BigBendFishing.Net

I will be spending a lot more time fishing in the St. Joe, Indian Pass, Apalachacola area and am looking to buy a fishing boat. I had planed to get the 17' version of one of these (http://ankonaboats.com/ankb2_006.htm), but am getting concerned it might be too small. I plan to do mostly inshore fishing, but those bays look like they can get pretty choppy, and I'd also like to try going off shore a bit in calm weather. Are there any rules to go by when buying a boat for these waters?

I agree with your assessment and would buy a larger boat for those waters

I should add I'm looking for something relatively simple to maintain and affordable to run.

Most of my fishing experience has been in the Cocoa Beach area where the ability to run in very skinny watter is important. When folks in the Port St. Joe/Indian Pass/Apalachacola area talk about "flats", how deep of water are they refering to? How shallow of a draft will I need for inshore fishing?

You can catch fish on the flats from 8 inches to 8 feet. How deep you wanna draft is personal call.My boat drafts ten in. but take some water you don't want to be in.But I aint gonna run off shore in it.

My advise .... DON'T. Boats are one of the 3 F's to financial ruin ... float .... rent don't buy!

I know you aren't going to listen to that great advice, but the boat you were looking at would be fine on most days. Just have to watch the weather.

Not only can those bays get choppy, they can get ugly and dangerous in a hurry some days. In the spring there are very few days they aren't bumpy. If you live near there, have the time and can pick your days when you go on the spur of the moment, and will never have more than 2 of you on the boat, that kind of boat would be good for shallow water fishing. Up here you won't be running mangrove lined channels, you will be crossing large open bays. I've seen honest 6 foot waves on St Joe (not from a boat...).
For safety and to be able to get out more I'd look into something bigger. The larger high dollar flats boats are supposed to handle chop well but I've never been in one. Hire a guide with one and see how it rides. Ask people you see with that kind of boat. I personally for this area prefer my nearly 20 foot bay boat. It's a lot more versatile and I know it will handle 2-3 foot chop.

You can also go to Wefings Marine and rent boats daily if you wanted to check the area out.They have some nice bay and flats boats you try out.

Can someone explain the difference between a bay and flats boat? Higher sides? Deeper draft? Deeper V? Any suggestions for an easy to maintain, low cost to operate, bay boat? Where did you buy yours?

Thanks for all the help!

I WOULD LOOK VERY SERIOUSLY AT THE G3 AND SEA ARK BOATS. I HAVE FISHED OUT OF BOTH OF THESE BOATS AND THEY ARE VERY SAFE. THE G3 IS A LITTLE LESS COST OF BUYING AND OPERATING, I WOULD PREFERE THE SEA ARK, IT IS BUILT LIKE A TANK AND VERY SEA WORTHY IN SEAS UP TO ABOUT 5 FT. IF YOU ARE A GOOD SEAMAN. I AM CURRENTLY USING A 18 STARCRAFT WITH A OLD 1985 85HP EVINRUDE, HAVE A SMALL 5 HP TROLLING MOTOR AS A SPARE. THERE ARE A LOT OF LOWES ALUM. BOATS OUT ON THE FLATS AND THEY SEEM TO BE SAFE BOATS TO FISH FROM, HAVING A LOT OF COMMON SENCE GOES A LONG WAY WITH ANY SIZE BOAT OUT ON THE WATER. AS SUGGESTED EARLIER , RENT ONE AT A TIME AND TRY THEM OUT ON THE BAY AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF, NO ONE CAN DO THIS FOR YOU.
PA
SEMPER FI

Thom wrote:Can someone explain the difference between a bay and flats boat? Higher sides? Deeper draft? Deeper V? Any suggestions for an easy to maintain, low cost to operate, bay boat? Where did you buy yours?

Thanks for all the help!

Bay boats are a hybrid between a vee bottom center console and a flats boat. Above the water line they have open decks like a center console, but with lower gunwales. The bottom is usually a shallow vee and shaped like a flats boat. Designs vary but you can get some very shallow running bay boats. My 18' Tidewater bay boat draws only 10" of water and has the center console configuration that allows me to use it for other purposes. I can take the whole family on cruising trips, scallopping, diving, tubing, etc. I feel a shallow running bay boat is probably the best compromise boat for this area assuming you don't want to go to far offshore.

If you are thinking about a bay boat, take a hard look at pathfinders and scouts. Both great boats. Also blazer bay makes a boat that looks an awful lot like a pathfinder and much less expensive. Never fished on one, but know a few people with them and they seem pleased. You can fish pretty shallow and go offshore when it is nice. Aluminum boats are great for fishing rocky areas, but they ride a little worse in rough water than a fiberglass boat. You can't go wrong either way. Good luck

I'll toss in my opinion. I've owned 3 G3 boats in the time it took me to find ONE SeaArk. G3's are a really nice well built boat and having owned 3, I am NOT knocking them. Having said that, I am just now finishing up a 3 month project rebuilding an 18' LOA and 72" bottom SeaArk Center Console. A link to the build is below and there are photos and a LOT of info there and you can SEE the actual construction of these boats in my fabrication photos. There is no comparison between the two. G3 is a really great boat. However, a SeaArk is plain and simple as Futch said, built like a damn TANK. I think I could take a direct hit from a hand grenade and keep on running. They're a fairly rare boat for these parts but they can be had. I found mine on Craigslist. You're more than welcome to have a look at mine, it's currently at Shields being rigged with a new 115 Etec. I'd anticipate with the 115 on it that I'll end up with a max speed of around 50 mph. Hull is rated for a 140 and I wouldn't want to be driving WOT with a 140 lol. That'd put ya at 65 to 70+ possibly.

Here's a link to my build - 28 pages of reading and counting.


http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic ... 1ca0a982bb

Sea arks shouldn't be that hard to find. Big bend marine has a pile of them. Lots of nice fiberglass boats also. They sell scout, pathfinder and Parkers among others. Call Fred Morgan, he will get you set up. Excellent service also. Good luck

The skiff that you are looking at is just that. A specialized skinny water poling skiff. A dream in 10" of water, able to run across the bay on a good day, well built and light as a feather. As several others have said St Joe Bay and St. George Sound can get REAL REAL ROUGH.....real fast. I have owned a much larger and more seaworthy high end flats skiff for many years, and fished those bays a lot. From my experience you are borderline between needing a larger 18 to 20' Flats boat or a similar size Bay Boat. The bay boat will not fish as quiet or as shallow, but will take you thru the rough stuff with more safety and comfort. While some on here might disagree those big bays and light offshore are no place for a flat bottom boat with low sides, no motorwell, minimal bilge pump, and a deck design that will not quickly self bail if you take a green one over the bow or stern.

As others mentioned a shallow running 18 to 20' bay boat is the right tool for the job.

Thanks for all the input! The more I learn, the more interested I'm getting in Panga style boats. Seems like the perfect boat for the Apalachacola/Port St. Joe area. Shallow draft, but able to handle decent chop. Any thoughts or comments?