Skeeter Boats for Sale

A mosquito nose from Shreveport

Holmes Thurmond built the first Skeeter in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1948. It was just over 13 feet long, made of molded marine plywood, and got its name because its long, pointed nose looked like a mosquito. It was built for the tree-filled backwaters of Louisiana.

Skeeter was one of the first builders to use fiberglass, in the 1950s. The company moved to Marshall, then to Longview, Texas in 1961, and to Kilgore in the 1970s. In 1975 it introduced the Wrangler, a 150 hp V-bottom bass boat. Coleman, the camping company, bought Skeeter in 1983, and Yamaha bought it in 1996 for $37.5 million from Meridian Sports. Kilgore is still Skeeter's only plant.

Model lines

• FX, ZX and iClass: fiberglass bass boats. The FX is the top line.
• WX and MX: deep-V boats, which Skeeter started building in the 1990s for walleye tournaments on big northern lakes.
• SX: bay boats.

Spec sheet: the FXR20 Apex

The FXR20 Apex is Skeeter's 20-foot tournament bass boat, and Skeeter's 2024 spec page gives the numbers:

• 20'4" long with a 97-inch beam and a 17-inch draft
• 2,175 lbs standard boat weight
• 250 hp maximum on a 20-inch shaft
• 48 gallons of fuel
• Rated for 5 people or 737 lbs, with a 1,530 lb maximum load

Trailer numbers matter for a garage. The towing length is 27'2". Folding the swing-away tongue cuts it to 24'4", and with the motor trimmed vertical as well it's 23'5". Trailer width is 102 inches.

A 250 hp bass boat is likely to have been run hard. Ask whether it's been fished in tournaments and ask for the engine's hours.

What to check on a used Skeeter

The outboard. Most Skeeters are rigged with Yamaha outboards, often at or near the boat's maximum horsepower rating. Get the hours and a compression test, and ask how the boat was run. Tournament boats see a lot of wide-open throttle.

Trailer. Since 2017 Skeeter has built its own trailers in a 43,000 sq ft plant in Kilgore. Check the bunks, lights, tires and brakes. A worn trailer on a bass boat that ran the circuits is common.

Trolling motor and electronics. Bow-mount trolling motors, depth finders and shallow-water anchors cost thousands. Check that each works, and check the bow deck for cracks at the trolling motor mount.

Livewells and pumps. Run the aerators and recirculation pumps and check the livewells drain.

Hull bottom. Look at the keel and pad for gouges from beaching and shallow running.

Recalls. Look up the HIN in the Coast Guard recall database for the hull. On a Skeeter the outboard is a separate item, so give its serial number to an outboard dealer for that brand and ask about any open service bulletins.