Skeeter Boats claim the title as having produced the very first bass boat back in 1948, and celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2008. That boat was designed and produced by Skeeter Founder, Holmes Thurmond in Marshall Texas. Skeeter was celebrating its 25th anniversary when most of the other major bass boat builders were just getting started, the 70s, what is now known as the bass boat boom.

In 1983, the Coleman Company (yes, the camping company) purchased Skeeter Boats. They owned and operated the growing company until Yamaha acquired Skeeter in 1994. In 1996, Skeeters began being exclusively packaged with Yamaha Outboards. Skeeter is operated today in Kilgore, Texas.