BigBendFishing.Net

Seems that everyone agrees that the rocks between ecofina and st. marks are brutal. Is this the reason you don't see a lot of dargel skiffs or flats cat boats around here?

Seems to me a aluminum boat bout beats anything. (Hope I ain't started an argument).

Thank you for the question.

I'll be looking for some good answers because I'm trying to decide on a winter boat….glass or metal? Seems to me both have advantages and disadvantages.

Aluminum boats do have their advantages and disadvantages. Definitely more forgiving with oyster bars and similar obstacles but you can punch a hole in one on the jagged limestone rocks like we have on the eastern flats, as some forum members have experienced. Require less horsepower but also tend to pound in a chop and are very noisy, which is a problem with wary fish.

Fiberglass skiffs handle rougher water better and are generally quieter hulls if they have a modified V-bottom. But as many of us know, gelcoat and sharp, rough objects don't mix well together. It's all a trade-off as to budget, style of fishing and personal preferences or tolerances, to be more exact.

The Texas style flats cats are designed to run in shallow water, not the mixed depths found around the Big Bend. There are a few around here, although they are best suited for places like Laguna Madre and Mosquito Lagoon. Like the two examples above, tunnel hulls also have their pros and cons.