Hybrid and bay boats, What are the best quality brands?

[dogman11]

We are buying a place in Bradenton, Fl that is on the water with a 10k lift. We are wanting a boat that will float shallow enough to fish the flats for trout, snook, redfish, and tarpon but yet go out in the gulf on the right days (no wind) to fish for snapper, grouper, tripletail, blackfin tuna, etc.
I have been a bass tournament fisherman for nearly 40yrs and know who builds the best quality stuff but don't have a clue about saltwater. My son and I stopped at a couple dealerships and looked at a few. Saw a Caymas 28 HB liked it but have concerns about it being too big to fish the flats they say it drafts 16". Looked at a Pathfinder 2500 Hybrid that has the a second tower and a big front deck with what i call a flippin deck like a bass boat they say it drafts 13" and will run 55mph with a 350 yamaha. Yellowfin makes a 24 as well with the tower which would be great for seeing the tarpon and the bait. Boat has to double as dinner/cruiser to all the great dive/bar spots to take momma to dinner up and down the coast from say Clearwater to Fort Myers. For you guys that fish like this what are the best built boats for quality I'm not into cheap stuff that's not built well?

 

[SDHNTR]

Yellowfin. Everglades. Parker. Grady White. Boston Whaler. Scout. SeaVee. Contender. To name a few. Pick the model that has the features you want. All quality. You get what you pay for. Cheap boats in saltwater = a nightmare. Don’t buy some off brand. I own a Parker. It’s a well built, no frills, utilitarian boat that I feel safe in. Don’t skimp, it’s life or death on the ocean.

Look at the hardware. The latches and hinges. Are they stainless and thru bolted? Or plastic and screwed. That will tell you a lot about a boat’s build quality. Cheap boats use cheap hardware.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

i recommend taking your search over to the hull truth. sdhuntr's list is all good choices spanning the spectrum, but there are a bunch of other worthy options too. in general, shallow draft is going to kill your performance in rough seas, unless you do a catamaran, but there are not many small cats. if it were me, i'd probably be looking to use a bigger offshore boat to mothership some hobie kayaks or paddleboards into the flats, rather than having to pick my days to go offshore.

 

[CHGray]

You’re on the right track. What’s your budget?

300k+ - Freeman 28, Costa 264, Everglades 273, Caymas 291, Barker 26.

200-250+ - Caymas 281 HB, Pathfinder 2700, Calcutta 27, Canyon Bay 28, Sportsman 267, Yellowfin 26, Sea cat 262, Seavee270

150+ - Caymas 26hb, Blackjack 256, Sportsman 247, Blazer Bay 2700 and 2440, Robolo 266 Cayman and 246 Cayman, Everglades 243, Pathfinder again.

Bunch of other options out there. Scout, Regulator 24/26 XO, Contender Bay.

There are some 22’ models from most of those builders but you’ll really have to pick your days offshore. The pathfinders and Caymas have stepped hulls which really help the ride quality.

I run the Coast Guard station in Pensacola, FL. If you’re going offshore….Buy a PLB, wear your kill switch when running, life jackets where you can get them quick. Seen a lot of tragic stuff happen to experienced boaters and fisherman.

Happy boat hunting! Im in the same boat as you shopping for one.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Albury Brothers offerings are classic and first class.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

How shallow do you need to run in the flats? Here in TX Shallowsport is popular for real skinny stuff, the bigger Haynie Cat sounds like it could fit the bill nicely for you as it's heavy with a smoother ride. People take all sorts of stuff offshore down here on good days. If you don't need to run in 8" of water then that changes things.

 

[yfarm]

Cat Cat Cat
Single engine your choices are limited as are your offshore uses, twin engine offshore is better downside is draft.
I don’t get hybrid, tells me suboptimal function in all conditions.
Money no object
LCB 20 for the bay
Freeman 29 or 34 offshore.
If you must have one to do both
Costa 26 or Freeman 28
For disclosure, my bay boats are Curlew 17 and a Twin Vee Baycat 19, latter has been used hard for 10 yrs off Key West for lobstering and inshore.
In the family for offshore 2 33 Freemans and a 29. Am a fully committed cat boater. Previously owned a Prowler 25 as a bridge boat between a CV 34 and the Freeman 29 hull #3

 

[Beendare]

My criteria is different from yours...but I have a spread sheet I made up I can send you if you ping me your email.

I am not looking for "The Best". I am looking for very good but something I can trailer with my Ram 1500 and I want to keep it all in at under 6,000#....closer to 5,500# actually. I will set up the trailer with EOH. I prefer 24' over 22' and I want a head or PP for my wife and long days.

Some of the top brands are $180k+ new/loaded for 22'-25'and lots of those are too heavy for what I want. Get into 26'-28' and it's easy to spend $250k. With you having a dock, I WOULD go bigger/heavier 26 foot minimum- those handle the seas so much better.

I'm trying to keep it under $120k or possibly just buy used.

So for example in my criteria, the Sportsman Masters 247Bay is 3,940 dry....which puts it right at my 6,000# limit or likely a little more all in.

Some of these come with the New Sea Keeper units which is worth a look especially for me as my wife gets sea sick easy. Sea keeper cuts the roll and pitch by 45% minimum.

I am on the west coast so I have to factor $$$$ for shipping and anything over 8'6" beam is more.

 

[yfarm]

Prowler 25 or Calcutta or Costa. The Prowler has been around the longest, all are no wood all composite construction. I have had a Prowler in knee deep water at idle and got out to wade fish. have run it out to the air force towers 65 miles nw of KW then down to Ft Jefferson and back to KW in a day. Its a light boat at 2600 lbs dry w/o motors. Mine had twin 200 Yam, most came with 140-150 Suzukis. The Calcutta 26 is more biased towards the bay or near shore dive boat and has been rigged with single or twin engines. All three are well constructed, well engineered boats and would have no concerns about hull integrity buying used rather than new. My Prowler was bought well used from the second owner, first used it as a personal ferry boat between fl and his house in the Bahamas, current owner (4) uses it for bluefins off maine. 2002 hull on its third set of motors since new. All three can be towed with a half ton truck. All three are built in Fl, two close to Bradenton. I tend to buy used with recent motors, have yet to be burned buying quality boats over the last 35 years.

 

[Boarmaster]

I’m from down that way and know the waters very well in SWFL.

Gause Boats are the pinnacle of Bay Boats in my opinion. I think they are built in or around Clearwater. Well built , shallow draft and work equally as well for fishing as a family boat. Great service and renovation services at the manufacturer.

Dorado is another very high quality boat built for the Gulf Coast area.

Another very top end bay boat is Sheaffer Boats.

None if these are your typical production boat.

Less expensive but still good quality is East Cape. They now make a 25 ft bay boat that looks very nice.
They are a small Florida based manufacturer.

 

[willtim]

I have a new Hell's Bay Estero. I looked at Sea Vee, Gause, Young, Scaeffer, Everglades, Barker, Yellowfin, etc, etc. No build quality or fit/finish approached the Hell's Bay.

 

[yfarm]

In my lifetime of boating I have found the best objective measure of quality is time and use. Quality of build will eventually become apparent over use in the environment for which it was designed. Find a three to five year old boat of the brand and model you are considering and examine in detail preferably by an experienced user. Fit and finish can be assessed new but quality of construction only with time and use.

 

[Fitzwho]

I live too far from the coast to look at boats as often as I do. From what you are saying, a few of what I would look at have already been mentioned:
Shallowsport X3 28-ft (the 25 would likely get you covered, but the 28 gives you dual outboards).
Young Boats: Young 24 or Gulfshore 26 or Gulfshore 24 High Side
Islamorada Boatworks 24 or 27
Costa Custom 264

If I ever get around to moving back closer to the gulf, the Young Boats Salt River 23 or Shallowsport X3 25 would be my choice for the middle Texas Coast.

 

[KHNC]

Here is what I have. I have bass fished my entire life and currently own a home at Lake Murray, SC on the water. We go to the coast multiple times a year to go after trout, reds, flounder and snook. Currently, we are leaving 6/21 for Brandenton FL for 8 days. We rented a house with a dock and ramp on the water. Cant wait to get down there.
This is a 2022 Blazer Bay 675 Ultimate Bay 22' flats boat. Merc 300 Pro XS. Runs 72 loaded to fish with one person. I just installed dual 10' power pole blades a few weeks ago. I have two Lowrance HDS Live 9's at the console and two HDS Live 12's at the bow. I run dual AT2 setups on a Motorguide Tour pro 109 TM. LOTS of storage, but no rod lockers. However, the 2025 675 now has ROD LOCKERS!! LONG over due upgrade. I installed WBV Fox air shox under the seats as well. These are similar to shockwaves. Takes rough water well. Believe, if you have ever fished Murray when a storm blew in , you will know that I know what im talking about. Drafts 10-12" with a 14" Bobs Hydro Jack. Aquatraction Flooring. Easily rides 5 comfortably. This is the type of boat you are looking for , to do exactly what you are wanting for the area you are moving to.

 

[OXN939]

Lots of good suggestions above. Just an anecdote from yesterday... watched some dude in one of those 27'ish hybrid bay boats fighting for his life at sunrise trying to access a flat that was obviously host to a lot of activity. Sun wasn't quite vertical enough to see depth contours clearly, and my guy found and probably named a sandbar. Ran right by him in my skiff and slammed a quick limit of reds on topwater.



Not saying a skiff is the answer to what you want, but a 27 foot boat is truly not a very good platform for most kinds of inshore fishing. The maritime industry makes millions of dollars every year selling dudes way more boat than they'll ever use

 

[KHNC]

Lots of good suggestions above. Just an anecdote from yesterday... watched some dude in one of those 27'ish hybrid bay boats fighting for his life at sunrise trying to access a flat that was obviously host to a lot of activity. Sun wasn't quite vertical enough to see depth contours clearly, and my guy found and probably named a sandbar. Ran right by him in my skiff and slammed a quick limit of reds on topwater.

View attachment 888681

Not saying a skiff is the answer to what you want, but a 27 foot boat is truly not a very good platform for most kinds of inshore fishing. The maritime industry makes millions of dollars every year selling dudes way more boat than they'll ever use

Florida i assume? On west coast or east? Cant wait to get back down to catch some reds and snook.

 

[fatlander]

Sea Hunt BX22 BR is a good hybrid boat. I’ve fished off one a bit in the keys. It does a good job of scratching both itches.

For flats/bay (still considered inshore) stuff a Carolina skiff is hard to beat for the money.

For true offshore stuff, having two motors really lends to reliability.

Our family has 21 foot skiff for inshore stuff and seahunt gamefish 27 for offshore. A tool that does everything does nothing well.


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[OXN939]

Florida i assume? On west coast or east? Cant wait to get back down to catch some reds and snook.

Yeah panhandle area. I used to do a lot of offshore fishing, but the inshore ecosystem down here is so sick I truly don't feel motivated to get up at 2 and spend 500 bucks on gas to fish pelagics anymore. And the first mate loves it

 

[Beendare]

From what you described, those low gunnel shallowsport type boats will be uncomfortable in choppy waters of the gulf.

A Jackplate is a must for your area shallow water use.

"Quality" bigger boats are typically heavier and draft little more. This is by design as heavier stronger builds handle better in big water. There are quality built shallow drafting boats- but they are not as versatile as some other hybrid designs.

I currently have a boat that squeezes into very shallow water....but it's wet and sucks in 3' chop- terrible actually.

So it's a trade off. Drive the Manatee river there and see what boats everyone has. My bet is you will go with more of a Hybrid.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Another vote for mothershipping kayaks/paddle boards into the flats. A good hobie on a deeper water boat will wreck a lot of fish for you.