Which New Fishing Boat is Right For You? BY Lenny Rudow
With so many styles to choose from, ranging from center consoles to pilot houses to convertibles, how will you make the best pick? There is no such thing as the perfect fishing boat. What’s ideal for angler A is not necessarily ideal for angler B, and may be an utterly awful choice for angler C. That’s one of the reasons why we have so many different types, styles, and sizes of boats to choose from. The secret to being a happy fishboat owner is finding the boat that’s ideal for you, personally, and that fits your own needs. So, while you wander the show, gawking at acre after acre of fiberglass, and drooling over all those hot new fishing machines, remember to keep these key points in mind:
Center Consoles
This quintessential style of fishing boat is a good allaround pick for many hard-core anglers, since it lets you fish all the way around the boat – literally. Having the ability to fish 360-degrees means you can follow those bluefin from the stern to the bow and back down the other side of the boat without having to dodge pipework or shimmy around a cabin. It means you can line numerous anglers along the gunwales when bottom fishing or post light-tackle casters from stem to stern. It even means that fly anglers will have the open space they need to swing their buggy whips.
Added Bonus: These days virtually every center
console over 20’ (and some even smaller) have a head compartment in the console, and many larger models have entire cabins including berths and even galleys.
Weakest Link: Most center consoles offer little to no
protection from the elements. This can lead to misery-trips for those who aren’t prepared to get soaked with spray or blasted by a chilly breeze, especially if you take the entire family out fishing.
Dual Consoles
This design is ideal for those who want a boat that’s fishable but can also pull double-duty for watersports like water skiing and wakeboarding. The ability to seal off the bow and sit behind a full windshield also offers some additional weather protection. Put these two factors together, and dual consoles become a natural choice for families with more wide-ranging interests than fishing alone.
Added Bonus: Having the passenger-side console
(usually with a head inside) adds a significant amount of lockable stowage, in many cases allowing for secure onboard rod and gear stowage.
Weakest Link: Significant amounts of deck (read:
fishing) space is lost to the pair of consoles mounted port and starboard and integrated seating in the bow.
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BDoutdoors.com
