I’m considering a NauticStar 231 Hybrid that I can primarily fish inshore saltwater but want the flexibility on occasion to use in freshwater for recreation and fishing. I understand NS boats are equipped to handle salt so don’t think running in both salt and fresh to be an issue. I know that this will limit how skinny I can fish bays which I’m okay with as long as I can still get reasonably good performance for bay fishing. Draft is 13”. Deadrise @ Transome is 13.2 deg.

I realize not everyone will know this specific boat boat but looking for perspectives on going this route in general and if any serious drawbacks I should factor in. Appreciate y’all’s thoughts. Thanks.

Is it a tunnel V?
That much draft is fine in Galveston, Matagorda or East, it'll be restrictive anywhere south, so be aware.

If it is a tunnel, then a hydraulic jack plate, compression plate and the right prop make a huge difference in where you can go and more important, where you can get out of.

NS builds a pretty solid boat. They include a lot of storage hatches which some find nice. Others view it as loss of fishing deck. They are notorious for putting undersized motors on their boats so they can have a more attractive price point. For example their 21’ v bottom bay boat comes standard with a 115. You out 4 guys in that boat and it would take half a mile to get on plane with that small of a motor. Most experienced buyers know this fact about NS and as a result they can be harder to sell if it comes to that. Also most manufacturers are guilty of exaggerating the draft number and 13” is definitely low for that boat. I’d expect more like 16” with a couple of people and gear. But in reality a trolling motor needs that depth to operate anyway so I think the draft of that boat will be ok.

I think as long as you know your limits in terms of where you can fish in the bays it’ll be fine. Just know it’s by no means a shallow water boat just because it has a tunnel hull.

Bays are different than lakes, the middle of the bay might not be the deepest part. Learn to read the waves, remember a wave height is 1/2 the water depth. 6" wave is 1 foot deep.

Thanks Pat. Need to confirm if it’s a tunnel.

Good info Jerry. thanks

I am currently running an 1810 NauticStar. Smaller than the 231 you are considering. My draft is about 11””. No tunnel, 90 HP Yamaha. I cannot get to places in the LLM that the true flats boats go. Handles saltwater fine with a fresh water bath afterwards. And yes, NS under powers most of their boats to lower price. Be sure your HP is near the max rated for that hull or it will be hard to plane out with a load.

For some reason I thought this boat was a tunnel hull but after looking it up this morning I don’t think it is. NS does make a 22’ tunnel hull and that’s where I got my hills mixed up. Pretty sure the 231 hybrid is not a hull.

Think of a tunnel/flats design as four wheel drive. It will give you access to a lot more water, but when you stick it, it'll be stuck good. When you grind up a non tunnel, you're probably still floating, and you can probably push it out of whatever situation you're in. When you shut down a tunnel hull, you gotta call the airboat to come fetch you.

Someone missed a turn

If you’ve ever experienced running in super thin water you’d know how this happens.

Water doesn’t compress, when you get shallow enough the water gets hard and actually picks the boat up. When THAT happens you’ll pretty much lose any hope of being able to turn or control. It’s a predicament because if you shut down you’re stuck, if you can’t turn you’re really gonna get stuck.

Then the fact you can slide a loooong way you’ll know why you see boats in some really strange places.

I’ve never ran in super thin water. Never really wanted to push the limits on my boat so I honestly don’t know what they are. When my motor is raised all the way up on 6 on the jack plate and trimmed out there’s about 2” of prop (basically the tip of the blades) below the bottom of the boat. I figured 5” is about as thin as I could run. I have been in 8” water a bunch (that’s a measured depth) and I don’t churn up any mud. I know it can change from 6 to 2 in a hurry which is probably why I don’t push it.

That next big herd of redfish might be right there. You’re not going to catch them in six inches but sometimes you gotta go through six to get to the twenty that’s holding. That’s when it gets interesting. After 25 years of running the jet scooter, I’ve had to readjust my navigation skills. I could get pretty stupid before, now with the shallow sport I have to pay more attention. What happens when you compromise.

Have 2 friends who each have SS 21’ sports. They run shallow for a glass prop boat. I think the way I have my 22 Illusion set up (motor mounted on highest holes) it’ll run in about the same water as their Ss’s.

Your limiting factors are when does your prop give up or when do you lose water pressure. I put a set of Jack Foreman props on the TRP and they aren’t even thinking about quitting with the prop shaft even with the top of the tunnel. But I’ve lost water pressure so now decide between low water cone or transom pickups. Pros for both.

I know I’m just getting setup to get really stuck, but you don’t know if you don’t try.