Anyone know about Shamrock Boats?

[reelhandy]

I'm going to look at a 1991 Shamrock 200 SE tomorrow that seems to be in really good shape. Has anyone had any experience with these and if so what do you think of them for fishing in the area? It's got an inboard 302 with keel drive so I'm thinking that as far as fishing the flats one would have to be very careful since it drafts about 2', but aside from skinny water fishing I'm thinking it would be a good boat for the area. All points of view are welcome.

[silverking]

Good rep for solid build, very seaworthy. Bad combo for the flats with the keel drive. Running gear in a very dangerous position with the moveable rocks.

Unless you're planning on fishing mostly the nearshore reefs and grouper/snapper, I'd keep looking.

[RCS]

No personal experience with them, but I've always heard they were quality boats with a great reputation. Good luck, hope everything works out for you.

[CaptReelThyme]

Great well built boat, but I agree with Silverking. Keel drives are are a little dangerous for inshore. I am always on the look out in the flats and I draft less than half of what the Shamrock does... Lot of great boats still out there, I would keep looking as well.

[Harmsway]

Go for it.

[Harmsway]

I had a 20' Shamrock Pilothouse with a 289 gasoline inboard. Darn thing looked like Popeye's boat. Should never have sold it. Fished mostly offshore back then. I would be comfortable fishing it inshore south of the stake line or, like you said, carefully, in 4-ft or deeper almost anywhere around here.

[reelhandy]

Thanks for the input. It's a tough decision. I don't think there is any one boat that fills the bill for fishing everywhere around there. The pros and cons of the boat keep going through my head and at times I really want it, and then 5 minutes later I don't. I love fishing the flats and oyster bars in my little aluminum boat. In fact when I'm looking at boats for sale I am always on the lookout for something made of aluminum in a V hull with more room. To me the perfect inshore boat for the area is 18' to 20' and is made of aluminum, not fiberglass. I've always wanted a deep v center console though, and my head turns at every nice one that I see. I can almost hear that 302 rumbling out the stern right now as I write this and that makes me want it........I'm pretty sure that boats can make you sick in the head.
More than likely in the end the guy will want more than I am willing to pay anyway, or I'll just come to my senses at just the right moment. We'll see.

[lonesouth]

How about an aluminum Starcraft hull, with a 302 and a berkly jet? I could be talking nonsense...

[Danver]

Check out the Xpress boats

[Badbagger]

The Shamrock is an awesome boat. Fished out of one when I lived up north. Now, I've got a 19' G3 center console that I picked up in January. Plenty of room and light weight and towing it with my 6 banger Tacoma is really ez. I looked at the Xpress boats and hard. They make a nice bay boat but folks are very proud of them and their prices show it.
The only issue I really had with Xpress was research showed me folks experienced a significant amount of problems with bad welds. To make it worse, Xpress wouldn't stand behind their boats in many cases I read about. Just google Xpress boats bad welds. That brought me to the G3. This is the 3rd G3 I have owned since 2003. I started with a 1652 CC, moved up to a 1756CC which I sold it December and found this boat in Atlanta and purchased it from a elderly chap with a whole 15 hours on it. He paid just under $25k for it and I have the original receipts. I picked it up for well under $15k and the engine is under warranty thru 2015. So far, so good. They are light which is both good and bad at the same time. When it's windy, you'll get blown around a bit and in the chop since it's not a deep v, you'll need to hang on. It's all about trade offs like anything else and there is no perfect boat. But for us, this is the perfect compromise. About to add a T-Top and a Lowrance HDS Gen2 unit since it just came with a basic Garmin FF.

[reelhandy]

Well I passed on the Shamrock. It was a nice clean boat and it purred like a kitten, but the trade off of that deep draft caused by the keel was a problem. The trailer was a problem. The no-dicker $10K price was a problem. Transporting to Fl was a problem.....but for the right purpose and person that boat would be sweet. That boat would be great on the Chesapeake.
I tell myself everyday to just wait and get something down there when the time is right, but.........
I like the G3's, but I already have a modified V with that Lowe and I know the pounding wet ride a good chop gives with that hull. Don't get me wrong I love my little Lowe for what I can do with it back in the creeks and around the oyster bars, but I want something that can do some of what the Lowe can do and some of what the Shamrock can do.

[reelhandy]

If I was down there now I'd definitely want to check this one out.
http://lakecity.craigslist.org/boa/3045610444.html

On closer inspection though it looks like the motor on that boat is a lot older than the hull.

[setty7]

Check out Key West boats! Good, solid, reputable boat. We have a 1700 Sportsman and we love every bit of it! Can fish 3 people comfotably and you can go a good bit out but using common sense. Can draft in less than 2 ft of water.

[Harmsway]

Have faith, reelhandy. Getting a boat is sorta like getting a cat; you don't pick them, they pick you.
:smt007skeeter

[reelhandy]

Will, it looks like one picked me. It's an 18' Parker with a 115 2 stroke Yammy.