John,
This is Rick talking through Russ' computer as I have no ability to post from home or work. I frequently read the board and I agree the bar is sky high. Any way, I digress, Bass finishes like a dream. It is a hardwood though not nearly as dense as many other species and as such it doesn't suck up epoxy at all. A little puddle of epoxy goes a longggg way. This is good since it helps trade of the weight factor. Bass comes in slight variattions of colour from stark white to a pine yellow. If you use the stark white boards it will be the lightest brightest wood available.

I choose bass for my lake kayak for practical reasons. I wanted to build a fun boat for lakes but had an extremly limited budget. I inhearted some ancient mahogany from my father through his brother(original intended use was to finish a 40ft schooner) So I had a dark wood for accent but needed a light wood for the bulk of the boat. Couldn't afford pre ripped and beaded cedar so I looked localy for something. I kept comming back to bass at 2.35 a bd ft. I couldn't do it cheeper then that. Once Russ and I ripped a few boards we realized what a dream this was to work. I can honestly say that after working with redwood, cedars, oak, ash and mahogany, nothing compared. Russ has linked a PIC of the boat earlier so you can get an idea for the finish form that- it is a good representation of the true colour.
Now I wouldn't recomend this wood as a primary wood for a long boat as the weight would realy be amplified but for a 16 foot or less it is certainly an option. As for accent it really can heighten the beauty of any dark wood next to it. Now that my novel is done, enjoy the journey.
Cheers
Rick