# Skeeter bay boat or Ranger bay boat?



## yakfishin (Dec 8, 2005)

If you had a choice of only a Ranger bay boat or a Skeeter bay boat which would you choose? And why? No other choices just these two.
Yakfishin


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## yellowskeeter (Jul 18, 2008)

22 - skeeter tunnel as it will get you shallower
24- both sweet, ranger has better wiring but I think the skeeter is laid out better and runs a little better in the rough. 

Cant go wrong with either. Those are the two I picked and left it to who could make me a better deal...... and after getting the run around from the Ranger dealer at the time and getting a good price on my skeeter I went with that.


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## Wahoo 96 (Jul 2, 2008)

Own a 23ft ranger bay. Great riding, very dependable options, great trailer, and great service at ranger corporate when ordering parts.


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## capfab (May 21, 2010)

Pm TheExtreme on here about a Ranger. He has a gorgeous one. We had, I think, three Skeeters on LOR this year and they were all extremely nice. Both fine choices!


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## trashcanslam (Mar 7, 2006)

Ranger 2200 or 2400 hands down, all day long over the Skeeter. I've owned Ranger and been to the factory three times. I've looked hard at Skeeter and been to the factory once. There is no comparing the true build quality of the two boats. Crazy how much wood is actually in the Skeeter boats! Not that it's a bad thing it's just dishonest when Skeeter says they don't use it then its all over the factory. 

The Ranger 2200 is my favorite out of all of them, followed by the Ranger 2400 and then the Skeeter 24. The Skeeter 24 is actually a really nice riding boat if you can get over all the differences in workmanship. I wouldn't buy the Ranger 23 (old boat) it was really wet riding. The -10 models (2310 2410) are ok. 

PM if you want more details, I'm unbiased, I own a Shoalwater 23 Cat now.


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## trashcanslam (Mar 7, 2006)

yellowskeeter said:


> 22 - skeeter tunnel as it will get you shallower
> 24- both sweet, ranger has better wiring but I think the skeeter is laid out better and runs a little better in the rough.
> 
> Cant go wrong with either. Those are the two I picked and left it to who could make me a better deal...... and after getting the run around from the Ranger dealer at the time and getting a good price on my skeeter I went with that.


Good point about the dealer network. Ranger has not had a very good dealer network in the Houston area in a long time. That's probably more the reason than anything I don't own a Ranger right now.


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## pmgoffjr (Jul 30, 2009)

The Ranger is the old champion bay hull. In case you weren't aware...


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## texas trout killer (Jun 11, 2013)

yellowskeeter said:


> 22 - skeeter tunnel as it will get you shallower
> 24- both sweet, ranger has better wiring but I think the skeeter is laid out better and runs a little better in the rough.
> 
> Cant go wrong with either. Those are the two I picked and left it to who could make me a better deal...... and after getting the run around from the Ranger dealer at the time and getting a good price on my skeeter I went with that.


I'm with YS on this one. Unfortunately there was not a Ranger dealer that was close enough for services. I love my Skeeter it handled LOR like a champ and I can run through rough water with ease. It gets me to all the places I like to fish and gets me there in style.


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

trashcanslam said:


> Ranger 2200 or 2400 hands down, all day long over the Skeeter. I've owned Ranger and been to the factory three times. I've looked hard at Skeeter and been to the factory once. There is no comparing the true build quality of the two boats. Crazy how much wood is actually in the Skeeter boats! Not that it's a bad thing it's just dishonest when Skeeter says they don't use it then its all over the factory.
> 
> The Ranger 2200 is my favorite out of all of them, followed by the Ranger 2400 and then the Skeeter 24. The Skeeter 24 is actually a really nice riding boat if you can get over all the differences in workmanship. I wouldn't buy the Ranger 23 (old boat) it was really wet riding. The -10 models (2310 2410) are ok.
> 
> PM if you want more details, I'm unbiased, I own a Shoalwater 23 Cat now.


You can come and look at all of our Skeeter boats and I guarantee you will not find any wood. I sell both Ranger and Skeeter boats and they are both very good boats with an excellent reputation and warranty to boot. I ran the Ranger 2410 last year and it was a battle ship. I never worried about ruff water but if was not a fast boat. It was a great fishing platform and had all the storage in the world. I now run a skeeter 22 bay and the performance is a lot better along with the fuel consumption. Both boats are awesome and if I was looking at a 22 I would buy the skeeter but If I was looking at a 24' boat I would be all over the 2310 Ranger. We also have a very large dealer network in the Southeast Texas area including Beaumont and Houston. We also sell Rangers out of our San Antonio Store and sell Ranger and Skeeters out of our Corpus Christi and Aransas Pass store.



pmgoffjr said:


> The Ranger is the old champion bay hull. In case you weren't aware...


The 220 Bahia is the only old champion hull. All of the other hulls are ranger exclusive.


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## DIHLON (Nov 15, 2009)

I would go Skeeter because I don't like the low sides on the Rangers and the are also heavy as hell.


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

DIHLON said:


> I would go Skeeter because I don't like the low sides on the Rangers and the are also heavy as hell.


I think a lot of you guys are confusing the old Rangers for what the new ones are now. The difference between a 24 Ranger and a 24 skeeter is 50 lbs. and skeeter actually has lower sides then the Ranger. Ranger no longer builds the 2300 and 2400 but redesigned both boats to have more Carolina flair, storage, and a better ride. They are now called the 2410 Bay Ranger and 2310 Bay Ranger. They actually are built even better then how they use to be built and the wiring and rigging is even more phenomenal. Skeeter has also stepped up their rigging and wiring along with a lot better finish IMO. If anyone wants to go run these boats please PM and I will gladly take anyone out for a ride. I actually have a 2013 Skeeter 22 bay rigged and ready to go.


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## DIHLON (Nov 15, 2009)

whistlingdixie said:


> I think a lot of you guys are confusing the old Rangers for what the new ones are now. The difference between a 24 Ranger and a 24 skeeter is 50 lbs. and skeeter actually has lower sides then the Ranger. Ranger no longer builds the 2300 and 2400 but redesigned both boats to have more Carolina flair, storage, and a better ride. They are now called the 2410 Bay Ranger and 2310 Bay Ranger. They actually are built even better then how they use to be built and the wiring and rigging is even more phenomenal. Skeeter has also stepped up their rigging and wiring along with a lot better finish IMO. If anyone wants to go run these boats please PM and I will gladly take anyone out for a ride. I actually have a 2013 Skeeter 22 bay rigged and ready to go.


 Yeah I went and looked at a 2300 and didn't like the low sides because of my little girls. Also, when I looked up the specs, it was very heavy. Haven't seen the newer ones.


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## TheExtreme (Aug 17, 2010)

Like Capfab said I have a Ranger 2300. Whoever said the 2300 is wet has never ridden in one. It is heavy but handles rough water like a dream. Not slow either. 225 opti with a T-top, 47mph. I looked at Ranger and Skeeter when I bought mine. Both are fine boats. You will not find better customer service than you get from Ranger. To be honest, nothing can really be said bad about either. One thing about running a Ranger. I don't see alot of them out there.


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## kapnbill (Aug 18, 2013)

I sold my Ranger 2180 Bay a couple years ago because I wasn't using it enough. My wife said I was crazy. She was right - big mistake. Now I'm trying to find one but people just don't put them up for sale.

Great all around boat. Shallow enough for me with the trim tabs, great in chop, and ok to 20 miles out on good days. Also had the huge livewell/leaning post which was incredible when fishing large live baits.


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## Billphish (Apr 17, 2006)

whistlingdixie said:


> I think a lot of you guys are confusing the old Rangers for what the new ones are now. The difference between a 24 Ranger and a 24 skeeter is 50 lbs. and skeeter actually has lower sides then the Ranger. Ranger no longer builds the 2300 and 2400 but redesigned both boats to have more Carolina flair, storage, and a better ride. They are now called the 2410 Bay Ranger and 2310 Bay Ranger. They actually are built even better then how they use to be built and the wiring and rigging is even more phenomenal. Skeeter has also stepped up their rigging and wiring along with a lot better finish IMO. If anyone wants to go run these boats please PM and I will gladly take anyone out for a ride. I actually have a 2013 Skeeter 22 bay rigged and ready to go.


I like both brands. Have a question: why does Ranger make a 23' 4" and a 23' 8" hull for the 2310 and 2410?


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

Billphish said:


> I like both brands. Have a question: why does Ranger make a 23' 4" and a 23' 8" hull for the 2310 and 2410?


The only thing I can think of is that both boats are aimed at two different markets. The 2410 is aimed at the guy doing a lot more deep water/ light offshore fishing vs the 2310 is set up more for the inshore fisherman wanting to do a lot more inshore fishing. Ranger is suppose to be reconfiguring the 2410 in the future.


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## Billphish (Apr 17, 2006)

whistlingdixie said:


> The only thing I can think of is that both boats are aimed at two different markets. The 2410 is aimed at the guy doing a lot more deep water/ light offshore fishing vs the 2310 is set up more for the inshore fisherman wanting to do a lot more inshore fishing. Ranger is suppose to be reconfiguring the 2410 in the future.


I'd like to see a 25' 6" with a 350HP on it.


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## RUFcaptain (Aug 12, 2011)

Of those boats, I like the Ranger 2410 better than the Skeeter. What is the deadrise on the 2 boats?


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## whistlingdixie (Jul 28, 2008)

Billphish said:


> I'd like to see a 25' 6" with a 350HP on it.


That would be sweet but I do not know if Ranger would do that.


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## acoastalbender (Jul 16, 2011)

My vote goes to the granddad of them all...Skeeter. Had a 135S for 16 trouble-free years. Very well made boats...jm.02


.


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## Trim-Happy (May 21, 2012)

My buddy just picked up a 2010 24 ranger 300 Yamaha that was a dealer left over and it's a nice rig I'm not a ranger guy but I would buy one if I was a jetty beach front only guy. its a big bay boat


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## Aggie007 (Jun 6, 2010)

My dad and I settled on a used 2008 2200 Bay Ranger and glad we did, just couldn't pass up the deal we found. We had a Majek commercial before this boat. We rode and fished in a ton of boats. We fish bays mainly and occassionaly when it is really flat go offshore to fish and dive. The boat will run in less than a foot of water (draft is 14-15in) and rides awesome in the chop; just put the bow down and let it eat it up. It is a quite boat, so if you have kids that like to slam livewells  no worries. We can ski and tube behind the boat as well, for an all around boat you can't beat it. Lots of storage and finished out well. It is a heavy boat, so it isn't the fastest on the water as top speed is 51 mph. The boat is now 5 yrs old with 350 hours and you can barely tell it isn't a brand new boat.


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## kapnbill (Aug 18, 2013)

*Ranger 2200*

Congrats! Wish I had found it!


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## bbru (Apr 9, 2010)

Had a 2300 myself, and it was awesome boat. I went through some big waves and swells in that boat and never got wet. Whoever said they are wet has obviously never been in one.


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## ShawnQ (May 21, 2004)

I own a 2003 Ranger 2300, sold a 2009 skeeter zx20 to get it. Both great boats. It wouldn't be fair to compare the 23'4" Ranger to the 20' skeeter...so I won't. I do prefer Ranger's service - lots of help, even on a 10yr old boat. If a small item breaks, you'll probably have it shipped to you for nothing...

I know of a few 2300s for sale if anyone is looking, pm me.


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