jdgator
Senior Member
look into Tidewater and Scout boats also.
This.
look into Tidewater and Scout boats also.
Man that 19’ Bay Boat looks nice. I fish on a scout with a buddy on the gulf… don’t think they make a smaller bay boat but the sport fish sure looks like it fits the bill.This.
Man that 19’ Bay Boat looks nice. I fish on a scout with a buddy on the gulf… don’t think they make a smaller bay boat but the sport fish sure looks like it fits the bill.
Scout 195 Sportfish - 19' Sport Fishing Boat
The Scout 195 Sportfish is over 19 feet and offers a vast amount of space onboard for moving around or landing that big catch of the day. Powered by Yamaha.scoutboats.com
I spent a lot of time in my youth in coastal Carolina gillnetting from a 23’ Jones Brother deep vee. I wasn’t scared of anything in that boat - even had water mid calf at the helm getting nets up in a storm on the Neuse.Try to get to at least 20 feet for a better ride.
I understand cost is a concern for most of us, but I heard it from folks that make a living on the salt. The longer the boat, the better the ride.
A Carolina skiff will beat your teeth out with the slightest bit of chop. I had a 19 foot lsv and my family hated it.
No way I'd go from a 21 to 19 no matter the brand
I've went from a 15 to a 17 to a 18 to a 19.5 and my next boat will be a 22 at minimum preferably a 24 if the market gets more normal. He's wanting to fish around SSI so I'd want a 21 minimum to run out to the near shore reefs. I like having the room and the storage with the smoother ride. Even in South ga I see way worse than jet ski wakes so if that's all you see then I'd say you're lucky.Why do you say that?
It’s a tight squeeze at some of these launches… rivers and shallow reservoirs when the draw down.
I haven’t seen anything more than jet ski wake in these lakes. No fetch and no tides makes it hard to not want a smaller bay boat.
In 1983 we went to the Jacksonville boat show with the intent to buy a boat. I wanted to see the Grady Whites among others. We ended up having a 20' walk around cabin built for us by, of all people, Chapparel. The deal we got from Outboard Inc. was just to good to pass up. Plus I didn't really know what I was dong.
Our main thing was fishing Kingfish tournaments and I rigged that boat up with a large round livewell, extra fuel tanks, electric downrigger etc. We fished out over 30 miles on several occasions and that boat handled it all like a champ for over 10 years when we sold it.
It had a wooden transom and wood stringers and when I would add something like a livewell pump, transducer etc. I was very careful to use plenty of marine silicon even coating the screws to try and inhibit water inclusion to that wood. I don't know how long it worked but we never had a problem.
I've been considering another boat and this time it will be all composite, no more wood transoms or stringers for me. I want one that I can fish bays and flats and adding a couple of swivel seats it will double as a bass boat.
For offshore the longer the better with a boat at 27' it really begins to bridge from one wave to the next giving a smoother ride. My brother had a wellcraft 23 coastal that we fished every year out of Marathon Fla. in the gulf stream often over 40 miles out. That was one of the best riding boats I've ever fished out of.
But my requirements now are different. While a 19' boat is small for offshore it can be a handful for one person to load and unload and effectively fish some of the tight places I need to access for my bass fishing.
So deciding on length is a problem I'm still undecided on. I'm thinking 17 to 18'.
I like the Pathfinder better than the Key West but if the KW now is all composite I would reconsider. I also liked the Scouts and almost bought one a few years back.
But honestly there are so many good boats out there I would need to start over. I will order brochures from every boat that interested me and compare them all before I ever visit a dealer.
Two different boat conversations going on here lol.I've went from a 15 to a 17 to a 18 to a 19.5 and my next boat will be a 22 at minimum preferably a 24 if the market gets more normal. He's wanting to fish around SSI so I'd want a 21 minimum to run out to the near shore reefs. I like having the room and the storage with the smoother ride. Even in South ga I see way worse than jet ski wakes so if that's all you see then I'd say you're lucky.
I'll let you know there is only about 6in difference between my buddy's k2 22 crs and my sc1960sv which is the same size as a 196 key West Bay reef when they are on the trailer.I’m still noodling on the 22 ALK2 and the 19 Key West FS. I understand you all on the coast saying go bigger but here on northern GA lakes I would like something I can get into tighter spots. I checked out some of these other makes online but it’s hard finding a dealer for bay boats in the mountains.
I’m still noodling on the 22 ALK2 and the 19 Key West FS. I understand you all on the coast saying go bigger but here on northern GA lakes I would like something I can get into tighter spots. I checked out some of these other makes online but it’s hard finding a dealer for bay boats in the mountains.