At 17'6" long, the Z-6 is big enough for two or three guys to chase after bass, and stable enough to let anglers wander around on the casting platforms without getting tipsy.

No-Haggle Pricing

You won't have to argue over the price like you were buying a carpet at a Moroccan souk: Nitro's policy is no-haggle pricing, and they publish all prices on their website. Before you walk into the dealership, you know what the boat you want will cost. Save your haggling skills for buying a new pickup to tow it.

The Nitro Z-6 comes with a 115-hp Mercury Pro XS OptiMax outboard, a trailer, MotorGuide trolling motor, Lowrance fishfinder, fishing seats fore and aft, baitwell, cooler, stowage – heck, even a paddle – for $19,995 plus prep and shipping.



Bass boats are all about stowage, and the Z-6 has plenty. The lockers on either side of the forward rod locker can also handle rigs to 7', and are lockable.

Is She Flimsy?

At Nitro Boats, a low price doesn't mean second-rate construction. The Z-6 has a hand-laid fiberglass hull backed up with a foam-filled 'glass stringer system and composite transom. The console is molded fiberglass with sparkly gelcoat, and the cockpit floor and all fishing surfaces are carpeted for secure, comfortable footing. There's a heavy-duty rubrail to protect the hull should you decide to tie up alongside.



There's full instrumentation at the helm, including water-pressure and trim gauges, plus a flush-mounted Lowrance Mark-5X fishfinder.

Accommodations

The Z-6 comes with all the stuff you expect on a bass boat. There's a single console topped with a tinted windscreen; a second console is optional -- given its modest cost ($535), we recommend it. Steering is rack-and-pinion; dual rack-and-pinion, with or without a tilt wheel, and hydraulic steering are all options. Hydraulic adds $770; we'd choose dual rack-and-pinion, no tilt wheel, for $175. (With tilt, it's $250.)

Three bucket seats in the cockpit provide comfortable seating enroute to the fishing hole, even though the passenger in the middle seat doesn't have a console or windshield for shelter. We'd let the kid sit there. Both outer seats have stowage underneath.



Three-across seating is standard, but we'd add the optional console to give the port-side seat some protection. Let a kid sit in the middle. Under-seat stowage is handy, too.

There's lockable rod stowage under the foredeck with tubes for four 7' rigs, plus room for more rigs in side lockers. A drop-in box aft is sized for tackle trays, and a 48-qt cooler lives under the step onto the forward deck. There's easy access to batteries (two are standard: one for the outboard and systems, one for the trolling motor) and pumps, too. A 2-bank, 4-amp battery charger is standard; upgrading to a 20-amp charger adds $145.



A 28-gal. divided live well sits on the centerline aft of the cockpit, flanked by two more stowage lockers.

Propulsion

There are no choices here: The Mercury 115 ProXS OptiMax is the only motor available, and 115-hp is the maximum recommended. We haven't tested this boat, but with its almost-flat bottom (12 degrees deadrise aft) and loaded weight of approximately 2,400 lbs. (1,300 lbs boat and motor, 1,100 lbs crew and gear), we'd expect the boat to be fast enough, but not nosebleed-fast. Nitro estimates speed at 52 to 55 mph, which sounds reasonable to us. But don't hold us to it; these are not our numbers.



Four 7' rigs will fit in the lockable rod stowage, with room under them for tackle boxes or odds and ends. The carpet is marine-grade, and provides secure, comfortable footing on all flat surfaces.

Extras You'll Want

Aside from what we've already mentioned, there isn't much you really need, but some things you'll want. Adding a second fishfinder on the bow costs $195, and upgrading the trolling motor to a Pro Series, $200. An automatic switch for the standard bilge pump costs $125. Upgrading the brakes on the trailer adds $300; a spare tire, $165. Even if you go crazy, you'll get the boat for around $23,000, plus freight.



The pedestal seat aft and bike seat forward are both standard, as is the trolling motor with foot switch. We think the Z-6 is a good deal for the money.

Recommendations

What's not to like about the Nitro Z-6? It's affordable, and will get you out where the fish are. Nitro's no-haggle pricing makes it easy to buy the boat, too. Speed demons will want a boat with more horsepower, but if there's any chop at all the 115-hp Mercury will push you fast enough to be uncomfortable, so we're cool with that power. If you really need the speed, check out Nitro's Z-8: With its optional 250-hp OptiMax, it runs in the mid-70s (but costs $36,195 with that power, too.) We'll go slower and save a few bucks.