Guys and gals, for a person wanting a boat to use in the bays, the Laguna Madre area, around the jetties......what would you, who have experience, suggest?

I have a buddy with a small budget looking for a bay boat that will be safe for no more than 3 guys. The key elements are PRICE, SAFETY, DESIGNed for shallow water use.

Again, 30k$ custom rigs are nice, but in no way realistic here. A budget more in the 10-15k is mmmore likely, with a fully rigged boat.

Please, post pics of your ideas as well as any links to sellers if you have it.

Also.... Looking for advice on what motor is the best for small boats. Here, what we are looking for, is ease of use, efficiency, and ease or low cost maintainence.

I do not profess any real expertise in the boat arena. Ive got my old recycled beercan of a skiff, but its not what he is looking for....too small, worn out, and ugly.

thanks for your time and input.

Try Craigslist my friend. Make sure you have all paper work in the sellers name. There are lots of boats out there.

You'll probably be looking at something like my old skiff:

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You can make a tunnel skiff run pretty shallow, not a great rough water boat, but that will be your compromise at your budget, you can run shallow, or run smooth, but can't do both.

Just think about what you're going to want to push off a sand bar...

for down there I would go with the skiff.. you're only going to want to fish the jetty's on calm days any ways... and fish the flats the rest of the time even when it's windy. A little baby cat or transcat or shallow sport would be great

How small of a boat? 14'...16'..17'....19'. Again, no more than 3 people. He doesnt want a "family" boat, just something for him and 2 buddies. He is talking a lot about getting into the Laguna Madre...and I have NO experience there. from what I hear, it is a very shallow bay.

Also....What brand motor? He has a really good attitude on this, he's focused more on the long term cost of ownership...such as maintenence and parts. My boat only has a trolling motor.....

thanks for the help guys.

16' will fish 3 friends. You'll be drifting some, and sometimes staking out the boat for a wade, so keep in mind you gotta flop yourself in and out of it.

I'm partial to mercs, yamahas, and tohatsu, and a much bigger fan of simple two strokes than not. But I've had to push off too many mud bars in my life, and every pound that isn't there is appreciated.

Skiffs are simple and cheap to build and should be able to find something in his budget. Don't expect a smooth ride, but do expect to be able to run in very shallow water when it's properly setup. It's all about the holeshot and getting up and gone with minimum effort. Right prop, right jack plate, compression plate and trim tabs will make the difference between aggravation and satisfaction.
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For me, Im looking at building a skiff off the Spira International website. Bobby however, hasnt the time to do any of that. the boat I currently own is just a Vhull aluminum that was made in the 50's or 60's, armed with a 45 lb trolling motor, it got my wife and I around lake Sommerville and Gibbons Creek just fine. Now, Im looking to do some bay fishing myself, and Bobby is looking for a whole set-up. I think we both have a lot to learn.

Saw this over at Rockwall Marine $9500.00

http://www.rockwallmarine.com/pre_owned_...amp;veh=2788164

That would be an ok hull for galveston, it would be frustrating to run in the LLM. Two reasons...

A proper setup tunnel hull that draws less than 8" of water will enable you to navigate with your eyes. That bay (and others) is very shallow and you want to be able to explore as much as you can. With a hull that can run in 4 or 5", you can look ahead, if the bottom is dark, you're good, if it's white, you need to go around. That's on a calm day, when the wind blows, you know if it's a 4" wave, it's 8" deep and good to go.

And a big high sided rig will turn into a potato chip bag in the wind, drifts will be annoying, and more important dragging your carcass back in after a two hour power wade would be painful.

Pat....would you mind looking at something? www.spirainternational.com look at the 19 foot Albion and 17 foot tillamook. Im thinking of building either of those for myself. Bobby on the other hand, he is just looking for a skiff type of boat that he can afford to buy, then afford to keep. I think we all can agree, buying a boat is just the begining of the cost?

her you go http://www.spirainternational.com/hp_wood_boats.html

Oh my no... Imagine an empty capped clorox bottle sailing across the bay in a 25 mph wind.



This looks a little ghetto, but it gets the point across. The LLM is shallow...really shallow, and you'll be doing one of two things, either drifting a flat, or wading. If you can run shallow, you don't need to be out in the rough water, and getting in and out of your boat for a wade is a major deal. Even boarding ladders and other such foo foo is no comparison to just sitting down on a scooter and getting in.

The low profile is a major advantage trying to control a drift also. You normally won't have to fool with drift socks and such.

But...be aware I'm pretty hard core, it's a fishing boat. I want to be able to run into (and out of) whatever back bay I want, I won't ever be slinging bait, and shallow water abilities take precedence over every thing else. If a redfish can swim in, I want to be able to follow him.

This is what I used in the LLM for the last few years. Drifts shallow but had to idle out or use trolling motor in the 8-10" stuff. The wife won't wade so drift was the only choice. I used a stick anchor to stop and fan cast every several feet. This also gave me the option of lake fishing here in north Texas.

He could probably find a good used Mako in that price range. Either that or a Boston Whaler.

Guys, running around the LLM in a non-tunnel, V hull craft is at best painful. Not being able to get up and go in 10" of water might not sound like a big deal to you, but down there, it could easily be a mile idle to find enough water to get up and go in. If you're able to float at all...

I have spent a lot of time fishing out of Mansfield and Arroyo city, and I've witnessed a lot of painful experiences by the uninformed getting themselves in some pitiful situations. Locals don't run v hull boats, and especially something without a tunnel, you just cut 70% of the fishing water out of your plans. Don't be uninformed...make a good decision to start with, not based on pain.