more like kewpies pic in 57 and 58...john

In 1958 Brooks Stevens designed the Fisherman for Evinrude. At least 1 was built and toured the country at boat shows and was on tv a number of times. Have never found any video. It was also on display at the 1958 Brussels Worlds Fair. I've read it was very popular at shows and a few were ordered. I've read it steered well and it was very hard to control. It was marketed for sale to resorts as a rental fleet.


Some "Flats" fishing boats show up once and a while down here. This was being sold as 1956...pricey.
Sorry having trouble posting pics will try later.

I bet your looking for boats like these little Skeeter boats from the late 40' and 50's Yhey were builf by Holmes Thurmond in Schreport in 1948. These are 14" models of some of those boats.

wood skeeter,

I wonder if any of the early wooden Sketters still exist in at least restorable condition.
NEVER seen one, though, as I once told you, I had an early glass Skeeter, long ago.
(Mother sold it while I was overseas.)

yours, satx

The Skeeter Factory has this same boat on their show room floor. I friend of mine in Loneview has one, the Texas Parks museum in Athens, Tx has on also has one and Rodney Reeves the past owner of Skeeter boats in Schreveport, La La has the blue painted one.
The Skeeter Boat co in Kilgore has 4 of my models on their showroom floor also. The grandson of Holmes Thurmond the builder has 3 of my models also. The man with the wheelchair model has one also.
I aslo sent one to Larry Moore in Boosier City, La because his father J. Bonnie Moore was the reason the wheelchair model was built because he was an ampetee from the war.
The wheelchair boat was built a foot longer and a foot wider for his friend who lost a leg in the war. The center section was the livewell, they drilled a hole in the bottom and the water would seek its level.
The bow is also squared off insted of the rounded bow on the regular Skeeters. See pics below.

thompsonboat; All,

FWIW, KINGFISHER BASS BOATS were built in CLARKSVILLE TEXAS from about 1965-8?
(I'm told that SOME of the old REDFISH workers were also at the KINGFISHER plant.)

FYI, I've found a 1971 "for a song" near Houston on a good 1971 RED RIVER CUSTOM trailer, that I may buy for a "perch-jerking" (Read: Crappie-fishing) boat.

Every Kingfisher that I ever saw was "stick-steering" from the front of 2 tandem seats.

yours, satx

1972 ouachita trihull
Originally had a console but I removed it
And put that 72 merc on it and believe it or not bit in 2009 I was the first person to ever use the motor