We have decided to start looking for a bay boat and were wondering what some of the good brands are. We do not want one or the no side one and it should be capable to go a few miles off on a calm day. Can anyone help or give me some websites on where to find some

Well.....Depends on several things.

how you want money to spend?
Pulling vehicle?
how shallow of water do you want to get into (Bay)?

I am currently looking into the Power Catamaran style boats, like Twin-V or Glacier Bay. These style of boats are not common in Texas, but can serve in both fresh and saltwater. They are great for rough water, too..

There are a lot of V-Hull boats, like Bay Ranger (Ranger Boats), Bay Pro by Skeeter..These have bass boat hulls.

I am looking at being in as shallow as three feet of water. I will be driving a 3/4 ton Dodge ram. Im not looking to go more than about 25000. I would prefer used also.

I think one of the best all around Bay and Near Shore boats would be a Kenner 1901 or 2102.

That's what I am looking at and so far I am very impressed with the ones I have taken out and fished on.

http://www.kenner-boats.com/


Blue Wave is the other boat I am looking at as well. Rides a little different but I like that fact that you can rig them with Yamaha's.

http://www.bluewaveboats.com/

Both can do 20 miles offshore no problem given sea and weather conditions.

That's where I would start, but there are other boats..

-Z-

If you have an opportunity check out Shoalwater boats, we rent them when we go down to POC, and they are some great shallowater boats and made with quality!!!

It's tough to beat a Kenner!Bill Kenner now builds the K2 brand called a FRONTIER!Awesome rig!

I love my Kenner Vision. It's 19.5' w/115 opti and it is a good combo. Not real fast (40-42 wot), but fast enough to get me in and out if a cloud comes up. Have been out 14 miles and fished many lakes all over the states. It is a fishing machine, not a comfort "lets take the grandparents for a ride" boat. It does not have a real shallow draft (14") but have caught many reds and flounder in the bays. Two of the best features of this rig is, 1. Have been in 3-4' seas and stayed dry, and 2. with the 115 opti, I get 6-6.5 mpg. With a 46 gal tank, you got a lot of range. (Oh one more thing. Complete with topper, gps and 80lb riptide tm, less than 19k.
Dusty

1901 Mako with a Mercury Optimax - Love mine ! The 2102 is a great looking boat, more $$ and more boat than I needed.

Take a look at Nautic Star....Mine performs great although not real shallow but I can get up in 3 feet.

I rode in a 22" Nautic Star not too long ago... Great ride, I am not sure about skinny water though. Check them out at Rockwall Marine ( Tommy Yetts)

HAYNIE BOATS!! All the Way! The new kenners are junk, the old kenners that Bill Kenner use to make were solid. I have gone out 40 miles+. Though I can burn the flats in a foot of water. Do your self a huge favor and look at the Haynie boats. I have a 23 bigfoot, and I have ran kenners, and blue waves for clients, and there is NO comparison. haynieboats.com, if you are ever in the Rockport area I will give you a demo in mine, go to p2outfitters.com and give me a call. Best of luck on finding the right boat. Capt. Joe

Salt Fever, Fiber-Works marine service, we build 14.5 to 23 feet, 5 models to choose from, we build most boats under $25,000, OFFER BOAT, MOTOR AND TRAILER Salt water Packages www.fiberworksboats.com
not all boats are listed on my site, we are the builder not a dealer

I bought a Used SeaPro SV2100 and I have no regrets. www.seaproboats.com She does great in the lakes, bays, and I have taken her 50+ miles off shore at POC. I even got stuck in a freek storm with 8-10' seas and she got me home safe and sound! There are alot of choices and can be quite overwhelming. It all depens on what you really want. I looked for a stable CC bayboat that could handle rough water if needed. I'm not real big into fishing the skinny water of 18" or less so the SeaPro has fit me well. I wade if i need to be in that skinny of water. Look at the whole package. What i mean is, extra features can make or break a boat for comfort and fishability. Goog luck hunting.

Triton LTS series is great. I have a 240 and go 50 miles off shore in it. It has done well in 3-4 foot seas

I just went through the boat buying process. At $25k used you should be able to get something nice. $25k new and your probably looking at the 19'-20' range. I think I was quoted a 21' Kenner VX for $28k (150 opti). It would have been $30k by the time I added back casting deck and tandem trailer. I ended up with a Triton based mainly on the reputation of their bass boats. If you buy a new boat, try and check out the reputation of the dealer. It's worth a couple thousand dollars more to get work with a good dealer after the purchase.