26
Apr
I did take the 19fter off shore about 20 NM once but that was a bit far. Seven miles offshore a deepwater 5-foot swell begins to make the pontoon boat feel a bit small.
In most cases the size factor comes.
Bay boats that can go offshore. The bayboat style is simply more versatile than most boats because it can go in shallow water but also venture offshore. The real key to the versatility though is the control in shallow water add to it the ability to use the motor in deep water to anchor or navigate and there is no other boat as versatile as the bayboat and specifically the Yellowfin 24 bay with twin. We have been 32 miles offshore in it and we fish all over Port Mansfield in the bay even in very shallow water.
I used to have a 26ft Boston Whaler and this boat of my sons beats it hands down in boat ride and comfort. It gets on top of the waves offshore and with the trim tabs it is just one smooth riding boat. For those that are not as fortunate the Bay Boat serves a good dual purpose platform that can fish good inshore 13-14 to float and 15-16to run on a trolly and there are many of us that.
That is why our Competition 22 and 25 are designed and built to give you maximum flexibility on the water without sacrificing safety comfort and fishability. While our Competition 22 and 25 cant get as shallow as a flats or bay boat we can do just about everything. I fish offshore nearshore and inshore in my 22 pathfinder.
But if you dont fish inshore at all something with more deadrise would be better for you. But unless you like pulling anchor Id consider something that can use an ipilot or Rhodan. Its a game changer for offshore.
Parker makes nice 21-23 offshore and bay boats. That being said I routinely run 20-30 miles offshore in a 22 Pathfinder bay boat but we pick our days. Having gone through that storm plus 30 years of other experiences gives me the ability to do this.
I know when not to push things I know when to turn around and I know when to head to the hill regardless to how good the fishing is. The Parker 2600 SH is a bay boat that excels offshore. This hybrid vessel is designed with enough beam and gunwale height to give it a remarkable amount of stability when venturing offshore.
This hybrid vessel is designed with enough beam and gunwale height to give it a remarkable amount of stability when venturing offshore. I do however carry class 1 PFDs VHF EPRIB and life raft in my 24 bay boat when I go offshore. All that being said 35 years ago we went offshore all the time in a 16 Glasstron tri-hull with a 50 merc on it as that was a big boat back then.
A bay boat is just as the name impliesa bay boat. It can go offshore on the right days and it can fish where the technical poling skiffs go but it excels at everything in between. The Yellowfin 24 bay has 3 livewells that are each 50 gallons and most people have only 2.
But if you plan to run offshore youll need to investigate construction quality and design. That said some bay boats such as the Pathfinder 2200 TE 22 feet 2 inches LOA or Sea Born FX22 Bay Sport 21 foot 9 inches LOA offer offshore fishing capability as well as the ability to sneak into shallow inshore waters. In addition to the usual required gear any boat heading into the ocean should also have a first aid kit spare flares a back-up hand-held VHF and a back-up handheld GPS.
Size Your boats size is less of a factor than it was in pervious years because modern boats are built extremely well and virtually all have floatation built-in. In most cases the size factor comes. What size boat is needed to go 25-30 miles offshore.
Posted by TopWaterTiger on 52411 at 956 am to C Ive been 30 miles off in a 22 ft single engine bay boat but it was calm and we followed another boat out. The boat is fun and manages the protected waters on Florida Bay easily. Then Skipper decides to take the boat into the Atlantic to visit a reef.
Seven miles offshore a deepwater 5-foot swell begins to make the pontoon boat feel a bit small. On the way home an afternoon thunderstorm kicks up a rough chop and adds 30-knot winds to the mix. Find a used bay boat at least 22 ft.
A big center console will be tough to fish out of in marshes and shallow lakes but you can do it all in a regular bay boat. If you go offshore you will have to pick your calm days. I fish up to 65 miles offshore regularly out of a haynie a nautic star and a shearwater but have also been a long way in a couple different 21.
Today I was cruising in heavier seas at 20-25 knots but my current boat is 25 ft mako walkaround. I did take the 19fter off shore about 20 NM once but that was a bit far. It was fine on the intercoastal and rivers and sounds bays.
I would definatly get to know the boat well in shore before I took it off shore. Enter todays bay boat an inshoreoffshore hybrid from 22 to 27 feet more or less with the essentials for skinny-water fishing low freeboard 11 to 15 inches of draft fore and aft casting decks and a hull with enough power and deadrise to play offshore. Jolly Roger - here is a new 26 boat capable of doing both bay and offshore work and doing it in our Texas conditions.
Its Panga Marines 261 Tournament model and it will run fine on a single or can use twins. The setup below is a single Suzuki 300hp motor on a hydraulic jack plate for shallow work.