New to salt water boating. Need info.

[BayGulf]

Hello:

I am trying to get good information on what types of boat I should be considering. I am new to the Florida panhandle and will be doing most of my fishing in the bays near Appalachicola. However, I will want to venture into the gulf, perhaps 10 miles offshore to take advantage of some of the reefs.

Since most of the use will be in the bays, I will want a boat that is good for that kind of fishing. My forays into the gulf will be on calm days only. There are also king fish runs outside the bays, but only a couple of miles outside, that I would like to take advantage of.

Is it advisable to use something like a 20 foot bay boat with a 100-ish horsepower engine to go outside the bays?

Can you recommend a good source of information that will help me learn the details of what kind of boat I should be shopping for? I will also appreciate any advice you have if you have solved this problem for yourself.

Also, can you recommend how I learn the safety and seamanship issues that I need to know.

I'm used to fishing a 14 foot aluminum boat with 15hp in fresh water, so this is all new to me.


Thanks.
BayGulf

[Flint River Pirate]

I'm used to fishing a 14 foot aluminum boat with 15hp in fresh water, so this is all new to me.

If you watch the wetaher, that boat will work for the flats. Several of us use a jon boat. welcome to the forum. Be careful out there.

[big bend gyrene]

Is it advisable to use something like a 20 foot bay boat with a 100-ish horsepower engine to go outside the bays?

Absolutely. I've got a 22' Panga with a 90 and go offshore regularly but never have wished I had a smaller boat for offshore... For what it's worth, got a friend with an 18' Panga skiff who goes out deep much less often on his boat, opting to go with me if he wants to hit waters more than about 18' deep.

If you stay real close to shore, that 14' you've already got will put you on some great inshore fishing. Caution again though if you're headed out far at all, sometimes those "calm days only" are few and far between... and sometimes the one's that start calm have a way of not ending that way. Just my .02.

[RED ZONE 48]

TAKE A BOATER SAFETY COURSE , from the coast guard or FWC. you will learn a lot of what you need. and make some good contacts .

[BayGulf]

I have used the 14 foot aluminum in the bays and it is OK, but the weather has to be very calm. A chop of more than a foot is pretty bouncy. Putting 40 pounds of sandbag in the bow helps smooth things out. I stay within sight of the boat launch or at least very close to land.

[Natureboy]

Cuz I have been using a 14 foot lowe john boat with a johnson 9.9 at ecky and aucilla for years and it has worked great. just put ya a bilge pump in. Heck yeah it will be a little bumpy out there but we have caught a lot of fish out of it. It has been my boat of choice lately. I have a Donzi ZFC35 that is in Pensacola collecting dust since this oil spill. We have an older Mako 1901 but that 14 foot john boat is easier to fish the places we go. And if I aint fishing blue water I want to catch reds. Yall can have them trout. Quit dreaming and go fishin

[Chill-N-Grill]

I have a 2008 zx20 for sale if your looking for a bay boat. Lots of extras. 25,000

[Jumptrout51]

A 14 foot jon boat is not the best boat for the Apalach area.
The chill n grill boat would a really good boat for everything you mention.

[onefishtwofish]

Bay boat sounds like whatcha want. Don't sell your aluminum and ya still got a skinny watery boat. Amen to boaters safety. Get a VHF and SeaTow as well.

[redbelly7]

Look at Pathfinder Bay boats. I have an 1806, but at some point, I'll have a 22'. They are good for skinny water and built to last.

[leesburgga]

I use a Mako 191 (19') bay boat with a 90hp and fish exactly as you are describing -- flats, nearshore trolling and nearshore reefs. Been out 6-9 miles many times in it. The 191 has rolled gunnels making it a mcuh dryer boat. You are getting some great advice in the posts above. Take it all in and give it some thought. Good luck.

[What a mess]

I started with a 16' bass tracker and caught some nice fish. The first day I took it out two firefighters from Macon died in one around St Marks. It was rough that day. It made me think in time I upgraded to an older Hewes Redfisher. I never could get comfortable in that boat the back sat to low and waves would roll in. I have seen people pass us by in a Jon boat when we were in an ofshore boat but on hold because of a summer storm outside of the mouth of the Suawanee. I have a 2380 Carolina Skiff now and it is a great boat for inshore. There are folks that take them offshore regularly, I am not one of those folks. I have a buddy that had a 24" Ranger bay and he got caught in a storm in 6' of water near Keaton and a lessor boat might not have made it. His children were sitting on the foor in chest deep water the bildge pump and self bailers couldn't keep up with the rain and waves breaking over the boat. He is a great captain and said for the 1st time in forty years he was pretty sure they wouldn't make it. I sunk a 14' Jon in Reed Bingham state park we got hit by a wave. Fishing is fun water is lethal you don't just take your life in your hands but anyone in the boat. Its not be safe or you will be sorry it is be safe or you will be dead. I carried a client back in January we had a nice day. The next week he went to Cresent lake he and his two brothers all lifelong outdoorsman in thier sixties spent six hours in 50 degree water and lived. All were experianced fisherman no alcohol was involved. The were running from a strom and were flipped no one came to rescue them. No radio, no float plan, just God's mercy. The bay boat is pretty cool the Panga is to. No boat will ever do it all to the max there will be a trade off made along the way. The most important safety feature in any boat is the operator, but if you fish long enough you will get caught in some bad weather and with some luck, skill and God's mercy you may survive to fish another day. There is a good chance if you paid for the gas you could get several guys from the forum to take you fishing in some different boats. That might help you to get an idea how they handle.

WAM OUT

[Harmsway]

Establish your budget. Then get the biggest newest bay boat you can afford.

[Flint River Pirate]

Also decide what type of fishing interests you the most and buy that boat. A wise old boat salesman once told me to buy the boat that is suited for the type of fishing you do 90 percent of the time.