What kind of boats do catfishermen like best? You mention bass and everybody knows what a bass boat looks like. What is the ideal catfishing boat, and what is most commonly used, especially on lakes and reservoirs?

On the lake I fish, you mostly see the catmen and women in flatbottoms. Depends on your lake. Depth, structure that will knock off your prop and things like that. If you want a good cat boat, look for one that can take the wind and will take you in the shallow water when you need to go. I like centerconsoles that run skinny water on the bays. They can take the waves and the get you in shallow water.

If you go with a catfishing guide on a Texas lake, what kind of boat would he likely have?

CC

center console aluminum 18ft+
lund
amlumaweld
alumacraft
tracker

CC. However, I know some who use a pontoon boat. I have an acquaintance who is a heck of a cat man and he loves his 18 foot Sun Tracker pontoon. He fishes rod and reel as well as jugs. No trotline in it however, Personally, I prefer a walk through windshield and high sides. (probably because I'm an old fart)

Flatbottom

Most of the catfish guides on Tawakoni guide out of Center Console bay boats or pontoons.

I love my 20ft sun tracker alum, deck boat

i love my 1760 lowe it handles big waves for the times i should not be on the water and sets in about 8 in of water so happy i bought it.

you can catfish from any boat. the best boat is the one you arent making payments on what i do up here in wisconsin is set up 2 catfish rods that have bait clickers and then fish with lures for whitebass, walleye, northerns etc. up here catfish tend to hang out with the other species so anywhere there is bait fish or cover or any other place you find fish i drop out the catfish lines and get after it.

i own a tracker pro-guide16' its got one side console and lots of open area for 2 people. 3 it gets alittle crowded. lots of people up here in wisconsin use the pontoon boats, i would love to have one for fishing as they have huge decks but they are a pain to trailer around from lake to lake and store if you have limited space due to their size.

I love my CC Polarkraft MV2096 xcc. Nice big open boat, large livewell, and with my setup will run in about 8" of water.

I absolutely love my XPRESS HD 22 foot center console. It can take a beating, runs shallow and can take on some big water. The nice thing is its liner. Has like a spray on bedliner on the boat so it stays cool, and is VERY EASY TO CLEAN! A absolute plus in any cat boat.

+1 on the liner. My polarkraft has a vinyl floor and it cleans out easily

When I get a new boat it's gonna be a center console. Out of all the boats I have been on I like the center consoles the best. One about 20 ft that I can take 4 people on, and plenty of room for a good size live well and spots to put rod holders for drifting. I'm gonna keep my kingfisher too, and I will use it when I go on the river or in the creeks. But I want a bigger, more stable boat for fishing rough open water in the winter.

my tracker has a vinyl floor for the main deck and a drain for washing the deck that drains into the bilge. the rear fishing deck and front deck are carpeted. when that carpet is done im going to have those decks vinyled

CC is the way to go on catfishing, unless you like hosing off catfish slime out of your carpet after every trip. You can fish more people a little better out of a CC as well in my opinion than you could with a bassboat. Absolutely love mine compared to the bassboat I used to have.

I got an 18ft lowe roughneck with a center console and boston whaler specs...i wouldn't trade it for the world. it easy to manuever for lines and jugs; plus the rail along the side (which is for a duck blind) makes a great place for hanging leaders when you are running lines.

20' LUND.

I love my CC but hate the marks/scratches I've gotten from catfishing. I would recommend if thats mostly what your fishing for go with alum. be it a CC or pontoon. Also something you can get shallow with. I also prefer deep V for when the weather turns bad on ya.

I love my 2008 Bluewave. It's all stainless and fiberglass so it cleans up real nice. It'll be even better in a few months when it's paid off. 8" of water to 12 miles offshore it's handled everything I've thrown at it.

Pictures worth a 1000 words. Oh FYI spare Tire, and Transom savor
included:) nothing worse than having a salesman tell you you are buying a quality Boat but you get stuck with the cheapest trailer money can buy: Plastic fenders and a tube trailer that rust out in a few short years. Cutin corners to make a buck.
NO PLASTIC FENDERS AT EAGLE MARINE. NO LABOR CHARGES. NO FREIGHT
NO PREP FEES, No INSTALL FEES JUST ONE GREAT FISHING BOAT!!!!!







www.eaglemarine.com

That is a beauty. Bet it works great as a duck boat also.

Hey, I like my 1979 Deckette II Deck boat. I say run what ya brung, but if I was shoping new, I'd look for a 20' CC that runs shallow.

20 ft G3- vinyl lining on floor and side. Easy to clean. Runs dry. Center console a must. Plenty of room for many to fish and lots of room to run trotlines.

(Ps. Setting and running trotlines alone is a whole lot easier with a trolling motor. Just put a 72 lb on and love it for running lines)

I don't know what kind of a boat it is, but the Team Catfish boat in their monster catfish thread is a really cool boat, and I heard them say it has a 100 gallon livewell, I would think they have one of the most ideal boats for catfishing, I wish you could have seen more of the boat!!!

I can only afford one boat so I have a 99 sprint bass boat. The fish don't know what I'm setting in when they're chomping on that big ol dead shad!!!

Mine is a 93 Cajun bay boat. 18'6 long 6.5ft. wide. Center Console, 120 johnson 64lb. trolling motor. Has top with rocket launchers for the Coast. Best fishing boats period today are C.C. even some of the Bass guys are switching. Just more room, run shallow, some shade, etc. Hard to beat a boat as shown above for Cats. I almost bought one just like it but didn't pan out and am really happy with the one i have now. Oh the Cajun's are made no longer but the equipment on them is just as any other so finding replacement parts is no problem if something goes wrong with say the Areator or something.

Kenjerman, that is a COOL boat! I have an 18' cc Voyager that I like really well except for the way it rides on choppy water, but from looking at your pictures your Alumacraft is fishin' and choppy water friendly. What kind of rod holders are you planning on installing?

Theres a DEAL on aBay Stelth cc in classifides $4300

Ive been looking hard at the G3 boats.. amazing quality

http://www.g3boats.com/GatorToughJons/vi...XJoZWFkIFZpZXc=

G3 boats have wood inside of the transom. Check out xpress boats. 100% aluminum everywhere but the console. Plus G3 have plastice consoles. I looked before I bought my xpress.

www.xpressboats.com

blue wave 220 pro deluxe ss with a k top for shade. my 50th birthday present from my wife. damn good woman!

You got your birthday present, already mine is in November, I would like to invite your wife to my birthday party, oh yea, I want a red one. Happy birthday!!!

I fish out of a ranger fisherman, it is a really great boat for any rod and reel fishing, sits close to the water and is great in rough water.

jw

FYI
Make | DateSold 2007 2008 % change 2007 2008 % change
Make 120,008 96,570 -19.5% 100% 100% 0%
Tracker 22,216 19,045 -14.3% 18.5% 19.7% 6.5%
Alumacraft 10,253 9,252 -9.8% 8.5% 9.6% 12.1%
Lowe 7,985 6,696 -16.1% 6.7% 6.9% 4.2%
G3 6,705 5,622 -16.2% 5.6% 5.8% 4.2%
Lund 5,200 4,230 -18.7% 4.3% 4.4% 1.1%
Bennington 5,047 3,577 -29.1% 4.2% 3.7% -11.9%
Crestliner 4,458 3,208 -28.0% 3.7% 3.3% -10.6%
Godfrey 4,501 3,133 -30.4% 3.8% 3.2% -13.5%
SmokerCraft 3,047 2,419 -20.6% 2.5% 2.5% -1.3%
Triton 3,057 2,345 -23.3% 2.5% 2.4% -4.7%
Bentley 2,587 2,171 -16.1% 2.2% 2.2% 4.3%
Xpress 2,343 2,152 -8.2% 2.0% 2.2% 14.1%
Premier Marine 1,999 2,003 0.2% 1.7% 2.1% 24.5%
Fisher 2,322 1,763 -24.1% 1.9% 1.8% -5.6%
Sylvan 2,056 1,589 -22.7% 1.7% 1.6% -4.0%
Crest 2,304 1,574 -31.7% 1.9% 1.6% -15.1%
Starcraft 2,089 1,553 -25.7% 1.7% 1.6% -7.6%
Avalon/Tahoe Pontoons 1,912 1,441 -24.6% 1.6% 1.5% -6.3%
War Eagle 1,287 1,169 -9.2% 1.1% 1.2% 12.9%
SeaArk 1,123 1,058 -5.8% 0.9% 1.1% 17.1%

since 1946 This family owned company has been building some of the most SOLID boats EVER Produced www.alumacraft.com

Alumacraft sells more boats than G3 and Express and War Eagle combined with a increase in market Share 100% Aluminum with a FIBERGLASS Console and injected foam across the bottom. There is nothing worse than seeing a bunch stirred up mud trails from where the fish used to be
FYI

That is incorrect. The model I am looking at is an all alum hull with a lifetime warranty.

Also the Console is Fiberglass.

Three out of the five people in my family that own boads own a carolina skiff. We love them, they are great boats, simple cheap and are damn good fishin boats in my opinion. Wen I have enough cash to look at buying a boat other than my creek hopin jon boat I will be getting one too.

matt

I have an Alumacraft 1756TT tunnel hull. It's one tough boat. easy to handle and will take rough water just fine as long as you take your time. I love it.

My Alumacraft 1650 Catfishing Machine! Dang tough boats!

How about this one? Not quite finished yet

Nice!!!

Wow, very nice!

+1

I have a PK 2096 xcc as well. 115 suzuki 4 stroke with 12" jack plate... I plan to be buried with this boat. I love it more everytime I use it. Mine has the sprayed in liner instead of vinyl. Also has washout system.. Real handy for washing the striper blood down. I'll never go back to carpet again.

Any updated opinions on this topic?

2013 Xpress XP 200

I have a G3 1860 CC Gator Tough with a 90HP Yammie that I'm happy with. It also doubles as a work boat so it has a Fishmaster T-top to help me beat the heat during the Summer. I added Driftmaster rod holders all around the rails. If I was going to do it over, I would go with the 20' version of something, probably an Xpress or Sea Ark and a 4 Stroke just so I wouldn't have to mess with the oil.

After fishing this boat a couple of times on the coast, if I were going to spend a lot of time in the bay, I would be looking at a heavier V-hull. The jons are rough and wet if you get into any chop, but they make great lake boats and being light, they can be pulled with about any truck.

I run a G3 1860 and I love it. Vinyl floors and aluminum console. It handles great in rough water but it can be bumpy and wet..
My last boat had carpet after 1 weekend of catfishing I knew the carpeted boats weren't for me.
Plus I hate having to cover the boat before a rain lol. I let the good lord wash my boat out for me.

This lil daisy..

how fast do you wanna go to get to the honey hole?

+1 for scaring the fish away with the air boat

Lot of good looking boats

The aluminum console is interesting. What years is your boat. My '06 model has the plastic console. I've had to beef it up and replace some of the sheet metal screws that they used to fasten it to the floor with machine screws and lock nuts. I guess the fact that I'm always in semi-rough water and I have a T-top pulling on it may have something to do with it. I fastened 3/8" aluminum stock to the runners in four places and then drilled and tapped the bar stock to attach the top's feet with 1/4-20 bolts and it still gets a lot of stress.

1760 Lowe Roughneck CC goes shallow and can take a bump and easy to clean. Love it.

Its a 2000.